{"id":162012,"date":"2026-03-10T06:54:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T06:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=162012"},"modified":"2026-03-10T06:54:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T06:54:29","slug":"red-sox-weakness-threatens-2026-season-as-the-face-a-glaring-hole-in-their-roster-that-could-derail-their-plans-for-the-upcoming-year-fans-and-analysts-alike-are-raising-concerns-about-how-this-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=162012","title":{"rendered":"RED SOX WEAKNESS THREATENS 2026 SEASON as the face a glaring hole in their roster that could derail their plans for the upcoming year. Fans and analysts alike are raising concerns about how this issue could affect their playoff chances. With time ticking down, the team must act fast to fix this weakness before it becomes a season-defining problem. \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Alex-Cora-1-e1771775412142.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Alex-Cora-1-e1771775412142.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Alex-Cora-1-e1771775412142.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Alex-Cora-1-e1771775412142.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Boston Red Sox Weakness Could Create Major Issues in 2026\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p>Alex Cora tipped his hand at what the opening day lineup might look like.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When Alex Bregman left the Boston Red Sox to sign with the Chicago Cubs in free agency, Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow pivoted in an odd direction. You thought that he would have pivoted to a replacement for Bregman. Instead, he went in a different direction.<\/p>\n<p>Breslow signed Philadelphia Phillies left-handed starter Ranger Su\u00e1rez. He was inked to a five-year, $130 million contract. The signing gives manager Alex Cora a very good 1-2 top-of-the-rotation with Su\u00e1rez slotting in behind Garrett Crochet. Again, that didn\u2019t fill the gap at third base and in the lineup.<\/p>\n<p>Breslow and Cora are looking to fill Bregman\u2019s absence this season through a trade, free agency, or with one of their young players. However they go about it, Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated believes the loss of Bregman will be something that haunts the Red Sox in 2026.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Loss of Alex Bregman Could Be Boston Red Sox\u2019s Achilles Heel in 2026<\/h2>\n<p>Currently, the Red Sox are looking at Caleb Durbin, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, free agent Isiah Kiner-Falefa, or prospect Marcelo Meyer to fill Bregman\u2019s spot. That\u2019s where Rasmussen sees an issue popping for Boston.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe\u00a0loss of Alex Bregman leaves the Red Sox without a clear answer at third base. Marcelo Mayer and Caleb Durbin are expected to get reps at the hot corner, but the team\u2019s failure to retain Bregman was a big loss, both offensively and defensively,\u201d wrote Rasmussen.<\/p>\n<p>Durbin is an interesting option. Acquired from the Brewers before spring training, he has played well so far in camp. Last season in Milwaukee, the 26-year-old slashed .256\/.334\/.387 with 11 home runs and 53 runs driven in. He had a 2.9 WAR. Durbin slashed .276\/.364\/.414 in nine postseason games.<\/p>\n<p>As for Meyer, this is where it gets interesting. He heard Cora\u2019s recent comments about making the roster out of spring training. He responded by saying that he needs to earn his spot on the roster in Cincinnati against the Reds on March 27.<\/p>\n<p>However, if there is one concern about Meyer, it\u2019s his health. He has struggled to stay healthy, and his production has been inconsistent at times as well. Boston would benefit greatly if Meyer were able to solidify third base, but he can also play second.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2238618297.jpg?w=1600&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1\" alt=\"Five Ways Red Sox Can Become World Series Contenders in 2026 - Newsweek\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Scott Roche Scott Roche covers college football, NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com and has three decades of sports writing, covering everything from college to professional sports. More about Scott Roche<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty Alex Cora tipped his hand at what the opening day lineup might look like. When Alex Bregman left the Boston Red Sox to sign with the&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":162041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-162012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>RED SOX WEAKNESS THREATENS 2026 SEASON as the face a glaring hole in their roster that could derail their plans for the upcoming year. Fans and analysts alike are raising concerns about how this issue could affect their playoff chances. 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