Power Outrage
No Schwarber? No Alonso? No Problem? BIG Problem.
Over the last month, how many times have you heard Craig Breslow speak about the need for a “big bat?” Here are a few forkfuls of his word salad:
“We’re going to consider all ways of improving the team. But finding somebody in the middle of the order who hits the ball out of the park is a really good place to start.”
“Home runs are a foolproof way to put runs on the board. Typically, that type of profile comes with a trade-off, most often contact ability, which is another area that we feel like we need to improve the identity of the offense.”
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to score as many runs as possible. There are a few different paths to doing that. I think that the true middle-of-the-order bat that can hit the ball out of the park probably has outsized impact on the rest of the lineup because of the way that you have to attack someone and the on-base implications it can have.”
“I think a lot of that will depend on who the players are, or who the player is, and what the offensive profile is. I think we could use somebody that hits in the middle of the lineup. We’ve also talked a ton about driving in runs with runners in scoring position and less than two outs and cutting down on whiff and getting back to the simple things that score runs. Whether that’s two players, whether that’s one who can do both, I think we’ll have to see how that plays out.”
The two biggest bats on the market (and arguably the only legitimate “power bats”), Kyle Schwarber (56 HR, .563 SLG) and Pete Alonso (38 HR, .524 SLG), did not sign with the Red Sox. The Sox weren’t even in on Schwarber and were reportedly far short of the 5 year/$155M contract the Orioles gave Alonso. The ORIOLES. So, to sum up, the AL East now has three big market teams (Blue Jays, Orioles, Yankees) and two small market teams. One plays in a ballpark with a bed sheet for a roof.
The Red Sox used to be synonymous with Power. In the 20 seasons from 2004 thru 2024 (not including 2020), the Red Sox had a 30 home run hitter 16 times. Also in those seasons, they had a player with a .500 slugging percentage 19 times. I love home runs as much as the next guy, but I love slugging percentage (Total Bases/At Bats) more. It is a true measure of a player’s ability to hit for extra bases.
The names are legendary. They have rings. Theo Epstein, Ben Cherington, and Dave Dombrowski knew that power was the key to having a winning club. I didn’t tabulate OBP here, but you know that most of these names were also high OBP guys. The Red Sox used to be all about “selective aggressiveness.” Theo built two organizations on this philosophy and won championships.
In 2025, the Red Sox “sluggers” were Trevor Story with 25 home runs and Jarren Duran with a .442 slugging percentage. Alex Bregman was signed as the big offseason “power bat.” He hit 18 home runs and slugged .462 in 114 games. Wilyer Abreu also showed some power with 22 home runs and a .469 SLG but again, only played 115 games. If Abreu or Bregman could play an entire season, would they reach the 30 HR/.500 SLG plateau? Don’t bet the ranch on it.
There’s plenty of other guys out there, right? Eugenio Suarez, Bo Bichette, Ketel Marte, Jorge Polanco, or some other jamokes. Sure, that could happen, but Alonso and Schwarber were tailor made for Fenway and the Red Sox. They moved the needle into championship caliber territory. All it took was money. Did Breslow think he was going to get a “big bat” for less than $30M per year? Is John Henry really that cheap? (Yes, he is)
I honestly don’t think they will want to pay Bregman what he wants. Could it be another last second February Hail Mary with John Henry smoking another cigar? I really hope not. We’ve seen the Bregman show. I think trading for Ketel Marte makes the most sense now. His power has fluctuated from year to year, but in his last two seasons he’s slugged .560 and .517 and he fills a need at 2B. Duran and a pitcher could get it done. Of course, that would mean that Craig Breslow would have to negotiate with another GM.
Bo Bichette has some pop but is not really a power bat. Eugenio Suarez has tons of power and strikes out a ton as well. He also had an awful stint with the Mariners at the end of last year. Make no mistake, we are now in consolation prize territory. Sure, Breslow and Red Sox Twitter will put lipstick on whatever pig they acquire, but it won’t change the fact that a successful offseason was right there for the taking. It was the easy button. Spend the money and make the deal! Now the spin begins.