With just days until spring training, the Boston Red Sox are growing increasingly desperate for a right-handed bat to balance their offense.
The team has shown no indications that it's willing to pay the top free agent option available, Alex Bregman, what he demands in terms of a contract. Despite being sitting tens of millions of dollars below the first luxury tax threshold and claiming that it would "get uncomfortable" to make the Red Sox better this winter, the front office is holding onto money as if it lacks big-market spending capabilities.
In opposition to their refusal to make risky signings, the Red Sox are much more willing to make trades. Nolan Arenado is the righty bat Boston is most frequently linked to on the trade market, and trade rumors involving the veteran have picked back up recently after a few weeks of quiet. But a report on the Tigers suggests a new potential right-handed option may become available on the trade market.
According to Pat Ragazzo, the Mets — before they reunited with Pete Alonso on Feb. 5 — discussed trading for the Tigers' Spencer Torkelson. The 25-year-old is a former first-round pick coming off a down year (.219/.295/.374, .669 OPS) and he's unlikely to get an everyday job in Detroit's infield next season since the Tigers plan to move second baseman Colt Keith to first base.
Red Sox should avoid Tigers righty trade candidate Spencer Torkelson
Torkelson is still on a pre-arb contract and, as a rebound candidate, he could come relatively cheap to a team that needs a righty infielder. Such a move sounds like the Red Sox's bread and butter, although it shouldn't be that way.
Boston's front office has attested multiple times this winter that it is not actively shopping Triston Casas, despite frequent trade rumors around the first baseman. Torkelson could present an opportunity for the Red Sox to move on from Casas and avoid taking on an expensive contract like Bregman or Arenado, if that really is their plan.
But it makes no sense for Boston to sell assets when it has plenty of money to spend on a free agent. The Red Sox have stated multiple times that they see Casas as a player with potentially 30-40 homer potential. Torkelson did hit 31 home runs for the Tigers in 2023, but his ceiling has never been as high as Casas' is perceived to be.
The Red Sox sit $32 million below the first luxury tax threshold and haven't signed a free agent bat since before Craig Breslow took over as chief baseball officer. Torkelson, and even Arenado, don't make sense for the team when they have plenty of money to meet Bregman's demands without selling assets that could be used for a better player and a better fit down the road.