Trade for Nunez
The revolving door of struggling third baseman was finally solved when the Red Sox acquired Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants in a late-July trade.
The deal was initially met without much fanfare but Nunez quickly proved doubters wrong to establish himself as a fan-favorite. Escaping the pitcher-friendly confines of San Francisco’s AT&T field was a boon for Nunez at the plate. After hitting only four home runs in 76 games with the Giants this year, Nunez blasted eight homers in 38 games for the Red Sox.
It’s a small sample size, yet the .321 average and .892 OPS Nunez produced with the Red Sox led the team. His arrival energized a scuffling offense and his versatility helped patch a number of holes in the infield.
A knee injury ended his season prematurely. While he attempted to return for the postseason, Nunez tweaked the knee in his first trip to the plate during Game 1 of the ALDS, forcing him to be shut down for the rest of the series.
He’s expected to be ready in time for spring training next year but it won’t necessarily happen with the Red Sox. Nunez is a free agent who should draw some attention following his stellar second-half. While Boston could use him to fill in at second base for the first two months of the season while Dustin Pedroia recovers from knee surgery, Nunez would have no clear path to an everyday role once Pedroia returns. It’s unclear if he’d be willing to return in a utility role when his production warrants better offers.