For a second season in a row, the Boston Red Sox made it to the postseason. For the second season in a row, they were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the New York Yankees. It’s clear something needs to change on the roster.
The most glaring issue for the Red Sox as it stands was a lack of power in the lineup. Injuries didn’t help, but from the start of the season, hitting for power was a major concern. That became a major issue once again in the postseason.
For CBO Craig Breslow, there have been some struggles pursuing free agents. So, it might make some sense for him to lean on trading with other teams, where Breslow has found more success, even if there are misses there, too.
The Boston Red Sox Were Urged to Pursue Bryce Harper
The primary concern for the Red Sox has been power hitting from the right-hand side of the plate. Finding players who can balance out a lineup full of left-handed hitters and take advantage of the Green Monster in left. Still, if you can get a two-time MVP, you tend not to mind what side of the plate they hit from.
There have been rumors that the Philadelphia Phillies are open to moving Bryce Harper. It was with that in mind that Patrick McAvoy of Sports Illustrated suggested the Red Sox add their name to the list of contenders for Harper.
“The same can be said about Harper,” McAvoy wrote. “Acuna has just two seasons of control left. Harper has five years left on his deal and a no-trade clause. There’s been rumblings about Harper. If the Phillies actually listen on him, Boston should be first in line.”
Harper is coming off a season where he hit .269 with an .865 OPS. He also had 29 home runs and 87 RBIs. That was in 162 games of action. It was good enough to make the All-Star team, but is still a far cry from his MVP seasons, when he was putting up 1.044 OPS and 1.109 OPS campaigns. Now going into his age 34 season, he’s still hitting better than anyone the Red Sox have in their lineup, but definitely on the downswing of his career.
Harper also offers some positional versatility. He played both first base and outfield a season ago. The Red Sox don’t need more outfielders, and Willson Contreras should be back at first base. Still, Harper could be a massive boost at DH as well.
The major issue in all of this is Harper’s contract. He has a no-trade clause. So, you’d want to be confident he’d waive that before putting in the effort. He’s also still owed an average salary of about $25 million over the next five seasons. So, you’d be betting on him staying worth that deal through his age 38 season.
This Offseason is Vital for the Red Sox
Making a move on Harper would show that Breslow and the Red Sox are taking this offseason as seriously as it needs to be taken. Losing to the Yankees in the postseason, and settling for a Wild Card slot, can’t be something that they’re content with.
Breslow, of course, knows that. He was on the hot seat for much of last season. Now, with his chosen manager of Chad Tracy in place, it’s time to improve and get over the hump. That makes the moves Breslow makes this offseason vital.
Of course, the Collective Bargaining Agreement also hangs over the offseason for all of MLB. How that changes the speed teams work, as well as how they want to build their rosters, remains to be seen.
Red Sox Urged to Pursue Two-Time MVP During Vital Offseason