MLB Rumors: Boston's Pursuit Of Dan Uggla and 10 More Red Sox Offseason Targets
It sure didn't take long for the hot stove to heat up.
Ken Rosental of FoxSports.com is speculating that the Boston Red Sox could pursue Dan Uggla after the Marlins' second basemen rejected Florida's four-year, $48 million contract extension.
Uggla is coming off his fourth consecutive season of at least 30 home runs and owns a career OPS of .837. He can also play third base and the outfield. He's an enticing option for any team looking for a big bat at one of those positions. The Red Sox certainly qualify with the expected loss of third basemen Adrian Beltre to free agency.
Could Boston go after Uggla? What other players might be on their radar?
Here's a detailed look at Uggla and 10 more players that the Red Sox will make a very serious run at this offseason.
Dan Uggla
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Is Dan Uggla the big bat the Red Sox have been waiting for?
His name is not quite as sexy as Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder, but his numbers definitely put him in elite company.
Uggla has four straight seasons of at least 30 home runs and has never hit less than 27 in his career. He's also hit 170 doubles over the past five seasons. Despite regularly striking out about 150 times each season, his career batting average is a very respectable .263.
Last season he had perhaps the best offensive year of his career, batting a career high .287 with an .877 OPS. He also drove in over 100 runs for the first time.
Uggla's relatively cheap too. He made $7.8 million in 2010 and is due to earn $9-10 million next season. The fact that he would reject the Marlins offer is evidence that he wants to become a free agent in 2012 and sign with a big market team.
The Red Sox are that big market team. They already have Dustin Pedroia at second, but Uggla would be a perfect fit at third and an insurance policy in the middle of the lineup if David Ortiz struggles.
The Marlins know they can't hold on to Uggla anymore so they have no choice but to make him available. Could Uggla be Boston's back-up plan if a trade for Adrian Gonzalez falls through?
Jayson Werth
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This one's a no-brainer.
Reports already have the Red Sox meeting with Werth's agent, Scott Boras. And why wouldn't they?
Werth is a perfect fit for the style of baseball Boston plays and an even better fit in Fenway Park. The 31-year-old set career highs in nearly every offensive category this past season.
He batted .296 with a .532 slugging percentage and a .921 OPS. He smacked 46 doubles, 20 more than his previous career high, and scored 106 runs. His power numbers went down slightly from 36 home runs in 2009 to 27 home runs in 2010, but that's hardly a cause for concern. He even stole 13 bases and walked 82 times.
Werth is the kind of complete player that the Red Sox salivate for. And at only 31 years old, he's got several more years of productive baseball left in him.
The Red Sox will have to get creative to find a place for Werth in the outfield with J.D. Drew manning right field for one more year and rookie Ryan Kalish nipping at his heels. But Theo Epstein will not let that stop him from bidding on one of the biggest prizes of the free agent market.
Carl Crawford
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Peter Gammons thinks the Red Sox will make a hard push for the free agent outfielder, but how much of a priority is it to sign Crawford?
The former Rays left fielder brings a similar skill set to the table as current Red Sox left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, except with a bit more power. His numbers are also pretty similar to Werth's.
In 2010 Crawford hit .307 with a .851 OPS (career high), adding 19 home runs, 30 doubles and 47 steals. He's also 29 years old and seems to only be getting better.
The Red Sox don't really have a need for Crawford if they plan on holding on to Ellsbury. The Angels and Yankees also figure to be bidders and it's unlikely the Red Sox will be willing to top their offers. But it'd be foolish of a big market team like Boston to not at least get involved in negotiations.
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John Buck
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It's looking like free agent catcher Victor Martinez will be too rich for Boston's blood. So with Martinez out the door and captain Jason Varitek not expected to return either, the Red Sox will need a catcher.
The 29-year-old righty enjoyed a career year for the Toronto Blue Jays last season. Buck batted an impressive .281 and slugged a career high 20 home runs to go along with an .802 OPS and his first All-Star appearance.
He's not a long-term answer at catcher, but he could be an intriguing short-term solution. A platoon of Buck with recently resigned Jarrod Saltalamacchia would allow the Red Sox to still field a strong team while they wait for one of their minor league prospects (Ryan Lavarnway, Luis Exposito) to break through.
Scott Downs
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The Red Sox have been enamored with Downs for quite some time now and were disappointed they couldn't pry him away from Toronto at the trade deadline. But now Downs is a free agent and the Red Sox are sure to be in hot pursuit.
