Boston

Red Sox

The 35-year-old hurler hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2019 season. He spent the 2025 campaign toeing the slab for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball where he registered a 3.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 46/23 K/BB K/BB ratio across 50 frames. He’ll add bullpen depth for the Red Sox.

Along with a full no-trade clause, he gets $20 million more than Pete Alonso and $25 million more than Kyle Schwarber over the same timeframe. Outfield might have been the bigger priority for the Cubs, but Bregman still seems like a big upgrade from Matt Shaw at third, and the Cubs could see what Shaw looks like in the outfield. Trading Nico Hoerner is another possibility. For the Red Sox now, it’s Bo Bichette or bust.

There’s a shroud of mystery and uncertainty swirling around Casas as he continues to work his way back from last year’s serious knee injury. The Red Sox acquired veteran slugger Willson Contreras to take over at first base, which likely limits the former top prospect to DH until further notice. It’s too early to write Casas off completely since he’ll be just 26 years old on Opening Day but there are more questions than answers at this stage of his career. There should be some clarity regarding his immediate outlook and role based on how he performs in Grapefruit League action. He seems likely to open the year back in Triple-A Worcester but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him make Boston’s season-opening roster, especially if the Red Sox decide to move either Jarren Duran or Masataka Yoshida.

Cora’s remark came in response to a question at Fenway Fest about whether the club would consider moving Rafaela to the keystone to alleviate its outfield logjam. The 25-year-old’s offensive production cratered in the second half of last season after a stellar opening act that featured 14 homers and 13 steals in 88 games. The constant shuffling between second base and center field may have contributed to the slide considering the Red Sox are going out of their way to dismiss the possibility of him playing second base, prioritizing Rafaela’s elite defense in center field after he earned the AL Gold Glove at the spot. From a fantasy standpoint, the added stability represents a positive development for Rafaela as he’ll have fewer variables to worry about heading into next season. However, losing second-base eligibility down the road would be a tough break for fantasy managers.

Cora added that he’s reserving the right to change his mind, but his initial lineup projection has the newly-acquired veteran slugger occupying the cleanup spot. The 33-year-old’s arrival solves Boston’s first base quagmire and it’s a notable development from a counting stats perspective that he’ll be locked into the middle of their lineup, regardless of whether Alex Bregman returns. He should have plenty of opportunities from a run-production standpoint with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story serving as top-of-the-order table-setters next season. The big question heading into the late stages of the offseason is where Jarren Duran fits into the lineup if he’s on the roster once spring training opens up in early February.

Crawford added that he’s fully healthy entering spring training after missing last season with knee and wrist issues that ultimately required a mid-summer procedure on his wrist. The 29-year-old figures to transition to a versatile swingman role, likely operating in long relief for the Red Sox next season, but he could be in the mix for one of their final rotation spots along with veterans Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval in addition to top prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.

Martinez spent 2025 with the Marlins, and he forged a 5.40 ERA in 6 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old has had success at the highest level with the Astros, and a good showing in spring training could see him win a low-leverage bullpen job.

Gonzalez was incredibly valuable for Boston last year, beginning the year as a bench bat and then emerging as a near full-time player. He slashed .305/.343/.483 with nine home runs and six steals in 341 plate appearances. He will likely be a valuable super sub for Boston in 2026.

Casas is a bit of a forgotten man in Boston, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old could be the favorite for DH duties as of now. Casas has had some unfortunate injuries in his brief career, including a season-ending knee injury last season, but he has an .800 career OPS in 251 MLB games. He was once one of the top prospects in baseball and still could have a bright MLB future ahead of him.

Houck will likely miss most of next season after undergoing elbow surgery, but he’s also arbitration-eligible in 2027, so the Red Sox will have him under contract for two more years.