Red Sox have an opportunity to strengthen their offense with Seiya Suzuki

Seiya Suzuki needs to be on the Red Sox’s radar

It’s doom and gloom as we’re several days into the owner-initiated lockout and the baseball world has come to a standstill. With no free agent news, trade rumors, or even basic chatter, there’s not much to report. However, this shouldn’t stop the Red Sox from eyeing potential targets once the Hot Stove starts to heat back up and conversations can resume.

Though the Red Sox have brought Jackie Bradley Jr. back to town, I believe they need to add a more potent bat to their outfield, this is where Japanese star Seiya Suzuki comes into the equation. Before the labor stoppage took hold, Boston was linked heavily to the talented slugger and some interesting signs are pointing toward a possible union.

Two days ago, Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal had reported that the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Yankees were pressing the hardest to sign Suzuki. While we can’t know what the outfielder is thinking there is one interesting bit of info out in the world, he only follows one team on Instagram, and they play at Fenway Park.

I know, I know, it’s a bit of a goofy way to insinuate that he and Chaim Bloom will be shaking hands when the lockout ends but it’s one hell of a way to have some fun with things. And I’m sure many of you are wondering why I’d want to bring in another outfielder, well, it’s because we need one. Just because we have some numbers out there doesn’t mean we couldn’t continue to get better.

JBJ will patrol centerfield but we know what he is or isn’t capable of at the plate. I could see Kiké Hernández moved over to right field or back to second base depending on where Alex Cora needs him the most. If Kyle Schwarber does return, I see him in a similar role as Kiké where he could split his time at first base and left field. This is why I want the Red Sox to nab Suzuki, they need a dedicated right fielder.

I haven’t even begun to dig into Seiya’s offensive prowess as the dude knows how to smash the hell out of a baseball. This past season, he totaled a .317/.433/.636 slash while raking 38 homers with 88 RBI. Yeah, I’ll gladly add that to my roster any day of the week. And those numbers aren’t an aberration, this is literally what he does on a season-by-season basis. Again, I wouldn’t mind him patroling rightfield while smacking dingers over the Green Monster.

It’s still believed that Bloom will go heavily after pitching once he’s allowed to get back to work but he’s also a very smart guy. He knows that this offense ran out of gas as the ALCS came to its conclusion and adding more firepower is a necessity. Suzuki not only accomplishes that goal but he also strengthens the defense in the outfield as well.

Obviously, things are in flux while the owners and players work out the new CBA but we can still look toward the future. But if the reports are to be believed that the Red Sox have a strong chance at signing Seiya then they need to act on those interests. This team was two games from a World Series berth and a few components here and there can get them over that hump.