Red Sox Listed As One Of Top Landing Spots For Generational Game-Changer

Boston appears poised to attempt to land one of the best baseball players in history
Red Sox Listed As One Of Top Landing Spots For Generational Game-Changer
Red Sox Listed As One Of Top Landing Spots For Generational Game-Changer /

The Boston Red Sox have some work to do this offseason and could even land the top free agent available.

It's going to be one of the most intriguing offseasons in recent memory. There's sure to be plenty of player movement and the biggest name to look out for is without a doubt Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. He will be a free agent and could be on his way out of town.

It's unclear exactly where he will go, but he immediately will make any team he joins a postseason threat. Boston has been linked to him on multiple occasions and continues to do so. The Red Sox even were listed among Ohtani's top landing spots, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.  

"Shohei Ohtani just completed arguably the best single season of any player in (Major League Baseball) history," Bowden said. "As a hitter, he slashed .304/.412/.654 and led the American League with 44 home runs while scoring 102 runs, driving in 95, and stealing 20 bases. He led the majors in slugging percentage and OPS. As a pitcher, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA  in 23 starts, striking out 167 and walking 55 in 132 innings. When he hits free agency, the industry expects the payday to be somewhere between $400 million and $600 million. Ohtani, of course, is a middle-of-the-order impact bat and a top-of-the-rotation ace, when healthy...

"Best fits: (Los Angeles Dodgers), (Texas Rangers), (Seattle Mariners), (New York Mets), Red Sox, (San Diego Padres), (San Francisco Giants), (Chicago Cubs), (Philadelphia Phillies), and (Toronto Blue Jays). Contract prediction: ten years, $477 million with incentives and escalators that take the deal to more than half a billion dollars." 

Landing Ohtani this offseason would be an absolute game-changer for the Red Sox. Boston has won just 78 games in each of the last two years but Ohtani immediately would fill some holes for the club. Even if he can't pitch in 2024, a move still makes plenty of sense because he would be the club's best slugger in the middle of the lineup. 

It's almost time for free agency to kick off and the Red Sox are a real threat to land Ohtani. 

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu