Pink Sox
The Pink Sox need assistance throughout the diamond after two straight last-place finishes.
When the baseball world descends upon Nashville for the Winter Conferences on Monday, nearly the entire focus might be on the place the celebrities will find yourself.
Will Yoshinobu Yamamoto decide his new dwelling subsequent week? May the Padres really commerce Juan Soto, and in that case, the place? And, most significantly, is Shohei Ohtani going to decide on the place he’ll play subsequent?
All of these questions may very well be answered throughout the subsequent week. However there are a number of different free brokers that can probably be selecting their subsequent properties as effectively. With the Pink Sox coming off two last-place finishes, they actually can use the entire assist they will get.
So, listed below are under-the-radar free-agent choices for the Pink Sox to focus on.
Whit Merrifield
Perhaps this one is simply too easy, or Merrifield isn’t essentially beneath the radar, nevertheless it makes loads of sense for the Pink Sox.
Outdoors of Trevor Story’s one-year stint with Xander Bogaerts nonetheless on the town in 2022, Boston hasn’t had an everyday beginning second baseman since Dustin Pedroia’s final 100-game season in 2017.
Merrifield, who turns 35 in January, would ideally give the Pink Sox a short-term choice on the place. He hits for common, together with his .284 profession batting common being the Twenty second-best amongst lively hitters.
After having his worst season on the plate in 2022, Merrifield acquired on observe in 2023, slashing .272/.318/382 to earn the third All-Star nod of his profession. Nonetheless, Merrifield’s stats did take a little bit of a dip within the second half of the season, slashing .256/.286/.370.
Merrifield’s bat may very well be a very good match at Fenway, and he did hit higher final season on the street than he did at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays’ dwelling stadium. He’s hit .308 with a .830 OPS and three homers in 22 profession video games at Fenway.
Merrifield’s additionally been a strong fielder at second base over his profession, recording 17 outs above common on the place since he turned an enormous leaguer in 2016. On prime of all the things, Merrifield’s persistently been dependable to play, enjoying at the least 139 video games in every 162-game season since his rookie yr.
Eddie Rosario
If the Pink Sox wish to transfer Masataka Yoshida to be their designated hitter on a extra common foundation, Rosario can be a very good short-term choice to switch him in left subject.
The veteran has largely had a strong bat over his nine-year profession, slashing .268/.305/.460 and has some first rate pop with 159 homers in 1,030 profession video games. He was a sneaky vital contributor to among the Braves’ latest success as effectively, profitable NLCS MVP for his efficiency in opposition to the Dodgers within the 2021 playoffs.
This previous season marked one other strong yr on the plate for the right-handed hitter. He slashed .255/.305/.450 with 21 homers, marking the fourth time within the six seasons he’s performed 100 video games that he’s hit at the least 20 homers.
On the very least, the 32-year-old would give the Pink Sox a right-handed bat in an outfield that’s largely stuffed with lefties. But when they determined to make Yoshida a full-time designated hitter, Rosario can be a serious enchancment defensively as effectively. His three outs above common final season had been the third-best amongst all left fielders. Although Rosario’s outs above common had been barely under zero within the three seasons prior, it might nonetheless mark an enchancment over Yoshida, who had minus-eight outs above common final season.
Mitch Garver
If the Pink Sox are positive with holding Yoshida in left however desire a youthful choice at designated hitter, Garver might actually present comparable manufacturing that Justin Turner gave them final season.
Garver was simply one of many many plus hitters within the Rangers’ lineup en path to profitable the World Sequence in 2023. He slashed .270/.370/.500, including 19 homers however solely performed 87 video games as he missed almost two months because of a knee damage. Nonetheless, he closed out the season simply positive, slashing .226/.317/.434 with three homers and 14 RBIs through the postseason, arising large in numerous spots over every collection with a clutch hit in every.
In fact, it’s doable that Garver’s 2023 might simply be the results of sturdy hitting over a comparatively small pattern dimension. However whereas the 2023 season was arguably the perfect in Garver’s seven-year profession, he’s additionally slashed .252/.342/.483 over his profession.
There are a few issues although surrounding Garver. Whereas he might additionally double as an emergency catcher for the Pink Sox, he’s additionally had some damage issues over time because of enjoying the place, enjoying simply over 100 video games in a season simply as soon as in his profession. He’s additionally performed little or no first base, one thing Turnder did final season to fill in for Triston Casas in opposition to lefties.
If the Pink Sox had been on the lookout for a delegated hitter choice who might play some first base, Rhys Hoskins would most likely be the higher goal. However the Phillies slugger is coming off an ACL tear that compelled him to overlook the whole 2023 season.
Lucas Giolito
Even when the Pink Sox signal Yamamoto or Jordan Montgomery, they’ll probably want so as to add one other arm to the rotation. In actual fact, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has even admitted as a lot.
One factor is obvious: The Pink Sox want beginning pitchers who can eat innings. Giolito could be the best choice to try this exterior of the highest couple teams of starters this offseason.
The best-handed pitcher has thrown for at the least 170 innings in 4 of the final 5 162-game seasons. Within the one season he didn’t hit that mark, Giolio pitched 161 2/3 innings. So yeah, he can actually give the bullpen a lighter workload when it’s his flip within the rotation.
However there clearly ought to be some concern with Giolioto. After a three-year stretch the place he was top-of-the-line beginning pitchers within the American League, the 29-year-old has had a tough final couple of seasons. He’s posted almost a 5.00 ERA every year, going 19-24 as he gave up a league-leading 41 homers final season.
Nonetheless, Giolioto was having one other strong season earlier than he was traded to the Angels forward of the deadline and was claimed by the Guardians off waivers a month later. He went 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA with a 1.223 WHIP, and 131 strikeouts in 121 innings, so possibly he simply must be in a single spot for a complete season.
Michael Lorenzen
In the same vein as Giolito, the veteran right-hander may very well be middle-to-back of the rotation choice for the Pink Sox to eat some innings.
Lorenzen has settled into being extra of a full-time beginning pitcher during the last two seasons, recording 43 begins. Whereas he isn’t the innings eater Giilito is, Lorenzen has averaged somewhat greater than 5 2/3 innings per begin during the last two years.
Just like Gioliot although, Lorenzen was having a strong season in 2023 earlier than being traded. The soon-to-be 32-year-old went 5-7 with a 3.58 ERA, 83 strikeouts, and a 1.098 WHIP throughout his time with the Tigers earlier than being traded to the Phillies.
In one in all his first begins in Philadelphia, Lorenzen pitched a no-hitter. However issues went downhill after that, going 4-2 with a 5.51 ERA throughout his regular-season stint with the Phillies. He solely pitched out of the bullpen for the Phillies within the postseason as effectively.
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