Red Sox Urged To Sign Projected $66 Million Righty Slugger Away From NL West

Baseballs could be flying over the Green Monster in 2025...

Saturday, June 8, 2024; Boston MA-Fans watch the game from the top of the Green Monster during the Savannah Bananas first Banana Ball game at Fenway Park on Saturday, June 8, 2024. / Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Perhaps the Boston Red Sox have lost their identity.

There's a ton of young talent on this Red Sox team, which is reason to get excited about the 2025 season. But unfortunately, much of that talent in the lineup bats left-handed, and the Red Sox play in a ballpark that favors right-handed hitters, particularly those with power.

To give themselves the best chance at making the playoffs in 2025, the Red Sox need to balance out the lineup. Many have discussed trading one of the young, lefty-hitting outfielders on the roster for starting pitching, but signing a righty bat with some thump would go a long way toward making Boston a true contender.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report implored Boston to look into Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, who he listed among a group of free agents who "could become superstars" with new teams in 2025.

"Chase Field isn't entirely bad for hitters, but it is a bad place to hit home runs. Even Walker occasionally felt the brunt of that. He hit 52 home runs on the road between 2022 and 2024, compared to 43 at home. That's despite a difference of just three games played," Rymer said.

"It isn't hard to imagine Walker making a run at a 40-homer season in 2025 if he ends up in a place that would promise to amplify his right-handed pull power... Just sayin': The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox should both take a strong look."

Walker will turn 34 in March, so he will likely sign for a lower dollar amount than a typical free agent who has totaled 95 home runs in his last three seasons. Spotrac currently projects him for a three-year, $66 million contract, which the Red Sox could turn into an all-time bargain if he follows through on Rymer's 40-homer prediction.

The tricky part of signing Walker is that the Red Sox already have a young first baseman (Triston Casas) who they shouldn't be looking to trade, especially while his value is diminished after an injury-prone season. But Walker may soon win his third-straight Gold Glove, so it feels silly to relegate him to designated hitter duties.

The thing about baseball, however, is that you can simply never have too many good hitters. What seems like a problem usually winds up working itself out, and there has to be a time-sharing arrangement that maximizes the benefits of having both Walker and Casas in the lineup.

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