Red Sox Floated As Landing Spot For Premier Slugger As Hot Stove Heats Up

Boston could use the offensive firepower

Scott Neville | Dec 20, 2023

Red Sox Floated As Landing Spot For Premier Slugger As Hot Stove Heats Up /

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Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made it clear that his offseason focus will be on starting pitching.

While the rotation is by far the biggest weakness on the roster, it would also be wise for Breslow to invest in a right-handed slugger -- especially if they lose out on Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and have some cash lying around.

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernández is one of the top free-agent position players available and could be a player to watch for the Red Sox.

"I look at the Boston Red Sox depending on how things go with Justin Turner," MLB Network's Jon Morosi said while attempting to guess where Hernández could land.

Morosi also listed the Miami Marlins as a landing spot and mentioned that Hernández is seeking a three-year deal -- which appears very likely.

The 31-year-old hit .258 with 57 extra-base hits including 26 home runs, 93 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 160 games for the Mariners in what was his worst offensive season since his rookie year. With a career 118 OPS+, he'd likely thrive at Fenway Park but do so with a hefty amount of strikeouts -- he has a 29.7% career strikeout rate.

Hernández ranked No. 8 on my "19 Best Free Agent Fits" list earlier in the offseason but he makes much more sense now. Prior to the Tyler O'Neill acquisition, I questioned his league-average defense fitting a team in need of someone who could handle Fenway Park's massive right field.

Now, he'd be more in line with Masataka Yoshida to split time between left field and the designated hitter role.

The Red Sox should attempt to add an impact bat but it would be hard to envision Boston making a three-to-four-year commitment to anyone outside of the starting pitching market this winter.

Hernández would be a strong fit offensively but the team will only make so many big acquisitions. Expect a shorter-term commitment for any offensive investments.

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Still 'Very Much In The Mix' For Japanese Superstar

Published Dec 20, 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