Red Sox Reportedly Have Identified Potential Fit To Bolster Lineup

Boston could use all the help they can get

Scott Neville | Jan 29, 2024

Red Sox Reportedly Have Identified Potential Fit To Bolster Lineup /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox will focus on making last-second additions with just a few weeks to go until players start to report to spring training.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is still seeking pitching help as well as a right-handed hitter who can provide positional versatility.

Boston has been linked to outfielder Adam Duvall for weeks but a deal has yet to come together. For that reason, Breslow reportedly has a backup plan brewing.

"Adam Duvall continues to be a potential option for the Red Sox as they look to add right-handed depth," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Sunday. "One potential fallback option is Garrett Cooper who had a .904 OPS against lefties last year."

The Red Sox are in even worse shape than many speculated if they are not confident in their ability to land Duvall -- a 35-year-old outfielder who missed 70 games last season.

Duvall posted a 119 OPS+ last season and could provide 30-home run power playing half of his games at Fenway Park.

The point here is not to knock the veteran's value or ability but to outline how insane it would be if Breslow was not able to secure what will be a mildly lucrative short-term deal for a player who was on the team last season. His only other known suitor is the Los Angeles Angels.

The Red Sox also could aim higher as Jorge Soler, Justin Turner and J.D. Martinez remain available. For some reason, they have no interest in doing so.

Cooper hit .251 with 36 extra-base hits including 17 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .724 OPS in 123 games between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres last season.

He has a career 109 OPS+ and could become an impact bat in Boston. Cooper can play first base and corner outfield, which Breslow will find intriguing.

The 33-year-old could be a productive bat if utilized optimally -- mainly against left-handed pitching -- but his acquisition would signal a new low for ownership's investment in the team with so many premier bats on the market.

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Published Jan 29, 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