Boston Red Sox: What’s on their 2022 post-lockout to-do list
The Boston Red Sox are coming off of a 92-win season in 2021 that came to an unfortunate end in the ALCS, losing to the eventual champion Houston Astros 4 games to 2.
The ‘Sox had six 3.0+ WAR performances from their 2021 roster as well as five players elected to the All-Star game, a number higher than any other team (tied with the Dodgers).
This is a Red Sox team that features star offensive players Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and Alex Verdugo in their lineup not to mention the always dangerous J.D. Martinez. On the pitching side of things, Matt Barnes and Garrett Whitlock are reliable bullpen arms and Nathan Eovaldi has looked excellent in his past two seasons in Red Sox-red. The club has already upgraded their rotation three times this offseason, signing James Paxton, Rich Hill, and Michael Wacha to one-year deals.
On the pitchers -- #RedSox have now added three depth starters in Michael Wacha, Rich Hill and (eventually) James Paxton. Wacha and Hill are one-year deals for a total of $12M. Paxton is a one-year deal with a two-year club option for 2023-24.
— Bill Koch (@BillKoch25) December 2, 2021
The Red Sox are contenders every year and last season was no different. One of the better teams in the American League, there are few noticeable holes in the club’s roster but there are three things that should be on their to-do list once the Major League Baseball lockout ends in 2022.
Re-sign Kyle Schwarber
28-year old Kyle Schwarber found himself off to a hot start in 2021, making his first All Star game and slugging 25 home runs through just 72 games as a Washington National. At the trade deadline the big lefty was flipped to the Red Sox in exchange for a minor league pitcher.
Schwarber instantly became a fan favorite in Boston as his walk numbers shot up, his strikeout numbers lowered, and he continued to be above average with his OBP (.435), SLG (.522) and OPS (.957). A catcher-turned outfielder, Schwarber began to see time at first base as a member of the Red Sox, making 10 appearances at the position down the stretch to go along with outings in left field and designated hitter.
The moment that cemented Kyle Schwarber’s place in the heart of every Boston Red Sox fan out there, however, was his huge grand slam in game 3 of the ALCS this past season. See the moment below in case you missed it.
While the Red Sox may have themselves a new everyday first baseman in Bobby Dalbec and the primary designated hitter in 2022 will be J.D. Martinez, the ‘Sox traded away Hunter Renfroe and now have a spot open in their lineup for Schwarber. It’s entirely possible that Alex Verdugo ends up in right field with Schwarber in left and a combination of Jackie Bradley Jr. and Jarren Duran (if he’s ready) in center.
Sergio Romo, 38, and Jeurys Familia, 32, are two pitchers that the Red Sox should target once the lockout is lifted and teams can begin negotiating with free agents again.
While the Boston Red Sox don’t appear to have any glaring holes on their projected 40-man roster per FanGraphs, I am a firm believer in the old saying “you can never have enough pitching”. Matt Barnes is the most experienced bullpen arm on the club and has functioned in a variety of roles throughout his career, but he seems to be best fit in a setup role for the team.
Romo, best known for his 3x World Series-winning run with the Giants from 2008-2016, has been around the league for what feels like forever. The sinkerballer will be entering his 15th season in the big leagues and really hasn’t seen much of a decline. Still one of the most durable pitchers in the game as he closes in on 40-years old, Romo appeared in 66 games this past season, sporting a 69% left on base-percentage rate and a 37.5% groundball rate while barely hitting 86mph on his fastball. The kind of closing experience Romo possesses would be invaluable to this Boston Red Sox team.
Jeurys Familia, another sinkerballer, is on the extreme opposite of the pitching spectrum as Sergio Romo. Familia, another hurler with extensive experience as a closer, regularly sits around 97mph with his sinker and throws a mean slider and splitter. Both pitches have crazy tails on them and sit around 90mph. Familia has the ability to prevent runs from scoring and inducing a lot of groundballs. In 2021, the big righty sported a 76% left on base-percentage and a 51% groundball rate in 65 appearances as well as 10.9 strikeouts-per-nine innings.
Durability is another key piece to Jeurys Familia’s profile, as he now has a total of six seasons (in a ten year career) in which he appeared in 65+ games. In today’s game where managers are not afraid to use their best bullpen pieces multiple days in a row, Familia would fit perfectly on the Boston Red Sox.
As if the other two former Oakland A’s mentioned (Familia and Romo) weren’t enough, the Boston Red Sox should sign super-utilityman Josh Harrison as their final major move of the post-lockout offseason.
It’s no secret that the Boston Red Sox love positional versatility more than most teams. The way they used Enrique Hernandez in 2021 is the perfect example, as they gave him looks at second base, shortstop, and center field.
Josh Harrison is capable of playing every single position on the diamond like Hernandez. The 34-year old has plenty of experience at second, third, shortstop, and the outfield corners in his career. In 2021, he added a little bit of center field to his arsenal as well.
All of this is said without mentioning his offensive capabilities. A two-time All Star, Harrison has double-digit home run potential and is almost always good for a .270+ batting average. He also does not strike out too often and is still a capable two-hole hitter in a Major League lineup.
Next. Red Sox look to protect themselves with Story. dark
The Red Sox already have Hernandez, Christian Arroyo, and even Bobby Dalbec as players who are capable of bouncing around at multiple positions but someone like Josh Harrison would fit in nicely thanks to his ability to play anywhere and the fact that his bat has not begun declining yet as he ages.