BSI roundtable: Who should be the Red Sox third baseman in 2015?

In a disastrous 2014 for the Boston Red Sox, third base was one of the biggest holes, both offensively and defensively. With the team looking to return to the top of the American League in 2015, speculation is rampant about who will man the position next year. Hint: BSI writers don’t tend to think the answer comes from within.

Who’s on third in 2015?

Joe Meehan: Josh Donaldson. Third base is probably the hardest position to predict. Will Middlebrooks and Garin Cecchini are the two returning third basemen, with Brock Holt also an option, but Middlebrooks hasn’t proven that he deserves the job and Cecchini could probably use a little more time developing. That means the starter is likely to come from free agency or a trade. While there are a few good options on the free agent market, I’m going to go bold with a trade for Donaldson. There are rumors that the A’s will make him available as he hits arbitration and the Sox certainly have the pieces to get a deal done.

Sean Sylver: Adrian Beltre. I’m going to go along with colleague Rick McNair on this one. Let me start by ruling out the internal options (Middlebrooks, Cecchini, Holt). While I expect big things from Xander Bogaerts down the line, neither of those guys are a consistent, proven presence on the left side of the infield to complement a 22-year old shortstop.

Pablo Sandoval? All he does is win (and hit in the postseason), but I’d prefer the Red Sox spend the big money elsewhere on the diamond. Chase Headley? Five seasons with more than 500 at-bats and only one of them (2012) with an OPS above .750. Donaldson? Love him; he’s the same age as Sandoval and a better hitter, fielder, and value. But given that, can you imagine what the A’s would want for him?

Give me the last two years of Beltre’s contract. He’s already proven he can play here. If he gets hurt, Cecchini gets some run at third. If he’s healthy and produces, imagine the possibilities.

Drew Peabody – I like Chase Headley. There are certainly arguments to be made for Beltre and Sandoval. Beltre has $17 million coming to him in 2015 and a vesting option ($16 million) that would require 586 plate appearances to kick in for 2016. Considering Beltre has only been below that threshhold three times in 15 seasons, I would say it is likely. The Red Sox like Beltre, but not enough to invest $33 million and a top prospect or two to retain him. Sandoval doesn’t have Beltre’s pop or fielding skill but has excelled in the postseason (.909 career OPS in 31 games). The negative is that he would likely cost $100 million and a compensatory draft pick. The reasons I like Headley are that he will likely be $50 million cheaper than Sandoval, he has played on the big stage (Yankees last year), and since he was traded in the middle of the season, he will not cost a draft pick to sign. Headley is also two years removed from 31 homers and 115 RBI in a notorious pitchers’ park in San Diego (Petco). Many people probably would not want to sign a former a Padre, considering the Adrian Gonzalez result, but the Red Sox should strongly consider making Headley their third base choice.

Conor Duffy: Chase Headley. Headley isn’t the sexy pick for next year’s third base job, barring a repeat of his stellar 2012 season, but he represents the solid, reliable free agent option that Ben Cherington has coveted in the past. Despite his terrible start to the 2014 season, Headley picked it up after being traded to the Yankees and slashed .243/.328/.372 between San Diego and New York with 13 home runs. Those aren’t stellar numbers by any means but it’s reasonable to expect some improvement if Headley were to play half of his games in Fenway Park. The 30-year old has a .756 career OPS despite playing the majority of his games in NL West ballparks, a notoriously pitcher-friendly division, and half of his games in Petco Park, possibly the most pitcher-friendly of any of them.

Plus, in comparison to Sandoval – the other top third base option in free agency – Headley’s price would be significantly lower. The Red Sox could likely acquire him on a two or three-year pact and, with a reduced price after a couple of rough seasons, it’s quite likely he could be a bounce back candidate and deliver on that deal.

Ryan Hathaway: Pablo Sandoval. Third base is one of the most interesting positions to watch this offseason. Not as desperately needed as starting pitching or a closer, there are arguably (and unfortunately) far more options available to man the hot corner for the Red Sox in 2015 than at those other positions of need. With a bevy of big names available, many of whom have been covered by my colleagues – Chase Headley, Josh Donaldson, and Adrian Beltre – not to mention Asdrubal Cabrera or  incumbents Middlebrooks and Cecchini. Despite all of these fantastic options, I am going to stick to my initial gut pick: the Kung Fu Panda. Sandoval is expected to receive a hefty deal, but only about five years and at 28 that is hardly an extension past his prime. He is a solid defender, not as good as the other options, but he is a better hitter than Headley, and won’t cost the top prospect we would surrender in a trade for Donaldson or Beltre. He will give the team much-needed left handed power next year, and will slide nicely into a DH role when David Ortiz‘s contract expires next year or at first base if Craig busts. The Sox like him, and I have a lot of faith in their scouts, thus, he remains my choice.