Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Slugger's Priorities Do Not Appear To Align With Boston Entering Free Agency

Boston could lose one of their top power threats this winter
Scott Neville|
Red Sox Slugger's Priorities Do Not Appear To Align With Boston Entering Free Agency
Red Sox Slugger's Priorities Do Not Appear To Align With Boston Entering Free Agency

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox do not have as many notable free agents as they did a season ago but a few decisions will still need to be made.

Boston is set to lose designated hitter Justin Turner -- assuming he turns down his player option, left-hander James Paxton, outfielder Adam Duvall, middle infielder Adalberto Mondesí -- who never appeared in a game -- and right-hander Corey Kluber.

Among the list is a pair of right-handed sluggers, one of which does not appear too likely to return next season. 

“At this point in my career, I don’t know how many years God’s gonna bless me to play this game,” Duvall told MassLive's Chris Cotillo on Wednesday. “I consider myself a winner. I enjoy winning. So that is a very high priority.”

Boston will have a reset luxury tax, new leadership, a loaded farm system and is expected to have ownership's blessing to spend big this winter. While there is a good chance the team will be markedly better next season, they are about to come off of a last-place finish in the historically loaded American League East. They have a lot of work to do and regardless of their offseason acquisitions will be largely unproven.

If Duvall wants to join a contender, there are a plethora of far more proven bets. 

The 35-year-old is hitting .248 with 46 extra-base hits including 21 home runs, 58 RBIs and a .839 OPS (121 OPS+) in 90 games this season. His wrist injury kept him sidelined for a large portion of the season but from a per-game perspective, he's wrapping up the best season of his career. 

The Red Sox already have Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Rob Refsnyder under contract for next season.

Still, the Red Sox could use a powerful right-handed bat next season, especially if Turner departs. Duvall would be a valuable asset next season but his odds of returning are not high as both sides likely will have reservations regarding a reunion. 

More MLB: Red Sox Slugger Reportedly Will Be On The Trade Block This Offseason

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Scott Neville
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

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