Red Sox' Bobby Dalbec officially becomes a free agent
Red Sox' Bobby Dalbec officially becomes a free agent
Bobby Dalbec is finally a free agent and will be able to sign with any team this offseason.
The former fourth round pick during the 2016 MLB draft opted to become a minor league free agent. Dalbec had been looking for the Red Sox to trade him the last couple of seasons, seeking a fresh start and the ability to have consistent playing time in the majors.
Dalbec almost had his wish granted this past season after he was designated for assignment when the Red Sox added pitcher Richard Fitts to the 40-man roster. The slugger went unclaimed and was outrighted back to Triple-A Worcester, where he finished out the campaign.
Dalbec burst on the scene during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, bashing eight homers in 80 at-bats (23 games). He followed that up with a strong rookie season, playing in 133 games, belting 25 homers with 78 RBI with a .792 OPS.
Since his rookie season, Dalbec has hit just 14 homers, 13 doubles, two triples, 48 RBI, .599 OPS with 198 strikeouts in 175 games for Boston. He has a 36.8% strikeout percentage in the majors, punching out 384 times in 1,044 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs.
During his time with the Red Sox, Dalbec played in 331 games where he hit .222 with 47 homers, 37 doubles, seven triples, and 142 RBI with a .425 OPS.
It’s possible that Dalbec could look to leverage his power and play overseas in Japan and get paid more than accepting a minor league pact with a MLB club.
