Five Free Agent Hitters Red Sox Still Can Target To Boost Offense

The Red Sox’s offense was mostly solid in 2023, ranking 11th in Major League Baseball in runs scored, ninth in OPS and sixth in batting average.

Conversely, Boston’s starting rotation underwhelmed, making the pitching staff a clear point of emphasis this MLB offseason.

The Red Sox still could use another bat, though, preferably a right-handed hitter. Thus, it was a shot to the stomach Sunday night when Teoscar Hernández — a player whom Boston was heavily linked to in free agency — reportedly agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hernández was one of the few impact hitters available in a weak free agency class for position players. So, there aren’t a ton of viable alternatives for the Red Sox to target on the open market.

Of course, Boston could explore trades, as well, while retooling for 2024 and beyond. But here are five free agents the Red Sox still could pursue with an eye toward lengthening the lineup and deepening the roster.

Justin Turner, IF/DH
Turner was everything the Red Sox could’ve hoped for last season, his first in Boston after spending the previous nine years with the Dodgers. He slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs, 96 RBIs and a 114 OPS+ in 146 games (626 plate appearances), all while confirming his reputation as a clubhouse leader.

The 39-year-old is an imperfect fit for Boston’s roster, which features Triston Casas and Rafael Devers at the corner-infield positions and another designated-hitter option in outfielder Masataka Yoshida. But Turner showed he still had gas left in the tank before declining his $13.4 million player option for 2024 to test free agency. A reunion can’t totally be ruled out.

J.D. Martinez, OF/DH
Here’s another reunion we can’t completely cast aside, however unlikely it might seem on the surface. Martinez had an awesome five-year run with the Red Sox before signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason. He, like Turner, showed he still had plenty to offer in 2023, posting a .271/.321/.572 batting line with 33 homers, 103 RBIs and a 134 OPS+ in 113 games (479 plate appearances) while serving as LA’s primary DH.

Martinez isn’t an ideal positional fit, either, given his defensive limitations. He’ll also turn 37 in August. But Martinez bats right-handed, controls the strike zone, hits for power and is known for positively influencing his teammates’ offensive approach.

Jorge Soler, OF/DH
Soler is the most obvious pivot from Hernández, as they have similar offensive profiles: Middling on-base skills, but massive right-handed power potential backed by elite exit velocities. (Hernández offers more in the field and on the bases, whereas Soler basically is a DH.)

MLB reporter Héctor Gómez linked Boston to Soler late Sunday night, so the Cuban slugger certainly is a name to watch. Soler, who turns 32 in February, launched 36 home runs with a 128 OPS+ in 137 games (580 plate appearances) with the Miami Marlins last season. He blasted a career-high 48 homers with the Kansas City Royals in 2019.

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Rhys Hoskins, 1B/DH
Hoskins missed all of 2023 with a torn ACL. He’s also a below-average defender at first base — a position already occupied by Casas — and doesn’t provide much on the basepaths. But the missed time seemingly presents an opportunity to buy low on a good hitter, with Hoskins showing both power and on-base skills during his six-year run with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hoskins, another right-handed bat, actually projects to post numbers similar to Soler in his age-31 campaign. This could be enough to entice the Red Sox, provided they’re comfortable with his lack of value beyond the batter’s box.

Cody Bellinger, OF
So, Bellinger is a total long shot, to the point where he’s almost not even worth mentioning. He’s basically the last thing Boston’s roster needs (a left-handed-hitting outfielder) and figures to command a huge contract. There also are red flags given his performance between 2020 and 2022.

But the 28-year-old nevertheless is the best position player available in free agency — capable of playing excellent defense in center field while performing at an MVP level at the dish when everything’s clicking — and the Red Sox could be willing to shuffle the deck with their outfield mix, a scenario supported by the Alex Verdugo and Tyler O’Neill trades. Signing Bellinger — as part of a bigger plan — sure would rock the boat and infuse high-upside talent, albeit with risk attached.

Honorable mentions: Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham (two other familiar faces)