Nine Position Players Red Sox Could Target In MLB Free Agency

The Boston Red Sox need to completely revamp their starting pitching staff, and that will be the focus of many offseason previews, but there are also quite a few holes to be filled on the field and in the lineup.

That’s what we’re here to talk about.

In his introductory press conference, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stated his desire to balance the asymmetry in Boston’s lineup while also improving a defensive unit that has been one of the worst in Major League Baseball in recent seasons. He’ll start to do that in the coming weeks, and we believe these are a few candidates that might be on his radar.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., OF
In reading this list, you’ll quickly come to realize that this free agent class of position players isn’t all that strong. There are a couple of big names, but in reality, most teams will be looking to play the value game. Boston’s pretty good at that, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. feels like the exact kind of player they could target if looking to save big bucks elsewhere.

Gurriel outperformed expectations in his first (and possibly only) season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, belting a career-best 24 home runs with a .261/.309/.463 batting line. He also played the best defense of his career, finishing with 14 defensive runs saved across 778 innings in left field. If the Red Sox believe he can be versatile, or want to shift Masataka Yoshida into a full-time role as designated hitter, Gurriel’s an option.

Harrison Bader, OF
This is one way to improve outfield defense.

Harrison Bader is a historically efficient fielder, racking up 52 defensive runs saved across seven big league seasons. He’s a center fielder but has made starts in both corner outfield spots as well, winning a Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021.

Bader saw his offensive numbers dwindle in a short stint with the New York Yankees, as injuries have piled up in recent seasons. In his career with St. Louis, however, Bader slashed .246/.320/.409 and hit 72 doubles with 55 stolen bases. If Boston believes it can add him as a fourth outfielder on cheap money, he should be an option.

Michael A. Taylor, OF
Okay, so just take everything we said about Bader and picture a worse offensive player.

Michael A. Taylor has been around for a long time, and we pretty much know what he is, but you can’t do much better defensively.

C.J. Cron, 1B
If Justin Turner ends up leaving, the Red Sox will need to find a right-handed bat to platoon with Triston Casas at first base. The options, though, are slim.

C.J. Cron is probably the best right-handed option, though his numbers fell off a cliff after leaving the Colorado Rockies, who he represented in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. The 33-year-old is off and on, hitting 25-plus home runs from 2018-2022 (2020 doesn’t count) but failing to surpass 17 in any other season. If Boston has to replace Turner, and doesn’t feel like Bobby Dalbec is a viable option, Cron might be its best bet.

Adam Frazier, 2B
We’re going to shift to the infield (see what we did there?) and talk about second base, a place the Red Sox haven’t been able to figure out since Dustin Pedroia left.

Boston has some players in the pipeline, and some guys have filled in admirably for short spurts, but it would be awfully nice to have an every-day player fill the void for a season. Adam Frazier could be that guy, coming off a decent season with the Baltimore Orioles.

He’s a middle-of-the-road guy, but the 32-year-old belted a career-high 13 home runs last year and plays good defense. Why not?

Tony Kemp, 2B
This is another “why not?” guy.

Kemp’s getting up there, but he plays a lot and has a good glove. Why not?

Jung Hoo Lee, OF
You guys remember the chatter about Yoshida last winter, right?

If you add above-average defense to what people said about Yoshida, you have Jung Hoo Lee. The 25-year-old has a career batting line of .340/.407/.491 and has been described as a hitter without weaknesses. He’ll command a large check this offseason, but could be worth adding as an every-day option should the Red Sox choose to move an existing outfielder.

Mitch Garver, C
It’s hard making an argument the Red Sox should at a right-handed catcher, but if they’re willing to go with two righties at the position Mitch Garver could be a perfect fit.

Garver didn’t get the qualifying offer from the Texas Rangers, but was so lethal with the bat he was tabbed as the designated hitter throughout most of the World Series. He’s got a great bat, and if Boston can add one to the emerging Connor Wong, it could have quite the formidable duo behind the dish.

Cody Bellinger, OF
You want the Red Sox to spend a ton of money? This is the guy.

Cody Bellinger is known by most as the 2018 National League MVP, but in recent seasons he’s become a guy who reclaimed his spot among the best outfielders in the NL. The 28-year-old had a number of rough seasons following his MVP campaign, ending with a non-tender by the Los Angeles Dodgers that saw him leave and join the Chicago Cubs. It was in the Windy City that Bellinger belted 26 homers and played Gold Glove defense in center field and at first base.

There isn’t a ton of confidence in knowing how much he’ll get, as contract projections have him making anywhere from $180 million to $260 million. He could be locked in for anywhere between seven and 12 years. It’s weird.

The Red Sox are a team that can afford to outbid the competition, however, and Bellinger might just be a player former Cubs front-office man Craig Breslow is interested in paying.