Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox 'Not Meaningfully In' For Marquee Slugger After Signing Elsewhere

Boston could've used the slugger
Scott Neville|
Red Sox 'Not Meaningfully In' For Marquee Slugger After Signing Elsewhere
Red Sox 'Not Meaningfully In' For Marquee Slugger After Signing Elsewhere

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox's offseason has been a massive disappointment thus far, namely due to the false perception that ownership had been reinvigorated after back-to-back last-place finishes in the American League East.

In reality, the ownership group has never cared less about the current product and continues to slash payroll. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow even admitted how poor his first offseason has gone to date. A winter in which the Red Sox seemingly showed little-to-know aggressiveness -- even for players they reportedly had strong interest in.

The trend has continued right up to spring training, as Boston let an impactful right-handed slugger head elsewhere. Outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler reportedly inked a three-year deal with the San Francisco Giants and the Red Sox seemingly did little to prevent the West Coast partnership.

"For what it's worth: Red Sox were not meaningfully in on Jorge Soler at the end of his free agency," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported Tuesday.

Breslow has been adamant about the team's need for a right-handed hitter all offseason but also mentioned the ideal candidate having positional versatility. Soler was the best right-handed bat on the market but profiles more as a designated hitter than someone who can play all three outfield spots.

Soler became more of a logical fit when the Red Sox passed on outfielders such as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernández earlier in free agency. 

At this juncture, it appears that the plan to replace Justin Turner's production -- .276/.345/.455 with 96 RBIs and a 114 OPS+ -- is to simply hope that in-house candidates evolve. 

That could mean a step up from Masataka Yoshida -- who will take the primary DH reps -- or someone such as Wilyer Abreu to dominate in their first full season. 

Those beliefs align with the rest of the team-building philosophy this offseason -- do nothing and hope for the better. There are some young controllable players poised for big years in 2024 but the unwillingness to supplement talent with external help remains perplexing. 

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly 'Listening To Offers' For Trio Of Impact Players

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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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