The Red Sox watched Alex Bregman sign with the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. Bregman is a huge loss, especially in the clubhouse. He brought a winning culture from his days with the Houston Astros, helping Boston end a four-year playoff drought.
President of baseball operations Craig Breslow has his work cut out for him to fill a huge vacancy at third base. Nolan Arenado will certainly be a popular trade candidate to replace Bregman, but he is not their best option. Arenado will be enshrined in Cooperstown someday, but his best years are well behind him. Instead, the Red Sox’s best option is already on the roster in the form of Marcelo Mayer.
Mayer was one of three prospects, along with Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell, headlining a strong Boston farm system entering 2025. While Anthony has emerged as the next face of the franchise, they got more typical rookie results from Mayer and Campbell.
Despite the Red Sox being active in the trade market, they held onto Mayer this offseason. It’s obviously clear that they still value him as a core piece moving forward. However, it might not be at his natural position of shortstop, with Trevor Story opting into the final three years of his contract.
Bregman’s Departure Opens Door for Marcelo Mayer
With Bregman’s departure, the Mayer has a window of opportunity to take the third base job for the Red Sox. He had a cup of coffee with the club in 2025, filling in while Bregman missed two months with a right quad strain.
His 2025 results weren’t great, as he put up a .228/.272/.402 slash in 136 plate appearances. More concerning was that he struck out 41 times compared to just eight walks.
Diving deeper into his swing metrics, there’s an obvious reason for the high strikeout rate. Mayer’s contact rate when swinging at pitches in the strike zone was 86.7% vs. 29.0% when he chases out of the zone.
As a rookie, Mayer bit on 29.7% of pitches he saw out of the strike zone. That is a clear area of improvement entering his second season in Boston. Playing every day should allow him to refine his approach against major league pitchers. His numbers should improve as the chase rate drops.
There are some solid quality of contact metrics that are hidden by the high strikeout rate. Mayer posted a hard-hit rate (exit velocities north of 95.0 MPH) of 51.7% and a barrel rate of 9.2%. Both show the possibility of an impact bat that could eventually fill Bregman’s shoes.
Roster Resource projects Marcelo Mayer to be the starting third baseman and bat seventh in the Red Sox’s lineup.
Other Areas the Red Sox Can Improve Their Lineup
Even with an opportunity for Mayer to take over the third base job in 2026, Bregman’s departure leaves a huge hole in the lineup.
One area they could look at is second base. Ceddanne Rafaela is tentatively the starter, although he’s played more outfield in his career. If they want to keep Rafaela in the outfield, then they could check back in on Brendan Donovan or Nico Hoerner in the trade market.
Bo Bichette is another option in the free-agent market, but the latest reporting isn’t bullish on the Red Sox’s ability to land the former Blue Jay.
If the Red Sox choose to play Rafaela at second base, where he started 19 games in 2025, it opens up more possibilities with the outfield and designated hitter spots. Boston could run an outfield of Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Nate Eaton in that scenario. That would allow them to target a big bat to either play left field or DH.
Alex Bregman’s Departure Opens Door for Former Red Sox Top Prospect