Red Sox free agency targets: Ranking Boston’s best 8 options, from Alex Bregman to Pete Alonso originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox finished the 2025 season with an 89-73 record in third place in the AL East. Boston made the postseason but was bounced in three games by the New York Yankees.
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The Red Sox had two main pitching additions ahead of the 2025 season: Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler. Crochet had the season that they paid him for and finished second in the AL Cy Young voting. Buehler was another story, though. The righty made 22 starts for Boston and finished his tenure with a 7-7 record and a 5.45 ERA before being released on Aug. 29.
2025 also marked the Red Sox’s decision to part ways with Rafael Devers, trading him to the San Francisco Giants after 73 games. Boston also decided to showcase some of its youth by calling up Roman Anthony (who finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting), Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, who all played at least 44 games with the big league club.
Heading into the 2025-2026 offseason, Boston is in a good place but has some areas to improve upon. Alex Bregman opted out of his contract, and the Red Sox’s top priority is likely working out a new deal with their now-former infielder. Boston can make some pitching upgrades to give them more depth, but overall, the roster they are retaining is solid.
Here are the best free agency targets for the Red Sox.
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8. Chris Bassitt, SP
- 2025 stats: 11-9, 3.96 ERA, 166 Ks in 32 starts.
Chris Bassitt will turn 37 years old ahead of the 2026 season. The Red Sox watched as he spent the last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He made 32 starts, and the veteran arm ate up 170.1 innings. Bassitt also made seven appearances in the postseason, and allowed just one earned run in 8.2 innings of work.
He made $22 million last season, in the final year of a three-year, $63 million deal with Toronto. Given his age ahead of next season, Bassitt should be able to be had for less, and could be a solid addition to a rotation projected to be made of some combination of Crochet, Brayan Bello, Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford and Kyle Harrison.
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7. Michael King, SP
- 2025 stats: 5-3, 3.44 ERA, 76ks in 15 starts.
Michael King will still be 30 years old when the 2026 season begins. He was only able to play in 15 games in 2025 due to right shoulder and knee injuries. When King was pitching, he was solid, registering a win in five of his starts with a 3.44 ERA. He had the second-best ERA on the San Diego Padres for pitchers who started at least 8 games.
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6. Bo Bichette, SS
- 2025 stats: .311, 18 home runs, 94 RBI in 139 games.
Bo Bichette will be one of the more sought-after middle-infielder free agents. He would be an option if Boston doesn’t bring back Bregman. Boston could sign Bichette, possibly for cheaper, and then call up Mayer to man the hot corner.
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Bichette played through an injury in the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He wasn’t able to run at full speed, but launched a big home run in Game 7, even though Los Angeles eventually came back and won the game and series.
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5. Eugenio Suarez, 3B
- 2025 stats: .228, 49 home runs, 118 RBI in 159 games.
Speaking of the hot corner, Eugenio Suarez has entered the chat. He feels like the righty power bat that the Red Sox have been missing. Suarez split his time between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Seattle Mariners but mashed 49 home runs, the fifth-most in MLB.
Boston could sign Suarez, have him play third and then have Mayer move over to second if they feel like he is ready. If not, Suarez’s power would likely help offset whatever bottom-of-the-order bat they had to play second.
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4. Kyle Schwarber, DH
- 2025 stats: .240, 56 home runs, 132 RBI in 162 games.
One of the more intriguing options for Boston is to reunite with Kyle Schwarber. He could fill in as the starting DH, but this would likely force Masataka Yoshida to either the bench full-time or make him a trade candidate.
Schwarber had the second-most home runs, 56, in MLB and led the National League last season. He will turn 33 years old ahead of Opening Day in 2026, but his bat is still plenty viable to make him a great option for Boston.
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3. Devin Williams, RP/CL
- 2025 stats: 4-6, 4.79 ERA, 18/22 saves, 15 holds in 67 appearances.
Boston already has Aroldis Chapman as its closer and can use Garrett Whitlock as the setup man. Chapman was tied for the fifth-most saves in MLB last season. Devin Williams was traded to the New York Yankees ahead of the 2025 season. He struggled with New York and was relegated from the team’s closing role to the bullpen. He can be that for Boston and give them almost a three-headed monster in the pen to help manage the innings for Whitlock and Chapman.
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2. Pete Alonso, 1B
- 2025 stats: .272, 38 home runs, 126 RBI in 162 games.
If the Red Sox don’t bring back Alex Bregman, they need to add a righty bat with some pop. Triston Casas hasn’t panned out yet and has struggled to stay healthy. Pete Alonso wasn’t given a qualifying offer, so if Boston wants to sign him, it doesn’t have to worry about losing a draft pick.
Alonso hit 38 home runs, eighth-most in MLB, and played in every game for the New York Mets last season. He would be a middle-of-the-order bat that would provide much-needed pop from the right side and has been reliable over his seven-year career, playing in at least 152 games every year (not counting the COVID-19-shortened season).
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1. Alex Bregman, 2B
- 2025 stats: .273, 18 home runs, 62 RBI in 114 games.
Alex Bregman is Boston’s belle of the ball. He signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox ahead of the 2025 season but opted out after the first year. Bregman gave up two years and $80 million to sign a new deal. Even though he opted out, there is interest from Boston in working out a deal with the third baseman.
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