Latest On The Red Sox Search For Position Players

"With now in the rotation, the expectation is that the Red Sox will now move onto adding a prominent bat as the next item on their to-do list, with such major names as Pete Alonso, J.T. Realmuto, Kazuma Okamoto, and former Boston players Alex Bregman and Kyle Schwarber linked to the team. Reports indicate that the Sox might try to acquire more than one player from that group, but Alex Speier of the Boston Globe also lays out a different path."

"Speier cites Jorge Polanco as a model for this type of addition, so it would seem like the idea is still to add a prominent everyday bat rather than a true platoon type, for instance. But, someone like Polanco wouldn't be as expensive as the other free agent targets, and an older player (Polanco turned 32 last July) on a shorter-term contract might have more appeal for a Boston team deep in younger position players."

"For instance, if the Red Sox signed Alonso and Polanco, they'd have first base covered with Alonso, Trevor Story returning at shortstop, Polanco toggling between second and third base, and Marcelo Mayer able to gain playing time at whichever position Polanco wasn't playing. Re-signing Bregman would create an infield alignment of Bregman at third base, Story at shortstop, Mayer probably as the primary second baseman, and Polanco perhaps getting some time at first base."

With the rotation stabilized, the team intends to prioritize adding a prominent everyday bat, with names such as Pete Alonso, J.T. Realmuto, Kazuma Okamoto, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Schwarber linked as targets. The team may pursue multiple additions, but an alternative approach is signing one high-profile bat plus an additional complementary position player. Jorge Polanco exemplifies the complementary type: an everyday, versatile infielder who costs less and could be signed to a shorter-term deal, fitting a roster with younger position players. Different infield alignments become possible depending on which combination of bats is added, while Trevor Story appears locked at shortstop.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors