Red Sox vs the AL East: designated hitters
By Conor Duffy
August 19, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics designated hitter John Jaso (5) bats during the third inning against the New York Mets at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Mets 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
3. John Jaso, Rays
A member of the Rays from 2008-2011, Jaso will return to Tampa Bay via a trade with the Athletics this winter. Like Navarro, Jaso is a former catcher who will transition to a designated hitter role in the upcoming season. Unlike Navarro, however, Jaso brings a track record of strong offensive performance to the table, and he most recently slashed .264/.337/.430 in 99 games in Oakland. Jaso’s success in the pitcher-friendly environments of Seattle and Oakland should transfer well into the more offense-friendly environment of the AL East, and we could even see Jaso’s numbers improve a bit in the coming season. He’s really only a platoon bat, as he has not had much success against southpaws in his career, but he has excelled in that role in the past and should continue that trend in 2015.