Why the Red Sox’ offseason decisions are becoming impossible to defend

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May 13, 2026 - 21:02

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Why the Red Sox’ offseason decisions are becoming impossible to defend originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox promised that they were going to get “uncomfortable” in their pursuit of blockbuster trades and top free agents this offseason, neither of which really happened. They were supposed to land a righty slugger in a guy like Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette, or Kyle Scharber to add some pop to their lineup.

That didn’t happen. Now, they have one of the worst offenses in the MLB, and actually have the least amount of homeruns in their home ballpark compared to the rest of the league. Now, it's being revealed that their pursuits for a slugger really weren't that much of a real pursuit.

The Red Sox pursuit of Kyle Schwarber was minimal

Schwarber was one of the top targets of the Sox this offseason, and Boston made it seem like they were really in on him. However, according to Schwarber, that wasn’t really true.

“We had the phone call, the Zoom, whatever it is. There was a conversation. [The Sox’ pursuit] kind of just started and ended with the conversation,” Schwarber stated (via Alex Speier).

Even though Schwarber is a former Sox, Boston didn't even try to pull the strings to get him on their team. He would have been the perfect answer to their homerun problem, as he already has 17 in 42 games.

Boston played chicken with Alex Bregman, and lost

After missing on those guys, the Sox’ top priority was keeping Alex Bregman, who had become pretty indispensable to the team. Instead, they lowballed him, and when the Chicago Cubs came calling, Bregman packed his bags.

The Sox had a great chance at keeping him if they just gave him the money and couple conditions he wanted, but they didn’t. Now, they’re 17-24 and barely in contention, while the Cubs are 27-15 and at the top of their division and near the top of their league.

How the Sox can fix this at the deadline

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

If the Sox are still in the Wild Card race by August, getting a thumper is something they absolutely need to do.

They have the pieces; Jarren Duran and Trevor Story could be used as trade pieces to work something out. Hopefully, they land a true third slugging third baseman, and move Caleb Durbin to second base, and Marcelo Mayer to shortstop.

If they do that, there’s a good chance the Red Sox can salvage the disaster that has been their 2026 season.

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