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5 Black Friday deals the Red Sox should consider in free agency

By Sean Penney

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 13: Mark Melancon #33 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 13, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Padres won 7-3. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 13: Mark Melancon #33 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 13, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Padres won 7-3. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 23: Eduardo Escobar #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers swings at a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on September 23, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cardinals defeated the Brewers 8-5. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 23: Eduardo Escobar #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers swings at a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on September 23, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cardinals defeated the Brewers 8-5. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

Red Sox infield target Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar made his first All-Star appearance this year, hitting .253 with a .786 OPS, 28 home runs and 90 RBI.

He finished the season strong with a .268/.342/.458 slash line following a deadline deal that shipped him to the Milwaukee Brewers. Acquiring Escobar helped the Brewers clinch the NL Central. While they lost to the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, Escobar wasn’t the problem. He was 3-for-10 (.300) with a double in the four-game series.

Escobar had a miserable 2020, as many players did while adjusting to the chaos of the shortened season (just ask J.D. Martinez). He hit a meager .213 with a .605 OPS but that was a clear outlier. Escobar hit .269 with a .831 OPS, 35 home runs and a league-leading 10 triples in 2019. He might not reach that level again but a solid 2021 season shows last year was a fluke.

The switch-hitter fares better against lefties but handles right-handed pitching well enough to avoid being relegated to a platoon role. He provides adequate defense at third base, shortstop and second base. The Red Sox covet versatility but his ability to cover second is most appealing since it allows Kike Hernandez to stick in center field.

Escobar will turn 33 before next season so he might be heading for the downside of his career but that isn’t too concerning on a short-term deal. Some of the top prospects in the Red Sox system are middle infielders so they might not want to lock themselves into a long-term deal for the top free agents at those positions. Escobar is a cheaper solution who can provide a bridge to those prospects for a couple of seasons. He’s projected for a two-year, $20 million deal. That’s a fair price based on his production this year and a steal if he returns to his 2019 level.

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