Red Sox Free Agent Rumors: The Red Sox do not need Alex Bregman

If there’s one factor that’s loads crowded with moveable expertise, it’s Boston’s infield. On the Main League stage, this rings true, however when occupied with every little thing that Boston has ready for them within the excessive majors — one thing that they’ve spent YEARS growing — I personally assume it makes much less sense than ever to exit and spend massive on an getting old participant with out even getting the possibility to see what Boston’s homegrown expertise can do within the majors.

Whereas I fully perceive the frustration with Boston’s lack of spending, disappointment shouldn’t play into decision-making this deeply. Alex Bregman is an efficient participant, he actually is! However actually, anybody chasing him so onerous and feeling determined to get him in Boston is overcompensating for what’s been a couple of years of frustration. Final season, the Sox signed Tyler O’Neill, which was nice! However they wanted one other piece. This yr they misplaced him, and that basically sucks. However this time, they don’t essentially must discover a alternative for him AND an improve elsewhere to get again on observe. Moderately, they’ve loads of choices ready within the wings who want to show themselves and break into the Majors.

Picture by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Pink Sox/Getty Pictures

Whereas this course of clearly takes time and will lead to probably some early frustration, I don’t perceive the aim of doubtless blocking Kristian Campbell and/or Marcelo Mayer from the massive leagues, a soar they’ve been ready to make for a really very long time, only for the purpose of proving that this entrance workplace will spend cash. They’ll do that with out giving a $150 million contract to a declining man who additional congests an already crowded infield. It simply is not sensible to spend that form of cash on somebody who would (most likely) be your second third baseman and shortstop and only a short-term presence at second.

As an alternative, Boston might signal somebody like Ha-Seong Kim, which might give them the right-hander who’s profitable towards lefties that they’re searching for with O’Neill gone and within the Bregman chase. Now, Kim is presently injured after tearing his labrum in August and present process surgical procedure in October, making his comeback scheduled to occur someday between April and June. Clearly, this doesn’t convey any enchancment to Boston’s Opening Day lineup, however it will definitely brings the reinforcement they’ll want as competitors begins to ramp up.

It additionally lets them check out some prospects early within the season whereas understanding they’ve a vital fail-safe with Kim to return after the primary couple of months — which is the method that makes probably the most sense to me at this level. You’ve spent years ready for these guys to make it to the massive leagues, spent all final yr dreaming about seeing them in motion… what’s the purpose in making an even bigger title acquisition now that you just’ve obtained what you’ve been ready years for? Clearly, you must all the time be seeking to improve your lineup, be higher than you had been earlier than, or higher than you even are inside a season. However I don’t assume a 5 or six-year Bregman deal goes to age very nicely, and I’m not prepared to take the danger of that for an improve that appears massive within the meantime, however somewhat linear for the numerous future.

Everybody has each proper to be upset on the Red Sox for not spending a lot this offseason, particularly because the Dodgers splash away on the West Coast in their very own kiddie pool of enjoyable. However the upgrades Boston has made have suited their wants, and simply because they’re not massive and flashy doesn’t imply they’re not some good upgrades to a crew that was on the verge of being one thing final yr (till they forgot play baseball in Colorado). This crew can be higher than the previous few years with what it’s now, and one other addition that doesn’t clog up the infield as a lot as Bregman would is a perfect piece that’s greater than doable within the final couple of months of free company.