Red Sox choose their identity, but banking on pitching might only carry Boston so far

The Red Sox made their signing official Wednesday afternoon, inking Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $130 million deal. Suárez, who spent his first eight seasons in the big leagues with the Phillies, gives Boston a legitimate No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet. The deal also underscores where the club believes it can best fortify itself in the ultra-competitive American League East: starting pitching.

"I don't think there's a question anymore that the identity of our team, the strength of our team, is going to be our pitching and our ability to prevent runs," said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow during Suarez' introductory press conference at Fenway Park. 

The Sox now have a rotation anchored by both Crochet and Suárez, with Sonny Gray also in the fold after being acquired via trade from the Cardinals earlier in the offseason. 

Crochet carried much of the load for the rotation last season, often stopping losing streaks and extending -- or beginning winning streaks. The Red Sox ranked 12th in both starters' ERA (3.92) and strikeouts (805) in 2025.

"I'm just looking forward to putting my own little grain of rice to what we're doing here," said Suárez.

But even with Crochet no longer carrying the burden alone, is banking on the rotation enough for the Red Sox heading into the 2026 season? 

Probably not. 

The Red Sox had to pivot once Alex Bregman elected to join the Cubs earlier this month. Suárez, though Breslow played it down, represented that. 

Still, the Sox have a major offensive issue, leaving hitting coach Pete Fatse and manager Alex Cora with limited options. Bregman was supposed to replace Rafael Devers. Instead, Boston is without both after Bregman chose the Cubs over the Sox, placing a heavy burden on 21-year-old Roman Anthony and an aging Trevor Story to carry much of the offense.

The free agent market is thinning, too. With the exception of Eugenio Suarez, who could be an option for Boston on a short-term deal, there's little to be desired. Or, little that could help the Red Sox in their current situation. 

Boston was tied to Ketel Marte for much of the offseason, but the Arizona Diamondbacks ultimately took him off the trade market. That decision is for now. Decisions change and the Sox would be prudent to keep that door open as the season progresses. 

Breslow has yet to show he can land a true marquee free agent, at least on the position-player side. What has become clear is where his comfort level lies: evaluating pitching. Even when looking at trades, his lone blockbuster move was acquiring Crochet.

The Sox do have the starting pitching depth to make a trade to help amplify their lineup. One that would likely begin with right-hander Brayan Bello, who has shown a mixed bag of results, pairing stretches of effectiveness with command lapses and uneven outings.

Still, Bello won't turn 27 until May and teams might still see some upside in him following a season in which he made 29 appearances (28 starts) and posted a 3.35 ERA. 

Now, when it comes to Suárez, no doubt, he's a front-of-the-rotation starter, who has shown the ability to get outs. Yet he's a throwback compared to plenty of his counterparts, pitching to contact instead of huge swing-and-miss numbers while with the Phillies. 

"If you have really good command of your pitches and are able to mix them well, you don't really need 100 miles per hour," Suárez said. "In my case, that's what's given me the most success." 

Success, however, could look different in this uniform, particularly given the defensive lapses behind him. While the outfield grades as one of the best in the sport, the infield remains a clear weakness. The infield led the league in errors last season, and with Bregman gone, the defense could regress further without a true second or third baseman in place. Upgrading defensively remains a priority.

"Defense is a significant contributor to run prevention," added Breslow. "We tend to get caught up in the pitching side of this, but there are other key components, as well defense being the most obvious. So, it's really important that we improve our defense, particularly our infield defense. Our out conversion needs to be improved." 

As it stands, Mayer is expected to be part of the mix at third base, though he is naturally a shortstop. Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton are slated to contribute at second, though neither profiles as an everyday starter, with Hamilton grading as a below-average defender.

"I'm reluctant to kind of commit to things that at this point," added Breslow on Mayer possibly being an everyday player at third. "Marcelo is going to play a very important role for us, his defensive skills and also versatility are going to be really, really useful for us. He's such a functional piece on the roster, and he's still acclimating to the big leagues." 

Acclimation, though, shouldn't be in the Sox's vocabulary if they truly intend to compete. It can't be. Not in a division that has only intensified with Toronto's emergence, Baltimore's retooling, and New York largely running back the same roster, with Gerrit Cole expected to return this summer for the Yankees.

Their offseason work may be finished. Not re-signing or replacing Bregman, however, will carry a cost and questions heading into spring training.