The Boston Red Sox need to make a big splash this offseason. Pitching is of the utmost importance for Boston, but upgrading their lineup wouldn't be a bad idea either. Doing both at the same time would help, even if Shohei Ohtani can't pitch until 2025 due to injury.
Signing Ohtani is something the Red Sox must try to do. Boston plays in a big market and they can afford to bring in a superstar like Ohtani. They will face competition in trying to sign him though, so Boston must be willing to blow the bank.
So why Ohtani? After all, the Red Sox could simply try to land another star player or two in free agency.
Red Sox need to fire up the fanbase
The Red Sox won the World Series in 2018. The '18 campaign was a special season for Boston. Mookie Betts led the charge and the Sox won their fourth Fall Classic since the year 2004.
The Red Sox have gone in a different direction since 2018 though. Sure, they have made some playoff runs, but haven't been able to reach the World Series. Boston also traded Mookie Betts away in a deal that the Dodgers appear to have won. Alex Verdugo is a good player but Betts has been one of LA's best players since the deal came to fruition.
Signing a superstar or two would excite Red Sox fans, but landing a player like Shohei Ohtani would absolutely fire up the fanbase. Ohtani is a two-way phenom who could lead Boston back to the Fall Classic. He would fit well in the lineup and get fans pumped for Red Sox baseball once again.
Let's take a closer look at Ohtani's potential fit on the roster.
Shohei Ohtani's fit with the Red Sox
The Red Sox roster (via MLB.com) has questions marks.
Chris Sale, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Tanner Houck are all listed on the Red Sox's current depth chart for the pitching rotation. Boston features other hurlers as well, but many of them have dealt with injury concerns or have simply underperformed.
Ohtani would give the Red Sox a true ace in the future. He can't pitch in 2024 due to injury, but the expected-to-be 2023 MVP plans to return to the mound in 2025.
The Red Sox don't have a true DH at the moment either. Boston has players who can fill in at the DH spot, but Ohtani would be the Red Sox's primary designated hitter in 2024 and beyond if Boston were to sign him. This would allow the Red Sox to focus on other positions with the DH role locked up.
Ohtani features impressive opposite-field power, so he would probably blast plenty of home runs over the Green Monster. At the very least, he can slap some doubles off the left-field fence. And he will certainly take advantage of the short right-field fence.
Odds of Red Sox landing Ohtani?
Teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets are listed among the favorites to sign Ohtani. But that doesn't mean Ohtani is guaranteed to sign with one of those teams.
He wants to play for a contending ballclub that will help him take the next step in his career. Some rumors have previously stated that Ohtani wanted to play on the west coast. However, a recent report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi states otherwise.
“After speaking with people around the industry and those who are familiar with Shohei's thinking, the difference between this free agency and the first time he came to North America is that he's probably less concerned about geography and more concerned about the quality of the team that he's going to,” Morosi said on MLB Network.
If the Red Sox can prove to Ohtani that they plan on being competitive, then he likely won't let the geography get in the way of possibly signing in Boston. It goes without saying, but Morosi's report is crucial for the Red Sox and other east coast teams.
Final thoughts
Shohei Ohtani has been accomplishing feats that haven't been seen before in MLB over the past few years. He is a generational superstar capable of completely changing the dynamic of a franchise.
The Sox won't have another chance to sign someone such as Ohtani anytime soon, unless he shocks the MLB world and inks a short-term contract.
Now is the time for Boston to go all-in and make an aggressive free agency pursuit for Ohtani. It could be the move that gets fans excited again while leading the Red Sox to another championship.
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