George Springer could be a Red Sox target if he leaves Houston.
The Boston Red Sox have several items to address on their offseason checklist and center field could be one of them if Jackie Bradley Jr. departs in free agency. Chaim Bloom should have more financial freedom this winter and if he’s willing to spend for an upgrade, the market could provide one in the form of George Springer.
The Houston Astros were expected to make re-signing Springer a priority but apparently the feeling isn’t mutual. According to ESPN’s Patrick Creighton, Springer wants out of Houston.
The Astros sputtered through a turbulent season in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the baseball world. They finished with a losing record (29-31) but were gifted a playoff spot thanks to this year’s expanded postseason format. Houston managed to flip the switch down the stretch to finish strong, making a surprising run to the ALCS where they fell short to the Tampa Bay Rays, but this was ultimately a frustrating year littered with outside distractions. It’s no surprise that Springer is looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
The fallout from Springer’s potential departure from Houston could be felt in Boston.
For starters, the Astros have been rumored to have interest in Bradley Jr. as a replacement for Springer if they failed to keep their star outfielder. Houston’s involvement could drive up the price, in which case the Red Sox would likely let him go.
In that scenario, Boston could look to free agency for a new center fielder of their own and Springer would be the top option on the market. The Connecticut native could be drawn back to the New England area after spending his entire major league career in Texas.
Springer set career-highs nearly across the board in 2019, hitting .292/.383/.591 with 39 home runs and 96 RBI to earn his third consecutive All-Star appearance. He regressed a bit this year, as essentially every Astros hitter did, but still hit .265/.359/.540 with 14 home runs in 51 games.
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He has the power to be a middle of the order bat but Springer has spent the majority of his career in the lead-off spot. The Red Sox struggled to fill that role at the top of their lineup this year. Andrew Benintendi got the first crack at it but failed miserably before landing on the injured list. Alex Verdugo thrived in the role after taking it over rather reluctantly. Springer could be a solution who would embrace that role, allowing Verdugo to hit in a spot he’s more comfortable in with Benny sliding down toward the back of the order while he works on finding his swing again.
Few can replace the glove of Bradley Jr. but Springer at least provides a very good defensive option in center field. The other top outfield bats on the free-agent market aren’t viable center field options. Signing one of them would force the Red Sox to reshuffle their outfield alignment with Benny or Verdugo sliding over to center, further weakening the outfield defense.
Springer will command a massive salary on the open market but the length of the deal for the 31-year-old should be limited compared to other star free-agents, keeping the total value at a reasonable level. That might be appealing to a Red Sox organization that values future flexibility.
How much of their budget the Red Sox allocate to the outfield will depend on how they plan to address the pitching staff. If they have room for a big bat, Springer should be on their radar and their odds of luring him to Boston have increased if he’s already crossed Houston off his list.