Boston Red Sox: Three Possibilities at Second Base
These are three possible players that could be suiting up at second base for the Boston Red Sox next season.
A sad part about baseball, and all sports, in fact, is when an iconic player breaks down and their career is negatively inflicted by constant injuries. For this generation, that happened to Prince Fielder, David Wright, Troy Tulowitzki, and Boston Red Sox legend Dustin Pedroia.
Pedroia, now 37, had a terrific prime before reoccurring knee issues. He was a four-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, four-time Gold Glove Award recipient, 2007 American League Rookie of the Year, and 2008 Silver Slugger and AL MVP.
When healthy, he was always considered one of the best second baseman in the league, especially defensively.
From 2006 to 2019, Pedroia has played in 1,512 games. He has slugged 140 h0me runs, 395 doubles, recorded 1,805 hits while hit .299 with a career .805 OPS.
Sadly, because of knee issues, Pedroia has not played at his potential since 2016, when he was 32. 2017 was shortened for him due to injury and he has played in just nine games since 2018. He was not on the playoff roster and did not receive a ring for the Boston Red Sox’ 2018 World Series title.
The Red Sox need to consider a full-time replacement at second base. They need to build for the future and unfortunately, that means a roster without Pedroia.
There are no elite second basemen on the market. So, realistically, the Red Sox are either going to choose an internal option or sign a one-year rental to man the position for 2021.
Here are three options at second base for the Boston Red Sox in 2021.
Michael Chavis
This internal option is one with much potential. Michael Chavis only played eight of his 42 games for the Boston Red Sox in 2020 at second base, but he did spend a lot of time at second in 2019.
2019 was Chavis’ rookie year. The natural third baseman has to slide over to second and first because Rafael Devers is at third for Boston. Chavis hit 18 home runs and had a .766 OPS. in just 95 games in 2019. He was not a stud defensively, but he can definitely man the position.
The Red Sox should give Chavis a chance and a full season to prove himself. He has shown he can be a consistent hitter.
Most importantly, Chavis is inexpensive. He is under team control through the 2025 season, since he has yet to reach arbitration. The Red Sox have been trimming the budget for the past two offseason.
Chavis will have Spring Training as an opportunity to prove himself, both offensively and defensively. If he looks sharp in February and March, then he will most likely earn a spot in their starting lineup.
There is a chance the Boston Reds Sox move Chavis to first, and then they would still need to address second. However, there a good chance that Chavis plays second and then they choose someone else to play first base.
Cesar Hernandez
DJ LeMahieu is the best second baseman on the market, but there is not a chance that the Boston Red Sox would shell out enough to lure him to town.
The next best free agent available, who is a natural second baseman, is veteran Cesar Hernandez.
Hernandez, 30, spent 2013 to 2019 with the Philadelphia Phillies and had a few decent seasons. He hit .283 in 2020 in 58 games, leading the AL in doubles with 20.
He is a .277 hitter with a career .736 OPS. in 890 games over eight seasons. His career high for home runs is 15, which he recorded in 2018.
This would be a realistic move for the Boston Red Sox because he is most likely going to sign a short-term, no more than two years, contract and he probably will not make more than $8 million a season. He could make slightly more, but he will most likely be on the less expensive side.
He would be a good hitter in the bottom half of their lineup behind Devers, JD Martinez, and Xander Bogaerts. He will be able to record a good number of RBIs.
Most importantly, Hernandez is very solid defensively, winning the 2020 AL Gold Glove Award. This will help strengthen Boston’s defense, as well as add to their depth.
Jonathan Schoop
Jonathan Schoop, 29, debuted for the Baltimore Orioles in 2013. He was an All-Star in 2017 when he slugged 32 homers and drove in 105 runs while hitting .293. He remained in Baltimore until 2018 until he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Through eight seasons and 846 games, he has 141 home runs, 415 RBIs, and has a .259 batting average.
In 2019, he played 121 games for the Minnesota Twins, slugging 23 home runs and driving in 59 runs. He was a very solid platoon player for Minnesota and helped them reach the playoffs.
His 2020 shortened season was cut even more due to a wrist injury caused by a hit by pitch. In just 44 games in 2020, Jonathan Schoop hit eight home runs, drove in 23 runs, and hit .278 for the Detroit Tigers.
Schoop, the Curacao-native, could be inexpensive and a smart option for the Red Sox. Schoop is not getting a contract longer than two years, if he is lucky enough to get an offer that long.
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He will probably have an annual salary of around $6 million and could provide much more of an impact If he plays at the level he has in the past. This could be a sneaky signing by the Boston Red Sox, given the low risk, high reward nature of such a deal.