The Boston Red Sox have a lot of work to do before the start of the 2022 season. With players set to report to Fort Myers tomorrow and Spring Training games starting up next week, the rest of the offseason is going to be a sprint to the finish.
That means it’s of the utmost importance that Boston finds a way to fill in the remaining holes on their roster quickly. They have already added some pitching depth with the signings of Michael Wacha, James Paxton, and Rich Hill, but that’s been pretty much it. They still need bullpen help, a starting outfielder, and a utility infielder for the bench.
And while MLB free agency hasn’t exactly exploded like many thought it would once the lockout ended, rumors have been flying around, and deals are starting to come through. The Sox haven’t made any signings yet, but they have been rumored to be aggressively pursuing some players, which is a good sign that they recognize this roster still needs some work.
As we saw earlier though, not every move the front office pulls off is a hit. The signings of Wacha, Paxton, and Hill were all head scratchers, and the trade of Hunter Renfroe to the Milwaukee Brewers remains confusing to this day. So let’s take a look at three players the Red Sox are rumored to be pursuing, and decide whether they should sign them or pass on them.
Boston Red Sox rumored free agent target No. 3: Collin McHugh
With the lockout over, it quickly became clear the Red Sox biggest need was bullpen help, so it was no surprise to see them linked to Collin McHugh almost immediately. McHugh is coming off one of the best seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, and with a number of relievers off the board, he’s probably one of the best bullpen guys left on the market.
McHugh was used in pretty much every way imaginable by the Rays last season. He pitched in 37 games, seven of which were starts, and 11 of which he ended up being the final pitcher used. But no matter when McHugh was called upon, he was dominant. He finished with a 1.55 ERA and 74 strikeouts, and he quickly turned himself into one of Tampa’s most reliable arms out of the bullpen.
Now McHugh is set to cash in, and Boston is one of the teams looking to bring him onboard. McHugh was actually with the Red Sox in 2020, but he opted out due to a combination of COVID concerns and an elbow issue. Seems like he may have some unfinished business (or business that was never actually started?) in Boston.
The Sox have a clear need for McHugh, and his flexibility makes him an enticing option. He probably won’t be closing games, but there’s no reason he couldn’t be the bridge option to the guy who is closing games. He also has the arm stamina to cover multiple innings if needed, which is nice to have in the event your starter drops the ball.
SIGN OR PASS: SIGN
McHugh dominated in every situation he found himself in last season, and he’s just the guy the Red Sox should be looking to add to their bullpen. Relievers are generally not expensive, but McHugh may end up earning $3-4 million on his upcoming deal, which is still well within Boston’s range. McHugh won’t solve the Sox bullpen woes on his own, but his addition would certainly be a good first step.
Boston Red Sox rumored free agent target No. 2: Jorge Soler
Last time we saw Jorge Soler in action he won World Series MVP for the Atlanta Braves. Despite only having two at-bats in the ALCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Soler lit up the Houston Astros, hitting .300 with three home runs and six runs batted in over the six game series. His back-to-back home run effort with Dansby Swanson in Game 4 shifted the tides of the series.
Now Soler is presumably set to earn quite a nice deal after his heroic efforts with Atlanta. While his postseason play was nice, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Soler is one of the most volatile players in the league, and signing him would be a huge risk that Boston may not be able to handle.
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Aside from last season, when he played 149 games, Soler has only played over 100 games one other time in his eight year career. That was in 2019, when Soler hit 48 home runs, drove in 117 runs, and hit .265. That’s the potential that Soler has come nowhere close to matching at any other point in his career.
Soler is a boom or bust hitter that just never seems to be able to stay on the field, whether it be because of injuries or poor play. He’s also a poor fielder who doesn’t really bring anything to table with his glove. He has stretches where he looks like one of the best players in the league, but that is often canceled out by prolonged stretches of mediocrity.
SIGN OR PASS: PASS
Boston needs an outfielder badly, and they may have to end up settling for Soler. He’s going to earn a nice payday because of how good he looked the last time we saw him in action, but throughout his career he has done nothing to prove he can be consistently relied upon to produce on a nightly basis. Soler has upside, but he’s too big of a risk for Boston to take a chance on right now, especially if they can land the next guy on this list…
Boston Red Sox rumored free agent target No. 1: Seiya Suzuki
Much has been made of Boston’s pursuit of Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki, and it looks like they will battle to the end trying to get Suzuki to join their club. Suzuki is set to make the jump from the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan to the MLB, and there are a number of teams circling the five-tool star hoping he will sign with them.
For those who forgot, Suzuki was reported to have a contract in place with the Red Sox that he would sign once the lockout ended. Those rumors were quickly contradicted by different reports that suggested that Suzuki hadn’t made up his mind yet, and that Boston wasn’t even on his final list of teams he was considering joining.
Given that Suzuki is still a free agent, it seems he didn’t have a deal in place with the Sox, as was reported in Japan. But that hasn’t stopped Boston from pursuing him aggressively, according to reports. Suzuki has a number of suitors, and he may just be the best outfielder left on the market depending on who you ask, making it tough to predict which team he will choose.
Banking on international players success in the MLB is a risky proposition (just ask Rusney Castillo), but Suzuki seems like as close to a safe bet as there is. Players from the Nippon League have made seamless transition before, and it doesn’t seem like Suzuki is fazed by the move. While it’s something to keep in mind, it shouldn’t deter the front office from signing him.
SIGN OR PASS: SIGN
It should be Suzuki or bust for the Boston Red Sox in terms of their outfield plans at this point. Suzuki could be a star in the making, and his arrival in Boston would see him join a lineup with Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and J.D. Martinez already in place. In other words, he would have a lot of protection from those guys when it comes to how pitchers attack him, and that’s something other teams may not be able to offer him.
Trading Renfroe, a starting outfielder, away for Jackie Bradley Jr. and prospects only makes sense if you can bring someone in to replace his production. It feels like they have a plan in place to bring on either Suzuki or Soler, but at this point, Suzuki is a much more reliable bet to replace Renfroe’s lost production than Soler. Suzuki should be Boston’s top target for however long he remains on the market, and losing out on him could throw a huge wrench in the front office’s plans.