When the Boston Red Sox lost Alex Bregman to free agency in January, it felt like it came as a surprise to Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow. Boston was one of the last teams to sign a free agent this past offseason. That leads you to believe that they were waiting for Bregman to come back to them. It didn’t happen.
Breslow pivoted to Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Ranger Suárez in free agency. He agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract. That gives the Red Sox a solid 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. However, it didn’t help in replacing Bregman at third base.
There were rumors surrounding just what Breslow was going to do. Boston was linked to the Houston Astros for Isaac Paredes. Nothing came of it in a potential deal. Breslow ended up pivoting to the Milwaukee Brewers for Caleb Durbin. Now, it appears that manager Alex Cora has his starting third baseman.
Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Drops Hints About Caleb Durbin Starting at Third Base
Right before spring training began in February, Breslow acquired Durbin from the Brewers for pitcher Kyle Harrison, infielder David Hamilton, and pitcher Shane Drohan. Harrison was acquired from the San Francisco Giants as part of the Rafael Devers trade last June.
Durbin was a 2025 National League Rookie of the Year finalist. He was originally acquired from the New York Yankees by Milwaukee as part of the trade that sent Devin Williams to the Bronx. However, Williams is not pitching for the crosstown rival Mets after signing in free agency.
In spring training, Durbin has looked good. Cora dropped a subtle hint on Monday that the 26-year-old will likely be the starter on Opening Day on March 27 against the Cincinnati Reds on the road.
“Caleb [Durbin], he’s playing third base today, again,” said Cora before Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. “We’ll probably decide that next week, but I feel very comfortable with him at third base
“At the end of day, it’s who we feel more comfortable with at which position and also the player. I don’t want Caleb to be moving from second to third during the season. I want him to play one position only, and then just go do your thing at the plate.”
Marcelo Meyer is also a candidate for third base. However, it feels like Cora has made up his mind already. The question is, why Durbin at third base over Meyer or anyone else?
“He has a good arm,” Cora said. “He was banged up last year, and I think that actually helped him with everything that he’s doing right now. I’ve seen a lot of third basemen with cannons at third base, but their footwork is not great. This kid has a good arm, and he has great footwork.”
Boston Red Sox Replacing Alex Bregman Won’t Be Easy
Replacing Bregman won’t be easy. There is a lot to like about Durbin, and he has performed well in spring training. Is Durbin going to be an upgrade at third base defensively over Bregman? Maybe, but playing Durbin at third and Meyer at second, if he breaks camp with the club, might be Cora’s best defense.
If Durbin can lockdown third base and be better defensively than Bregman, then Breslow and Cora have something. Then it’ll be a question of how much he can produce offensively. A lot of eyes will be on Durbin in 2026.
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