Could Red Sox Be In Running To Sign This World Series MVP?

The Red Sox don’t necessarily need to add another outfielder to the lineup, but it appears chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and his staff are interested in adding more power to the lineup.

Breslow told reporters the team “will not stop” looking for upgrades after Boston traded Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for Vaughn Grissom. The Red Sox reportedly are among multiple Major League Baseball teams interested in signing Teoscar Hernández, who makes sense as a fit, especially given his history at Fenway Park.

Hernández isn’t the only power bat left on the market with J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler patiently waiting to find new homes. A reunion with Martinez seems unlikely, but Soler has “drawn interest” from the Red Sox, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Toronto Blue Jays also are interested in the 2021 World Series MVP.

The market could get going once Cody Bellinger inks a deal, but the interest in Soler does signal a possible desire for more power bats in the lineup. The All-Star hit 36 home runs with 75 RBIs on a 128+ last season. A possible issue could be defense. The Miami Marlins primarily played Soler as their designated hitter, and he barely hit 50 games at right field.

Boston traded Alex Verdugo, who was a Gold Glove finalist, to the New York Yankees, so his replacement would need to replicate that defense along with bringing power to the lineup.

Feinsand added Boston is viewed as the “front-runner” for Hernández along with the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, and if the Red Sox added the veteran outfielder, it would add to what’s been a busy offseason for Breslow in his first offseason as chief baseball officer.