1 former Rays infielder that could be traded to AL East rival after Bregman decision

In an unexpected turn of events, star free agent infielder Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs. He'll join Gold Glove winners Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner to assemble one of the best infields in the sport, offensively and defensively. The team with the greatest regret in this transaction is certainly the Boston Red Sox. After Bregman opted out of the Red Sox's 3-year deal, Boston still aggressively pursued his services. Now, they will have to look elsewhere for a reliable third baseman.

Red Sox begin their search for a new third baseman after Bregman signed with the Cubs

Rumors are floating around that the Red Sox will turn their attention towards two-time All-Star infielder Bo Bichette. However, it may be more advantageous for them to consider seeking a deal for former Rays All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes.

Red Sox should consider trading for former Rays infielder Isaac Paredes

There are a few key reasons why this particular trade could work out well for the Rays' rival.

1. Isaac Paredes would be much cheaper than Bo Bichette.

A deal with Bichette would likely be similar to the 5-year, $175 million pact that Bregman signed. Therefore, giving away a few prospects for the back-to-back All-Star would be a huge win for the club.

2. Paredes and the Astros will be headed to an arbitration to decide his 2026 salary.

Isaac Paredes and the Houston Astros were not able to come to an agreement on his salary for the upcoming season, so the two sides may be headed to an arbitration hearing. Situations like this generally leave a bad taste in both the player and the organization's mouth which could lead to a potential trade. In defense of Paredes, he has been able to put together two All-Star seasons in a row, while playing for three different teams (Rays, Cubs, Astros). Even more impressively, the right-handed pull hitter crushed 39 home runs in those two seasons.

However, the Astros may have a reason to let go of Paredes. At the 2025 trade deadline, Houston made a deal to bring back 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa. Although Correa hasn't been his usual self in his four seasons with the Twins, he's a crowd favorite in Houston. The former Astros shortstop has now moved to third base, but fans will never forget his accumulation of 35.3 WAR and a 2017 World Series championship. Correa kept up his impressive play with the Astros last year as he finished with a .290 AVG and six homers in 51 games. Therefore, it appears that Houston is running out of space on their roster for a player like Paredes.

3. Isaac Paredes could be very successful at Fenway Park.

Similarly to his success with the Crawford boxes in left field at the Astros' home stadium, Paredes could be an elite hitter at Fenway Park with the way he is able to pull the ball consistently. The daunting "Green Monster" stands only 310 feet from home plate, so the 26-year-old infielder could have a field day peppering baseballs off (and over) the monster.