The Red Sox sit right in the middle of two massive infield decisions that could reshape the AL East.
Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette represent the cream of what’s left on the free agent market, and Boston’s involved with both guys. So are the Blue Jays.
What makes this interesting is how these decisions connect. The Red Sox have to pick between them, and that choice ripples out to affect where both players end up.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand broke down the situation Thursday night, and it’s pretty clear Boston holds the cards:
“The Red Sox, who have Trevor Story at shortstop, are believed to be interested in Bichette, though it may come down to whether Boston prefers him to Bregman. Marcelo Mayer can slot in at second or third, making either player a fit for the lineup. Bichette’s future may be tied directly to what happens with Bregman, as the Blue Jays and Red Sox are in on both players. Toronto – the only club that won’t have to give up Draft picks to sign Bichette – could bring him back for second base, where he played during the World Series, shifting Andrés Giménez to shortstop.”
The flexibility piece matters here. Marcelo Mayer can move around the infield, which gives Boston options with either Bregman or Bichette. Story’s at short, but that doesn’t lock them into any specific configuration.
Toronto’s got their their own interesting angle. They don’t lose draft picks if they re-sign Bichette, and they’ve already shown they’re willing to move him around after using him at second during the World Series.
How This Plays Out
The cleanest scenario? These teams just swap star infielders. Boston gets one, Toronto gets the other, everyone’s happy.
But there’s a messier possibility that could really shake things up in the division. If one team lands their guy and the other sees their target sign elsewhere – maybe with Detroit or Houston – that’s a big swing in competitive balance.
From where I’m sitting, Boston seems to be driving this whole thing. They’re the team with genuine interest in both players, which means their decision probably determines where everyone ends up.
All things considered, it’s a pretty good spot for the Red Sox to be in. They get to choose between two impact infielders while their division rival waits to see what’s left.
The question now is whether Boston’s front office has a clear preference or if they’re genuinely torn between the two options.
