There are just over two weeks left until pitchers and catchers start reporting to spring training, and Boston fans are still waiting for the Red Sox to make a serious addition to the lineup. Aside from getting Carlos Narvaez in a trade from the Yankees, all of the players Boston has either signed or traded for have been pitchers. They're fine acquisitions — Garrett Crochet gives the rotation an instant boost — but the Red Sox still need that big righty bat.
The Red Sox have been connected to both Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado this offseason, but no one actually knows what's going on with Bregman's market, and Arenado seems destined to stay in St. Louis. There are still a couple of decent options out there, but the pickings are slim.
On Tuesday, NESN's Jason Ounpraseuth proposed six potential additions that could fulfill the need instead of Bregman or Arenado. Ha-Seong Kim and Seiya Suzuki were two primary candidates, but Kim has already come off the board with a two-year deal with the Rays. Suzuki, though, could be a decent option.
Ounpraseuth also threw the names of four former Red Sox on the table — Kiké Hernández, Adam Duvall, JD Martinez, and Justin Turner — all of whom would leave a lot to be desired if the Red Sox did bring them back. Hernández might be the only exception.
The Red Sox still have options to choose from in the market outside of Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado. https://t.co/supfknZUUJ
— NESN (@NESN) January 28, 2025
NESN proposes Red Sox re-sign one of four veterans to fill need for a righty bat
All four had their moments in Boston (Hernández was pretty great in 2021, Martinez was a two-time All-Star in Boston, and both Turner and Duvall had OPSes over .800 during their one-year stints), but they're also aging options who seem to be nearing the ends of their careers.
Hernández just won a World Series with the Dodgers, was one of their most productive hitters in the postseason, and is still versatile on defense, but his lacking regular season performance is probably what's given the Dodgers pause on bringing him back. Martinez put up his worst OPS since the COVID season with the Mets. Turner and Duvall can still play, but they aren't going to change the complexion of Boston's offense.
These aren't the big righty bats that fans want to see imported. None of them would warrant more than a one-year deal, and getting one of them would just put the team in the exact same position next offseason. If any of them do end up back at Fenway, fans would rightfully have another thing to get angry about.