While plenty of focus from the outside has been on pitching, might the Boston Red Sox be looking to add a bat to the lineup?
It seems they might be.
According to Forbes’ Phil Rogers, the Red Sox have been among a few teams monitoring Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu.
Dave Dombrowski has long admired Jose Abreu. The @RedSox are among a few teams monitoring Abreu’s availability. He might be most impactful bat on the market if @whitesox we’re willing to deal him. Could trade him and re-sign him but value as a rental is limited.
— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) July 19, 2019
This isn’t the first time Abreu and the Red Sox have been connected, as plenty of rumors circulated in the winter of 2017 linking the two sides.
Through 92 games this season, the first baseman is hitting .273 with 21 homers and 66 RBIs. Last season he was both a Silver Slugger and All-Star, and he played in the Midsummer Classic this season, as well.
With Steve Pearce’s situation uncertain and Mitch Moreland dealing with injuries throughout the year, first base has been an interesting area for the Red Sox. Michael Chavis has filled in fine at first, but he’s also spent time at second base along with Brock Holt and Marco Hernandez. Furthermore, first base technically isn’t Chavis’ primary position, meaning the Red Sox have no true first basemen on the roster when Moreland and Pearce are sidelined. They probably could make do with the personnel they have right now, but adding Abreu would provide some nice depth in addition to a dangerous middle of the order bat.
The Red Sox’s last memory of Abreu is when he torched Boston’s bullpen, Matt Barnes in particular, in a comeback win for Chicago at Fenway Park late last month.
