Red Sox Reportedly Among 'Serious Suiters' For All-Star Outfielder
Could the Boston Red Sox be just moments away from announcing their first big move of the offseason?
It appears as if Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and company are engaged in a bidding war for one of the most coveted outfielders in the free-agent class.
"Red Sox and (the Texas) Rangers among the most serious suitors for free-agent outfielder Mitch Haniger," MLB Networks Jon Morosi tweeted Thursday.
The 31-year-old former Seattle Mariner missed the majority of the 2022 season due to a high-ankle sprain, but has had enough sustained success over the course of his six-year career to warrant a semi-notable contract.
Last season, while hampered, Haniger hit .246 with 19 extra-base hits including 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .736 OPS in 57 games.
The season prior, Haniger hit .253 with 64 extra-base hits including 39 home runs, 100 RBIs and a .804 OPS in 157 games. His performance was strong enough to receive MVP votes, landing at No. 20 in the American League.
The veteran outfielder is a career .261 hitter and has been just below that mark in recent years, but has serious pop in his bat and could fill an important role as a right-handed slugger, something the Red Sox outfield has not boasted since they traded away Hunter Renfroe.
Given Bloom's reported desire to land first baseman/designated hitter José Abreu earlier in the offseason and now Haniger reportedly being a top target, it appears that a right-handed power bat is on Boston's shopping list.
It would make a lot of sense to add Haniger to an outfield that displayed a season-long power outage in 2022. The four outfielders currently on the 40-man roster -- Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernandez, Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran -- combined to hit just 26 home runs last season. Haniger will almost certainly exceed that tally by himself next season.
In other words, the Red Sox would be wise to add Haniger, and finally get the ball rolling on this offseason (no offense to left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez of course).
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