Boston Red Sox free agent target No. 2: Kris Bryant
Kris Bryant was another player on the Cubs that I thought the Sox should have targeted at the Trade Deadline this season. Bryant wasn’t initially thought to be available during Chicago’s fire sale, but the San Francisco Giants picked him up right before the deadline approached, meaning the Red Sox had missed out on another big target. But similar to his former teammate Rizzo, Bryant is now a free agent, and Boston should be in the running for his services.
Bryant isn’t necessarily the perennial MVP candidate he was at the start of his career, but he had a nice bounce back season in 2021 after he struggled in 2020. He finished with a .265 batting average, hitting 25 homers and driving in 73 runs in the process, earning him his fourth All Star berth of his career. Bryant is still a dangerous weapon who can make any lineup better, and you can bet he would swat a couple of balls over the Green Monster if he found his way to Fenway.
The main roadblock with bringing in Bryant would be that he is primarily a third baseman, which is where Devers finds himself currently. But Bryant has played all over the diamond throughout his career, and has occasionally spent time at first base and shortstop throughout his career too. Bryant could be put at first base, or you could use this as an opportunity to move Devers away from third base and put him at first.
While Bryant probably isn’t the player he once was, he’s still an extremely productive player, and one of the best options on the free agent market. He will be 30 by the time the season starts, and he is in a great spot to cash in this offseason. He will probably fetch a multi-year deal worth around $25 million per year, which is probably on the edge of what Boston is looking to offer for a single player.
Regardless of the price, it’s clear Bryant would come in and fill a big role in Boston’s infield, no matter where he plays. Adding Bryant to a lineup that already features, Bogaerts, Devers, and Martinez also sounds downright scary. He may be more expensive than alternate options, but Bryant offers a clean fix to the infield for the foreseeable future.