Throughout the offseason, we'll periodically give a detailed look at one position on the Red Sox roster.
Today: First base
First base has been a position in flux for the Red Sox for the last several years. The starter's job has gone from Mitch Moreland (2020) to Bobby Dalbec/Kyle Schwarber to Dalbec/Franchy Cordero/Eric Hosmer/Triston Casas. That kind of turnover isn't healthy for a position that shouldn't be so difficult to fill. The Red Sox had reason to believe that Dalbec could be the long-term answer after a 25-homer season in 2021, but he failed to seize the opportunity.
MAJOR LEAGUE OPTIONS
Triston Casas
Age: 23 in January
Status: Under control for six more seasons
Comment: Casas was promoted from Triple A in early September and with a discerning strike zone judgment, posted a .358 on-base percentage. He also belted five homers in just 76 at-bats. The .197 batting average, however, suggests that there's work still to be done. Still, with raw plus power and enough athleticism to move well around the bag, it would seem that Casas is the team's long-term solution at the position. That the same was being said some 12 months ago about Dalbec, however, serves as a reminder of how it's dangerous to rely on small sample sizes.
Eric Hosmer
Age: 33
Status: Under control for three more seasons at major league minimum, though he can opt-out this winter.
Comment: The Red Sox acquired Hosmer almost as an afterthought at the trade deadline. Hosmer invoked his partial no-trade clause to block his inclusion in the deal that brought Juan Soto to San Diego. Desperate to move him, the Padres sent him to the Sox for LHP Jay Groome, while agreeing to take all but the major league minimum of his salary. Hosmer was soon sidelined with back spasms that forced him to all of September before returning to action in the final series of the season. For now, he's a nice insurance piece behind Casas, but the fact that he, too, is left-handed, limits his overall value. As a result of his trade to Boston, Hosmer now has full no-trade protection, which could make dealing him problematic.
Bobby Dalbec
Age: 27
Status: Under control through 2026
Comment: Dalbec began the year as nominally the starting first baseman. A strong spring training provided hope that he achieved a level of consistency, but that turned out to be wishful thinking. He finished the year with a .652 OPS and an OPS+ of 80 -- neither of which is acceptable for a major league regular. In streaks, Dalbec can still get hot and slug, but he's yet to do it for a sustained period of time. It would hardly be surprising, with Casas more entrenched, if the Sox dealt Dalbec during the winter; he sure looks like someone who could benefit from a change of scenery. It's possible he could flourish elsewhere, but that's a risk the Sox are likely going to have to take.
40-MAN ROSTER DEPTH OPTIONS
Franchy Cordero
Age: 28
Status: Under control through 2024; eligible for salary arbitration
Comment: There were times last year when it seemed like Cordero was finally going to make good on his considerable talent. He showed great improvement in making more consistent contact and while his .300 OBP was hardly impressive, it was a marked improvement over past years. But frustratingly, Cordero couldn't maintain that approach and his 33.5 percent strikeout rate remained alarmingly high. It's possible he could get a look as a DH option in 2023 if the Sox don't look to fill that spot from the outside. But a more likely outcome is Cordero being non-tendered.
MINOR LEAGUE INVENTORY
Niko Cavadas: An 11-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2021, Cavadas has had a strong start to his pro career, displaying great raw power, with 26 homers across three levels (Low A, High A, Double A) in 2022, enough to warrant being named Minor League Offensive Player of the Year by the Red Sox. Cavadas needs to improve his contact rate (he struck out in half his at-bats in Double A in the final month of the season), but he also has a discerning eye, drawing 102 walks in 2022. He's currently playing in the Arizona Fall League.
Alex Binelas: Acquired in the Jackie Bradley Jr-Hunter Renfroe swap, Binelas' 2022 season was decidedly mixed. He had a .851 OPS with 14 homers in the first half at High A Greenville before struggling mightily following promotion to Double-A Portland (.167 average, 78 strikeouts in 55 games). Binelas, too, has plus raw power, but he's got to show that he put the ball in play more regularly to access it successfully. Defensively, he has a poor profile, with first his likely landing spot.
POTENTIAL FREE AGENT TARGETS
None, given the options at the position, though if they succeed in trading Hosmer, they would need a veteran backup -- preferably one who hits righthanded.
POTENTIAL TRADE TARGET
None.
