Red Sox: Three non-tendered outfielders to target in free agency
By Sean Penney
Red Sox free-agent target – Adam Duvall
The Atlanta Braves non-tendered Adam Duvall rather than pay his arbitration salary that was projected to be north of $4 million. This suggests that he could sign for less than that amount, which would be a fair price for a fourth outfielder or platoon bat.
Duvall doesn’t fit Boston’s need for a center fielder but he can fill in at either corner spot. He once rated as a very strong defensive outfielder but has slipped to about average over the last two seasons.
More from Red Sox News
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Why Red Sox fans should be rooting for Carlos Correa’s Mets deal to go through
An All-Star in his breakout 2016 campaign, Duvall has topped 30 home runs twice in his career.
His production fell off a cliff in 2018, prompting the Cincinnati Reds to ship him to Atlanta at the trade deadline. Duvall finished that season with a putrid .190 batting average and only 15 homers.
Injury limited Duvall to only 41 games in 2019 but he bounced back with a respectable .267/.315/.567 line. He remained healthy during the shortened 2020 season, appearing in 57 games and finishing among the league leaders with 16 home runs.
The Red Sox are clinging to hope that Andrew Benintendi will get back on track but even at his best, his left-handed swing has struggled against lefty pitchers. Benintendi owns a well below-average 84 wRC+ in his career against southpaws. The right-handed Duvall owned a 133 wRC+ against lefties this year, making him a potential platoon partner with Benny who can add some power production to the lineup.