Premier Slugger Reportedly Expected To Sign Soon, Red Sox Potential Landing Spot

Boston remains a darkhorse for the power bat

Scott Neville | Jan 24, 2024

Premier Slugger Reportedly Expected To Sign Soon, Red Sox Potential Landing Spot /

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Boston Red Sox

Could the Boston Red Sox end up with one of the more prominent power bats on the market?

Earlier in the offseason Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow appeared close to landing outfielder Teoscar Hernández -- who would eventually sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers after Boston backed off last minute seemingly due to made-up budgetary constraints.

Shortly after his decision, the Red Sox appeared to be front runners for outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler, who remains on the open market. Once again, momentum has slowed down substantially between the two sides but Boston has not been fully ruled out.

"Soler I do think will go fairly soon," the New York Post's Jon Heyman said Wednesday on a Bleacher Report live stream. "I kind of like Toronto or Arizona at this point but there have been other teams including Boston in on Soler."

The 31-year-old hit .250 with 60 extra-base hits including 36 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .853 OPS (128 OPS+) in 137 games for the Miami Marlins last season.

The Red Sox are seeking an impact right-handed bat with positional versatility. Soler checks the first box and can technically man corner outfield spots, though he's not exactly a defensive stalwart.

While Soler to Boston would make some sense, left-hander Jordan Montgomery is a far better fit should the Red Sox invest in a premium player this offseason.

The Red Sox have been linked to outfielder Adam Duvall, a better defender who will be cheaper and likely sign a shorter-term contract. Frugality appears to be far more of a priority for Boston than putting the best players available on the field.

More MLB: Red Sox 'Still Have Big Move In Them' With Marquee Free Agents Still Available

Published Jan 24, 2024

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