Red Sox Rumors: James Paxton reunion?, Marlins trade chatter, Teoscar Hernandez
Boston sounds like they could start making some moves here very soon.
This offseason so far for the Boston Red Sox has felt more like the same old thing than a sea of change under Craig Breslow. While teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Braves, and even the Royals have been aggressively reshaping their rosters, the Red Sox have done very little outside of making a deal with the Yankees to send Alex Verdugo out of town and trading for the oft-injured Tyler O'Neill.
The Red Sox couldn't get Ohtani to sign and Yamamoto spurned them as well. Fortunately, with both of those players now off the market, the rest of the offseason can actually begin and it does seem like the Red Sox could be big players the rest of the way (we hope). Here is a look at some the rumors swirling around Boston as we enter the holidays.
Red Sox interested in free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez
In a free agent market that is not deep whatsoever when it comes to offensive talent, Teoscar Hernandez's bat stands out. While Hernandez only managed a 105 wRC+ last season with Seattle, he averaged an .852 OPS the previous three seasons and Seattle can be a tough environment for offense. The Red Sox do already have several internal options right now to fill all three spots in the outfield, but Boston still is showing interest in Hernandez along with the Angels.
For the Red Sox, this has to be all about depth and options. With Boston trading Verdugo away and losing Adam Duvall to free agency, adding an experienced bat that could provide some power with so many inexperienced and/or uncertain options in the outfield is certainly logical. Hernandez could also get some time at DH to make the playing time work out especially if Boston deals away Triston Casas this offseason to acquire a starter.
Boston could be looking for a reunion with James Paxton
No one is confused that the Red Sox need starting pitching and one arm is not going to be enough. Boston is likely to try and convince Jordan Montgomery to sign, but the Red Sox need real rotation depth and one way they appear to be considering to accomplish that is a reunion with James Paxton.
When Paxton is on the mound, he is a tremendous asset. After posting a 2.73 ERA in the first half of 2023 for Boston, it looked like the Red Sox's patience after waiting for him to recover from Tommy John was going to be rewarded with an absolute heist of a contract. Unfortunately, Paxton cratered in the second half and missed time with a knee issue as well.
Look, Paxton is who he is at this point. The list of injuries this guy has had in his career is lengthy and there is no way he should be counted on to play a full, healthy season. He made a total of six starts from 2020-2022 and is 35 years old, so expecting him to carry the pitching staff next season would be very unwise.
That said, if he is willing to take say a one year deal with a club option for 2025 and throw some innings incentives in there, Paxton could be a nice guy to bring back especially if he can show flashes of his upside. The key thing, though, is that he can't be THE biggest starter the Red Sox sign this offseason. If that happens, 2024 could end up being just as rough as last year.
The Red Sox could swing a big trade with the Marlins for rotation help
Turning to the trade market, most fans have had their focus on the bigger names available like Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes, or Shane Bieber. That makes sense from a name recognition standpoint, but the Red Sox could be eyeing a couple of young arms with loads of team control as they were recently connected to the Marlins' Jesus Luzardo and Edward Cabrera.
Both Cabrera and Luzardo have plenty of upside and, arguably more importantly, would come with several more years of team control than rentals Bieber and Burnes or the two years of control attached to Cease. Boston would also be dealing with the Marlins who seem like they will trade anyone at anytime especially if they start costing real money.
The issue here is with the prospect cost. The trade market may be a nice alternative to spending big on free agents, but teams have gotten smarter and have been much better about valuing major league contributors that also have lots of team control very highly. To land one of these guys, Miami would likely ask for one of Boston's top prospect bats like Roman Anthony or Kyle Teel to be included in any deal. It all comes down to how much the Red Sox like Luzardo and Cabrera at that point.
Given the cost, getting a trade done for the bigger names on the market might end up being more likely. While there will be a lot of competition for a guy like Cease, two years of team control of a known commodity with a relatively high arbitration number could end up being easier to value and justify rather than speculating on what the Marlins' young guns could end up becoming.
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