5 candidates for Red Sox to replace Alex Verdugo
The Red Sox face a difficult decision as they navigate free agency, the trade market, and their existing roster
The Boston Red Sox sent shockwaves throughout baseball on Tuesday evening when they traded everyday right fielder Alex Verdugo to the rival New York Yankees. While a Verdugo trade seemed possible for a while, nobody saw this coming on Tuesday, nor did anyone think he’d go to the Yankees.
Nevertheless, here we are. Boston now has a glaring hole in right field that it needs to fill, whether that be through internal candidates, the trade market, or free agency.
Let’s explore five players who could replace Verdugo as the Red Sox’ everyday right fielder.
Juan Soto
It would be foolish to omit Juan Soto from consideration here given that he is, without question, the most high profile player available on the trade market this offseason. While Boston might not love the idea of trading away six or seven prized prospects, there’s no denying that the fit is natural. Boston needs a right fielder, needs a boost in its lineup, and has been linked to Soto before. He’s due for an extension before hitting free agency next winter, but the Red Sox can afford to make him a very competitive offer.
Soto played in all 162 games last season, slashing .275/.410/.519 as a key staple in the Padres’ lineup. He produced an absurd 44.0 oWAR, largely thanks to his 35 home runs, 18.6 percent walk rate, 18.2 percent strikeout rate, and 155 wRC+. Soto is one of the best hitters in baseball, and he’s only 25 years old.
As much as acquiring Soto feels unlikely, Tuesday’s Verdugo trade showed that new Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow isn’t afraid to shock the world. Plus, it’s possible the Padres’ asking price could soften if the Yankees, who now have an everyday right fielder, are less aggressive on the Soto front.
Wilyer Abreu
Masataka Yoshida has the left field job locked down. Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran project best as center fielders. Rob Refsnyder struggles against right-handed pitching. Through the process of elimination, we arrive at Abreu as the Red Sox’ best internal candidate to play right field on an everyday basis.
Is Abreu ready for an everyday role? It’s tough to say for sure, but he certainly showed potential with a .316/.388/.474 slash line and 135 wRC+ through 28 games at the end of his rookie season last year. With right field occupied by Verdugo, the 24-year-old spent most of his time in left and center. However, he showcased his versatility and arm strength in the minors, suggesting he could absolutely handle a permanent relocation to right.
Adam Duvall
The Red Sox can add an everyday player in the outfield without making a “splash.” While the 35-year-old Duvall is a bat-first player, he demonstrated solid glove work through 79 starts in the Red Sox' outfield last year, including a 1.000 fielding percentage over 179.2 innings in right.
When all was said and done, Duvall slashed .247/.303/.531 with a .347 wOBA, 116 wRC+, and 21 homers. He also showed strong reverse splits, launching 18 of his 21 home runs against right-handed pitching. The 35-year-old finished the year with a career-high 9.7 oWAR. He certainly needs to work on his plate discipline after striking out nearly five times as much as he walked in 2023. Nevertheless, he’s an intriguing candidate and a familiar face who could be an everyday contributor.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Gurriel represents a promising, well-rounded candidate for the Red Sox. The 30-year-old is fresh off a solid season with the Diamondbacks that saw him post positive oWAR and dWAR for the first time in his career.
Through 145 games last year, Gurriel slashed .261/.309/.463 with a .282 BABIP, 106 wRC+, and 24 homers. He doesn’t draw an awful lot of walks, but he also keeps his strikeout rate in check. Quite simply, he puts balls in play and can be a reliable bat in the top half of the lineup.
The biggest concern pertaining to Gurriel is his defensive versatility. The only outfield position he’s ever played is left field, and although he has logged more than 3,500 big-league innings there, it’s unlikely he could or would shift to right. So while the Red Sox could absolutely replace Verdugo’s bat with the likes of Gurriel, they’d still be left with a hole in the outfield.
Teoscar Hernandez
If money wasn’t an issue, Hernandez would easily be the best candidate to replace Verdugo. The 31-year-old is regarded as this offseason’s best free agent right fielder and has enjoyed extensive success over eight seasons with the Astros, Blue Jays, and Mariners.
Through 160 games with Seattle last season, Hernandez slashed .258/.305/.435. He took nearly five times more strikeouts than walks but balanced out his offensive profile with 26 homers and 93 RBI. Over the last three years, Hernandez has launched 83 home runs. With an average rate of one home run every 5.1 games, he goes yard nearly as often as Rafael Devers (one per 4.9).
Hernandez also plays a solid right field, posting 5.0 UZR at the position in 2023. He provided enough defensive value that Seattle deployed him as their right fielder for 1,160.1 innings, which was the most he had ever spent at one position in a single season.
It’s no secret that Hernandez is going to be expensive, but if the Red Sox want to address this need for several years to come, there’s no one better.