Ex-Blue Jays Slugger Surprisingly Available; Should Red Sox Consider Signing?

Should the Red Sox consider signing the former Blue Jays slugger?

The Boston Red Sox could still use a little more pop in the middle of the lineup.

Boston is in an interesting spot. The Red Sox's starting rotation seems to be the club's biggest question mark but the offense should be pretty solid this season. While this is the case, Boston did lose one of its top offensive players this offseason in free agency in Justin Turner.

Turner thrived last season in Boston but the club didn't bring him back and he now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays. There were plenty of rumors that the club could look to add another slugger to the lineup to help fill in for Turner but Boston hasn't really done so.

At this point, it would be shocking if the Red Sox added another regular. Boston could make another addition but it likely would be for someone on the bench or on a minor-league deal.

A move could make a lot of sense to add more depth, especially with Boston already dealing with injuries. One player who still is out there and is looking for his next opportunity is former San Francis Giants and Blue Jays slugger Brandon Belt.

It's unclear where he will land, but he still is available and is looking for another opportunity, according to MLB Trade Rumors' Leo Morgenstern.

"Although Belt 'definitely' wants to play in 2024, he told (J.D. Bunkis) that he didn’t want to settle for a minor league contract," Morgenstern said. "He made $9.3 million last season, and it’s safe to say he outperformed the Blue Jays’ expectations when they offered him that deal. It’s reasonable to presume he was hoping for a raise. Instead, he will almost certainly have to settle for a sizeable pay cut, if and when he eventually signs. To that point, Belt mentioned how different his free-agent experience was during the 2022-23 offseason.

"He says it was 'pretty easy' to land a contract because 'quite a few teams' were interested in his services. That couldn’t be further from the case this time around. Belt says the whole experience has 'baffled (him) a little bit,' and it’s not hard to see why. The left-handed hitter is coming off an excellent season with Toronto in which he hit 19 home runs in just 103 games. He also hit 23 doubles and drew 61 walks over 404 plate appearances."

Belt impressed last season with Toronto and could make some sense for Boston. The Red Sox have a lot of young players in the lineup. Signing someone like Belt could give the club more depth in the lineup while also adding another veteran piece to help mentor some of the younger players.

More MLB: Red Sox Receive Promising Update On Superstar After Injury Scare