The Boston Red Sox are in need of consistent offense from the fourth outfielder spot; a role Chris Young can no longer be depended on. What are the free agent options?
The Boston Red Sox have an exciting nucleus of young outfield talent in Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Andrew Benintendi. What the Red Sox no longer have is a reliable reinforcement off the bench.
Chris Young, 34, used to be the veteran presence the Red Sox relied on as a fourth outfielder. However, after producing a .276/.352/.498 slash line with nine home runs and 18 doubles in 2016, Young’s numbers took a dive last season. In 2017, the veteran outfielder produced a .235/.322/.387 slash line with seven homers and 12 doubles.
This leaves the Red Sox in need of a new face to add depth and veteran presence. We can’t expect Betts, Bradley, and Benintendi to play all 182 games, and there aren’t any stellar backup options sitting in the clubhouse.
No, Brock Holt doesn’t count.
The Red Sox have had a rather uneventful offseason, but there are plenty of options still on the market to replace Chris Young. While signing a fourth outfielder won’t be a headline-grabbing acquisition that many Red Sox fans are looking for, it fills a huge need vital to the team’s health and productivity.