The Boston Red Sox are now officially the last team to sign a free agent during the offseason after the Colorado Rockies signed pitcher Michael Lorenzen. However, it does not mean the Red Sox have not been busy, especially after making 10 trades. Moreover, the team has been linked to multiple trade rumors and free agents. Does it mean that something will get done? Maybe so. But, when looking at the offseason so far, the Red Sox are looking to take a step in the upcoming 2026 MLB season.
That said, it was announced on Thursday, Jan. 8, that Boston signed their last four arbitration-eligible players by the deadline to have contracts agreed upon for the 2026 season. Being able to clear that juncture of the offseason for the sixth straight year shows that the Red Sox will get those types of contracts done. They are not a team that wants to go into a hearing to debate on a player’s worth. Furthermore, it gives the team room to focus on the rest of the offseason before Spring Training starts in Fort Myers, FL, in a few weeks.
Before all of that, what does it mean to get these deals done now, and who are the Red Sox focusing on still with all of the rumors swirling around the team?
Red Sox Avoid Arbitration, Again
GettyBoston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck
For the sixth year running, Boston will not have to worry about an independent panel determining player salaries. It was announced on Thursday afternoon by Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive that the Red Sox finalized deals with RHP Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo, along with infielders Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez.
The initial projections for all four players from MLB Trade Rumors were Houck ($3.95M), Oviedo ($2M), Casas ($1.7M), and Romy ($1.8M). Overall, fair offers for all four players if that were the case, going into the 2026 season. However, in the end, the Red Sox were able to save $540,000 overall after the deals were finalized. The only agreement above the projection was Houck, who signed for $4.15M.
The other three deals came out to Oviedo ($1.55 million), Casas ($1.61 million), and Gonzalez ($1.6 million). After those became finalized, the Red Sox are projected to have about a $242.9M payroll going into the 2026 season. The team already signed Jarren Duran ($7.7 million), Connor Wong ($1.375 million), and Kutter Crawford ($2.75 million) way before the arbitration deadline came around.
Cotillo and McAdam pointed out that the last four arbitration-eligible players were not going to lose their spots on the roster since the Red Sox tendered them all contracts in November 2025. Out of the 10 players, including Oviedo, who were going to head into arbitration, all 10 were taken care of ahead of the deadline.
When it comes to team control, Houck and Oviedo are with the team through 2027, while Casas and Gonzalez won’t be UFAs until after 2028. While that is now taken care of, what does it mean for the rest of free agency?
Bregman or Bichette?
After taking care of all the arbitration-eligible players, the focus for the Red Sox will squarely be on free agency. It was announced on Friday, Jan. 9, that the Arizona Diamondbacks will no longer be willing to trade infielder Ketel Marte. Following that news, it feels like the shift has gone back to the Red Sox possibly signing Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette.
While both guys are infielders and can hit right-handed, that’s about all the comparisons when it comes to those two players. It’s widely known that The Athletic has projected Bregman to sign for six years, $171 million, while Bichette is projected to sign for eight years, $212 million. Recently, it’s been made aware that the Red Sox over the last week have made an “aggressive offer” for Bregman. What that offer is, no one truly knows.
Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic confirmed the news of the Red Sox offering an aggressive deal to Bregman. Now it’s a waiting game, it seems. As it has been a few days since this news came out, the feeling around the situation is that the Red Sox seem satisfied with the offer, while it seems Bregman could be holding out for more. When it comes to Bichette, he will be meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies soon and is still looking for a huge payday going into the ’26 season.
For now, it’s a wait-and-see game for the Red Sox as they try to bring in either Bregman or Bichete into the fold for 2026. Despite being in a stalemate for the time being, at least they took care of their arbitration-eligible players and can solely focus on the free agency or other trades this offseason. Despite not signing anyone yet, the Red Sox stay busy one way or another.
Red Sox Avoid Arbitration to Focus on Free Agent Targets