Should the Red Sox trade for an aging All-Star to replace Alex Bregman at third base?

Boston Red Sox baseball chief Craig Breslow has been busy negotiating this offseason with the St. Louis Cardinals, completing trades for right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras. Could a third time be the charm allowing Boston to replace Alex Bregman at third base?

Make no mistake: Boston’s top preference appears to be to re-sign Bregman, who earned rave reviews on and off the field in his first season with the Red Sox.

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But interest in Bregman is increasing across the league, so there’s no guarantee he’ll return to Boston in 2026.

If that’s the case, here’s a name to consider: Nolan Arenado. So let’s go over the pros and cons of trading for Arenado.

There’s no doubt the 34-year-old Cardinals third baseman is heading into the twilight of his career. He reached the lowest point of his career. 237 in 2025. And Arenado’s power numbers (12 home runs, 52 RBI, .666 OPS) were his worst since his rookie year in 2013, despite the COVID season.

In his prime, Arenado was a force, posting six top-10 finishes in MVP voting. The eight-time All-Star has won 10 Gold Glove Awards, six Platinum Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards.

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Yes, Arenado has clearly lost a step. But here’s the problem: He only has two years and $42 million left on his contract. If Boston is willing to deal with their drop in production, Arenado could be a good short-term solution with one of the Red Sox’s top prospects (Marcelo Mayer? Franklin Arias?) waiting in the wings.

Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported on a possible trade between the Red Sox and Cardinals Arenado last month. The Athletic did the same.

“(Arenado) was linked to the Red Sox last winter, and Boston was one of five teams willing to approve a trade,” The Athletic’s Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reported last month.

Look, it’s clear that Breslow likes dealing with St. Louis, whose front office is run by former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.

And it’s clear the Red Sox aren’t eager to give Bregman a nine-figure contract.

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Is Bregman a better bet in terms of on-field and lineup production? Absolutely.

But Arenado is a cheaper, short-term option that apparently aligns with the vision of the Red Sox front office.

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