Red Sox Insider Has Bizarre Free Agency Plan To Solve Strikeout Crisis

The speculation phase of free agency is in high gear

Mar 12, 2022; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs assistant general manager Craig Breslow arrives during a spring training workout at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Just about anyone who followed the Boston Red Sox this season would agree the team struck out far too often.

The Red Sox had the eighth-most strikeouts in the sport this season, but they had 394 of them with runners in scoring position, 31 more than any other team in the game. It's a problem that needs course correction, and it becomes more difficult to solve in tandem with Boston's lack of power.

However, not all solutions are created equal, and one Red Sox insider posed a free-agency idea that could be a huge mistake for this Boston team.

Red Sox urged to consider Luis Arraez

Sep 24, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez (4) hits a single during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive suggested that San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez, a three-time batting champion who almost never strikes out, could be a good fit for the Red Sox in free agency this winter.

"The prediction here is that the Red Sox retain Story, but not Bregman, who signs a big deal elsewhere," Cotillo wrote. "That forces Boston to be even more aggressive in its other pursuits, including for a bat, likely one that can play first base.

"Arraez is an interesting name to watch here because he can play first and second and makes more contact than anyone else in the big leagues. Power and defense, of course, are not his calling cards, but he’d help a team with strikeout issues."

For a certain faction of baseball fandom, Arraez is something of a hero. In an era where almost no one bats .300, he's got a career average of .317, and his 3.1% strikeout rate this season was almost preposterously low.

However, he's also a one-tool player. He doesn't draw walks. He doesn't hit home runs. He doesn't provide value on the basepaths. And he's one of the worst defenders in the game at both first base and second (negative-60 career outs above average).

Wins above replacement is not a perfect stat, but the fact that Arraez was worth just 1.3 WAR despite batting .292 this year is a sign that the Red Sox should run as fast as they can in the other direction.

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