Red Sox Free Agency: Could Marcus Semien be a second base option?
Could the Red Sox approach Marcus Semien to play second base?
It’s no secret that the Boston Red Sox need a second baseman. I know it, you know it, the guys selling sausage and peppers outside Fenway Park knows it. For all intents and purposes, Dustin Pedroia is don’t playing baseball. There hasn’t been a formal announcement but it’s hard to imagine he takes the field ever again. With no real option in the system at the moment, could the team look to an outside source?
It was reported yesterday by FanSided’s Robert Murray that Oakland A’s free-agent Marcus Semien has been drawing attention, but not as a shortstop. Murray mentioned that teams have spoken with Semien about possibly playing either second or third base. Though neither is Semien’s primary position, he’s spent time at both spots and practices them regularly. So would it be wild for the Red Sox to approach him with an offer to fill their second base vacancy?
At this point in time, I think it may be worth Chaim Bloom and his squad checking into the situation to see if it’s something worth looking into. With Pedroia all but out of the picture and top prospect Jeter Downs not yet ready, Boston needs to act in the now to get the organization to the next chapter.
The 30-year-old shortstop is one of the best offensive infielders in the league and could do wonders in the Red Sox lineup. Just think about it, tossing Semien in the lineup with Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and J.D. Martinez. A damn murderer’s row.
Semien has been an iron-man of sorts over his career. He’s got eight seasons under his belt, with 3 seasons being within arm’s reach of the full 162 games, and actually hitting the mark in 2019. Speaking of 2019, not only did he play in every regular-season game, which led the Majors, but he also led the Majors with 747 plate appearances, earning a third-place finish in the MVP vote. I sure as hell wouldn’t mind adding another MVP caliber player to the lineup and I doubt Alex Cora would disagree.
Obviously, the trick to this whole shebang will be begetting him to bite on the idea of moving to second base versus staying at his natural shortstop. Bogey has that more than locked down and it would take a serious signing to move the X-Man from his post.
Murray also shines a light on the impending 2022 free-agent class which includes names like Javier Baez, Francisco Lindor, and Carlos Correa. If Semian waits too long to accept a deal at short, he may bring home far less considering next winter’s market. Second base very well may earn him his biggest payday.
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The Red Sox have the cash to bring a player the level of Semian into the fold though I recently made the point that overspending isn’t going to fix this team. Downs is the long-term option but Boston needs a bridge to get them there. Guys like Michael Chavis, Christian Arroyo, and a slew of others have all tried but have come up short, though Arroyo has a shot at Opening Day. If Bloom can convince Semien to convert to second base with the occasional trips over to shortstop, we may have our solution.
Semien offers far more offense than anyone the Red Sox have trotted out to the position since the early days of Pedroia. Not to harp too much on 2019, but the man went and did the damn thing to the tune of .285/.369/.522/.892/33/92 with 43 doubles and 7 triples. That’s some pop that would fit in real nice at Fenway Park, especially with the ability to pull the ball off the Monster and rack up those doubles. Also, Baseball-Reference has Semien’s nickname as “Mahkus,” could this be a more perfect pairing?
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I would love to see the Red Sox bring Marcus Semien in for even a deal that would be in the ballpark of 3-years/$40M. They can afford that move without breaking the bank and sinking their newly reset CBT penalty marker. This would also buy the organization enough time to get Jeter Downs ready for the big leagues and to tale over the second base mantle for the foreseeable future. He’s one hell of a player and could absolutely make this team better just by singing his name on the dotted line, now it’s just a matter of making it a reality.