Red Sox need Jesús Aguilar to have a true starting first baseman
It is fair to state that the Boston Red Sox are officially the real threat this season. They are currently sporting a 42-27 record, while also only being one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the division. Fans should be optimistic about the team, but they do have some holes to fix if they want to cause real damage in the playoffs. One specific area that needs significant help is at first base.
At this time, Bobby Dalbec is the starting first baseman, and it has been a hard year for the youngster. He is hitting right near the Mendoza line, while also striking out at an alarming rate. Their other options, like Marwin Gonzalez and Danny Santana, are not viable if they wish to go on a legitimate run. The truth is presented even more in their stats.
Gonzalez has been given more than enough chances to succeed. Yet, in 56 games thus far, he is only batting .196 and isn’t showing signs of improvement. Santana could very well find himself off the big-league roster, as he only has 5 hits in 48 plate appearances. This translates to an atrocious .104 batting average.
Having three first basemen producing at the plate this poorly shows they need someone new immediately. This is why, in my opinion, the Red Sox should look to trade for former All-Star, Jesús Aguilar.
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With the Miami Marlins this season, Aguilar has been spectacular thus far. He currently leads the National League in RBIs with 49, while also producing a .273 batting average. This is the kind of offense the Red Sox would certainly love to have in the middle of their lineup.
It would make their order far more imposing to opponents, as it could consist of him, J.D. Martinez, and Rafael Devers. Xander Bogaerts could move up to the top portion of lineup, which would create far more overall balance.
Another nice aspect of his season is that he also has a respectable 12 home runs. If the Red Sox were to acquire Aguilar, his home run totals would likely increase. Keep in mind, he is a right-handed bat who is known for primarily pulling the ball. When seeing as how Fenway Park’s left field wall is only 310 feet, that would benefit the power side of his hitting a lot. This, in turn, would also make him an immediate fan favorite and help the team produce more runs.
Aguilar is playing at a level that is very similar to his career year with the Brewers in 2018. His ability to hit for both contact and power should make him an alluring target for the Red Sox. The Marlins also are likely open to trading him. They are quickly falling out of playoff contention, and he is an unrestricted free agent after next season.
He could be the perfect short-term upgrade the team needs because of this. He is such an effective hitter, while also not making much money at all. Trading for him would also give Dalbec some time to work on his craft more before being thrown back into an everyday role.
At the end of the day, picking up Aguilar comes with virtually no risk, while also having the possibility for high reward. First base is by far the weakest part of their offense, so it couldn’t make things any worse.