5 free agents the Boston Red Sox will actually sign this offseason

1. DH J.D. Martinez

J.D. Martinez is the best batter available in 2017-18 MLB free agency, and he’s likely priority and option #1 for the Boston Red Sox. The price will be high, but the Red Sox need to add power to their lineup. A corner outfielder, Martinez could play in the field to provide Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, or Jackie Bradley Jr. with an off day from time to time. Some Boston fans may want to shy away from another big contract, but Dave Dombrowski is going to be aggressive. This is a win-now city, and he knows he needs to deliver a championship to Boston. The question becomes what happens to Hanley Ramirez. The Red Sox could opt to trade him, but finding a willing partner could prove difficult. Perhaps Hanley could move to first base once again if the Red Sox fail to sign Eric Hosmer or Logan Morrison. Another option would be to trade Jackie Bradley Jr., moving Mookie Betts to centerfield and having J.D. play in right. In either scenario, the Boston Red Sox would be better in 2018 with J.D. Martinez on their roster.

Next: Red Sox all-time 25-man roster

The Red Sox have a chance to sign all 5 of these players before the start of the 2018 season, and if they do they are going to be World Series favorites. They’d surely be able to keep up with the Houston Astros, and the added power and bullpen help would be tough for any National League team to overcome with Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, and David Price all still in the starting rotation. When free agency officially begins on Tuesday, hold on tight because the Red Sox are probably going to be extremely active.