Red Sox ‘still engaged’ with free agent market as spring training games begin
The Red Sox are “still engaged” in the free agent market as spring training games are fully underway. With Opening Day a little more than a month away, Craig Breslow is still monitoring the free agent position and pitching market.
Cora confirmed to reporters on Monday that the club met with free agent pitcher Jordan Montgomery on Zoom two weeks ago.
“I think we’re working,” Cora said. “We’re working hard towards that. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. But we’ve been working hard the whole offseason. It’s not lack of trying. I’m telling you. It’s been a lot of meetings, a lot of conversations. Obviously (chief baseball officer) Craig (Breslow) has had a lot of conversations with agents. It’s where we’re at right now. We’re still engaged with position players, with pitchers. We’re trying to improve. And if there’s an opportunity to do that, I bet we’ll jump on it. But right now, it hasn’t kind of like worked out or we haven’t found a match.”
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The Red Sox have reportedly been looking for an additional right-handed hitter. Boston showed interest in infielder Gio Urshela who signed with the Tigers last week. The club had been connected to first baseman Garrett Cooper before he signed with the Cubs on Sunday night.
According to Marlins beat writer Craig Mish, the Red Sox “could have had him.,” when referring to Cooper on social media.
Free agent’s Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham and Michael A. Taylar are still available and options for the Red Sox if they elect to add external options.
Duvall appeared in 92 games for the Red Sox in total, he clubbed 21 home runs with 58 RBIs, 24 doubles, and a .247/.303/.531 slash line.
The Red Sox have internal right-handed hitting options to make the Opening Day roster. Bobby Dalbec who is coming off a strong 2023 season with the WooSox, is vying for a spot on the team.
Dalbec made only 53 plate appearances with the Sox in 2023. He mashed with the WooSox, batting .269 and smacked 33 homers with 79 RBIs this past season.
“He (Dalbec) has a chance to make this team,” Cora said to reporters last Tuesday at JetBlue Park. “I think versatility is coming into play. I think the outfield play we like. He did a good job in Triple A. Obviously the configuration of the stadium is different in Triple A but he did a good job. And we need a right-handed bat that can play in the corners and be versatile. So he has a shot to do it.”
Breslow echoed Dablec’s positional versatility during the GM Meetings following the regular season.
“The versatility is incredibly valuable and he balances out the lineup a little bit and hits the ball really hard,” Breslow told reporters. “I think he has had a track record of success in the minor leagues and, typically, really strong upper-level minor league performance is indicative of major league performance at some point. We have to figure out how to identify the right runway because those underlying characteristics are real.”
