Red Sox options at second base aren’t limited to Dustin Pedroia in 2019

The Boston Red Sox may have Dustin Pedroia back at second it 2019 or they may need a replacement.  Who on the roster can do the job?

The word is now official and is no real surprise – Dustin Pedroia is done for 2018, but what about beyond, as in 2019?

For Pedroia, this was a devastating season for a player of such intensity and for the team that surprisingly had several fill the glaring hole at second.  What skips our minds is just how good a player Pedroia is – a .300 lifetime hitter. And in 2017, Pedroia hit .293 before finally succumbing to his tender knee.

With Pedroia, there is a small mountain of negatives that surface with the most immediate being $40 million owed through 2021. That is a financial hit for a player who may be done and the ranks of dead money are further expanded.

The next negative is a number that we all pay attention to and that is birthdays and the age designation.  Pedroia is now 35-years-old and that is advanced years for a baseball player and more so for a player who plays the infield. That segues into the next negative – the injury.

Pedroia has spent more than a year attempting his rehabilitation from knee surgery and so far the results are not very promising. Just getting back onto the field is a basic beginning, but playing up to earlier standards – at least Pedroia’s four Gold Glove standards – is being rather remote. So Pedroia is faced with some hard decisions and so are the Red Sox.

Pedroia could become a contractual rarity and simply do a Gil Meche.  Meche was a right-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals who choose to simply retire and forgo the last year of his contract – a $13 million gift to the Royals. Pedroia could do the same or reach a buyout agreement with the Red Sox and await his number being retired.

I doubt Pedroia is ready to fade into the sunset and fully expect him to give another effort for 2019 – never really discount Pedroia. But what if his skill set for second base is history? Pedroia could attempt another position and could certainly move to a less taxing position in the outfield, first base, or even designated hitter, but those options appear rather remote with such a settled team.

The assumption is also to consider the worst case and Pedroia has his career cut short by his knee woes similar to a recent Red Sox batting champion Bill Mueller. Just where do the Red Sox go to smooth over second base? This will look at the internal or existing options.

Ian Kinsler

The Red Sox need at second base was apparent in 2018 with special emphasis on defense. The defense may not have been porous, but it was certainly not the pitcher’s best friend. Ian Kinsler solved that problem and it is on display almost nightly by the former Gold Glove recipient.

Kinsler’s offense has slipped since 2016, but the 36-year-old former All-Star has shown his value in being judiciously used by manager Alex Cora. The savvy veteran can still have his offensive moments and that certainly has been on display with some key hits this season. But does he have a place in Boston?

Kinsler has shown enough in the tank to have the righty hitter being offered a one-year deal – especially with Pedroia’s future in doubt.  The risk is a healthy Pedroia would render Kinsler excess payroll and even a one-year contract would not be cheap.

With Kinsler, it is worth noting that in his 13-year MLB career his only other defensive experience other than second base has been two innings at third. You may see Kinsler sitting on the outside until the Pedroia issue is resolved.

Tzu-Wei Lin

Tzu-Wei Lin took a large step backward in his early visits to Boston in 2018.  In 2017, Lin looked like his potential to be a solid utility contributor with a .278 average.  The diminutive 24-year-old lefty impressed with his ability to do “the little things” a big selling point to the new age Red Sox.

The metrics sample for Lin is rather small, but Boston has used Lin and second, short and third, while at Pawtucket Lin was primarily positioned at short. The versatile Lin also played nine games in center field for the PawSox as he had in the past within the Red Sox system.

This season at Pawtucket (AAA) Lin made adjustments and that translated to offensive progress with a .307 average and surprising pop with five home runs in just 68 games.  Lin would certainly handle the defensive requirements, but the offense is still questionable.

With Lin, the Red Sox have the all-important versatility aspect that is missing with Kinsler.  They also have a money issue since Lin will be baseball chump change compared to other possible options. I would expect Lin would have to have an exceptional spring training not to start the season with the soon to be WooSox.

Brandon Phillips

Brandon Phillips certainly made a splash with his Red Sox career, but dramatics do not necessarily get you a job as the permanent resident at second. In his prime – with prime being a keyword – Phillips was one of the best in the game at second. A four-time Gold Glove winner, a three-time All-Star, an extra-base machine, and a player who once had 32 steals.

As the Toby Keith song goes, “I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was” – just ask Atlanta. Phillips is done, but done is prefaced with the term “every day.” Does he have anything left for another season? Phillips did hit .303 with Pawtucket in 44 games, but he is 37-years-old with 17 MLB seasons.

The key question with Phillips is can he do the job defensively?  In 2016-17 Phillips had a -14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) or a -7 each season. So if Phillips signs – expect a reasonable contract – the issue will be defense.  As with Kinsler, the Red Sox would probably do a waiting game to see just how Pedroia is doing. Both Kinsler and Phillips could still be available late in spring training or into April.

Eduardo Nunez

Eduardo Nunez has now hit the next level in his contract for 2019 and will be compensated at $5 MM unless he chooses to opt-out. Last season there was no real market despite Nunez fine season and expect a similar repeat as Nunez will take the money and stay entrenched in Boston for another season.

The downside for Nunez at second base is easily displayed when he drops his bat and grabs his glove to trot out to second. Nunez does lead the American League second basemen in one dubious category – DRS, but the leadership is a -14. The accompanying -5.7 UZR/150 further solidifies Nunez’s limited ability at second.

What Nunez does offer is some decent hitting, good speed on the bases, and a bit of pop in his bat.  The downside with a Nunez plate appearance is a career 4.6 BB% and this season just a 3.0 BB%. Nunez strike zone is apparently somewhere between both on deck circles.

Brock Holt

Defensively veteran spare part Brock Holt is more advanced than Nunez, but still is a significant downgrade from Kinsler and Lin. For his career at second Holt can best be described as average with a career -2.6 UZR/150. Like Nunez, the lefty-hitting Holt can move around defensively and like Nunez will not lead to a series of “wow’s” over defensive plays.

Holt is a trusty hitter who can stretch his at-bats and occasionally give some respectable punch.  Just a few years ago Holt was an All-Star before some serious injuries put his career in jeopardy. The issue with Holt is like Nunez and that is after everyday play for an extended period the weaknesses – especially defense – surface.

Holt will also be getting a slight boost in salary this offseason so a payroll hit in the vicinity of $3 MM is potentially at hand. I would expect Holt to be in the role he has always been in during his Red Sox career and that is a Swiss Knife of the roster.