The Boston Red Sox are heading into a pivotal offseason, and the message is clear: they need to land a big bat. Whether that’s re-signing Alex Bregman, bringing in another marquee name, or ideally both, the expectation is that Boston won’t come out of the winter empty-handed. But not everyone sees it that way.
Ben Verlander, host of the Flippin’ Bats podcast and brother of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, recently dropped his predictions for where the top 10 MLB free agents will land - and he doesn’t have a single one going to Boston. Not Bregman.
Not Pete Alonso. Not Kyle Schwarber.
None.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for Red Sox fans who’ve been hoping for a splash. Especially considering Verlander’s list is loaded with hitters - seven of the ten, in fact - and he’s got them going elsewhere.
Bregman? He’s pegged for the Detroit Tigers.
Alonso? Staying in Queens with the Mets.
Schwarber? Remaining with the Phillies.
And just to twist the knife a little more, Verlander sees Boston’s division rivals making some serious noise.
Let’s start with the Toronto Blue Jays. According to Verlander, they’re not done spending after locking up Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal.
He sees them doubling down by retaining Bo Bichette and adding another star in Kyle Tucker. If that happens, Toronto’s lineup could go from dangerous to downright terrifying.
Then there’s the Yankees. Verlander projects them to hold onto Cody Bellinger, who found new life in the Bronx, and add Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai to the rotation.
That would be a serious one-two punch of offense and pitching help for a team already built to contend. And out west, he has Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami heading to the Angels, adding more power to a club that’s always chasing relevance in a crowded AL West.
All of this paints a picture of a Red Sox team at risk of falling behind in the arms race if they don’t act. Boston’s been linked to Alonso and Schwarber in recent weeks, and for good reason. Those are the kind of bats that could help fill the void left by Rafael Devers, especially in a lineup that didn’t have a single player crack the 25-homer mark last season - something that hasn’t happened since 2017.
To their credit, the Sox have already made a move to shore up the rotation, acquiring veteran righty Sonny Gray from the Cardinals. That’s a solid start. But if they want to keep pace in a loaded American League - and especially in a division where everyone else seems to be loading up - they’ll need more than just pitching.
They need a bat. A big one.
A game-changer. Because if the predictions hold and Boston swings and misses on the top-tier free agents, this winter could go from opportunity to missed opportunity in a hurry.