Red Sox Free Agent Pitch For 10-Veteran, Lefty Hurler

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The Boston Red Sox's front office surely has been busy behind the scenes, but the work hasn't resulted in any deals in free agency yet.
Boston whiffed on Pete Alonso and has been linked to plenty of options, but has yet to strike. For the Red Sox, the most obvious need is in the middle of the order. But let's take a quick look elsewhere. The Red Sox could also use at least one lefty reliever this offseason. Steven Matz left the club in free agency, Justin Wilson is a free agent, and Brennan Bernardino was traded away.
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There's talent out there in free agency worth taking a look at without breaking the bank. For example, one option the club should consider is 10-year veteran Brent Suter. The 36-year-old lefty has a career 3.57 ERA in 348 total big league appearances. He spent the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. In 2025, he had a 4.52 ERA in 48 outings. That's not great, but he had a 3.15 ERA in 47 outings in 2024 and hadn't had an ERA above 3.78 since 2018.
Should the Red Sox make a move?
Spotrac currently has Suter's projected market value set at just over $4.4 million across one season. Boston certainly could afford a deal like that, on top of a big-time addition to the middle of the order. If the Red Sox could land someone like Bregman on top of Suter, the club arguably would be ready for the 2026 season.
Boston finished the 2025 season with an 89-73 record and has added Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and Willson Contreras this offseason. If the club could go out and get another bat and a lefty reliever, that would be enough to compete with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East. The Blue Jays and Orioles have been aggressive so far this offseason, but Boston arguably would be better on paper with someone like Suter and another bat.
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Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick received an MBA at Brandeis University. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scottneville21@gmail.com
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