MLB free agency will officially begin on Tuesday, and I guarantee you the Boston Red Sox will end up with these 5 players.
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5. INF Eduardo Nunez
Utility infielder Eduardo Nunez will be back with the Red Sox. I think there’s almost a 100% chance of it. He came over in August and played extremely well until he was injured. In 38 games for Boston, Nunez hit .321 with 8 home runs and 27 RBI. He averages .282 with 11 home runs and 59 RBI each year of his career, and those are numbers the Red Sox can live with. His defense is strong, and Boston will need him in Dustin Pedroia’s absence. Nunez will likely be the first free agent the Red Sox sign this offseason.
4. RP Bryan Shaw
Reliever Bryan Shaw has been a mainstay in the Cleveland Indians bullpen since 2013. He spent two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks before that, so he has plenty of experience. In his career, Shaw has a 3.13 ERA and 398 strikeouts. He stays healthy, having appeared in at least 70 games for the Indians each year with the team, and he is extremely consistent. The Red Sox need that consistency in the bullpen in front of closer Craig Kimbrel. Addison Reed is unlikely to return to Boston, and Joe Kelly doesn’t seem like the perfect 8th inning man. Tyler Thornburg will be back and healthy, but no one really knows how long that will last. Shaw is the perfect player to come into the game before Kimbrel.
In the postseason, Bryan Shaw becomes an even better player with a 2.45 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22 career innings pitched. He’d come in very handy for the Red Sox as they make a 2018 World Series run.
3. RP Anthony Swarzak
Journeyman reliever Anthony Swarzak could be another right-handed arm that the Red Sox add to their bullpen. A strong bullpen can carry you in the postseason, and Boston clearly needs to improve. In 2017, Swarzak split time with the White Sox and Brewers, appearing in 70 total games with a 2.33 ERA.
That’s a career-best ERA for Swarzak, and he may finally be finding his groove. Boston could use him as a middle reliever with Joe Kelly, Tyler Thornburg, Bryan Shaw (potentially), and Craig Kimbrel at the back end to close things out. He’d be an upgrade over Blaine Boyer or Heath Hembree in the middle of the pack. The Red Sox may not have a ton of money to spend, but it’s unclear what the market will be for Swarzak. His numbers were great in 2017, but no one knows if he will repeat or not. There’s a chance he falls back to his career averages with an ERA over 4, so we will have to wait and see who is willing to take a chance here.
2. 1B Logan Morrison
Mitch Moreland played well in his one season in Boston, but I think the Red Sox will look for an upgrade. Tampa Bay’s Logan Morrison is the perfect player to take over at first base, and his AL East track record and experience are a big plus. The 8-year MLB veteran has been with the Rays for the last two seasons, and he hit .243 with 52 home runs and 128 RBI. This past season was clearly his best of the two in Tampa Bay though, as he broke out for a career-high 38 home runs.
For comparison, Mitch Moreland hit .246 with 22 home runs and 79 RBI. So, the Red Sox would have the same batting average from their first baseman but would receive a boost in their power numbers. The MLB has become a home run league, as we saw in the 2017 World Series, and the Red Sox simply did not have enough lineup power this past season. Morrison would help to address that issue, but not as much as their top free agent target.
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.