Red Sox Reportedly Shying Away From 49-Homer All-Star In Free Agency

The Boston Red Sox seem to be carefully monitoring the free-agent market without aggressively pursuing anyone in particular.

That approach sure seems to be annoying the fan base, but there's still a pathway for Boston to have a successful offseason. They just have to land the targets they wind up going after, because they're letting quality players (i.e. Pete Alonso, Jorge Polanco) come off the board, either without making the highest offer or any offer at all.

For example, Boston needs home run power, and no one left on the market hit more long balls last season than Eugenio Suárez with 49. But the latest update on Boston's offensive pursuits seem to indicate that Suárez won't be coming to town.

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Red Sox reportedly 'less likely' to land Suárez

On Saturday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that the Red Sox were seemingly uninterested in making a bold play for Suárez, and although nothing can be ruled out, the insider judged the chances of the two-time All-Star landing in Boston to be fairly low.

"One player who seems less likely to land in Boston is power hitter Eugenio Suárez, as the Red Sox have yet to make an offer to Suárez, according to sources, and have not been aggressive in his market," wrote Cotillo.

Meanwhile, Cotillo listed off a long list of free agents and trade candidates who could more feasibly land in Boston, beginning with 2025 Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman.

"Boston remains engaged with free agent Alex Bregman about a reunion and has been involved in trade talks with Arizona on Ketel Marte, Houston on Isaac Paredes, St. Louis on Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras, and other clubs. Free agents Bo Bichette and Kazuma Okamoto are possibilities as well," wrote Cotillo.

Suárez will turn 35 next season and likely won't remain a third baseman much longer in the majors, so rather than a Bregman pivot plan, Boston's only likely role for him would be a first-base job. That was what they were reportedly interested in having him do when they went after him at the trade deadline.

Purely from a predictive standpoint, it would seem more feasibile that Suárez would wind up with a team looking to make one big free-agent splash, but wouldn't have the budget for Bregman or the prospect capital to trade for Marte. (Hello, Pittsburgh Pirates?)

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