The top remaining free agent infielder came off the board on Friday, with Bo Bichette agreeing to a reported three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets.
As a righthanded hitter, Bichette, 27, had seemed like an obvious alternative to Alex Bregman for the Red Sox this offseason. Over parts of seven big league seasons with the Blue Jays, Bichette emerged as one of the best hitters in baseball, forging a .294/.337/.469 line with a 121 OPS+. In 2025, he hit .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 63 extra-base hits in 139 games.
But when Bregman agreed to a five-year deal with the Cubs last Saturday night, turning down an offer of the same length from the Red Sox, the Sox refocused on strengthening their rotation, agreeing to a five-year, $130 million contract with Ranger Suárez.
The Red Sox remain in the market for an infielder, preferably one who is a righthanded hitter. The signing of Suárez, who joins Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello as pitchers who induce a wealth of ground balls, likely increased the importance of a player’s defensive ability.
The commitment to Suárez pushed the Red Sox’ projected payroll as calculated for luxury tax purposes to the $265 million to $270 million range — above not only the first threshold ($244 million) where teams will be taxed in 2026, but also the second ($264 million) where tax rates go up.
That development made it unlikely that the Red Sox would pursue a position player at the top of the free agent pay scale such as Bichette, whose $42 million per year — a true number, as the deal has no deferrals — registers as the highest average annual value in big league history.
Bichette is expected to move off of shortstop with the Mets, reportedly to play third base. (He spent his entire big league career at short until last year’s World Series, when he played second in five games after he returned from injury.) Because Marcelo Mayer can slot at second or third base, the Red Sox are exploring options who fit either position via trade and free agency.
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.