Red Sox given 'A' grade for roster moves despite losing Alex Bregman

The Boston Red Sox have had one of the busiest offseasons in all of baseball.

Almost all of that came on the trade front, with a Ranger Suarez free agent signing mixed in. They also lost a number of players, led by Alex Bregman, who signed with the Cubs.

After all that movement, there are probably lots of different feelings about their winter.

ESPN's David Schoenfield gave his thoughts in a new article on Wednesday -- he gave the Red Sox an 'A' grade for their offseason.

Even while losing Bregman, that's how much Schoenfield liked the whole package.

The winter included trades for Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. They also traded for third baseman Caleb Durbin and righty pitcher Johan Oviedo, while also signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

"Not everyone might feel the same, but I absolutely love this offseason from Craig Breslow and his staff," Schoenfield writes. "Remember, the Red Sox now operate under a budget. Breslow can't light money on fire the way the Red Sox did during the late 2010s under Dave Dombrowski. No, they didn't re-sign Bregman, but the trade for Durbin gives them a player who projects to just one less win in value than Bregman -- a younger, faster, high-contact hitter making $30 million in salary. The trades for Gray and Contreras bring in win-now veterans who also won't hemorrhage the long-term payroll. Suarez is a riskier bet on a five-year, $130 million deal, but he has been a consistent performer since 2021 with only his durability a concern."

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Despite all the trades, Boston didn't give up too many major pieces. Jhostnyxon Garcia was a fan favorite prospect but without a path to playing time.

The Red Sox also lost Lucas Giolito in free agency.

"Importantly, Breslow kept the young core intact, not only all the outfielders, but two top-100 pitching prospects in Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, who made their major league debuts late in 2025 and should impact the rotation at some point in 2026," Schoenfield writes. "The Red Sox have improved their flexibility and depth in the infield while also improving their balance against left-handed pitching. If Trevor Story's declining range is a problem, then maybe Marcelo Mayer becomes the regular shortstop with Story sliding over to second. If you're worried about Kristian Campbell being blocked, he can hit his way into DH or outfield at-bats."

Boston has a lot of talented players on its roster after all the movement. Schoenfield writes that they might be his pick to win the AL East Division. 

The Red Sox will take the field soon enough to show whether all these changes were the right ones.

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