Red Sox 'Exploring' Peculiar Addition Ahead of Spring Training

It's no secret that the Boston Red Sox could use another bat this offseason. That's especially the case from the right side of the plate.

Boston's roster is loaded with left-handed hitters. Boston has Carlos Narváez, Connor Wong, Willson Contreras, Romy González, Ceddanne Rafaela and Trevor Story as the team's primary right-handed hitters. Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu, Marcelo Mayer and Triston Casas are all left-handed batters.

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With Alex Bregman walking out the door, the Red Sox lost a bit of balance in the middle of the order. That's part of the reason why the club has been linked to a handful of players since. Boston has a hole in the infield and has been tied to a handful of trade candidates, but The Athletic's Katie Woo and Will Sammon dropped an intriguing nugget of information on Wednesday while reporting that the club is "exploring the possibility" of adding a right-handed outfielder.

The Red Sox have work to do and only a little bit of time left

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"While acquiring a right-handed infielder stands as more of a priority for the Boston Red Sox, the club is also exploring the possibility of adding a right-handed hitting outfielder, league sources said," Woo and Sammon wrote. "The Red Sox lineup is generally left-handed heavy. Infield help in that regard is more of a need. But center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is Boston’s lone right-handed batting outfielder (aside from Nick Eaton, who profiles as a bench possibility). The rest of Boston’s outfield corps — Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida — all bat from the left side.

"Along with Grichuk, Starling Marte and Tommy Pham are among the right-handed batting outfielders remaining in free agency. Against lefties last season, Grichuk (34) had a .703 OPS, Marte (37) had a .733 OPS and Pham (37) had a .651 OPS. Over the last three seasons against lefties, Grichuk (501 plate appearances) owns a .857 OPS while Marte (356 plate appearances) checks in at .748 and Pham (418 plate appearances) is at .716."

As it stands right now, the Red Sox's roster isn't optimized. There's a surplus of outfielders to the point that someone like Yoshida doesn't even have a pathway to playing time. But there's a hole in the infield that is going to lead to playing time elsewhere. Adding another outfielder right now seems backward, unless there is a trade coming. With the volume of outfielders right now, the Red Sox don't even have a clear path for a designated hitter right now that isn't an outfielder. So, there really isn't space for another outfielder unless they are used as a bench bat without a big role.

There's still time before Spring Training. What is Craig Breslow cooking up?

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