The Boston Red Sox are creeping up on Spring Training, and they still haven't added a single right-handed slugger to the mix for the new season.
All apologies to Carlos Narvaez, who can hopefully be a serviceable backup catcher for Boston in his rookie season, but Red Sox fans were expecting more impactful right-handed bats. It was a primary goal of their offseason, but not all goals are easily accomplished.
After a season where Tyler O'Neill led the club with 31 home runs, the Red Sox were content to let the Baltimore Orioles steal their best power hitter. Now, O'Neill's former role on the team is unclaimed, and Boston has no righties returning to their roster who hit more than 15 home runs last year.
The Red Sox have already missed out on most free-agent impact bats, but one insider believes there's one right-handed outfielder out there who can still be a quality additon.
On Wednesday, MassLive's Chris Cotillo projected the Red Sox's 2025 roster, and he named former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder/designated hitter Randal Grichuk as the biggest remaining addition the Red Sox would make to their lineup.
"(Rob) Refsnyder’s role as a lefty-masher is important but the Red Sox still could use a righty-hitting veteran who can play outfield and get at-bats at designated hitter, too," Cotillo wrote. "Yes, Teoscar Hernández and Tyler O’Neill were ideal fits. Now, though, Randal Grichuk is probably the best of those options."
Grichuk, 33, hit .291 with 12 home runs and an .875 OPS last season in 106 games. 184 of his 279 plate appearances came against left-handed pitchers, so it's clear that he fits a platoon mold that the Red Sox have already deployed successfully with their use of Refsnyder.
Ultimately, though Grichuk isn't the potential All-Star many fans were clamoring for, he could still be a useful piece to help the Red Sox get closer to the playoffs in 2025. But that won't stop some from being upset that the front office didn't spend bigger on free agents with more proven track records.
