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Surprise Free Agent Outfielder Makes Red Sox Roster in Latest Projection

With the start of the 2025 MLB season right around the corner, one Red Sox insider is projecting a last-minute outfield addition in the coming weeks.

By Devon Platana

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora walks onto the field before a game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora walks onto the field before a game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
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There's just under a month to go before the Boston Red Sox open their spring training slate against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte, FL. The Red Sox have spent the offseason re-tooling the roster in hopes of returning to the MLB postseason for the first time since 2021.

Even though Boston's roster is mostly set, there's still some time for Craig Breslow & Co. to add another name or two to the mix. In fact, one Red Sox insider has a specific outfielder he's projecting the club to sign in the coming weeks.

Red Sox Projected to Sign Free Agent OF Randal Grichuk

On Wednesday, MassLive's Chris Cotillo shared his Red Sox 26-man roster predictions. Among his projections, Cotillo makes the case for Boston to sign free-agent outfield Randal Grichuk.

"The Red Sox still could use a right-hitting veteran who can play outfield and get at-bats at designated hitter, too," Cotillo wrote. "Yes, Teoscar Hernandez and Tyler O'Neill were ideal fits. Now, though, Randal Grichuk is probably the best of those options."

It's not hard to see how Grichuk, 33, could improve the Red Sox's outfield situation.

The former 2009 first-rounder has been a reliable slugger throughout the 11 seasons he's played across five MLB franchises. He's proven to still be effective even after his prime, proven by his tallying 12 home runs, 46 RBIs, 20 walks, and a .291/.348/.528 slash line across 254 at-bats with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.

It isn't as if the Red Sox's potential interest in Grichuk is something that Cotillo pulled out of a hat. In December, The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported that Boston was "looking at" the Rosenberg, TX native a potential right-handed bat to add to the order.

The fact that Grichuk can likely be signed for cheaper at this point in the offseason could also further the Red Sox's potential interest. Boston is always looking to save money when it comes to signing free agents and the longer the veteran outfielder sits in free agency, the further his price will drop.

It remains to be seen if Grichuk will be on the Red Sox's roster when position players report for the first full spring training workout on Monday, Feb. 17. An eventual signing could give a small boost to Boston's 2025 World Series odds, which currently rank 11th-best (+2700) on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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