Red Sox Urged To Acquire 28-Year-Old After All-Star Season

The Boston Red Sox are a team that can do some damage in the American League in 2026.

Arguably, the club needs one more piece in the middle of the order and Alex Bregman fits what the team needs perfectly. But this is a team that is already among the better teams in the American League on paper. The starting rotation should be solid, led by Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Sonny Gray, and Johan Oviedo, among others. A lineup featuring Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, Trevor Story, and Willson Contreras, among others should be good as well.

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If the Red Sox can add one more piece, the perception will quickly go from solid in the American League, to one of the top contenders in baseball. Signing someone like Bregman or Bo Bichette would make the most sense. The Red Sox have made trades left and right this offseason. Signing Bregman or Bichette wouldn't cost the team a haul of prospects.

It's a good day for Boston to get a deal done

The trade market would, depending on the player. Boston has the money to avoid that situation entirely, but Bleacher Report's Erik Beaston made the case for the club to acquire Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals.

"Former Red Sox and current Cardinals general manager Cham Bloom has already traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras from St. Louis to Boston and may not be done dealing with his former club," Beaston wrote. "Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported, 'The Cardinals and Red Sox also have discussed a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to Boston, according to people briefed on the conversations. Donovan likely would play second base for the Red Sox, who have also been linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte.' It is a deal that, if presented to them, Red Sox should make.

"The team struggled to find consistency at second base in 2025, rotating Kristian Campbell and David Hamilton in and out at the position. Neither was particularly effective at the plate and in an AL East with some strong hitting in New York, Toronto, and even Baltimore, Boston needs to be able to keep pace with a lineup that can get on base and score runs. Enter Donovan, a 2025 All-Star who gets on base and has been the picture of consistency over the last four years with the Cardinals. He hit .287 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 118 games last season and his fielding percentage at second base (.990) is above the league average (.986)."

Arguably, this is not the move the club should make. Donovan is one of the most popular names on the trade block, meaning there's plenty of competition for him. It has been reported that the Cardinals want at least two top prospects for him. He's under team control for two more seasons and then will hit the open market. So, you could give up at least two top prospects for two seasons of a guy and then have to open the checkbook or lose him, or give a guy a long-term contract now and give the organization stability? Why push the can down the road? Bregman and Bichette are both better options.

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