If you are a Boston Red Sox fan, things look different this season. Last season, most were not aware that the team would be seriously willing to spend. After all, penny pinching was the name of the game for them. But they showed promise and performed well, and now, naturally, expectations are high. And fans want Alex Bregman, the man who helped take the team to new heights, to stay put in Boston.

But well, Bregman is on others’ wishlists too! But here is the kicker- he might be further down the Boston Red Sox’s wishlist. At least, according to Jon Heyman.

He reported that Boston and Craig Breslow has considered signing “up to two” marquee bats from a list of five players–Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso, Kazuma Okamoto, J.T. Realmuto, and Bregman himself.

And to be fair, it’s crucial to remember that Boston has the money to sign not one but two big bats. They, after all, saved a quarter billion dollars by moving Rafael Devers mid-season. Shocking for sure, but with that, Boston is ready to be one of the heavyweight spenders in what Heyman calls a “battle royal” in the AL East. And the two main names coming- Schwarber and Alonso.

Now, even though the Boston Red Sox prefer right-handed hitters, Heyman says that Schwarber is strongly in the mix. And why not? Schwarber has proved time and again how well he fits in the city. When he arrived in 2021, he had juiced the lineup, hitting .291 with seven homers in just 41 games. This time, he had a wild season too, with 56 bombs–he can juice up the roster.

Plus, fans can’t forget how he emptied the bases with a grand slam in Game 3 against the Astros — one of three monster slams Boston hit across two games. Now Alonso too is a no-brainer, and he smashed 38 homers and pushed his career total to 264.

But not all hope is lost, given that Bregman did give signs that he might be back. But Boston can’t wait around without a backup- can they?

Boston’s plan B if Alex Bregman walks away?

The Boston Red Sox can’t be sure; they can lock in Alex Bregman, and maybe that is why he has dropped down on their wishlist. Another reason can be that the Red Sox have a Plan B in place. And this is where St Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado enters the picture.

The Cardinals were pretty much holding a yard sale this offseason. Jeff Passan reported that the Cardinals are open for business and that Arenado is almost certain to waive his no-trade clause. That alone puts the Boston Red Sox on alert, and given that the new Cardinals president of baseball ops, Chaim Bloom, already knows the Red Sox system well, another big deal between the two couldn’t be shocking!

However, what would it take? A blockbuster like this wouldn’t be built on prospects alone; the Cardinals would want big league help, and hence names like Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida make sense. Boston could tack on a top-five prospect plus a lower-level minor leaguer to get the deal done.

Pricey for sure, but that’s the cost of adding a future Hall of Fame third baseman. Now, Nolan Arenado’s 2025 season was comparatively flat – he hit .237 with just 12 home runs in 107 games and even lost his everyday role late in the year.

But he is also a 10-time Gold Glove winner and one of the most accomplished defenders the position has ever seen. Now, if Boston makes a move here, you can say that for sure, they have moved away from the get-Bregman club.