Story byTom CarrollThu, January 15, 2026 at 5:16 AM UTC·4 min readThe Red Sox didn’t sign Ranger Suarez just to stockpile arms. They did it to give themselves options - and, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, one of those options now clearly runs through the outfield. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the days since Boston failed to retain Alex Bregman, the organization has shifted aggressively toward pitching, culminating in the five-year, $130 million deal for Suarez. But McCaffrey reports that the ripple effects of that move extend well beyond the rotation. With so much starting depth now in place, the Red Sox are once again exploring how best to add a bat - and trading from positional surplus is very much part of that conversation. That’s where the outfield comes into focus. Earlier this winter, Craig Breslow suggested it was “never likely” the Red Sox would trade from a four-man outfield group that includes Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela.
