3 free agents the Red Sox will regret not signing once 2024 season starts
By Steven Teal
Lordes Gurriel Jr.
With Alex Verdugo being traded to the Yankees in exchange for three pitching prospects, there was an opening to improve the outfield position while also adding an excellent right-handed bat to the lineup.
Gurriel has been an excellent outfielder since his debut in 2018 with the Blue Jays. He has great bat-to-ball skills and is a decent defender. His bat is exactly what the Red Sox were looking for this off-season and his impressive performance in the postseason surely highlighted that.
He finished the 2023 regular season with a .261/.309/.463 line with 24 home runs and 82 RBI.
Unfortunately, Boston would not get the chance to see what he could bring to the team as the Diamondbacks re-signed Gurriel on a three-year deal worth $42 million. That's an AAV of $14 million and a pretty fair deal for a player of his caliber.
The Red Sox did trade for Tyler O'Neill, so he will likely serve as that option now and at a lower cost. He is expected to make $5.85 million for the 2024 season and has that same power potential in him. O'Neill hit 34 homers during the 2021 season with St. Louis. Hopefully, Boston can get him back to that level of performance and not regret passing on Hernandez as much.