Red Sox Free Agent Reportedly 'Among Candidates' To Join National League Foe
The Boston Red Sox have been moving at a snail's pace this offseason and have yet to address the two biggest areas ailing the club.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will need to acquire a starting pitcher and a right-handed bat with positional versatility ahead of Opening Day.
While the former still has plenty of options to choose from, the latter group is less fruitful and dwindling by the day. One of the most logical options to fill the right-handed slugger role is Boston's top remaining free agent, outfielder Adam Duvall. However, it appears that his time on the open market could be coming to a close.
"The (Arizona Diamondbacks) are looking to add a right-handed hitter to pair at designated hitter with Joc Pederson, per sources," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Friday. "Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham and Adam Duvall among the candidates."
Duvall hit .247 with 47 extra-base hits including 21 homers, 58 RBIs and a .834 OPS (119 OPS+) in 92 games last season. He missed a good chunk of the season due to a wrist injury but was an impactful bat for the majority of the time he was healthy.
The 35-year-old has been linked to the Red Sox this offseason to balance the lineup with a right-handed bat, as has Pham.
If Boston truly is interested in Duvall, they have no business losing out to the small-market Diamondbacks. With that said, the Red Sox leadership's disappointing decision-making knows no limits in recent years.
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