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Boston Red Sox: Christmas Wish List for 2019 offseason

By Justin Keene

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 1: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with The Commissioner's Trophy during the first quarter of the game between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on November 1, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 1: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with The Commissioner's Trophy during the first quarter of the game between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on November 1, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Boston Red Sox
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 27: DJ LeMahieu #9 (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

With the Boston Red Sox coming off a championship season, there are always going to be changes in the roster. Some players have top value and demand a lot on the open market.

2018 was one of the best seasons in Boston Red Sox history.

The Sox have been able to re-sign some of their key players already in Steve Pearce and Nathan Eovaldi. There are still players who have not signed already, Craig Kimbrel being the biggest of names.

The defending champs still have their flaws and need to reload in order to become the first team to repeat since the New York Yankees in 2000.

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With the Holidays upon us, and getting into the spirit, here is a wish list for the Boston Red Sox going into 2019.

2B – DJ LeMahieu

Second base is usually a position of least concern, as Dustin Pedroia has provided stability there for over a decade. However, the Little Leader has been sidelined with a problematic knee for over a year, causing second base to be a revolving door for most of this past season.

The Red Sox traded for veteran Ian Kinsler at the trade deadline, but he is now a member of the San Diego Padres.

DJ LeMahieu makes perfect sense for the Red Sox at second base. The 30-year-old has played 8 major league seasons, 1 with the Chicago Cubs and 8 with the Colorado Rockies.

He has won 3 Gold Gloves (2014, 2017, 2018). LeMahieu is a career .298 hitter and is versatile enough to play all over the infield if need be.

In 2018, LeMahieu batted .276 with 15 HR, 62 RBI and 90 Runs scored with the Rockies. Now, playing in hitter-friendly Coors Field, you would assume his statistics were inflated, but he actually had more HR and RBI on the road this past year.

2018 was a down year for the right-hander, as he won the batting crown in 2016 with a .348 average, followed by a 2017 campaign where he batted .310.

Fenway is another hitter-friendly ballpark, so the right-hander could flourish here.  If the Red Sox can figure out how to move on from Dustin Pedroia and his $15 million, making an offer to LeMahieu could be an option, as he made $8.5 million in 2018, the highest of his career.

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