Boston Red Sox fans have been clamoring for the organization to add more power to the middle of the lineup for quite some time. This offseason, the free agent market is weak, for the most part. However, there are a few intriguing players who could fit Boston’s needs.
One who has been talked about a lot recently has been three-time All-Star left fielder Randy Arozarena, who spent the last two-plus seasons as a member of the Seattle Mariners. Arozarena is 31 years old now, but will be the best bat heading to the open market this winter. Back in September, rumors began to surface indicating that Boston could be a team to watch in the Arozarena sweepstakes.
Ryan Divish of The Seattle Timesrecently added more fuel to the fire. While breaking down reasons why Arozarena will not return to Seattle, Divish put a specific focus on Boston.
“He will almost certainly be looking for full no-trade protection,” Divish wrote. “Teams like the Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Cubs all have known needs for a right-handed hitter. … Arozarena gave the Red Sox a nice three-game audition late in the season in Boston, going 6-for-15 with a double, two homers and eight RBI. Also his defensive limitations could be negated at Fenway Park, where he can play deep and run in on fly balls or turn and play them off the Green Monster. The Red Sox also have Ceddanne Rafaela, the reigning Gold Glove winner, and favorite to win it again, in center field and Wilyer Abreu, who is vying for his third straight Gold Glove, in right field. “
Divish also noted that Arozarena prefers to play on the East Coast.
There’s enough buzz out there to really consider this idea. Now, the question is: Should Boston actually make a play for Arozarena?
With the way the roster stands right now, Arozarena wouldn’t fit unless Boston made a move. Boston still has Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, Eli White and Jahmai Jones. Plus, Kristian Campbell and Nate Eaton are also on the 40-man roster. With all of those outfielders in town, it doesn’t make sense to pursue Arozarena, unless one or two are traded — or cut.
Duran would seemingly be the most likely trade candidate. Yoshida is another player to watch with now just one year left on his deal. Even if the Red Sox were to somehow move on from Duran and Yoshida, they would still have an outfield surplus if they added Arozarena, to pair with Anthony, Rafaela and Abreu. In this scenario, the obvious answer would be slotting either Anthony or Arozarena as the designated hitter most nights.
So, realistically, there is a path to an improved lineup by signing Arozarena and finding a way to offload Duran and likely Yoshida.
Picture a lineup that looks something like this:
- Roman Anthony, LF
- Adley Rutschman, C
- Willson Contreras, 1B
- Randy Arozarena, DH
- Wilyer Abreu, RF
- Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
- Curtis Mead, 2B
- Trevor Story, SS (or Franklin Arias)
- Caleb Durbin, 3B
That’s a very capable lineup. The next question would be the price tag.
Divish cited MLB sources and said that the expectation is that the All-Star slugger will get at least a four-year, $100 million deal with a fifth year potentially necessary. That’s the potential kicker here. First and foremost, the Red Sox will have to decide what to do with Sonny Gray, who has a $30 million mutual option with a $10 million buyout. The option isn’t likely to be picked up, but it’s a decision that will have to be made shortly after the World Series. Then, the Red Sox will have to make decisions on whether to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players, which will come with increases. Plus, what about Adley Rutschman? He only has one more season of control left and should be extended this winter.
There will be money coming off the books next year, but if the Red Sox were to sign Rutschman to an extension, it would surely be pricey — and potentially in the nine-figure range based on previous extensions given to 28-year-old star catchers. Boston should have enough money to frankly get any deal done. They are the Red Sox. But would two nine-figure deals make sense? If the Red Sox were to only offer one, it should be to Rutschman, who is three years younger and plays a position the Red Sox aren’t already stacked at. Plus, if Arozarena were to be offered the qualifying offer by the Mariners and decline it and then Boston signed him, it would lose a draft pick. Which just doesn’t seem like the right call.
From a pure offensive standpoint, Arozarena absolutely makes sense. The only things that complicate the idea are the finances and other changes needed in the outfield. With Arozarena being the top bat heading to the open market, there will surely be competition for his services. So, it’s realistic that the $100 million number is on the low end. If the price were to climb, Boston should arguably focus its internal options — namely Rutschman — and look to add power through the trade market instead.
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