If the Red Sox can’t trade for Stanton or sign Martinez, which free agent would be the best fit – Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Jay Bruce?
Sean: Hosmer is the best hitter and brings Gold Glove defense at first base, but he’ll be the most expensive of this trio and doesn’t solve Boston’s power issues. Moustakas hit the most home runs in the group with 38, but considering his previous career high was only 22, I wouldn’t bank on a repeat performance. Bruce should be the cheapest option. While he has his flaws, he also has five seasons with 30+ homers on his resume. If adding power is the goal then Bruce is the safest of these options.
Rick: Eric Hosmer has always been a personal favorite with good mid-range home run power, high average, excellent glove and respectable leadership skills. Hosmer owns a .265 career average against lefties and .354 at Fenway. Both are attractive numbers for a player who is now in his prime. I would take Hosmer over Martinez even with similar salaries based on defense.
Josh: Should Boston miss out on Stanton or Martinez, their next call should be to Eric Hosmer. While he offers slightly less power than Jay Bruce, he makes up for it with his vastly superior batting average and OPS. The Red Sox need power, but they also should avoid players who bring little else to the plate. Hosmer brings those same advantages when compared to Mike Moustakas. Moose doesn’t strike out as often as Hosmer, but he doesn’t hit for the average that Hosmer does and has never reached 90 RBI, which Hosmer has managed three times. If we ignore everything else and look strictly at WAR, Hosmer takes the cake.
Jake: None of the above. It’s Carlos Santana, former Indians first baseman. He’s one of the most consistent hitters in the game, never dropping below 18 home runs, 88 walks, a .351 OPS and a 102 OPS+ since he broke in as a regular in 2011. A first baseman that can hit home runs and get on base? Sign me up.
Bryson: Jay Bruce would be an easy pick for me if the Red Sox miss out on Stanton and Martinez. The batting average is not impressive, but when looking at this Red Sox team, it is not the dip in batting average that scares me. It is the dip in power. Bruce could provide an instant jolt in power. He would also bring it at a cheaper price than Moustakas and Hosmer. Bruce should be the first call Dave Dombrowski should make if he strikes out on Stanton and Martinez.