4 best last resorts still available for Red Sox in free agency
If the Sox don't land any major free-agent candidates, these are the best of the rest.
A lot of fans are confused with the direction that Red Sox management is taking this offseason. Boston has missed out on a lot of high-quality free-agent options due to making uncompetitive offers or being beaten out by other clubs.
There are more players on the market than just the top candidates, though. Behind the Blake Snells and the Jordan Montgomerys, there are still some fine options for the Red Sox to choose from to bolster the rotation and batting order.
It has to be said that Boston should not have to pick from lower-tier free agents — the Red Sox are a big-market team that recently refuses to spend like one. The options presented here make up a kind of "best of the rest" list that the Sox are going to have to pick from if they don't land any top candidates, a prospect that increases in likelihood with each passing day.
Boston's two greatest needs this offseason are starting pitching and right-handed power in the batter's box. The Red Sox have been linked to Marcus Stroman and Jorge Soler, both of whom could make significant contributions in their respective roles, but those would still be great signings and are far from last-resort picks.
In no particular order, here are the best remaining options for the Red Sox to have a salvageable 2024 season.
4 best last resorts still available for Red Sox in free agency
Michael Lorenzen - RHP
Lorenzen is coming off an All-Star season and a no-hitter in 2023 and he could offer some rotation depth that Boston needs. Lorenzen made 25 starts and 29 appearances in his age-31 season and he finished the campaign with a 4.18 ERA, slightly higher than his career average of 4.11.
Lorenzen has experience pitching as a starter and reliever, much like the Sox's Nick Pivetta, making him a flexible asset that Alex Cora can shuffle around the roster as needed. His ability to pitch as many innings as Pivetta is up in the air, as his second full season as a starter didn't end on a high note in Philadelphia — his ERA soared from 3.23 to 4.18 after his no-hit bid on Aug. 9.
Being named an All-Star in 2023 at the age of 31 shows that Lorenzen has a lot to give, despite his track record as a reliever. The Sox's rotation would be far from perfect, but at least Lorenzen could eat some innings with confidence.
Michael A. Taylor - OF
Taylor is one of the best outfield free agents remaining. He provides the right-handed bat Boston is looking for, but lacks consistent power. Still, Taylor hit 21 homers with Minnesota last year, a career-high. Most of his homers flew out of left field, though, so he may have some trouble battling the Monster. More doubles for the Red Sox!
Taylor is a fantastic defender. He's fast and has a strong arm and a great eye. He could save runs in center or right field if his bat is trending better than Tyler O'Neill's, the Sox's likely everyday right fielder at this point.
Taylor's bat doesn't come close to rivaling Soler's, Boston's first-choice outfield candidate at this time. But Soler doesn't have anywhere near the fielding skills that Taylor does. The front office is going to have to pick its poison with the remaining free-agent options.
Alex Wood - LHP
The Red Sox need a left-handed starter in the rotation to shake up the all-righty roster they have going now. Wood, a veteran hurler who most recently played with San Francisco, could be a fine choice for the final starting pitching role.
At the beginning of his career, Wood was a consistent sub-4.00 ERA pitcher. As he's aged — he turns 33 on Jan. 12 — his consistency has waned, though. Wood only pitched 97 innings with the Giants in 2023, not enough to completely fill the last hole in the Sox's rotation. In his 97 innings, he racked up only 74 strikeouts and allowed 98 hits, 52 runs and 48 walks.
Wood has previously worked with Boston's new pitching coach, Andrew Bailey. The two were together in San Francisco since 2021 and could be reunited for a fourth season. Maybe Wood and Bailey's history could result in some quality output for the Red Sox.
Overall, Wood is far from the best choice for Boston to fix its rotation. But a veteran lefty is better than nothing. He can pitch out of the bullpen, too, which would come in handy as the season drags on.
Aaron Hicks - OF
Hicks is a better player than his tenure with the rival New York Yankees showed. The Yanks released Hicks shortly before the trade deadline and the Orioles picked him up. He played 28 games in New York and 65 in Baltimore in 2023.
Hicks is not an exceptional fielder or hitter, but he a versatile veteran presence. He would serve as a placeholder until the trade deadline or until next season when the Sox could hunt for a better option.
Hicks is a switch-hitter who could cycle into the batting order anywhere Cora needed him to. He walks a ton and offers power from both sides of the plate, in addition to being able to play all three outfield positions.
Hicks' best quality is his strong arm. He ranks in the 95th percentile for arm strength in the league, meaning he could save a few runs in the outfield. Again, Hicks isn't the best choice for Boston this season, but if it's between Hicks and an empty spot in the outfield, Sox fans should take Hicks any day ... especially if he can burn the Yankees a few times in 2024.