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The Red Sox’s replacement for Alex Bregman has put together a strong spring with his new team, and he could be an X-factor in 2026.

The Boston Red Sox are entering the 2026 season hoping bounce back from their loss in the American League Wild Card Series to the New York Yankees last October. Unfortunately, they lost Alex Bregman in free agency, but managed to replace him by trading for Caleb Durbin.

Durbin put together a strong season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025, hitting .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 18 stolen bases and a .721 OPS while also finishing in the Top 3 for the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic put together a list of players from each team in Major League Baseball that are turning heads in spring training, and for Boston, Durbin was listed.

“After the Red Sox lost third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, they pivoted and made a trade with the Brewers, acquiring Durbin in a six-player deal,” Bowden wrote. “Durbin was a 2025 NL Rookie of the Year finalist and the Red Sox like that he can play above-average defense at both second and third. Manager Alex Cora recently made the decision that Durbin would start the year at third and Marcelo Mayer would play second.”

Caleb Durbin ‘Turning Heads’ for Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox had to give up a few young pitchers in Shane Drohan, Kyle Harrison, as well as infielder David Hamilton. However, it may ultimately be worth the price if the Red Sox get what they are hoping for out of Durbin.

They needed to replace Bregman, and they may have found the perfect solution. They were unable to land Eugenio Suarez after losing Bregman, so they had a void at third base. But Durbin performed well at the plate for the Brewers last season and is a versatile player as well, with the ability to play two of the four infield positions.

The Red Sox can do a number of things with him in their lineup. Obviously, the easy solution is for him to be the everyday third baseman after the departure of Bregman, but he can also be used at second base if the Red Sox need his versatility at that position.

Red Sox Have a Star on Their Hands

The Red Sox have a lot of young talent on their roster, and Durbin helps them supplement what they already have on their roster. The team is looking strong heading into the 2026 season, and having Durbin at third base should make the transition seamless.

Losing Bregman was a tough blow for the Red Sox, but they were fortunate to find Durbin as their replacement for him. If he can stay healthy and replicate his numbers from 2025, then the Red Sox should be in good shape and be able to compete with the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot in the AL East.

It will be interesting to see how Durbin fares with his new club and what the Red Sox can do thanks to the new addition. Clearly, he is performing well this spring, so that is a good sign for a team trying to make it back to the postseason in 2026.

Curt Bishop Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who has written for various outlets including Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, The Sporting News, Newsweek and Yardbarker. His work entails mostly breaking and trending news with a concentration on Major League Baseball (MLB). Curt graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on emerging and new media, as well as a music minor. More about Curt Bishop