While Alex Bregman’s decision to sign with the Cubs knocked the wind out of the Red Sox, the team didn’t have the luxury of a lengthy opportunity to regain its breath while considering how to navigate the disappointment.
Agent Scott Boras informed the Red Sox of Bregman’s decision on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 10. Shortly thereafter, he looped back to share news of another heating burner on the hot stove: The market for Ranger Suárez was accelerating.
Suárez didn’t necessarily seem like an obvious alternative to Bregman, who checked numerous boxes as a righthanded-hitting, middle-of-the-order infielder. As a lefthanded pitcher, Suárez was none of those things.
Still, the Sox had what one team official referred to as “dry powder” — unspent resources after Bregman turned down the team’s five-year, $165 million offer — and the same goal they had established at the start of the offseason, to improve a team that won 89 games in 2025 and reached the postseason for the first time since ’21.
Read Alex Speier's full story at BostonGlobe.com. | 
