The Red Sox have a logjam: Something has to give
The Red Sox are no strangers to fielding out good outfield talent in recent history. Over the years, they have developed the likes of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr. In the present day, they are about to enter a new era of young outfielders.
Jarren Duran is emerging. Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu have had their cup of tea in the big leagues. Newly acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill could be a long-term piece to build on. Masataka Yoshida provides great hitting but seems to be more of a designated hitter. If the Red Sox want to build an elite outfield for years to come, they have the pieces to do so.
That does not even mention the top prospects in their system. Roman Anthony and Miguel Bleis are undoubtedly top 5 on almost every list of Red Sox prospects. Anthony is the more eye-popping prospect as he had a massive 2023 season between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. Sox Prospects has his ETA at mid-2025, but many people think he can make it earlier.
Okay, that’s very cool. But a team can only commit to so many long-term pieces. The Red Sox have five potential long-term outfielders in Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, Anthony, and Bleis. But when they are all ready, where are they all going to play? Rafaela is the only player who can play shortstop, but in all likelihood will not due to the anticipation of Marcelo Mayer breaking out into a franchise shortstop. Also, Rafaela’s defense is elite in center field and has the potential to be one of the better defensive outfielders in the game.
And it is not just the outfield that has a logjam. Let’s pivot to the infield, where the situation is similar. Newly acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom shakes up the long-term infielder picture a whole lot. Assuming the Sox envision him to be a long-term piece, they have another logjam. Nick Yorke, another top Red Sox prospect, is expected to make his MLB debut in 2024, and plays second base. Another player to watch is Enmanuel Valdez, who had a decent 2023 campaign.
It is very clear: the Sox need to commit to players and trade the others. Let’s start with the outfield, where they have many talented players. One player that might not fit long-term is Rafaela. He slashed .302/.349/.520 in the minors last season and appeared in 28 games in the majors. Overall, solid numbers in the minor leagues and elite defense in center field. The issue with him is that people are worried about his approach. He does not walk much, and he has trouble with chasing pitches out of the zone.
Duran is another piece that the Sox could move, but they may value him as an outfielder of the future. He had a massive breakout season, slashing .295/.346/.482 with a ton of speed on the bases. The biggest question with him was if he was a one season wonder. Many people like what he brings to the plate and his speed, which is a massive game changer. He completely changed his career, which is only trending upwards. If the Red Sox do feel like his 2023 season is unsustainable, they could trade him for something of value, maybe even a decent pitcher with years of control.
One of the other pieces the Sox could move is Abreu, who was acquired in the trade that sent Christian Vazquez to the Astros. Abreu slashed .316/.388/.474 in 28 games in the majors last season. The Red Sox were going to sign him as an IFA in 2016, but couldn’t due to penalties the Red Sox were given. The point is the Red Sox clearly value something in Abreu if they were willing to not only draft him, but trade for him later on in his development. His amazing start in the bigs and tremendous upside could net a decent return, and possibly pitching, which the Sox clearly have an emphasis on.
Yorke is an interesting case, because he’s a borderline top 100 prospect and is one of the best prospects at second base in the game. After a disappointing 2022 campaign, he slashed .268/.350/.435 in 110 games in AA in 2023. The addition of Grissom makes his route to being an everyday major leaguer harder, but it is still too early since Yorke likely needs another full season in the minors. But if the Sox value Grissom and his potential over Yorke, look out for a potential trade involving Yorke in the near future.
So what do the Red Sox do now? There is not one answer, but it is clear: Something has to give. The pieces of the puzzle are slowly being discovered. The Red Sox can use their excess of players to fill other holes of the team, primarily pitching. Whether it be within the next year, month, week, or day, some of these pieces have to be moved in some way.
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