ESPN's Buster Olney says Boston’s lineup imbalance could force a late-offseason upgrade.
Buster Olney had this to say in his latest for ESPN.com:
“Because to not do so would be wild, right? The Red Sox devoted a lot of resources this winter to bolstering their pitching quality and depth, from the trade of Sonny Gray to the $130 million signing of Ranger Suárez. But they've been stuck in place with their every-day lineup, adding Willson Contreras before being surprised by the Cubs' deal with Alex Bregman.
“After Roman Anthony got hurt at the end of 2025, the Red Sox looked two bats short — their series against the Yankees was like a middleweight boxer facing a heavyweight — and if Boston's lineup isn't upgraded, they will be incredibly reliant on Anthony and Contreras, in a division that includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, Junior Caminero, Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson.”
If that reads like a giant blinking arrow pointing somewhere, that’s because it probably is.
Olney isn’t breaking news here as much as he’s articulating the obvious tension hanging over the Red Sox’ offseason. Craig Breslow has spent the winter aggressively stabilizing the pitching side of the organization - sometimes loudly, sometimes surgically - and yet the everyday lineup remains oddly unfinished.
It’s not bad. It’s just incomplete. And in the AL East, incomplete tends to get exposed quickly.
This is where the Nico Hoerner breadcrumbs start to matter.
Earlier today, we talked through why Hoerner makes an uncomfortable amount of sense for Boston:
Elite defense at second base, contact-first offense, postseason experience, and a skill set that fits neatly with what Breslow has said he wants the roster to look like.
Olney’s framing - two bats short, overly reliant on Anthony and Contreras - doesn’t contradict that idea at all. It reinforces it.
Because here’s the thing:
Upgrading the lineup doesn’t necessarily mean chasing star power for star power’s sake. The Red Sox aren’t one Vladimir Guerrero Jr. away from contention. They’re one functional, stabilizing, high-floor bat away from not asking too much of everyone else.
That’s been the throughline of Breslow’s team-building approach since day one. It’s why the rotation is suddenly deep instead of fragile. It’s why Marcelo Mayer’s positional flexibility has been treated as a feature, not a problem. And it’s why the front office keeps circling back to defense when talking about the infield.
Hoerner fits that philosophy almost too cleanly.
Oct 6, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) looks on before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers during game two of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. (Michael McLoone/Imagn Images)He doesn’t block Mayer long-term. He doesn’t force Boston into awkward alignments. He doesn’t need to be “the guy” in the lineup. What he does is lengthen it - something Olney is explicitly warning Boston hasn’t done yet. Slide Hoerner into the second base spot, let Mayer grow into third, and suddenly the Red Sox aren’t asking Anthony to be a savior in his first full season or Contreras to carry the offense on his back.
That matters when you’re staring down a division that, as Olney notes, is overflowing with MVP-caliber hitters. You don’t beat that by hoping. You beat it by narrowing the talent gap and raising your baseline.
There’s also a timing element here that’s easy to overlook.
Olney’s point about Anthony’s late-2025 injury isn’t just about health, it’s about fragility. The Red Sox learned, painfully, how thin the margin can be when the lineup lacks redundancy. Adding a player like Hoerner isn’t just about 2026 production; it’s about insulating the roster against the inevitable bumps.
And yes, the cost would sting.
Giving up pitching depth or a real prospect is uncomfortable. But Breslow has already shown a willingness to make those kinds of bets when he believes they align with a bigger structural goal.
This wouldn’t be a splash move. It would be a coherence move.
Olney ends his assessment with a warning, but it reads more like an invitation. The Red Sox have done the hard part - building a rotation that can survive October. Now comes the part that requires decisiveness.
If this lineup stays exactly as it is, the imbalance he describes will only grow louder.
If it changes?
Don’t be surprised if Hoerner’s name is the one that eventually makes all of this click into place.
Sep 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner (2) hits a single sacrifice fly in the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. (David Banks/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.