Red Sox Traded for 'Championship Caliber' Alex Bregman Replacement, Skipper Says

Lofty praise for a player who has a lot to prove...

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The month after Alex Bregman left the Boston Red Sox was a tumultuous time for the fan base, and the front office came up with a creative, yet risky backup plan.

Shortly after Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs, Boston spent $130 million on starting pitcher Ranger Suárez. But Bregman's true replacement came almost a month later, when the Red Sox nabbed second-year third baseman Caleb Durbin in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Durbin has a lot to live up to as he appears likely to take over Bregman's old position. But his new manager appears more than confident that the 25-year-old can play the role the Red Sox need him to play.

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Cora raving about Durbin after first month in Boston

Caleb Durbin of the Boston Red Sox throws an out during spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. I | Andrew West/The News-Press & Naples Daily News/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn

In a Wednesday piece from MLB.com's Ian Browne, manager Alex Cora was quoted as giving some high praise to Durbin, who finished third in the National League's Rookie of the Year race last season.

“Just a gamer,” said Cora. “He does everything well on the diamond in every aspect. I think he’s a championship-caliber player on a championship-caliber team. He can run the bases, play defense, put the ball in play and hit for power.”

Durbin's backstory is an easy one to fall for, as he stands just 5-foot-6 and was drafted in the 14th round out of Division III Washington University in St. Louis. He was also a New York Yankees prospect for two years, so if he succeeds in Boston, fans will love lording that success over the Bronx Bombers and their own royal rooters.

Bregman is a three-time All-Star, and when he was healthy last season, his offensive output comfortably outstripped Durbin's. There's also no replacing Bregman's leadership presence, which was the subject of constant thinkpieces about why the Red Sox couldn't afford to lose him.

But Durbin, who is under team control for the next six years, has a chance to replace a high percentage of Bregman's overall impact for a tiny fraction of the cost. And if he does that, his manager seems to think this team can play deep into October.