Red Sox News & Links: Taking a look at the Sox' pending free agents

"Instead of getting to watch baseball, all we can do is think and talk about it, which usually means thinking and talking about contracts more than anything else. We all know about the upcoming opt-outs of Alex Bregman and Trevor Story, but what about the rest of the roster? Believe it or not, there are only four players who are straight-up free agents: Justin Wilson, Dustin May, Steven Matz, and Rob Refsnyder."

"But just because they don't have a ton of pending free agents, that doesn't mean that they don't still have a ton of work to do. How about this for a shopping list: right-handed power, a second top-of-the-rotation starter, a first baseman, and a second baseman. Hey look, here's a right-handed power hitter: Pete Alonso, formerly of the New York Mets. But while Alonso fits an obvious need, the Sox aren't the only team who could use him."

"Frankly, both the defense and the offense need shoring up. While the overall offensive numbers looked strong, the Sox employed a proverbial feast-or-famine lineup, scoring 10 or more runs in 21 of their 89 wins. And while the Sox had several players who displayed great individual defense (Ceddanne Rafaela, Alex Bregman, Wilyer Abreu, Carlos Narvaez, and, until the throwing issues crept up, Trevor Story) they still somehow led the league in errors with 116."

Only four 2025 Red Sox players are outright free agents: Justin Wilson, Dustin May, Steven Matz, and Rob Refsnyder. Alex Bregman and Trevor Story have upcoming opt-outs that will dominate offseason attention. The team lacks numerous pending free agents but still requires right-handed power, a second top-of-the-rotation starter, a first baseman, and a second baseman. Pete Alonso is a clear potential fit for right-handed power but would face competition from multiple clubs. The lineup produced extreme high-scoring games yet remained inconsistent, and the club led the league with 116 errors, indicating defensive issues. Reported online abuse targeted a player's family.

Read at Over the Monster