3 Offseason Moves the Red Sox Need to Make the Playoffs in 2024
By Tyler Maher
2. Get a Real Second Baseman
One of the signature failures of the Bloom era was seemingly asking half the roster to play out of position. That’s how we ended up with Enrique Hernandez at shortstop this year and a bottom-tier defense every year.
Well, there’s an opening at second base, and Boston is reportedly asking outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela to learn how to play it.
How about instead, we leave him in the outfield (where he’s already pretty good) and hire an actual second baseman to man the keystone?
With a number of infield prospects coming up soon, the Red Sox should probably go with a relatively inexpensive free agent to fill the void. Veterans like Kolten Wong, Brad Miller, Adam Frazier and Tony Kemp are all viable options.
Given the offensive talent at other positions, Boston can probably afford to sacrifice a bit of hitting here for someone with a solid glove and some speed. Just as long as he can handle the position capably without embarrassing himself, I’ll be happy.
But don’t mess with Rafaela — he already has enough on his plate learning how to hit MLB pitching.