Why Nico Hoerner Keeps Making Sense For the Boston Red Sox

If the Red Sox really are down to one more meaningful swing this winter, the shape of it is starting to come into focus - and it looks a lot less like a splash and a lot more like Craig Breslow finishing the outline of a roster he’s been sketching since November.

When Boston introduced Ranger Suarez on Wednesday, the conversation predictably centered on the rotation and what now qualifies as legitimate depth. But Breslow let something else slip - intentionally or not - when he talked about the rest of the offseason. Any infielder added from here, he suggested, would need to defend.

Not “hold his own.” Not “continue to develop.”

Defend.

That immediately narrows the board.

This front office hasn’t spent the winter chasing star power. It’s been chasing fit.

Pitching through trades. Control years over flash. Flexibility over certainty. The same logic that made moving prospects for controllable arms palatable is now creeping into how Boston seems to be viewing the infield - especially with Alex Bregman officially gone and no appetite to replace him with a one-for-one bat-first name.

That’s where Nico Hoerner keeps popping up.

Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic connected the dots this week, tying Breslow’s comments to Boston’s internal thinking on Marcelo Mayer. While the team continues to publicly value Mayer’s versatility, there’s a growing preference - quiet, but consistent - for him at third base long term. If that’s the case, then second base becomes the pressure point. And if you’re serious about run prevention, Hoerner checks every box.

Elite defense. Real contact skills. Enough offense to avoid being a liability. He’s not flashy, but he’s the kind of player whose value shows up every night and rarely headlines a box score. Which, frankly, feels very on-brand for where this roster is heading.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post’s report that Boston has asked about Hoerner - along with Isaac Paredes and Brendan Donovan - reinforces that idea. Paredes brings power and OBP. Donovan brings versatility. Hoerner brings structure. And right now, structure might matter most.

The pushback is obvious. Hoerner’s a free agent after the season. The Cubs would want real talent back. Connelly Early’s name gets uncomfortable fast, and that’s before you start stacking a second piece into the deal. But this is where Breslow’s offseason philosophy comes into play.

He’s already shown a willingness to move pitching depth to solve broader roster problems - not recklessly, but decisively. If the front office believes this group can contend in 2026, the math changes.

Ketel Marte being effectively unavailable forces the issue. Matt Shaw is intriguing, cost-controlled, and younger - but also unproven. Hoerner is the cleaner answer, even if the price stings.

This isn’t about chasing the best player left on the board. It’s about finishing a roster that suddenly makes sense:

Mayer settles in at third, a defense-first second baseman stabilizing the middle, and a pitching staff built to let gloves matter again.

If the Red Sox make one more big move, don’t expect fireworks.

Expect something that looks boring on paper and feels expensive in prospects - and then quietly makes everything else fit.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.