A softening price point may give Craig Breslow a clean way to solve third base.
If the Red Sox have been consistent about anything this winter, it’s their unwillingness to force a move just to check a box.
Craig Breslow has made it clear - both publicly and through his actions - that he’s not going to overpay simply because a roster need exists. And nowhere is that tension more obvious than in the infield, where Boston has spent weeks circling trades without ever quite finding the landing spot.
That’s where Eugenio Suarez quietly re-enters the picture.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, a rival agent speculated this week that Suarez’s market is developing far more slowly than initially expected, with the belief that his eventual deal could come in well below early projections.
For a front office that has shown a clear preference for value over splash, that kind of intel matters. Especially when the alternative options - controllable infielders via trade - continue to come with asking prices Breslow simply doesn’t seem interested in meeting.
The Red Sox, at least as things stand, have two true infield certainties:
Willson Contreras at first base and Trevor Story at shortstop.
Everything else is fluid.
Marcelo Mayer is ready for the big leagues, but how and where Boston deploys him remains one of the defining questions of the spring.
Third base, meanwhile, has been the hardest spot to solve cleanly.
The ideal scenario has always been a trade. Unload from an area of surplus, likely the outfield or starting pitching, and land a reliable everyday infielder at either second or third. Names like Nico Hoerner, Isaac Paredes, and Matt Shaw have all been connected to Boston at various points, and multiple media outlets reported last week that the Sox remain heavily engaged with multiple clubs.
But engagement doesn’t equal agreement. And as spring training approaches, leverage doesn’t exactly tilt in Boston’s favor.
That’s where Suarez becomes interesting again.
Oct 19, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) reacts after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning during game six of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)Yes, the flaws are obvious.
He’s not a great defender, he strikes out a ton, and there’s real risk baked into his profile as he moves deeper into his 30s.
But he also just hit 49 home runs. That kind of power doesn’t accidentally fall into your lap, and it certainly doesn’t come cheap - unless the market simply refuses to cooperate.
If Suarez’s price truly drops into “palatable” territory, the calculus changes.
Suddenly, the Red Sox don’t need to win a trade negotiation just to fill a hole. They can solve third base in free agency, slide Mayer into second base, and let the rest of the infield sort itself out more organically.
In that scenario, the picture sharpens quickly:
- Suarez holds down third
- Mayer opens the season at second, learning on the fly but playing every day
- Romy Gonzalez, coming off a quietly very good 2025, becomes an important multi-position piece rather than an afterthought
- Nick Sogard and David Hamilton retain minor league options and bounce between Boston and Worcester as needed
- Vinny Capra and Mikey Romero serve as depth rather than pressure points
It’s not perfect, and it’s not without risk, but it’s coherent.
More importantly, it fits the way Breslow has operated since taking over. This front office has consistently shown a preference for flexibility, optionality, and patience, even when that patience is uncomfortable from the outside.
The CBT complicates things, of course.
If the Red Sox add Suarez, especially if they do so while maintaining other big commitments, additional money-moving decisions likely follow. But that’s a problem Breslow seems far more comfortable solving than surrendering premium assets for a deal he doesn’t love.
The infield still needs work. That much hasn’t changed.
What has changed is the shape of the market - and if Eugenio Suarez truly comes cheaper than expected, Boston may decide that the cleanest solution isn’t forcing a trade, but taking advantage of someone else’s stalled free agency.
Oct 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) reacts after hitting a grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning during game five of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. (Steven Bisig/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.