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Back in Spring Training, who would have guessed the starting rotation would be the strength of the team? The rotation ought not to be wasted, so it’s worthwhile to upgrade the roster to shore up weaknesses.
To me, the biggest weakness is the lack of left-handed run producing power outside of Moncada and occasionally Grandal. Moreover, the position with the greatest opportunity to upgrade is the outfield.
Vaughn hits LHP with authority, but RHP eats him alive. Conversely, Eaton hits RHP well, but struggles against LHP. There’s the making of a platoon here, at least for this season. So how about getting a LH hitting OF who can play RF?
I think there are a few clear trade targets:
Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers: A true three outcome player; plays solid RF defense; his LH pull power would take advantage of the apparent wind currents to RF at Guaranteed Rate Field. He strikes out a ton and the shift suppresses his average on ground balls, but the Sox have a number of table setters who can get on base ahead of him. The Rangers are familiar with our system given the recent deals between the clubs (Mazara for Steele Walker, and Lynn for Dunning).
Brian Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates: Switch hitter capable of playing multiple positions; hits for good average and also walks; relies on high exit velocity line drives to sustain a high BABIP. The fact that he’s still pre-arbitration means he’d cost a lot in trade, but even if/when Cespedes and/or Colas are ready to assume an OF spot, at worst Reynolds would be a better, younger, cheaper upgrade over Leury Garcia. Probably would cost the most in trade but Pittsburgh often takes quantity over quality when acquiring prospects, which lines up with what we could offer.
Tyler Naquin, Cincinnati Reds: Should be familiar to Sox fans given that he played with Cleveland previously. Plays all over the outfield and as a LH hitter he hits RHP better. He’s slugging .528 so far this year. Arb-eligible for 2022. The Reds have a surplus of OFs but they probably want MLB-ready pitching in return since they aren’t buried in the standings.
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies: Turns 35 on July 1 and has player options for 2022 ($21M) and 2023 ($10M), which likely means the Rockies would let him go for cheap. Spray charts suggest he’d be able to take advantage of the wind to RF at GRF. Also, there’s a lot less ground to cover defensively at GRF than at Coors, so his defense would play up. The fact that they are totally buried under the Giants, Padres, and Dodgers suggests they might be willing to accept a high-risk/high-upside A-ball prospect in return.
What other interesting LH RFs might be available?
To me, the biggest weakness is the lack of left-handed run producing power outside of Moncada and occasionally Grandal. Moreover, the position with the greatest opportunity to upgrade is the outfield.
Vaughn hits LHP with authority, but RHP eats him alive. Conversely, Eaton hits RHP well, but struggles against LHP. There’s the making of a platoon here, at least for this season. So how about getting a LH hitting OF who can play RF?
I think there are a few clear trade targets:
Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers: A true three outcome player; plays solid RF defense; his LH pull power would take advantage of the apparent wind currents to RF at Guaranteed Rate Field. He strikes out a ton and the shift suppresses his average on ground balls, but the Sox have a number of table setters who can get on base ahead of him. The Rangers are familiar with our system given the recent deals between the clubs (Mazara for Steele Walker, and Lynn for Dunning).
Brian Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates: Switch hitter capable of playing multiple positions; hits for good average and also walks; relies on high exit velocity line drives to sustain a high BABIP. The fact that he’s still pre-arbitration means he’d cost a lot in trade, but even if/when Cespedes and/or Colas are ready to assume an OF spot, at worst Reynolds would be a better, younger, cheaper upgrade over Leury Garcia. Probably would cost the most in trade but Pittsburgh often takes quantity over quality when acquiring prospects, which lines up with what we could offer.
Tyler Naquin, Cincinnati Reds: Should be familiar to Sox fans given that he played with Cleveland previously. Plays all over the outfield and as a LH hitter he hits RHP better. He’s slugging .528 so far this year. Arb-eligible for 2022. The Reds have a surplus of OFs but they probably want MLB-ready pitching in return since they aren’t buried in the standings.
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies: Turns 35 on July 1 and has player options for 2022 ($21M) and 2023 ($10M), which likely means the Rockies would let him go for cheap. Spray charts suggest he’d be able to take advantage of the wind to RF at GRF. Also, there’s a lot less ground to cover defensively at GRF than at Coors, so his defense would play up. The fact that they are totally buried under the Giants, Padres, and Dodgers suggests they might be willing to accept a high-risk/high-upside A-ball prospect in return.
What other interesting LH RFs might be available?
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