Red Sox Rumors: Is Eduardo Rodriguez recruiting free-agent Marcell Ozuna?

The Boston Red Sox lefty might be making a pitch to a top free agent.

The Boston Red Sox have room in their budget to spend in free agency but they still need to convince their top targets to take their money. It helps to have strong leaders willing to recruit those who might need a little convincing and Eduardo Rodriguez might be up to the task.

Rodriguez shared a story on Instagram of a video from a recent trip to the batting cages. The short clip features Marcell Ozuna giving some hitting advice to a young player.

The caption of the video refers to Ozuna as “mi hermanito” which means “my little brother.” Setting aside that Ozuna is actually older than Rodriguez, it’s clear from the familiarity that these players have a bond.

It’s not uncommon for players from different teams to workout together during the offseason but this seems notable considering Ozuna is one of the top free-agents on the market.

The Red Sox have a need for an outfielder with Jackie Bradley Jr. expected to leave in free agency and Ozuna is one of few available options who could provide a significant upgrade. He’s not a perfect fit since Ozuna is no longer a viable option to patrol center field but the Red Sox could make it work by sliding Andrew Benintendi over to center.

New England native George Springer would be a cleaner fit since he can take over in center field but he’s two years older and he’s expected to cost more. Springer also has a qualifying offer attached to him, meaning the Red Sox would forfeit their second-round draft pick if they sign him. Part of Ozuna’s appeal is that the Atlanta Braves weren’t able to extend a qualifying offer to him. All he will cost is money.

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Ozuna has only made one trip to Fenway Park in his career but he put on a show when he visited earlier this year, hitting .429 with four home runs and eight RBI in the three-game series.

He didn’t face Rodriguez, who sat out the season while recovering from myocarditis, but the lefty was certainly watching as Ozuna obliterated the Red Sox pitching staff. E-Rod can envision the improved run support a bat like Ozuna’s could provide instead of doing damage against his team.

Was Rodriguez pitching the idea of playing in Boston to Ozuna during this trip to the batting cages? It’s unclear if the topic was ever discussed but Rodriguez certainly had the opportunity if he wanted to plant the bug in his ear.

The decision of who to target in free agency rests in the hands of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, with ownership influencing his decisions by setting a budget. With approximately $40 million in room beneath the luxury tax threshold, Boston has the financial flexibility to afford a free-agent of Ozuna’s caliber.

If Bloom does indeed have his sights set on Ozuna, the free-agent outfielder’s connection with Rodriguez could be a valuable recruiting tool. The Red Sox might need their ace to assist in the efforts to lure Ozuna to Boston, if he hasn’t started already.