With spring training looming just weeks away, the Boston Red Sox are still grappling with a glaring hole in their infield following the trade of Rafael Devers. Reuniting with Alex Bregman was high on their wishlist, but that pursuit fell flat, leaving fans and analysts wondering what’s next.
Insiders suggest the Sox might turn to the trade market to round out their roster, yet viable options are dwindling. Talks for Isaac Paredes with the Houston Astros have stalled, showing minimal progress, while the Arizona Diamondbacks have firmly shut down any notion of moving Ketel Marte, even in exchange for some of Boston’s impressive starting pitching surplus.
The free-agent landscape isn’t offering much relief either. Bo Bichette’s recent signing with the New York Mets—at a price tag the Red Sox weren’t prepared to match—has further thinned the pool. The Philadelphia Phillies were also in the mix, intensifying the bidding war. That leaves Eugenio Suárez as one of the few remaining high-profile third basemen on the market, though his fit with Boston is far from perfect, and the team has shown interest in pursuing him.
However, hopes for a Suárez deal appear to be fading fast. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, who dropped an update on January 20, there’s “very little traction” between Suárez and the Red Sox. This aligns with the prevailing view that Boston will lean on trades to bolster their offense this offseason, but the stagnation on all fronts is ramping up the anxiety among fans as the winter drags on.
The Red Sox aren’t close to sealing a deal with Suárez, who stands out as a key remaining infield option. While he’s no defensive wizard—his performance last season was subpar, with six outs below average and a ninth-percentile ranking in range—Suárez has shown flashes of elite glove work in prior years, posting three outs above average in 2024 and an impressive 11 in 2023, landing him in the 97th percentile.
Offensively, Suárez packs a punch that could thrive in Fenway Park. He smashed 49 home runs last season, and the Green Monster could amplify his power over 81 home games. That said, he won’t solve Boston’s strikeout woes, as his whiff and strikeout rates ranked in the 11th and 10th percentiles, respectively.
At this late stage in the offseason, the Red Sox can’t afford to be overly selective. Suárez may not check every box—his defense is a concern, and his age could impact the cost (pushing the team nearer to luxury tax thresholds)—but as a right-handed slugger capable of holding down third base and injecting serious pop into the lineup, he represents a pragmatic “win-now” acquisition, much like the recent deals for Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. For now, though, the insider’s latest intel delivers a tough blow to those holding out hope for a quick resolution.
