Red Sox: Five players that can replace Mookie Betts in right field

The Boston Red Sox made a blockbuster deal sending Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, leaving a gap in rightfield. Here are five players that can fill the void.

We officially live in a world where Mookie Betts is no longer a member of the Boston Red Sox. Granted, there hasn’t been an official announcement from either side of the trade, but I don’t see this one falling apart. The deal is contingent on physicals from all involved but who knows exactly how intense they will be.

With Betts heading to Hollywood, there’s a massive hole in right field where the former MVP used to patrol. The Red Sox have some internal options already on the roster that can easily shift over to fill the vacancy but nobody will live up to Mookie’s level of excellence. There’s also a chance that the team goes to the free-agent market now that they have some money freed up.

However, we’re just days away from teams reporting to kick off spring training so I think we’ll be seeing a few variations as the team tries to figure things out. We also don’t have a manager at the moment so that could throw a wrench into the plan. Only time will tell where exactly we’re going with the defensive strategy but for now, let’s take a look at the options.

No. 5: Andrew Benintendi

For the first option to replace Mookie in the outfield I’m sticking with one of his battery mates. Andrew Benintendi has been an absolute defensive beast for the Red Sox despite never winning a Gold Glove. We’ve seen him master the Green Monster so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be able to cover the other interesting angles of Fenway Park.

Benny had a serious down year in 2019 seeing declines in all of the major offensive categories. The left fielder hit .266/.343/.431/.774 with only 68 RBI. As far as his defense is concerned, he actually finished with a .990 Fld%, the highest of his career. He also saw the number of errors committed drop from last season, ending the year with just a pair.

This could be the opportunity that he needs in order to reinvigorate his career, especially with an arbitration hearing coming up. Now that Boston will be relying more heavily on his abilities that could strengthen his case for his wage demands.

Fenway’s right field is easily one of the most interesting and challenging areas to roam in the Majors. Between the tricky angles around Pesky’s Pole, the short walls, and the bullpen, it’s a tough task for anyone. I feel that Benintendi would be a good choice to replace Betts, at least to begin the season. He has the capabilities, it’s just a matter of getting the reps to get more familiar with that side of the outfield.

No. 4: Jackie Bradley Jr.

My thought process here is much like it was with Benintendi. Jackie Bradley Jr. is an absolute defensive wizard for the Red Sox in center field. JBJ is a multi-time Gold Glove winner and has some of the best catches I’ve ever seen. The best things that Jackie has working in his favor are his instincts and speed. He has a damn sixth sense when it comes to playing the outfield and he’d be an easy solution to replace Mookie in right.

There wasn’t much to be excited about during the 2019 season but one of the few high points came thanks to JBJ. During an extra-inning tilt against the Orioles, he came up huge for Boston by making a jaw-dropping catch to rob Trey Mancini of a walk-off. The play was so spectacular that it was voted “Play of the Year,” by the MLB Network.

Jackie doesn’t get as much shine as some of the other players on the roster due to his often quiet trips to the plate. Despite being named the ALCS MVP during the 2018 World Series run, his offensive heroics are few and far between. Bradley has never been known to be a powerhouse in the batter’s box and is paid more for what he can do with his glove.

I think JBJ may get the most reps in right thanks to his defensive prowess and ability to just sense where the ball is going to be hit. He may not win the job outright coming out of spring training but I think he could be called upon during the season. With this being the last year on his current contract, this is his time to make a big statement to not only the Red Sox but any prospective teams.

No. 3: J.D. Martinez

Of my five options, this one is probably my least favorite but there’s some logic behind the choice. Though J.D. Martinez is known for hitting monster bombs and smacking in runs, he is also a veteran outfielder. During this past season, we saw former manager Alex Cora shake things up from time to time, which saw Martinez in rightfield.

J.D. is more than capable of patrolling the rightfield grounds but it isn’t his strong suit and not where I’d ideally like to see him in the lineup. We saw miscues from the DH in both the 2018 postseason and 2019 regular season. Then there was that awkward moment where he misplayed a ball in right where the wall gets short and, uh, “met a fan”.

In a perfect world, Martinez would remain the everyday DH and would only step onto the field defensively is absolutely necessary. His .959 Fld% from 2019 isn’t atrocious but it also isn’t up to snuff compared to Benny and JBJ. Again, he’s much more valuable to the Red Sox at than he is using his glove.

It’s impossible to predict how this upcoming season will play out and as we all know, the injury bug loves visiting Boston. It may not be up to the next manager on whether they use J.D. in rightfield. If even one of the true options to replace Mookie goes down, we very well could be seeing Martinez flashing the leather.

No. 2: Brock Holt

This right here is a longshot but it is also one of my favorite options if the Red Sox can pull it off. Brock Holt is one of the biggest fan favorites in recent memory at Fenway Park. It didn’t matter if he was starting or coming off the bench when the manager looked to him, he came through.

Remember that weird one inning continuation game against the Royals where he hit the walk-off single just a day after not being used because he was a lefty? Awesome.

Holt is currently a free-agent and despite some whispers here and there from the Blue Jays and Reds, he has yet to sign a deal. In the wake of the Betts trade now would be the perfect time to bring him back to Boston. The organization needs to do some damage control and re-signing Holt would be a step in the right direction.

In 2019, Holt played four of the five infield positions and two of the three in the outfield. He is the dictionary definition of versatile. The Red Sox could bring him back for a reasonable 3 years/$12M and when a good replacement for Betts is found, he can be rotated throughout the rest of the lineup.

Brock is not only beloved by his teammates but by the community, thanks to the charity work that he does and having his spirit back in Boston would be massive.

With Betts and David Price both coming off the books there is more than enough money in the bank to give Holt an offer he can’t refuse. He can play rightfield fresh out of the gate and can also cover the rest of the outfield if the skipper wants to shuffle things around as the season progresses.

Moral of the story? Bring back, Brock Holt!