If the Red Sox Want to Be the Red Sox Again, This Is How They Do It

By: Chris Felico

For the better part of two decades, the Boston Red Sox were known for something beyond duck boats, curses reversed, and AL East chaos: they were a big-league club that behaved like a big-market club. The front office took swings. They made statements. They didn’t apologize for operating like a franchise with history, money, and ambition.

Lately? The Red Sox have been acting more like a mid-market team afraid to get its clothes dirty.

If Boston wants to be the Red Sox again—the Red Sox—this offseason has to be the one where they re-embrace gravity and swagger. And there is a path. It’s bold, expensive, prospect-draining… and absolutely necessary.

Here’s how they get back to being a fearsome big-league club:

1. Sign Pete Alonso and Announce You’re Serious Again

Pete Alonso isn’t just a middle-of-the-order masher—he’s a tone-setter. Bringing him to Boston sends a clear message: the Red Sox are done bargain-shopping for power.

Alonso instantly gives Boston the 40-plus homer anchor they've lacked since J.D. Martinez’s prime. He stabilizes the lineup, protects the kids, and makes pitching to this team a migraine.

Boston has the money. They have the need. And for once, they should act like it.

2. Make the Blockbuster Trade for Tarik Skubal

If there’s one starter in baseball worth gutting your cupboard for, it’s Tarik Skubal. A lefty ace entering his prime with elite strikeout ability and low-walk command? That’s a foundation rotation piece, not a rental.

Detroit wants young players and controllable pitching; Boston has the ammo. The deal:

To Detroit:

• Kristian Campbell (2B/OF)

• Kutter Crawford (SP)

• Kyle Harrison (SP)

• Vaughn Grissom (2B/SS)

• A mid level prospect

To Boston:

• Tarik Skubal

This is a move the old Red Sox front offices made routinely—trading quantity for elite quality. Skubal instantly becomes the best pitcher at Fenway since Chris Sale 2018.

3. Trade for Fernando Tatis Jr. and Change the Franchise Trajectory

This is the move that transforms Boston’s identity overnight.

Tatis gives you:

• A superstar

• A marquee name

• A defensive weapon

• An athlete who changes games on both sides of the ball

• A marketing jolt Boston sorely needs

San Diego needs cost control and youth. Boston sends them a package they can’t refuse:

To San Diego:

• Jarren Duran (OF)

• Jhostynxon García - “The Password” (OF)

• Triston Casas (1B)

• A low-level lottery ticket prospect

To Boston:

• Fernando Tatis Jr.

Tatis moves to left field in Fenway—where he becomes a Gold Glove weapon and a highlight-machine next to Rafaela and Anthony. That outfield instantly becomes the best defensive trio in the American League.

THE NEW BOSTON RED SOX

This isn’t a rebuild. This isn’t a bridge year. This is a reset of identity.

Starting Rotation (Top-Tier Contender Level)

1. Tarik Skubal

2. Garrett Crochet

3. Brayan Bello

4. Connelly Early

5. Hunter Dobbins/Richard Fitts (pending Tanner Houck injury and Red Sox non-tender options with his contract)

AAA Rotation surplus: (Hunter Dobbins or Richard Fitts), Cooper Criswell, Patrick Sandoval

Skubal + Crochet gives Boston its strongest 1–2 combo since Beckett/Lester. Bello and Houck slot into roles they’re built for. The depth behind them is actually real for once.

Bullpen (Power, Length, and Swing-and-Miss)

• Josh Winckowski

• Zack Kelly

• Justin Slaten

• Greg Weissert

• Brennan Bernardino

• Chris Murphy

• Payton Tolle

• Garrett Whitlock

• Aroldis Chapman

AAA Bullpen surplus: Jordan Hicks, Jovani Moran, Luis Parales

It’s deep, versatile, and built to shorten games—something Boston hasn’t been able to do consistently since 2018.

Lineup and Defensive Alignment

LF: Fernando Tatis CF: Cedanne Rafaela RF: Roman Anthony 1B: Pete Alonso 2B: Nick Sogard SS: Trevor Story 3B: Marcelo Mayer C: Carlos Narváez/Connor Wong DH: Masataka Yoshida

This lineup isn’t just good—it’s layered, athletic, and dangerous.

Projected Batting Order

1. Tatis — R

2. Anthony — L

3. Story — R

4. Alonso — R

5. Mayer — L

6. Narváez — R

7. Yoshida — L

8. Sogard — S

9. Rafaela — R

With the athleticism of Tatis/Anthony/Rafaela plus Mayer at third, this defense becomes elite.

Bench Depth

Platoon Outfield: Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder

Platoon Infield: Romy Gonzalez, Nathaniel Lowe

AAA Depth Options: David Hamilton, Nate Eaton and Abraham Toro,

This bench covers every position and provides both lefty and righty options.

The Future Plan: Financially Clean, Prospect-Friendly

This roster works now and smartly sets up the next two years:

• When Yoshida comes off the books → move Alonso to DH, use that money to upgrade 1B.

• In a year, flip Sogard to 3B, Story to 2B, and move Mayer to SS, and when Story comes off → upgrade 2B or 3B depending on which prospects rise in system, or potential offseason upgrade(s).

You get stars today without blocking the pipeline tomorrow.

Re-signing Alex Bregman was also an option, but when you factor in his injury last year and the type of long-term contract he’ll command at his age, the value simply doesn’t match the price tag. The only way a Bregman deal would make sense is if Marcelo Mayer were moved in a blockbuster—something like a Skubal or Tatis trade. But committing money to Alonso and landing Tatis gives Boston exactly what they’ve been missing for years: explosive, right-handed power bats that fit both the park and the long-term build.

And a trade for Joe Ryan absolutely remains a viable avenue for a true No. 2 starter. But with Skubal actually on the market—and Boston possessing the resources to go and get him—this is the rare moment where a franchise can flip the entire landscape. Acquire Skubal, add him to this young core, and Boston positions itself to build a potential five-year AL dynasty window. When that opportunity presents itself, you don’t hesitate. You take the swing.

This Is How Boston Becomes Boston Again

If the Red Sox want to act like a big-market giant—if they want to be the Red Sox again—this is the blueprint:

• Pay for elite power (Alonso)

• Trade for an ace (Skubal)

• Trade for a franchise superstar (Tatis)

• Build a rotation that scares people

• Build an athletic, dynamic lineup with long-term upside

This is the type of offseason that wakes up Fenway. This is the type of offseason fans remember for a decade. This is the type of offseason that turns a franchise around.

This is how the Red Sox become a big-league club again.