After avoiding arbitration, Gonzalez enters 2026 as one of Boston’s few infielders with momentum and clarity.
Let’s go ahead and add Romy Gonzalez to the arbitration avoidance party, shall we?
On Thursday, it was reported that Gonzalez avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.6 million deal. And unlike some of the other cases from earlier in the day on Thursday, this one feels more like a formality than a question mark.
After breaking out in his first season with Boston in 2024, the infielder took another step forward in 2025, finishing with a .305/.343/.483 slash line while showing just enough pop and athleticism to solidify himself as a legitimate everyday option.
The $826,000 raise reflects both his production and his trajectory. And entering 2026, Gonzalez looks like a potential internal solution at second base that the Red Sox have been searching for.
Among Boston’s arbitration agreements, this is the rare deal that comes with clarity rather than uncertainty.
The Red Sox agreed to one-year arbitration-avoidance deals with Triston Casas, Tanner Houck, and Johan Oviedo.
These moves don’t grab headlines or shift projections, but together show Boston’s view on risk, flexibility, and upside entering 2026.
Each contract carries distinct implications for roster construction, timelines, and expectations.
Sep 30, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez (23) takes batting practice before game one of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)To examine Boston’s approach more closely, let’s break each of the other deals from Boston on Thursday:
Triston Casas: A Reset, Not a Vote of Confidence
Casas’ one-year, $1.61 million deal feels more like a pause than a commitment.
His 2025 season never got off the ground, and the numbers before the knee injury were rough (.182/.277/.303 in 112 plate appearances). Add in the Red Sox trading for Willson Contreras, and Casas’ once-clear path to everyday first base reps has vanished.
This deal doesn’t signal belief so much as optionality. Casas still has minor-league options, and the organization now has the flexibility to send him to Worcester without financial pressure if spring training doesn’t go well.
Verdict: Low risk, but also low leverage. This is a prove-it year in the truest sense.
May 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (36) warms up before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)Tanner Houck: Paying for the Arm, Not the Timeline
Houck’s one-year, $4.15 million contract is about asset management, not immediate production.
His 2025 season spiraled quickly (8.04 ERA, 1.69 WHIP) before elbow issues shut him down, leading to hybrid UCL repair surgery in August. Best-case scenario? A return late in 2026. More realistically, 2027.
So why pay him now?
Controllable pitching still matters, and Houck’s pre-injury upside is worth keeping. Boston preserves long-term options without multi-year risk.
Verdict: Sensible insurance. You’re paying for what Houck might be, not what he’ll give you this season.
May 12, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck (89) pitches first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)MORE RED SOX STORIES:
Johan Oviedo: The Only Deal with Real 2026 Impact
Oviedo’s one-year, $1.55 million deal stands apart — because he actually factors into next season.
After missing much of 2025 with a lat strain, Oviedo returned strong in August, posting a 3.57 ERA in nine starts. Boston clearly sees him as rotation depth with upside, especially at a time when innings will be closely monitored across the staff.
The $700,000 raise signals real opportunity, not placeholder status. Oviedo will enter spring training with a legitimate shot to stick.
Verdict: Quietly, the most important signing of the three.
Aug 30, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Johan Oviedo (24) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. (Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)Final Verdict:
Taken together, this arbitration class tells you exactly where the Red Sox are right now - managing risk while buying time.
Gonzalez is the clear win - a bet on internal growth that finally feels stable.
Oviedo represents a calculated upside play, the kind of short-term investment that fits Breslow’s preference for flexibility.
Casas and Houck, meanwhile, are reminders of how quickly plans can derail, with both contracts functioning more as placeholders than statements of belief.
None of these deals move the needle on their own, but that’s the point.
The Red Sox aren’t locking themselves into anything they can’t escape, and they aren’t cutting bait prematurely either. It’s pragmatic, disciplined roster management - the kind that keeps options open while waiting for a true difference-maker to enter the picture.
Whether that patience pays off depends less on these contracts and more on what comes next.
Sep 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox second baseman Romy Gonzalez (23) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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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.