When Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs, it left the Boston Red Sox scrambling to fill an opening at third base. Before addressing that position, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow pivoted to Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez. A five-year deal gives the Red Sox one of the top rotations in baseball.
As far as third base goes, there are options for Breslow. However, which route he goes with spring training less than a month away to address Bregman’s replacement remains to be seen. It could be addressed in-house, through a trade, or through free agency. If he chooses the latter, then there is one prime target remaining in Eugenio Suárez. According to Bleacher Report, Boston is one of the favorites to land him.
Boston Red Sox Listed As No. 2 Landing Spot for Eugenio Suárez
Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report listed the Top 7 landing spots for Eugenio Suárez. The top landing spot, surprisingly, is the Los Angeles Angels, then the Red Sox second.
“At the beginning of the offseason, the debate surrounding the Red Sox was whether they would be better off letting Alex Bregman walk and signing a middle-of-the-order power bat like Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso. Now that all three have signed elsewhere, an otherwise strong lineup feels like it’s lacking a cleanup hitter,” wrote Kelly.
Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso were linked to Boston earlier in the offseason. However, as expected, Schwarber is returning to the Phillies. As for Alonso, he passed on the Red Sox and New York Mets for the Baltimore Orioles. Then Bregman went to the Cubs, leaving Boston in need of a middle-of-the-order bat. That’s where Eugenio Suárez comes in.
“Suárez would fit the bill for the Red Sox, taking over as their third baseman and providing elite power production for a relatively short commitment. He feels like someone who would make a killing hitting at Fenway Park, and indeed he has four homers and 14 RBI in just 10 career games in Boston,” Kelly wrote.
Boston Red Sox Signing Eugenio Suárez Would Lengthen Their Lineup
Putting Eugenio Suárez in the middle of the Red Sox lineup gives it length for manager Alex Cora. Assuming there would be no other moves, the lineup would include Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Wilsson Contreras.
Breslow and the Red Sox have other avenues they can go down. They could simply move some of the abundance of starting pitchers they have or an outfielder, which would affect the above-mentioned lineup. Duran or Abreu would likely be moved to address the need. The Houston Astros are a potential trade partner with Isaac Paredes, someone Boston would be interested in.
The Red Sox could simply let youngster Marcelo Meyer have the opportunity in spring training to win the starting job. That would be a drop-off in terms of production at that position. Trading Rafael Devers and letting Bregman leave in free agency is not a great roster decision, but Eugenio Suárez could fill the need. If not, then it could be a long summer for Boston at third base defensively and production-wise.
Red Sox Listed as Top Landing Spot for Two-Time All-Star Infielder