The Boston Red Sox have been scouring the market, both in free agency and the trade market, for a new infielder to pair with Marcelo Mayer.
One will play second base, while the other will slot into third base. Mayer is a great young infielder, but the Red Sox need another player to complete the infield. The only question left is who will be that infielder?
Chris Cotillo of masslive.com revealed his 2026 Red Sox projected Opening Day roster, and in it, he projected the Red Sox to round out their infield with a free-agent signing of 49-homer slugger Eugenio Suarez on a big discount.
Red Sox projected to sign Eugenio Suarez on discount to round out infield
“The Red Sox surprisingly go the free agent route to fill their infield need with Eugenio Suarez, and Marcelo Mayer starts at second base,” Cotillo writes.
Finding the final infield spot has been a challenge for the Red Sox, but there is a clear path to signing a player like Suarez this offseason.
The 34-year-old slugger is coming off a strong 49-home run season for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners.
But he’s older and not the best defender. Signing him might not be cheap, but based on how the offseason has gone thus far, his market might collapse.
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“A rival agent speculated this week that he thinks Suarez’s deal is going to come in much lower than initial projections suggested,” Cotillo writes.
This would be some great news for the Red Sox. If they could bring in Suarez on a cheaper deal for a year or two, it would be the ideal offseason move for the Red Sox.
They’ve already splurged in the trade market, and while they still could make a couple of blockbuster moves with their outfield and pitching depth, there’s not a great 1-1 fit for an instant-impact starting infielder.
Cotillo’s projection would be the ideal offseason move for the Red Sox. They would bring in a solid hitter who can be a power bat in the heart of the lineup, and on a discount at that.
