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| J.D. Martinez |
Player 1: .315/.367/.548
This is Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada, who not only had a breakout season, but he also had the best offensive season I've seen from a Sox third baseman in my lifetime. Sure, Robin Ventura might have provided more overall value in the 1990s because he was an elite defender at the position, but it's hard to top the .915 OPS posted by Moncada in 2019.
One big key to this Moncada breakout: As a switch-hitter, he's no longer a pushover from the right side of the plate. In 2018, Moncada slashed .209/.287/.297 as a right-handed hitter. But this season, his right-handed line jumped all the way up to .299/.345/.500.
Now, I still expect opposing managers to bring in left-handed relievers to force Moncada to bat right-handed. After all, Moncada hit 21 of his 25 homers in 2019 as a left-handed hitter. And his left-handed slash line was a robust .322/.377/.569.
All that being said, Moncada is now the guy Sox fans want to see to the plate in late-and-clutch situations, and even from his weaker side, he's capable of doing damage to the opposition.
Player 2: .311/.372/.503
This slash line belongs to Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley. There's been a lot of talk about the Sox needing a productive left-handed bat to play a corner outfield position, and I can't help but think the team missed on that opportunity last season when Brantley was available.
The best left-handed corner outfield bats available in free agency this offseason are Corey Dickerson and Kole Calhoun. Neither of them is as good as Brantley. Perhaps the Sox should have been more aggressive in their pursuit of Brantley when he could have been had.
Now, it is possible Brantley wasn't interested in the Sox. Who would you rather sign with? The Astros or the Sox? One of the problems the Sox face is that they are not a destination for free agents, and that is the fault of ownership and the front office. They deserve criticism for not being able to "convert" on their targets, and that inability is about more than not being willing to spend money.
Player 3: .284/.330/.503
This is Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, who is a free agent this offseason. It is assumed he will be back with the club, but I have heard some fans express reservations about Abreu going forward, because he will be 33 years old when we reach Opening Day 2020.
The low on-base percentages over the past two seasons -- .325 and .330 -- are concerning. Abreu's career OBP is .349. However, Abreu led the Sox with 33 home runs and led the American League with 123 RBIs. This is a Sox team that ranked 13th in the league in home runs, and I don't think they are in position to be parting with *any* hitter who is capable of slugging .500 or better.
This doesn't mean give Abreu a five-year deal. That would be a mistake. I'd say two years, $30 million with an option for a third year gets it done.
Player 4: .335/.357/.508
Here is the slash line for Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. He walked 15 times all season and still won the batting title. I don't know if we'll ever see something like that again.
I'm guessing this was a career year for Anderson, but this was a significant step forward from the .240/.281/.406 line he posted in 2018. Regression is probably inevitable, but let's say Anderson finds a medium between his past two seasons and hits .290 with a .320 on-base percentage in 2020. If he does that, can we live it?
I think so, especially if he bats toward the bottom of the batting order and continues to supply some extra-base pop. Anderson had 18 home runs and 32 doubles this season, which is just fine for a shortstop.
Player 5: .256/.334/.462
This is San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, who decided to take San Diego's millions over the millions the Sox offered last offseason.
Some have pushed the narrative that the Sox are fortunate that they didn't sign Machado, because he had a down season in his first year with the Padres. I don't know. I think the Sox would have been a better team with Machado at third base and Moncada at second -- and light-hitting Yolmer Sanchez in the bench role where he belongs.
I don't subscribe to the theory that Moncada's offensive breakout has anything to do with his position change -- I think he was going to break out anyway. I will acknowledge that Moncada is better defensively at third base than he was at second.
The bottom line on the whole Machado saga is this: The Sox had a chance to prove that they are willing to spend in free agency last season, and they declined to do so. They have another chance this offseason. That doesn't mean they have to sign Gerrit Cole, but it does mean they have to spend the money this time. Finishing second for free agents isn't going to be acceptable anymore.
Player 6: .304/.383/.557
Speaking of free agents the Sox need to sign, the slash line above belongs to J.D. Martinez, who is likely to opt out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. Let me go on the record as saying Martinez is the free agent I most want the Sox to sign.
The numbers above are still pretty damn good, even in an age-32 season. And need I remind anybody that Sox DHs posted a .205/.286/.356 slash line in 2019? I think Martinez will age well, much like Nelson Cruz and Edwin Encarnacion. For years, the Sox have tried to force a square peg into a round hole at DH. They've signed National League hitters (Adam Dunn and Adam LaRoche) and watched them fail in the role, and it's clear Yonder Alonso had no idea how to adjust to the position.
So, why not bring in somebody who already has proven that he can DH? As we can see from these slash lines, Martinez will provide more offensive value than Machado, and he won't cost as much because of his lack of defensive value.
In fact, Martinez will have no National League suitors whatsoever. And the Astros, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels do not have an opening at DH. If Martinez opts out of Boston, where's he going to land? The way I see it, the most logical landing places are the Sox, Texas Rangers or Toronto Blue Jays.
I'm thinking four years, $100 million with a player opt-out after two years gets it done. Hey, that same contract lured Martinez to Boston, right?
Player 7: .260/.372/.510
This is Bryce Harper. He'd still look pretty good in right field for the Sox, you know. Much like Brantley, he was a lefty corner outfield bat that was available last offseason, and Sox brass just wasn't aggressive enough.
Granted, Harper was much more expensive than Brantley, and Brantley is arguably better, depending on what you value in a hitter. In that regard, a case can be made that Harper wasn't worth the money and years of commitment.
The main reason I'm putting him here, in fact, is to build my case for the Sox to sign Martinez. Martinez was a better hitter than Machado this past season. He was a better hitter than Harper, too. Just look at the slash lines.
If you sign Martinez, you've got the big bat you need for the center of your order, and you don't have to pay $330 million over 13 years. Then, if you want to sign a lesser hitter -- such as Dickerson -- as a secondary offseason free agent piece to fill right field, that suddenly becomes much more palatable.
You see, the Sox have multiple holes. As much as we'd all love to see a player such as Cole in the starting rotation, would you rather sign four or five good players to fill all these holes, or just sign one stud to play once every five days?
I'd like to sign the four or five good players. Depth and layers of depth looks far more appealing to me than a stars-and-scrubs approach.
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