Red Sox Hot Stove: Four Diamondbacks outfielders who could be a fit next season for Boston
The Red Sox reportedly have shown interest in adding another outfielder this offseason. The route the club may acquire an outfielder could come in the form of a trade.
On Saturday, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote a column indicating ways the Red Sox could rebuild their roster. One idea was by acquiring either Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds or one of the Diamondbacks young outfielders.
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“Trades are also possible. The Sox are among many teams to express interest in Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, as well as the Diamondbacks’ young outfield surplus, though the cost of either would be high,” wrote Speier.
The Diamondbacks have an abundance of outfielders and if the club is looking to trade one of them, Boston should inquire on any of them.
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Arizona has four left handed bats that could be regular contributors for them next season. All four could be options for Boston’s outfield in 2023.
Here’s a look at the four potential options the Red Sox could acquire from the Diamondbacks this offseason.
Jake McCarthy: One of the fastest players in the majors last season. The 25-year-old played in 99 games for Arizona last season. He hit .283 with 91 hits, 53 runs, 16 doubles, three triples, eight homers, 43 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and had a .769 OPS.
McCarthy was ranked as the DBacks No. 15 prospect by Baseball America in 2022. He was drafted in the supplemental 1st round (39th overall) in 2018 and signed for $1.65 million.
The Pennsylvania native is known for his speed and defense. Baseball America’s scouting report on McCarty:
“McCarthy’s best tools remain his defense in center field and his speed. He gets good reads and takes accurate routes in center and likely was the D-backs’ best defender in the majors at the position all season. In addition to his blazing speed—Statcast rated him among the Top 10 fastest players in baseball—McCarthy also is a smart, aggressive baserunner who looks to take the extra base. He tapped into more power than before thanks to his reworked swing; his 17 homers in 2021 were more than his previous career total in college and pro ball combined. It came with more swing and miss but club officials are hopeful that comes down as he continues to refine his swing.”
Alek Thomas: The left-handed hitting outfielder played in 113 games last season. He batted .231 with 88 hits, 45 runs, 17 doubles, one triple, eight homers, 39 RBIs and .619 OPS.
Offensively Thomas’s numbers don’t jump off the page. However, he’s another outfielder with plus-speed and has the ability to cover massive ground. He was ranked as the DBacks No. 3 prospect last year by Baseball America.
The Chicago native’s scouting report from Baseball America:
“He has quick, strong hands and that allows him to manipulate the barrel. He isn’t physically imposing but he regularly hits balls hard. Though the D-backs say he has tightened up his approach, Thomas remains an aggressive hitter who is looking to swing the bat and do damage. That said, he also owns a solid 10% walk rate in his career. Thomas’ swing has a lot of moving parts, including a pronounced leg kick. Defensively, Thomas uses his plus speed to cover wide swaths of ground in center field and gets good reads off the bat to project as a plus defender. His fringe-average arm is somewhat limiting but is fine in center.”
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Daulton Varsho: The Wisconsin native has been one of Arizona’s top prospect’s the last couple of seasons. Varsho followed up his rookie campaign by mashing 27 homers.
Last season he hit .235 with 125 hits, 79 runs, 23 doubles, three triples, 27 homers, 74 RBIs with a .745 OPS.
The left-handed slugger is a catcher but converted to the outfield because of Carson Kelly. He doesn’t have a particularly strong arm and would project better in left field for the Red Sox. Varsho would bring a power bat to the lineup that desperately needs more homers.
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Corbin Carroll: The Seattle native is arguably the best of the bunch listed. He made his major league debut in 2022, playing in 32 games hitting .260 with four homers and 14 RBIs and a .830 OPS.
Carroll has drawn comparisons to the likes of former Red Sox outfielders Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury, according to Baseball America.
He projects to hit towards the top of the lineup and “produces impressive slugging numbers despite his 5-foot-10, 165-pound stature by shooting balls into the gaps and down the lines for extra bases. He has a sort of effortless swing in which he simplifies his movements to generate high exit velocities with ease,” wrote Baseball America.
Carroll will likely cost the Red Sox the most in a trade. Varsho has power upside that the lineup desperately needs. Thomas feels like another Jarren Duran and seems the least likeliest to be acquired. McCarthy could be the one Boston lands out of the group. His speed would play in right field, Boston has said they want two center field types in the outfield.
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