My Ideal Red Sox Off-Season: Get a Superstar

This isn't rocket science, people.

I found this cool image from Clutch Points so I’m crediting them here.

I do not know Craig Breslow personally and I doubt he’s looking for advice from a stranger. But! While there is undoubtedly a bunch of interesting things taking place behind the scenes right now, so far the baseball off-season has been quiet. Thus, I’ll take this opportunity to opine on what I’m hoping to see from the Red Sox. This is not an overall plan for a return to prominence via sustainability, or any such thing. This is a childish “I WANT NOW” slamming of my rattle on my highchair.

As I’ve written about before, the Red Sox lacked star power in 2023. Partly that’s the lingering sting* of the Mookie Betts trade, partly it’s the leftover bruise of Xander Bogaerts’ departure to San Diego, and partly it’s the Red Sox failure to do anything to counteract either of those situations beyond just sorta standing there and watching generational talent head out the door, but regardless, it’s definitely a thing.

*Originally I mistyped that as “stink” which, oddly, is also entirely appropriate.

So, while some are looking for starting pitching first and foremost, for me, I’m burning the midnight oil on acquiring a superstar. And more than that: I’m looking for the kind of franchise centerpiece who isn‘t normally available either on the free agent or trade markets. Right now there are, somewhat surprisingly, two players who fit that description available. How appropriate!

The first is Shohei Ohtani. It seems clear that Boston isn’t on Ohtani’s wishlist at the moment. If I’m Breslow, I’m quadruple-checking to make sure that’s true. If it Ohtani is the smallest smidgeon interested, I’m making the case to John Henry to spend what it takes to bring in Ohtani. Two of the first items out of my mouth to make that case would be “Mookie” and “Xander” by the way.

There are other items I’d list. Adding Ohtani is strangely a way to close the loop on another trade from long ago that hurt the franchise. No, not Mookie. I’m talking about Babe Ruth. And, okay, that wasn’t a trade, it was a sale, but either way. Bringing Ohtani, the only player to successfully pitch and hit since Ruth, to Boston (and keeping him out of New York (if that was ever an option)) is a karmic ending to that, the second greatest sin of the franchise (the first being the heinous racism that permeated the franchise’s first 100 or so years).

There’s also the whole ‘he hit .304/.412/.654 with 44 homers last season. I might bring that up, as well.

As cool as that would be, I don’t imagine it’s going to happen. I don’t foresee Henry agreeing to spend $500 million (or more!) to offset bad karma from 100 years ago (not that that’s the only reason) and I don’t foresee Ohtani deciding Boston, a team that finished in last place in their division the last two years, is the cure to six years of losing in Anaheim. I’d try my damndest to convince all parties, but if it fails, which it probably would, then….?

Juan Soto, of course.

There are problems there, too, but first let’s get to the good stuff. Soto has the highest on-base percentage of any active player in baseball. Higher than Mike Trout, higher than Joey Votto (if he’s even active anymore), higher than Aaron Judge. Quite a bit higher than Judge, as it turns out. In fact, Soto’s career OBP is .421, which is tied for 19th best ALL TIME with Mickey Mantle (and actually Mantle is at .4205 so Soto is actually ahead of The Mick, which, we can all agree, is nuts).

Juan Soto is incredible at getting on base, which is the most important skill any hitter can have. Also, Juan Soto just turned 25 years old a few weeks ago. Let me mention that again: he’s 25! He’s not even played his peak seasons yet. Whomever signs him to his next contract will get his age 27, 28, and 29 seasons when he could very well post on-base percentages over .500. Think that’s hyperbole? Soto put up a .490 OBP in 2020 (which, okay, 2020) and a .465 OBP in 2021... as a 22 year old!

Soto also has power. He averages 33 homers and 31 doubles for every 162 games played. The overall package at the plate is that of perhaps the best hitter in baseball, and when you consider his age, it’s very possible he could get even better.

Guys like this don’t become available, and yet thanks to the Padres giving out multiple insane contracts, including the one they gave to Xander Bogaerts, all signs point to Soto, who isn’t signed long term, becoming available right about now. It’s that last part that is problematic though. Soto isn’t signed long term. He’ll become a free agent following the 2024 season. Also, his agent is Scott Boras, who isn’t the kind of agent who is known to encourage his 25-year-old superstar to sign a contract extension a year before reaching free agency.

So, like Ohtani, this is going to get rather expensive. With Ohtani, the big stumbling blocks are money and convincing the player to come to Boston. With Soto, we’re talking about moving significant prospects (Roman Anthony plus more) for a year of Soto and then trying to talk him into signing longterm, something neither of the teams he’s played for so far have been able to do.

So maybe this is shooting the moon. It probably is. But this is my ideal off-season and I’m going for it. There are definitely issues with both players. Ohtani is a twice-injured pitcher/DH, and the Red Sox just said they want pitching (presumably healthy pitching) and they don’t want a permanent DH. Ohtani is kinda both of those things. But also, so what? He’s Shohei Ohtani, dammit. You get him if you can and you make everything else work around that.

With Soto, you’re talking about more uncertainty, or at least uncertainty in a different way. Can you sign him long term? Are you willing to spend big prospects on the chance you end up with just one season of Soto and then he leaves for, I don’t know, the Yankees? It’s a big chance to take. But Craig Breslow seems like the kinda guy who might take big chances. These are, admittedly, big chances to take. But for a Red Sox team coming off of 2023 and all the malaise we’ve seen over the past two seasons, a jolt to the system like this would be worth the effort and worth the chance.

What do you think? Am I nuts? Should Breslow just focus on acquiring starting pitching and leave the $500 million check writing to others? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading.