FORT MYERS, Fla. — At the Winter Meetings in mid-December, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow described home runs as a “foolproof way to put runs on the board” in describing how the club was searching for someone in the “middle of the order who hits the ball out of the park.” Things, it turns out, did not go according to plan.
An offseason in which the Red Sox were linked to home run hitters Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber while also pursuing dynamic infielders Ketel Marte and Alex Bregman took plenty of twists and turns and, for all intents and purposes, ended Monday when the club filled its infield need with a trade for Milwaukee’s Caleb Durbin. Instead of adding a big bopper or two, the Red Sox pivoted to a different approach focused on beefing up their pitching and defense in which Ranger Suárez and Sonny Gray were the two main additions of the winter. On the offensive side of things, the three main position players added to the mix — Durbin, Willson Contreras and Isiah Kiner-Falefa — combined to hit just 31 homers in 2025.
“We have to adapt to the market and we have to work backwards from creating the roster that gives us the best chance of winning as many games as possible,” Breslow said Monday after the six-player deal for Durbin was finalized. “It’s important that we adapt and evolve as options become available to us or we’re able to pursue them.
“As long as we’re anchored to this idea that we have to put a winning team on the field, I think we have to be willing to pivot. Our pursuits were pretty public at times, but then also the opportunity to really double down on pitching and defense being a strength of this team. Along the way, we’ve improved our baserunning. We talk about the athletic, dynamic nature of the roster, and I think it’s going to position us well.”
The 2025 Red Sox ranked 15th in baseball with 186 homers, counting 18 from Bregman in his lone season in Boston and 15 from Rafael Devers, who ranked tied for sixth on the team despite being traded on June 15. Trevor Story led the way with 25 and Wilyer Abreu, in just 115 games, cracked 22. Bregman, Jarren Duran (16), Ceddanne Rafaela (16) and Carlos Narváez (15) rounded out the top six.
With a different-looking roster as camp opens, there’s a real question as to where the power will come from in 2026. Contreras’ ability to pull the ball in the air at Fenway should help and Durbin may have some untapped power potential as well. The Red Sox, though, will need improvements from within.
“We feel confident that there is going to be power that emerges from the group that we have,” Breslow said, “getting a full healthy season out of Roman and Willy. We know Willson Contreras has been an offensive threat in the lineup, been in lineups for a number of years, and feel like he’s a particularly good fit for our park given the changes to his offensive profile over the last year or two.”
Roman Anthony slugged eight homers in 71 games after debuting last season and is seen as a threat to hit 20-25 in his first full season. Story, Duran, Rafaela and Narváez all have streaky power as well and could see their totals rise. Triston Casas, who seems likely to start the year on the injured list, can provide significant pop if healthy and in rhythm. Masataka Yoshida has never eclipsed 15 homers in the majors and has an uncertain role but is another candidate to take a step forward.
The X-factor in the power equation, Cora acknowledged Monday, is Abreu, who looked to be on pace for a monster homer total last season after slugging 13 by the end of May. Things slowed down for him significantly, though, as he started just 47 games after June 1 and hit just nine more homers.
In 2026, Abreu is expected to get the chance to start in right field against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers. Cora has been impressed with how Abreu looks more “trimmed down” and “athletic” early in camp.
“Willy, healthy, I hate to say it, but that’s kind of like the game-changer,” Cora said. “When Willy was in the lineup healthy, that bottom third of the lineup was a good one. Carlos was doing the things he was doing but Willy was hitting the ball out of the ballpark.
“We feel like Durbin, at Fenway, can pull the ball in the air and make some good swing decisions. He can hit some homers at home. Obviously, Trevor what he did towards the end, too. We expect guys to step up. Hopefully, a full season of Roman healthy, the homers are going to go up. Jarren, he can do that, too.
“Offensively, they’re going to keep growing into the hitters we projected a few years ago. Hopefully, we can hit the ball in the air and hit homers.”
The Red Sox, after fortifying their rotation with Suárez, Gray and Oviedo, have not been shy about broadcasting their new identity as a team anchored by pitching and defense. The recent pursuits of strong defenders like Durbin and Kiner-Falefa over an available slugger like Eugenio Suárez highlight that stance even further. On certain nights, Cora believes, the Red Sox won’t have to do much at the plate to win games.
“You don’t have to score seven all the time,” Cora said. “I know Pete (Fatse) loves that. ‘Hey Pete, with three (runs) you’re good … I think there are gonna be a lot of games we can win scoring three or four runs with the pitching we have. Situational hitting, cashing in right away is very important.
“It’s not that all of the sudden we’re going to choke up and put the ball in play, but there’s gonna be a mindset and it will start here (in camp). That situational hitting is very important, especially with the pitching staff we have and hopefully, with the defense we think we’re gonna have.
“We can be better. I think there were a lot of opportunities where we didn’t cash in.”