The Boston Red Sox have a need at first base, and Franchy Cordero is eyeing a path back to the big leagues.
"Versatility is a plus for almost everyone," Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told The Athletic on Tuesday. "He started out as an infielder, so no harm in taking a look."
That's right. Cordero, who came to the Red Sox in the offseason in the Andrew Benintendi trade, was spotted taking reps at first base during Triple-A Worcester batting practice Tuesday. He's a big guy that moves well for his size, so the Red Sox appear to be interested in seeing if there's something there.
Bobby Dalbec has gotten the lion's share of starts at first in Boston, with Danny Santana and Marwin Gonzalez also contributing. But overall, first base stability is something the first-place Red Sox will be eyeing in the coming weeks, as they gear up for a playoff run.
With no other clear-cut, Major League-ready options at first, the most likely path to shoring up that position is from a trade. That is, unless Cordero pans out.
His bat was inconsistent with Boston this season, but he's been mashing since getting sent down to the minors. That's traditionally been how things have gone for him, and if he could find consistency in the top flight then he could be a really impactful player.
Ultimately, this could be a beneficial option for Cordero, too. The Red Sox are set in the outfield right now, with a ton of options between Santana, Gonzalez, Kiké Hernández, Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe and even J.D. Martinez. And with the way he's playing in Worcester, it seems like Jarren Duran could be the next outfielder called up if necessary.
There's a month until the trade deadline, so the Red Sox very well might see what they have at first with Cordero before exploring options outside the organization.
