The Boston Red Sox are nine days away until pitchers and catchers report for their first official spring training workout, and the franchise isn’t turning its eye away from a potential last-minute roster improvement.
Since last season’s MLB trade deadline, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has campaigned for a right-handed bat. Yet, with Tyler O’Neill now a member of the Baltimore Orioles and the free agency market dwindling, Boston is working against the clock. Still, as team president and CEO Sam Kennedy reiterated when speaking with reporters Monday, a right-handed bat remains on Boston’s mind.
“That’s still a goal. It has been since the beginning,” Kennedy said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “Obviously with Vaughn (Grissom) and Trevor (Story) hopefully coming into spring training healthy, we feel better about the more balanced nature of the lineup. But if we can add a right-handed bat, we would love to do that.”
Boston missed out on free agent Teoscar Hernández before the 32-year-old returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $66 million contract. That’s left the Red Sox with limited but still notable options, including All-Star third basemen Alex Bregman, a free agent, and Nolan Arenado, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals seeking a trade.
Bregman, a nine-year veteran and two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros, has generated interest beyond Boston. The 30-year-old and former dugout mate of Red Sox manager Alex Cora — they won the 2017 World Series alongside each other — hasn’t signed with a club.
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However, rumors indicate that Bregman isn’t settling for a short-term deal and that Houston even extended a six-year offer earlier in the offseason.
The Red Sox could turn to an up-and-coming prospect such as Kristian Campbell, but that’s heavily dependent on spring training. Therefore, exploring the open market and possibly the trade market could favor the team in a multitude of ways, such as providing a veteran voice in the clubhouse and alleviating the pressure of 2025 from the youngsters.
Boston hasn’t clinched a playoff berth in four years, and last season, the missing pieces — pitching depth, reliable defense, right-handed hitting — caught up with the Red Sox amid their desperation race in the American League wild-card standings.
This offseason has been different.
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Breslow improved the bullpen by adding Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman and then directed focus on the rotation. The Red Sox started by trading for left-hander Garrett Crochet and then signed two-time World Series champion Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval to give the team plenty of options on its staff.
Whether or not it’s Bregman or Arenado, the Red Sox still have time to find their desired right-handed bat before it’s time to take the field on Opening Day.
Featured image via Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images
