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The Boston Red Sox are expected to remain in the Bo Bichette sweepstakes until the very end. Boston has made revamping their infield a top priority this offseason. Team officials wanted to strengthen the group even before Alex Bregman opted to leave for the Chicago Cubs. With the third baseman now gone, they need reinforcements even more.
CBS Sports analysts R.J. Anderson and Matt Snyder both believe that the Red Sox need Bichette more than any other team linked with the star. Along with Boston, the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees would all love to sign the infielder. Nevertheless, the Bregman loss creates a massive hole in the Red Sox lineup, and GM Craig Breslow has to address the dire situation.
The Phillies, however, are now seen as the frontrunners to sign Bichette. MLB insider Jon Heyman recently claimed that the two sides had a positive meeting and there is “momentum to get [a deal] done.” Despite this, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa claims that the Red Sox will rival Philadelphia’s offer to the star. The reporter made the assertion after Boston signed starting pitcher Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract.
While the Suarez deal may seem as if the Red Sox may now be short on money, it could actually be the opposite. Suarez’s massive new contract puts Boston over the $244 million competitive balance tax threshold for 2026. As a result, the Red Sox have to pay a penalty for reaching this figure. But as Axisa points out, “Once you’re over, you might as well keep spending. Go for broke or don’t go at all, you know?”
Boston Red Sox Still Could Fall Short in Bo Bichette Pursuit
GettyBo Bichette is one of the most sought-after free agents in baseball.
While multiple analysts predict that the Red Sox will ultimately continue the spending spree and land Bichette, it is still not set in stone. The star could still very well sign in Philadelphia or with another contending team. Boston may be desperate and willing to splash the cash, but they obviously cannot force Bichette to sign. The team recently experienced this with Bregman.
Assuming Bichette opts against joining the Red Sox, the club will likely revisit the trade market. Breslow recently admitted that he is exploring every avenue this winter. “It’s going to sound redundant, but we’ll be open to any way to improve our team,” stated Breslow after Bregman departed. “Free agency is an obvious path, but so are trades. We will try to continue to add offense, but leaning into pitching and defense is another way to boost our win total.”
Red Sox Have Plenty of Assets to Make Blockbuster Trade
In adding Suarez, Boston now has a plethora of starting pitchers on its current roster. They also have a surplus of outfielders and have been linked with trading at least one of them all offseason. If the Red Sox have to trade for an infielder, they certainly have the pieces to do so. They have a highly ranked farm system as well.
Missing out on Bichette would sting, but it would not exactly be the end of the world. Breslow could use their extra pitchers and/or outfielders to bring in a quality infielder via the trade market. The Red Sox have been linked with moves for Brendan Donovan, Nico Hoerner, and Isaac Paredes in recent weeks.
Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore
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