Yesterday, I wrote that I’m starting to accept the increasingly likely possibility that the Red Sox are not going to add an infielder before opening day, leaving second base to be covered by a platoon of Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton. It seems to me to be a clear case of roster mismanagement to enter the season with holes in the infield while the outfield remains overcrowded (arguably for the second year in a row). And yet, Craig Breslow doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, a new report says that the Red Sox are exploring
the possibility of adding yet another outfielder, specifically a right-handed one in an attempt to balance out the lineup. (Katie Woo, Will Sammon, The Athletic)
There’s no question that the Red Sox lineup could really use a right-handed bat, even if there doesn’t seem to be much room for one that doesn’t come with an infield glove. But they will begin the season with a little extra wiggle room in the DH rotation, as Triston Casas is not expected to be “full go” until at least the start of May. But that still leaves five players four four spots, even before any hypothetical right-handed outfielder is added to the mix. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
Perhaps they’re pivoting to the outfield because they’ve given up Isaac Paredes (to the extent that they were ever seriously in on him, that is). The General Manager of the Houston Astros, Dan Brown, recently stated that they are planning on having Paredes in the lineup this year, though the repeated “right nows” in this statement seem to leave a lot of wiggle room:
And let’s face it, beyond Paredes and the pipe dream of Nico Hoerner, there just isn’t that much exciting infield talent out there. Ramon Urias has been named as a possibility and the Sox have checked in on him, but they don’t seem too tempted and have shown only “lukewarm interest” in him. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Though the Sox have procrastinated in the infield, they continue to be very active in adding minor league pitchers. The latest addition is 33-year-old Kyle Keller, who has spent the last four years finding success as a reliever for the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants in Japan. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
