Pitchers and catchers are reporting in a weeks time, but what moves are the Red Sox making to bolster their lineup?
The week after the Super Bowl is always about the beginning of baseball. Normally, there is much more to talk about this time of year, but the hot stove has been anything but hot. However, the Boston Red Sox are not the only team that hasn’t made moves.
It feels like just yesterday the Houston Astros won the World Series, and here we are ready for Opening Day soon.
One of the main themes of the Red Sox offseason has been them trying to put some power back in their lineup. They missed on Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and have yet to sign JD Martinez. But the Red Sox still have time to make a big move.
Aside from Martinez, the Red Sox are looking to fill the spot left by Dustin Pedroia‘s injury. He struggled with a knee injury last year, and opted for off-season surgery. He will not be ready for opening day, but should be back by the end of May.
As far as options the Red Sox have to fill that role, it begins and ends with Eduardo Nunez. Nunez was a mid-season acquisition last year, and was a star in that short time. He brought some much-needed consistency to the Red Sox lineup.
In 38 games with Boston, he slashed .321/.353/.539, and hit eight home runs in that time. While his defense was not great, it was good enough to fill in every now and then for Pedroia.
Nunez is important to the Red Sox because he can fill in till Pedroia is healthy this year. But when he heals, Nunez can also give Xander Bogaerts or Rafael Devers a day off. He can be a super-utility player, and provide more offense than Brock Holt.
On Tuesday, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reported that Nunez “hasn’t lost contact with the Red Sox.”
This news is encouraging for Red Sox fans overall. Nunez was one of the best hitters of the second half in all of baseball, and now he will be fully healthy. If the Red Sox can bring him back for the right price, that would be crucial.
Seeing how Todd Frazier got $17 million in free agency, Nunez could make somewhere around the same. Depending on the health of his knees, he could possibly make a little more.
Adding Nunez and Martinez to a team that just won the division would put Boston back as the favorite in the AL East. Despite the Yankees offseason, Boston is still the team to beat.
Related Story: David Price eager to reclaim starting rotation spot.
And until the Yankees unseat the Sox, it is not time to count out this crew.