The Boston Red Sox have one of the best starting-pitching rotations in baseball. They have Gold Glovers at nearly every outfield position. Their manager is a multi-time World Series champion.
Yet, Boston’s offense is holding it back, and former MLB general manager and columnist for The Athletic Jim Bowden discussed by the Sox need an offensive upgrade if they are going to reach the postseason.
The Red Sox are in last place in the American League after 12 games and are averaging fewer than four runs per game. Their team OPS is .666, tied for 19th in MLB, despite Wilyer Abreu’s American League-leading 33 total bases.
Jim Bowden: The Red Sox Need a Bat
Bowden accepted questions in his weekly mailbag, and a Red Sox fan asked about their struggling offense. Bowden mentioned Boston’s loss of Alex Bregman, who was both a strong third baseman and clubhouse leader in his lone year with the Red Sox, as the type of player the Red Sox need.
“The Red Sox need another bat and a team leader,” Bowden wrote. “They really miss third baseman Alex Bregman, who signed with the Cubs in the offseason.”
Bowden took Boston executive Craig Breslow to task for not pivoting to former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette, who signed with the New York Mets. He also has a specific position in mind for them to target.
“Yes, they need another bat if they want to make the playoffs,” Bowden wrote. “I think the Red Sox should be working hard at improving third base to free up Caleb Durbin to be a super-utility player.”
There Will Be Third Basemen for the Red Sox to Target via Trade
The Red Sox missed the opportunity to re-sign Bregman and lock up Bichette. They also missed out on trading for Nolan Arenado and lost a golden opportunity to sign Eugenio Suarez, who could have been a dominant right-handed power bat at Fenway Park but instead left the Seattle Mariners for the Cincinnati Reds.
But Breslow will still have an opportunity to trade for a third baseman if he decides that is his preferred position of need.
Matt Shaw, who is playing the super-utility role for the Chicago Cubs, would be a fit for Boston at his natural position, which ironically was filled by Bregman. Plus, Shaw is versatile enough to play multiple positions for Boston while primarily playing the hot corner.
The Red Sox and New York Mets each have a kinship in their anti-New York Yankees sentiment. But the Red Sox could also target Mark Vientos, who has been the subject of trade rumors and likely would not cost as much in terms of prospects.
Other names will come up as well, since the trade deadline is still three-and-a-half months away. But with the Yankees off to an 8-3 start, and the Red Sox in a division with the reigning AL-champion Toronto Blue Jays, they could be in danger of falling out of contention without an offensive upgrade — even with the six-team postseason field.
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