The Boston Red Sox fell just short in 2016, losing to the Cleveland Indians three games to none in the ALDS. While there aren’t many obvious holes in their team, there are some players that they could choose to move to replace David Ortiz, improve their bullpen in front of Craig Kimbrel, or replenish their farm system.
Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald predicts that a few major Red Sox could be on the move this offseason. While he lists starting pitchers Clay Buchholz and Drew Pomeranz as well as lefty-hitting infielder Travis Shaw, he mentions two players whom the Mets could be very interested in.
The first player he mentions is 26 year-old center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. He was very productive this season, which included an impressive 29-game hitting streak, the longest such streak in the Show. He finished his first All Star season with a .267/.349/.486 slash line with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs.
The Red Sox also have Gold Glover Mookie Betts in right field (who can play an exemplary center field), and tongue-twister Andrew Benintendi, a natural center fielder who slid over to left field in 2016.
Also, entering the second year of a two-year contract with the Sox is former Met Chris Young. If the Red Sox were to trade JBJ, they would still have a strong defensive outfield with Young in left, Benintendi in center, and Betts in right. The Red Sox could deal from a strength, their outfield, in order to improve other areas.
Bradley Jr. still has four more years under team control, and will make approximately $3 million in 2017. With the Mets aiming to trade Jay Bruce, as well as the enigma that is Michael Conforto, acquiring JBJ could turn out to be a good move.
Blake Swihart is another Sox player the Mets could be interested in, and Mastrodonato says he could be on the move as well.
The Red Sox have catchers Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez, so again, they could deal from a strength here. Swihart, 24, also played some left field in 2016 because they wanted his strong bat in the lineup but had the other two behind the plate.
In limited MLB exposure in 2016, Swihart batted .258/.365/.355 with no home runs and three triples in 19 games. He hurt his ankle in left field early in the season, severely curtailing his playing time. Though, the Red Sox say that he will be 100% healthy entering spring training, and will be a catcher.
Most of Swihart’s value comes in his bat despite his solid defense behind the plate. In six minor league seasons, the switch-hitter slashed .283/.340/.418 with 23 home runs and 178 RBIs. Scouts see a lot of potential in his bat, and as he is still only 24 years old, he could certainly fulfill it.
The Mets catching situation currently includes Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Plawecki, and Rene Rivera. While Rivera proved to be a solid defensive backup and fantastic veteran presence in 2016, the young backstops have severely underproduced since being called up to the Show.
Sandy Alderson has said that he will be sticking with d’Arnaud going into 2017, however if the opportunity to acquire Swihart arises, he could feasibly pursue it. Furthermore, the Mets outfield is currently crowded, but there’s no doubting that Jackie Bradley Jr. is a strong player who would improve any team he plays for.
