Top Unsigned MLB Players Still Available At Each Position; How Red Sox Can Bolster Roster
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With pitchers and catchers just a few days away from reporting to spring training, the Boston Red Sox still are a piece or two away from filling out the roster.
The lack of middle infield depth jumps out as a glaring hole, while starting pitching, bullpen depth and behind the plate could use upgrades as well.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is unlikely to make all of those moves but there will be at least one more notable veteran added to the roster before the team heads to Fenway Park on March 30.
Here are the best players remaining at each position:
Starting Pitchers
Michael Wacha, Trevor Bauer
The Red Sox's lack of stability in the starting rotation cannot be understated. However, between Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Garrett Whitlock, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Brayan Bello and potentially Tanner Houck -- depending on his role next season -- Boston does not need to just add starters for the sake of doing so.
If the Red Sox are going to make a move, it has to be a splash. Otherwise, they would just be clogging the roster with league-average arms that do not have options to be moved down to Triple-A Worcester.
Wacha was a legitimate frontline starter last season and would be a notable addition to the rotation. Bauer brings all kinds of issues off the field but his ability would drastically shift the outlook of the rotation.
Outside of those two, adding another middling arm along the likes of Pivetta and Paxton would create a logjam of replacement-level pitchers in Boston.
Relief Pitchers
Matt Moore, Andrew Chafin, Michael Fulmer, Matt Wisler
The bullpen remains the most stocked market in free agency, led by two southpaws in Moore and Chafin.
The Red Sox have completely revamped their bullpen -- adding Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Richard Bleier, Joely Rodríguez and Wyatt Mills into the mix -- but could still use an arm or two to create one of the best bullpens in baseball.
Boston's roster has holes -- one of which is the starting rotation. One way to address a weakness is by having strengths in other areas to match.
Having an elite bullpen can cover up other roster holes -- such as an unreliable rotation that might require frequent early hooks and an unproven lineup that might not provide much run support.
The addition of Bleier negates the need for a southpaw but both Moore and Chafin are far from solely left-handed specialists.
In fact, both hurlers have reverse splits, meaning they are better against right-handed hitters than their own side. Either one could be relied upon as a high-leverage arm. At this point, Boston should be able to get at least one to agree to a team-friendly, prove-it contract.
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Fulmer is interesting as well, posting a 3.39 ERA with a 61-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .247 batting average against and 1.37 WHIP in 63 2/3 innings. The right-hander appears to contrast Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom's preference in relievers -- he's been targeting strike throwers with low WHIP rates -- but could be a serviceable addition.
Wisler would not be a high-priority add but would be an interesting puzzle piece for certain matchups. The former Tampa Bay Rays right-hander threw his filthy slider 91.5% of the time last season, which is not abnormal for Wisler. He's a two-pitch hurler with a fastball that sits in the 88-91 mph range but he's lethal against the correct matchups. Again, not a top target but could be a fun addition if used against batters who struggle against offspeed.
Catchers
Gary Sánchez, Kevin Plawecki
The Red Sox could use a catcher to bolster an unproven group. Unfortunately, the market has dried out and at this point, Boston should roll with the trio of Reese McGuire, Connor Wong and Jorge Alfaro.
The club reportedly made a strong push for Gold Glove backstop Roberto Pérez but the veteran chose the San Francisco Giants instead.
Sánchez is the top catcher available by a large margin but does as much damage as he does good. For every towering blast, there are dozens of strikeouts and for every runner caught stealing there are a handful of passed balls due to laziness and bad fundamentals.
Infielders
1B Yuli Gurriel, 2B/SS Elvis Andrus, 2B/3B José Iglesias, UTL Donovan Solano
There still is an impressive group of infielders available with the season approaching. The Red Sox could use a bench bat such as Gurriel to aid Triston Casas in his first full season in Boston but the priority is the middle infield.
If the Red Sox are going to make a notable move, it will almost certainly be up the middle. As it stands now, Red Sox manager Alex Cora will deploy some combination of Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo and Adalberto Mondesí to fill the shortstop and second base positions.
Adding another quality veteran should be considered a must. Andrus and Iglesias stand together as the top-tier middle infielders on the market.
Andrus is the better defender with more power. Iglesias has experience playing in Boston -- thriving there as recently as 2021 -- will hit for a much-higher average and is a year younger.
Solano does not get much fanfare but is a solid depth option that has produced league-average or better seasons offensively each of the last four seasons. He hit .284 with 20 extra-base hits including four home runs, 24 RBIs and a .724 OPS in 80 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season.
Boston would be foolish to not at least offer minor-league deals to all four infielders.
Outfielders
David Peralta, Jurickson Profar, Odúbel Herrera
The Red Sox added Japanese star Masataka Yoshida and Adam Duvall to their outfield this offseason. They also reportedly added Raimel Tapia to a minor-league deal and officially signed Greg Allen.
After a season where outfield production was few and far between, Bloom has made a concerted effort to improve the group and seemingly has done so.
Boston does not need to add anyone else into the mix and likely will stick with the group they have.
If they were to add for some reason, Profar is the best remaining offensive hitter with Peralta trailing just behind -- and bringing better all-around play. Herrera is the best defender available. Don't expect any of them to be in Fort Myers in the coming days.
The bulk of the offseason has come and gone, but there still are quality players to add with spring training on the horizon.
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