Boston Red Sox Rumors: Kyle Schwarber would fit in perfectly
By Tim Boyle
According to the latest Boston Red Sox rumors, the defending AL East Champions have now turned their attention to acquiring Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber.
Baseball is as much a chess match as it is a game of poker. The New York Yankees raised the stakes to a new level when they went out and acquired Giancarlo Stanton in a deal with the Miami Marlins this weekend. Now it’s up to the Boston Red Sox to see if they can make an equally as impactful move. Can they keep up with the new generation of Bronx Bombers? Will these Boston Red Sox rumors come to fruition?
Per Scott Lauber of ESPN, Kyle Schwarber is in the mix to join the Red Sox next season. Boston Red Sox rumors state they have interest in using the Chicago Cubs slugger as a first baseman/DH. By the looks of it, the left-handed hitting ex-catcher would fit in just right.
Although he was worth 0 WAR last season, Schwarber added wins to standings. His poor defense dragged down the all-encompassing statistics. Because he was relegated to left field for nearly every defensive inning he played, Schwarber caught a raw deal numerically.
At the plate, Schwarber did show signs of a struggle. He finished the season with a .211/315/.467 slash line but made some amends with his first 30 home run season. Through his first 200 MLB games, it’s clear what his weaknesses are and where his strengths lie.
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The Red Sox can afford to have a guy hitting below .250 on their roster if he is capable of hitting 30 home runs in his sleep.
Not a single member of the 2017 season reached that mark, and at times it made things a little more difficult.
Thankfully, their pitching and timely hitting bailed them out.
Next year, circumstances could change. As anyone who has gone on Twitter in the last day has seen, Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez nearly hit more home runs the entire Red Sox roster last year.
It’s time to fight fire with fire, attempting to trade for Schwarber then seeing where else they can add in the power department. Bringing J.D. Martinez to town is still a possibility even with Schwarber on the roster.
Any of these moves would force the Red Sox to sacrifice their defense more than they’d like. However, they must weigh the positives that come with pure home run hitters.
Next: Giancarlo Stanton: Miami Marlins, Yankees trade terrible for MLB?
If a trade for Schwarber is still out of the question, perhaps Derek Jeter will throw a little gasoline on the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry by dealing Marcell Ozuna to Beantown.