Brewers Make a Statement in Free Agency
Until Friday the MLB offseason had been remarkably boring. Of the top ten free agents only two have signed. On Friday the Brewers signed Lorenzo Cain to a five-year deal and acquired Christian Yelich from the Miami Marlins. With a little more than two weeks left until Spring Training these free agents will start to sign and the Red Sox have needs to fill. Their needs include an impact bat and relief help. They have many options remaining in both free agency and through trades.
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Options for Offense in Free Agency
All offseason the Red Sox have been linked to J.D. Martinez. He is the best hitter on the market and would make the Red Sox offense much scarier. The only problem is that his agent is Scott Boras. He is known for being getting his players big deals. So far, the highest offer the Sox have given Martinez has been for five years and around one hundred and twenty-five million. Martinez wants a seven-year deal, but the Sox are hesitant to commit to him for that long. Recent deals like the Pablo Sandoval, Carl Crawford, and Rusney Castillo deals have not worked out. The Red Sox could look elsewhere. Eric Hosmer still remains but the Sox signed Mitch Moreland to a two year deal. The Sox do not have the prospect depth to pull off a big trade. Martinez may be their best option, but they will have to offer more money.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/ Ross D. Franklin
Bullpen Options
The Red Sox are returning most of their bullpen from last year. That isn’t a bad thing as the Sox bullpen had the second-best ERA in the American League last year. The only subtractions from the staff is Addison Reed, who signed with the Twins as a free agent. There are not a lot of options remaining meaning any addition would like to come from within the organization. If the Sox do make an addition it could be an experienced shutdown lefty.
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Bench Options
The Sox are expected to begin the season without Dustin Pedroia. They will need someone to replace Pedroia at second until he returns. The Sox have options internally like Brock Holt, but he struggled with the bat last year. The Sox have options in free agency such as Eduardo Nunez and Neil Walker. The only problem is once Pedroia returns they would not be the starters. The Sox could find spots for Nunez as unlike Walker he can play shortstop and third base.
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Final Thoughts
The Red Sox need to improve their offense. Last season the Sox ranked towards the bottom in home runs. Martinez would provide a big boost and Nunez would make the team deeper. The Sox could also add Logan Morrison or Lucas Duda who both hit thirty home runs last year. With Spring Training less than a month away the Sox have plenty of options and should make a move soon.
