The Boston Red Sox seem to have plenty of depth at almost all their positions, but first base is among the thinnest.
The Red Sox have an everyday first baseman, Triston Casas, under team control until 2028. However, the team has tried to trade him on multiple occasions and it has no other MLB-ready options at first base. Romy González can play almost anywhere, but that isn't a long-term solution, and moving Rafael Devers' questionable defense to first base would be a risky choice.
The Red Sox were interested in signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. when he became a free agent after the 2025 slate, but the Blue Jays just locked up their franchise player long-term. Guerrero signed a 14-year, $500 million deal just after midnight on April 7, and Boston's dreams of signing the slugger dissolved unexpectedly.
Luckily (or not) for the Red Sox, Bleacher Report has some advice for what they should do with the money saved by missing out on Guerrero. Boston could target pitchers to bolster its rotation — Walker Buehler will be a free agent after the 2025 season and a new crop of arms will be available. Bleacher Report also suggested the Red Sox acquire White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn as a potential alternative depth piece at the corner.
Vaughn would bring an additional MLB-ready first baseman to the Red Sox, and he's right-handed, so he could slot into Casas' everyday spot when opposing teams put a lefty on the mound. But Vaughn is no consolation prize for Guerrero.
Bleacher Report's backup plan for Red Sox first base depth after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension is far from ideal
Welcome to hot stove season. OK, not quite… but Vladdy’s extension has plenty of ripple effects for next winter. https://t.co/1VdopHUtTC
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) April 7, 2025
Vaughn, 27, is a former first-round pick who hasn't lived up to expectations (although no one expects much from the White Sox in the first place.) His best work came in 2022, when he slashed .258/.314/.429 with 30 doubles, two triples, 21 homers and 80 RBI over 152 games.
Bleacher Report argues that a change of scenery could do wonders for Vaughn, and his swing is better suited to Fenway Park than Rate Field. In 2024, Vaughn hit to all fields, but his home runs and doubles were mostly concentrated in left field, where the Green Monster would serve him well. The Red Sox would have to trade for him, though, because he doesn't become a free agent until after the 2027 season.
Guerrero still would've been a better fit for Boston in all respects, from star power to all-around skill. Guerrero is a career .287/.362/.498 hitter with a .861 OPS in his seven seasons in MLB. His numbers at Fenway Park are staggering (.356/.432/.622 slash line, 1.054 OPS, 10 homers in 46 career appearances) and, alongside Devers and Alex Bregman, he would've been absolutely deadly for opposing pitchers in Boston.
But, unfortunately, Guerrero will remain where he likely belongs in Toronto for the rest of his career, and the Red Sox will have to look for first base depth at the trade deadline or the upcoming offseason. Vaughn probably isn't going to cut it, though.