How the Red Sox Are Actually Building the 2026 Roster

It is an exciting time to be a Boston Red Sox fan.

While the front office has gotten a lot of flak, and a good chunk of it has been deserved, there is a lot to like about the club heading into the 2026 season. Boston won 89 games in 2025 and arguably is in a better place overall right now, despite losing Alex Bregman.

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But, how is that the case? Let's do a deep dive into where the roster stands with Spring Training underway.

Where the Red Sox's roster stands

Jul 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Marcelo Mayer (39) reacts to hitting a one run RBI against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Starting Rotation
This is the gem of the organization. Boston clearly wanted to upgrade and did just that after an injury-filled 2025 season. On paper, the rotation looks like Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello. The No. 5 spot is up in the air with Johan Oviedo, Patrick Sandoval, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle as options. Suárez, Gray and Oviedo are all new additions for the organization. Suárez came over to the organization in free agency, while Gray and Oviedo were trade acquisitions.

Boston has built a juggernaut of a rotation on paper. If the Red Sox are going to make noise in 2026, the rotation is going to be one of the biggest reasons why.

Bullpen
The bullpen looks a bit different, but still has the game's best reliever from the 2025 season (Aroldis Chapman) as well as one of the better set-up guys out there in Garrett Whitlock. Beyond these two, expect to see a lot of Justin Slaten and Greg Weissert. Expect to see a lot of lefty Jovani Morán as well.

Infield
The easiest talking point here is Willson Contreras at first base and Trevor Story at shortstop. Second base and third base haven't been finalized, but Marcelo Mayer has gotten significant time in camp at second, while Durbin has gotten most of his time at third base. It was expected that the two would flip on Friday. At this point, it would be a surprise if Mayer and Durbin were not in the starting lineup at these two spots on Opening Day. Beyond them, the Red Sox will have depth options, including Romy Gonzalez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nick Sogard, Nate Eaton and Triston Casas at some point. Plus, the club brought utility man Andruw Monasterio to town.

Outfield
The Red Sox are loaded with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony. Masataka Yoshida is still with the club, but doesn't have a clear pathway to playing time.

Catcher
Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong remain the most likely tandem for the club in 2026, just like the 2025 season.