Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been busy wheeling and dealing this offseason with the St. Louis Cardinals, completing trades for right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras. Could a third time be the charm which lands Boston its replacement for Alex Bregman at third base?
Make no mistake: Boston’s top preference appears to be re-signing Bregman, who earned rave reviews on and off the field in his first season with the Red Sox.
But interest in Bregman is bubbling league-wide, so it’s no guarantee he returns to Boston in 2026.
If that’s the case, here’s a name to consider: Nolan Arenado. So let’s run through the pros and cons of trading for Arenado.
There’s no doubt the 34-year-old Cardinals third baseman is heading into the twilight of his career. He hit a career-low. 237 in 2025. And Arenado’s power numbers (12 home runs, 52 RBIs, .666 OPS) were his worst since his rookie year in 2013, COVID season not withstanding.
In his prime, Arenado was a force, earning six top-10 finishes in MVP voting. The eight-time All-Star has won 10 Gold Glove Awards, six Platinum Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards.
Yes, Arenado has clearly lost a step. But here’s the rub: He has just two years and $42 million remaining on his contract. If Boston is willing to deal with his drop in production, Arenado could be a nice short-term solution with one of the Red Sox’s top prospects (Marcelo Mayer? Franklin Arias?) waiting in the wings.
The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey reported on a possible Red Sox-Cardinals Arenado trade last month. So did The Athletic.
“(Arenado) was linked to the Red Sox last winter, and Boston was one of five teams he was willing to approve for a trade,” The Athletic’s Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reported last month.
Look, it’s clear Breslow likes dealing with St. Louis, whose front office is being run by former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
And it’s clear the Red Sox aren’t itching to give out a nine-figure contract to Bregman.
Is Bregman a better bet in terms of production on the field and in the lineup? Absolutely.
But Arenado is a cheaper, short-term option who seemingly aligns with the vision of the Red Sox front office.
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