Ex-Yankees Slugger Could Be Solution To Red Sox's Power Shortage

Boston does not have too many power hitters to point to in the lineup

Scott Neville | Jan 31, 2023

Ex-Yankees Slugger Could Be Solution To Red Sox's Power Shortage /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox and their fanbase have been desperately hoping first baseman Bobby Dalbec could reach his potential by slugging 25-to-30 home runs -- making up for his propensity to striking out.

Instead, the Red Sox could add Ex-New York Yankees first baseman and designated hitter Luke Voit. The 31-year-old slugger is what fans wanted Dalbec to be -- minus the defensive versatility that does not hold much value.

The Dalbec era should be over after two full seasons of disappointment. Triston Casas is expected to take the majority of the playing time at first base, but they could use a right-handed power hitter to platoon and occasionally spell Casas.

Some have said Justin Turner could be that guy but he has virtually no experience at first base and is expected to be the primary designated hitter.

Considering the injuries the team endured last season --and the potential that Casas has to be injury prone after multiple injuries in 2022, it would make sense to sure up the first base/designated hitter spots by adding Voit.

Voit hit .226 with 44 extra-base hits including 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and a 179-to-55 strikeout-to-walk ratio and .710 OPS in 135 games between the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals last season.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound heavyweight appears to be fairly similar to Dalbec when peeking at game-level stats. However, Voit's 0.8 bWAR is a hefty upgrade over Dalbec's -0.7 bWAR. That swap, on paper at least, would add an extra win.

If the Red Sox are going to make a postseason run, it'll likely be a dogfight for one of the final spots. Small changes such as an upgrade from Dalbec to Voit could be the difference.

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Published Jan 31, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu