Red Sox: Free-agent targets Boston needs to be contenders in 2021

Free-agent targets that can bring the Red Sox back to contention.

The Boston Red Sox proved they were not a complete team in 2020, finishing last in the A.L. East with a record 12 games below .500.

It was not a pretty year, where star players Andrew Benintendi and J.D. Martinez recorded arguably their worst seasons to date (Granted, Benintendi was hurt for a vast majority).

The season was not a wash though, as Red Sox Nation was able to see the stars they  have, whether it be at their full potential or in the making. Look, the team had a rough year, but they showed us they were only a few pieces away from being back in the World Series chase.

With a projected $36 million in room beneath the luxury tax threshold, Chaim Bloom needs to act now in a highly underrated free-agent class in order to lock up a playoff spot and compete for a chance at the World Series once again. This should be extremely urgent for Bloom, as recent news of Chris Sale’s injury keeping him out longer than expected and a poor showing last year have Red Sox Nation quickly losing faith in the team once again.

As of now, the Red Sox have holes to fill at second base, center field, and in all aspects of their pitching department, which ranked 28th in the league with an embarrassing 5.58 ERA.

Let’s take a look at eight players on the free-agent market that Boston should be jumping all over this offseason, all eight of whom Boston could secure with their current budget

Brock Holt should be a must add for the Red Sox

There is an obvious hole at second base for the Red Sox as there seemingly has been since Dustin Pedroia went down with his knee injury. The Red Sox could overspend on players such as Jonathan Schoop (projected to get 2 years, $16 million) or Tommy La Stella (projected 2 years, $14 million) or even MVP Candidate D.J. LaMahieu, but all of these moves would be a mistake. All three of the players hold way too much risk for what the market is expecting out of them.

La Stella has only played more than 100 games once in his career, has a history of injuries, and has only hit over ten home runs once in his career. Schoop is inconsistent, and although coming off a strong season, we saw him have a miserable stretch from 2018-2019. His numbers in my opinion do not warrant his $8 million per year price tag.

Finally, LaMahieu’s MVP caliber play came only at the hands of New York’s short porch, where he saw his numbers rise to destinations unimaginable during his seven-year span in Colorado. At age 32, it does not seem like a good idea to sign the second basemen to his projected 3 years, $42 Million deal.

Insert Brock Holt, the fan favorite Red Sox utility man who is only two years removed from his cycle against the New York Yankees in Game  3 of the 2018 ALDS at Yankee Stadium.

Holt left the Red Sox last year due to Boston’s determination to cut the team’s salary. Unfortunately for Holt, he found little to no success in Milwaukee, leading to his release and eventual signing in Washington. He found little success there as well, and will once again be a free agent this offseason.

The 32-year-old is the perfect fit for Boston this year, bringing back a familiar presence that can provide the young team with some much needed leadership and experience. Holt can fill the second base hole as he has in the past, and according to his signing in Washington, he will play for cheap. Holt would be more than a bargain for the team with little to no risk in play.

What makes this signing even more significant is Holt’s willingness to be a bench player if need be. This gives Boston the perfect opportunity to give Jeter Downs playing time in the majors should he develop well enough throughout the season.

With a bitter taste still in the mouth of Red Sox Nation after trading away Mookie Betts, why not show the fans what the return was beyond Verdugo. This could also open the door for more playing time for Yairo Munoz, who was playing some spectacular baseball before his injury. Finally, who doesn’t want to see a Holt-Benny reunion?

Red Sox should bring back Kevin Pillar

As Jackie Bradley Jr.’s free agency approaches, it is time to move on from the veteran outfielder. Although he holds a great deal of sentimental value across Red Sox Nation (on top of being one of the league’s best defensive outfielders), Bradley Jr. is simply not worth his projected 2-year, $20 million deal.

His situation is eerily similar to that of Nathan Eovaldi, whose deal was in big part a result of the sentimental value attached to his 2018 World Series performance. Unlike the Red Sox of 2019, let Bradley Jr. walk to Houston.

This decision should be even simpler for Boston seeing as former Red Sox  outfielder Kevin Pillar is once again on the free agent market this year. During his 2019 season with Boston, Pillar played in 30 games where he saw a batting line of .274/.325/.470 with four home runs and 13 RBI.

Look, I understand how special Bradley Jr. has been for this team over the past eight years, but he is all defense and little more. He is a career .239 hitter who, although valuable, is simply not worth $10 million a year.

Pillar is a good defender, and has proven how good he can be at Fenway Park. Even better is that he will cost the Red Sox half of what Bradley Jr. is asking for, with Pillar’s projected deal being 1-year, $5 million. It may not be easy convincing Pillar to come back to Fenway after being traded away from the team so quickly, but if he’s willing to come back there is no reason Chaim Bloom should not make him Bradley Jr.’s replacement.

James Paxton is a match made in heaven for the Red Sox

What could possibly be better than stealing from the Yankees? Stealing a former star with something to prove. James Paxton’s time in New York went horribly, seeing the pitcher only take the mound for 171 innings over two years while carrying a 4.16 ERA. Paxton is 31 years of age, but not too long ago he was considered one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League.

