The Red Sox reportedly are committed to a full turnaround this offseason and have been linked to multiple high-profile free agents.
Of course, Juan Soto is at the top of the list, as well as Max Fried and Corbin Burnes. However, Boston also has been linked to other top bats like Teoscar Hernández and Alex Bregman. It also reportedly is among multiple suitors for Willy Adames.
Adames is coming off a career season where he hit 32 home runs off a 118 OPS+ and stole 21 bases. Teams that don’t plan Soto likely pivot to the 29-year-old.
For the Red Sox, it’s probably not ideal to play Adames at second base — he’s only done so in 2018 — or someone like Trevor Story at that spot either. That’s why ESPN’s Buster Olney suggested that Boston would have to be prepared to move Rafael Devers to either first base or designated hitter. It also might need to trade a player for a front-line starting pitcher that they need given the added depth it probably won’t need if it signed Adames.
The Red Sox have other options to fill the need for a right-handed hitter, but the dominoes will quickly fall once Soto makes his decision.
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