Red Sox Should Pursue All-Star Second Baseman Reportedly On Trade Market

Boston could use a boost up the middle

Scott Neville | Nov 11, 2023

Red Sox Should Pursue All-Star Second Baseman Reportedly On Trade Market /

In this story:

Will the Boston Red Sox make a splash via trade to solve the team's lack of clarity at second base?

The free-agent market for middle infielders is full of lackluster options, which makes a potential trade much more appealing and hopefully more likely.

It appears that a Minnesota Twins All-Star has become available.

"Jorge Polanco, because of the arrival of Eduard Julien, the health of Royce Lewis coming up, he is someone that is available," MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on MLB Network's "Hot Stove." "People around the industry believe there’s a very strong chance that the Twins will, in fact, move Jorge Polanco this winter.”

Polanco is an intriguing option for the Red Sox and a trade would certainly be worth exploring.

The switching-hitting middle infielder hit .255 with 32 extra-base hits including 14 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .789 OPS (115 OPS+) in 80 games last year, which was hampered by a nagging left hamstring strain. He produced similarly in 2022 but was bothered by left knee inflammation and lower back tightness, and he only played 104 games.

Polanco's last healthy season came in 2021 and was one to remember. The now-30-year-old hit .269 with 70 extra-base hits including 33 home runs, 98 RBIs and a .826 OPS (125 OPS+) in 152 games.

There is no question that Polanco would be a massive offensive upgrade over the current in-house options for second base. Defensively, he leaves a little to be desired. Polanco logged one defensive run saved last season at second base but -5 outs above average.

Polanco certainly would make sense to acquire, particularly with Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow alluding to having a designated hitter with defensive versatility. Polanco is owed $10.5 million this season with a $12 million club option for 2025.

Boston should also look into Los Angeles Angels' Brandon Drury, who will likely become available and would profile as a strong option to man second base for the Red Sox next season.

More MLB: 19 Best Free Agent Fits For Red Sox As They Attempt To Bolster Roster For 2024

Published Nov 11, 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