Boasting a career ERA of 3.58, the Canadian southpaw nicknamed Big Maple  could be just what the Red Sox need right now not only to help boost the horrendous starting pitching staff of last season, but also help fill the shoes of Chris Sale while he continues to rehab into next season.

Paxton is not just a random bounce-back candidate that I threw in here for Boston, because if that was the case you would probably see Massachusetts native and Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber on this list. However, Paxton has presented Boston with the perfect opportunity to go out and get him, where it has been reported he could be willing to go somewhere for one year for between $8 million to $10 million. He is determined to prove he still has it, and Boston is the place to prove it.

What makes Paxton especially interesting, strangely enough, is the success of former Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray. Gray saw his average ERA of 3.42 get obliterated in New York, where his ERA was 4.51. After leaving New York for Cincinnati, Gray has had an ERA of 3.07, entering himself even into the Cy Young conversation both years.

Am I saying Paxton is guaranteed to pull off a Sonny Gray? Of course not, but given his circumstance along with New York’s hitter-friendly ballpark and short porch, Paxton could be the next ex-Yankee starting pitcher to turn his career around. How sweet would that be if he could do it right in New York’s face not just in the AL East, but with the Yankee’sf arch rivals?

Father Time could provide leadership to the Red Sox rotation

Prying Adam Wainwright away from the Cardinals after fifteen years will be no easy task, but now seems more likely than ever that Wainwright will not be putting on a Cardinals next season. Atlanta has been on the list of suitors for Wainwright, but after signing Drew Smyly, they seem to have withdrawn themselves from the conversation. Insert the Boston Red Sox.

For Boston, this could be the John Smoltz experiment gone right. The team is not only lacking talent in their rotation, but also leadership. Wainwright is a veteran of fifteen years in MLB, posting a career 3.38 ERA. Although headed into his age 39 season, Wainwright has proven time and time again that he can conquer the test of time.

In 2019, Wainwright pitched 170 innings at the age of 37. In 2020, Wainwright held an ERA of 3.18 (.2 better than his career average), all while nearly keeping pace with his career average of strike outs per nine innings.

Boston needs to use their advantage in being the Red Sox, the historic team that free agents like Smoltz want to play for. Wainwright can fill in the end of Boston’s rotation, and provide the team with the consistency and leadership their rotation lacked last season. He is clearly looking for a World Series win before he retires, making his acquisition extremely appealing to other free agents who can’t help but assume a Wainwright acquisition could very well equal a World Series win. Looking for a projected one-year, $7 million contract, Wainwright is a low risk, high reward free agent that could push Boston over the edge this season in their pursuit of another World Series.

Red Sox must get in on Jeremy Jeffress before the bidding war

Jeremy Jeffress, the long-time Brewers reliever and current Cub, is set to hit free agency this offseason, as Chicago continues to hope that Craig Kimbrel can return to his past self. What is extremely interesting about Jeffress though, is that he is currently projected to receive a contract of just one-year, $3 million. For a reliever with a career 3.08 ERA who had an ERA of 1.54 last year, this is beyond a bargain.

Yes, Jeffress is going year 33 season and has a history of injuries, but for the dominance he portrayed last season, he is a must add for the struggling Boston bullpen.

Typically, teams should stay away from older players due to their heightened risk of injury and their likelihood to lack the durability of younger players, but I think this Red Sox team is the rare example to that rule of thumb. With $36 million in potential cap space, signing these older players with more to prove allows Boston to get them for cheap and on short term contracts. In doing this, Boston is able to instill a win now mantra, without long-term investments that will only lead to salary trouble further down the road.

With that being said, the worst case scenario with a majority of these signings ends up being that the team once again has a bad year, but will still come out of the season with payroll space to improve. None of these players who have been listed so far will leave the team worrying about financial problems a few years down the road, which eliminates a huge problem for Boston.

Osuna’s elite talent outweighs his risk for the Red Sox

Over the past six years, there have not been many people who have been better closing out games than Roberto Osuna of the Houston Astros. At the age of 25, the right-hander will be hitting free agency this offseason, let go by the Astros as they were projected to have to pay him $10 million next season.

Over the course of his career, Osuna has held a 2.74 ERA with a 0.905 WHIP. When healthy, he is one of the game’s best, but I have reason to believe he will not find that $10 million payout next season.

Beyond the fact that he has his well documented issues both on and off the field, and that teams do not have that much to spend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Osuna is attempting to rehab a torn UCL rather than get Tommy John surgery. Baseball fans know what ends up happening most of the time when players take this route, and it is not good.

Now, I am not suggesting that Boston goes out and breaks the bank on Osuna because again, all else aside, he is rejecting Tommy John surgery. However, there is the chance that Osuna can rehab and be perfectly fine, which in that case makes him the steal of the season. Brad hand is expected to receive an offer of less than $10 million a year, and he’s healthy and elite. Using that logic, who’s to say Boston can’t get Osuna in on $5-6 million per year at the current going rate?

There is a lot of risk, but in bringing back Alex Cora, Osuna can be handled and matured. Taking a chance on one of the game’s elite closers who is only 25 years old, I’m all on it. I think that even with the risk associated with Osuna, Boston would be foolish not to pursue him if his going rate is as low as $5-6million per year. The bullpen needs help desperately, adding one of the game’s best could lead to an instant fix.