Spring training for the Red Sox begins one week from Wednesday.
No matter how you slice it, Boston’s roster remains incomplete without the addition of a significant right-handed bat.
With nothing coming close to boiling over with he who shall not be named (you know, a certain former Astros and free agent third baseman who many in the BSJ community are evidently sick of hearing about…), it seems the Sox are turning their attention to Plan B.
That would be Nolan Arenado, a soon-to-be 34-year-old third baseman who the Cardinals have reportedly been trying to trade this offseason.
"It's really something to dream on if you're a Boston Red Sox fan."#MLBNHotStove reacts to reports that the Cardinals and Red Sox have had recent trade talks surrounding Nolan Arenado. pic.twitter.com/jMB8UUa2DJ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 5, 2025
I’ve mostly avoided discussing Arenado as an option for the Sox this season. That’s because there were plenty of better options at the outset of the offseason, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso (who was re-signed by the Mets last on Tuesday) among them.
But here we are, a week out from the unofficial start of the 2025 season — and wouldn’t you know it, the Sox have failed to address a major need.
Arenado, at this point, might represent the most realistic option. Notice I didn’t say the best option, because I still don’t believe it. Yet when it once again comes down to “Player X or nobody,” then yes… give me Arenado.
Those close to Nolan Arenado think he would 'really like' the idea of a trade to the Red Sox 👀
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) February 5, 2025
(via @Buster_ESPN) pic.twitter.com/HLudPE3G1h
It’s not that I hate Arenado. He’s put together a career worthy of Hall of Fame consideration to date; an eight-time All-Star with a lifetime .285 average and 1,826 hits, 341 homers and 1,132 RBIs, and a whopping 10 Gold Gloves to boot.
No doubt, Arenado has had a great career. But all good things must come to an end, and that end is approaching sooner than later for him.
After earning All-Star nods in eight of his previous nine seasons, Arenado’s offensive production dipped last season with a still respectable .272 average but only 16 homers and 71 RBIs in his age 33 season.
The man still plays a mean third base (his .977 fielding percentage a year ago led the majors for the position), and while the Sox could certainly benefit from a solid-fielding infielder, remind me again… what’s the bigger need at this point again?
It’s the power bat, no question about it. And the truth is that Arenado isn’t likely going to give you the kind of power numbers you need anymore. Again, I’d take him over nothing, and it doesn’t seem like the asking price will be too steep, but this is right in the Sox’s wheelhouse in recent years.
Mess around, play the “interest” game, fall short on real substantive additions, then wind up settling for an afterthought.
Might as well just bring back J.D. Martinez (who hit 16 homers and drove in 69 runs last season, albeit it with a .235 average) if that’s the case…
Top dogs
Finally, the Red Sox are No. 1 in something…
Boston has earned the designation as baseball’s top farm system to begin the season as ranked by Baseball America.
The AL East still has the best farm system in baseball, but the crown has shifted to Boston entering the 2025 season following Baltimore’s two-year run atop the preseason rankings. https://t.co/VOrXkJCQ6x pic.twitter.com/dycyyYFbcq
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 5, 2025
“The Red Sox rank No. 1 for the first time since Baseball America began its annual preseason farm system talent rankings over 40 years ago in 1984,” the site writes. “Boston boasts three of baseball’s 15 best prospects even after this winter’s blockbuster Garrett Crochet deal.”
It’s true, everybody in baseball knows about the Big 3 of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell. But up until now, the consensus had been that the Sox didn’t have a lot of meat beyond those big three — especially on the pitching front.
In Baseball America’s eyes, though, “Boston’s pitching depth has improved as well.”
I’m not exactly sure where or how that’s happened, but I also won’t pretend to be the world’s foremost expert on minor league scouting. Boston’s overall farm system ranking by BA went from 13 to No. 1 in one year’s time.
That’s quite the jump…
On the pitching front, 21-year-old right-hander Luis Perales seems to be mostly viewed as Boston’s top pitching prospect. Perales is coming off Tommy John surgery over the summer, and he isn’t projected to be big league ready for another couple of years.
Beyond Perales, there’s Richard Fitts, who gave us quite the first impression last year. Fitts has definitely emerged as a future rotation piece for this club, but still, nobody seems to be talking about him as one of the game’s top young pitchers.
Then there’s the team’s minor league pitcher of the year, Hunter Dobbins, who is currently on the 40-man roster and has reportedly seen an uptick in his velocity. Dobbins seems primed as a pitcher who could help Boston in the near future. David Sandlin and Payton Tolle are also well-regarded Sox pitching prospects, as well.
So who’s going to pan out? Well… who really knows? But for now, we know the baseball world is seeing a glimmer of hope on the pitching front from Boston’s farm system. Given the barrenness of their arm stable in the recent past, and the fact that Craig Breslow hasn’t had enough time to restock it just yet, that’s certainly an interesting development…