Boston Red Sox Should Make One of These Moves, But They Won't
The Boston Red Sox are going to be without first baseman Triston Casas for "a while," and appear content to play Bobby Dalbec at that position. But what they should be doing is making one of the following moves.
The Boston Red Sox suffered an unfortunate blow over the weekend when it was learned that star first baseman Triston Casas had fractured his rib.
Manager Alex Cora told reporters on Tuesday that Casas was going to be out "a while" and we later learned that the team plans to use Bobby Dalbec as the primary first baseman in his absence.
Dalbec is a nice guy, who works hard, who at one point was a top prospect and flashed 30-home run potential. He's not that guy anymore. After an 0-for-2 on Tuesday in a loss to the Guardians, Dalbec is now hitting .031. This comes off the heels of him hitting .204 last year in 21 games and .215 in 117 games in 2022. The Red Sox are currently 13-11 on the season, and while they've dealt with plenty of injuries this year, they're resilient enough to remain frisky in the playoff race.
If the ownership group wants to win back some good faith with the fans, they can't trot Dalbec out there everyday until Casas is back. As was noted earlier this week, maybe some guys will opt out of deals on May 1 and the Red Sox will pursue them, but it's frustrating to watch this ownership group consistently not invest in the Major League product. The Boston Red Sox should not be punting on seasons or passing on opportunities.
If the Sox want to go out and be proactive, they should be calling Brandon Belt. The multi-time World Series champion is a free agent after posting a .254/.369/.490 slash line for the Blue Jays last year. He's 36 years old and wants to keep playing. Sure, he'd require some ramp-up time, but at least give the illusion that you care about the organization this season.
Furthermore, Garrett Cooper was just designated for assignment by the Cubs. He's hitting .270 this year through 37 at-bats. He's already in shape and he's available. He was an All-Star for the Marlins as recently at 2022.
The Red Sox ownership group has been telling us for months that they still care about the organization - but now is the time to prove it.
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