The 34-year-old lefty was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2010, pitching 61.1 innings with a 2.64 ERA and a career low 0.995 WHIP. He's been remarkably consistent over the course of his career, and would give Boston a strong left-handed option should they decide to part ways with Hideki Okajima (or even if they kept him).
The only problem is that Downs is a Type A free agent, meaning that the Red Sox would have to surrender draft picks in order to sign him. Downs isn't worth a first round pick and a supplemental pick, but if the Red Sox were to sign either Crawford or Werth then the compensation for Downs would only be a second round pick and a supplemental pick.
If Crawford or Werth sign along the dotted line then expect Downs to be a prime target. If not, the Red Sox will pass and look elsewhere for relief help.
Joaquin Benoit
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The former Tampa Bay righty has developed into quite the pitcher.
After struggling as a young reliever for the Texas Rangers (three consecutive seasons with an ERA over 5.00) the hard-throwing Benoit has become one of baseball's best and most reliable pitchers.
Last season with the Rays he posted a 1.34 ERA and 0.68 WHIP while striking out 75 batters in 60.1 innings. He's still only 32 years old and could be worth a three-year contract. He's also a Type B free agent and could be a more cost effective option than some of the other relievers on the free agent market.
Joe Beimel
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Beimel is another lefty the Red Sox could pursue heavily.
The 33-year-old pitched for the Colorado Rockies in 2010 and had one of the most productive years of his career. In 71 games he had a 3.40 ERA and only walked 15 batters in 45 innings. Beimel's not an overpowering pitcher, but he's an efficient one.
Boston could sign Beimel without forfeiting any draft picks and likely wouldn't have to commit to a long-term contract or huge dollars. Beimel could be a very attractive fall back option if negotiations with Downs fall through.
Jesse Crain
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Going back to right-handed relievers, Crain is another pitcher the Red Sox will take a look at.
The 28-year-old has spent his entire career with the Minnesota Twins and is a solid reliever. In 2010 he pitched in 71 games and had a 3.04 ERA and 1.176 WHIP. He's a powerful pitcher too, striking out 62 in 68 innings.
Crain is a similar pitcher to Benoit in terms of what he can bring to a club. He's one of the safer investments on the free agent market and shouldn't command top dollar.
Rich Harden
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Yes, the Red Sox don't need a starter. They have two aces in Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, two former aces who could return to form in Josh Beckett and John Lackey, and the enigma that is Daisuke Matsuzaka. But if Harden is available for the right price, then Boston won't hesitate to sign him.
The 28-year-old righty once looked like he was on the verge of becoming one of the game's best pitchers. In 2006 pitching between Oakland and Chicago, Harden had a 2.07 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP.
He's struggled with injuries all his career and had a mediocre 2010 season with the Texas Rangers, only managed to make 18 starts and sporting an ugly 5.58 ERA. He's a free agent again and is looking for another chance to prove that he can still pitch.
The Red Sox have a history of going after reclamation projects (John Smoltz, Brad Penny) and Harden certainly qualifies as someone in desperate need of a reclamation. Boston could make Harden an incentive-laden offer and then use him as trade bait if he performs well or release him with minimal losses.
Carlos Pena
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Why would the Red Sox pursue Pena after a season in which he batted only .196? The simple answer is that they have a major hole at third base and signing a player like Pena (with Kevin Youkilis moving to third) is one of the simplest ways to fill it.
Pena's not exactly a slouch either. Despite the horrific batting average he did still manage to slug 28 home runs and is coming off an All-Star season in 2009 season in which he hit 39 home runs.
Pena definitely has the power to hit in the middle of the Red Sox lineup, and he walks a ton too (averaging 88 over the course of a 162-game season. He's also one of the best defensive first basemen in the game, winning a Gold Glove in 2009. The Red Sox could certainly do worse.
There are more quality first basemen available on the free agent market than there are spots to put them. Besides Pena there is Lance Berkman, Russell Branyan, Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Aubrey Huff, Derrek Lee, Adam LaRoche, and Lyle Overbay. Some of these players will get the big contracts they're looking for, but some will have to settle for below market value.
If the Red Sox can't get offseason target No. 1 (next on this list), then they will go after one of the above. Don't expect Boston to hand out a big contract for a free agent first basemen though, especially with rookies Lars Anderson and Anthony Rizzo waiting in the wings.
Adrian Gonzalez
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It should come as no surprise that Adrian Gonzalez is the one player around whom Boston's entire offseason revolves.
Padres general manager Jed Hoyer has all but confirmed that Gonzalez will become a free agent after the 2011 season unless he is traded. That's a giant hint to the Red Sox that the San Diego slugger is definitely available via trade.
Whether it's this winter or at the trade deadline, Theo will make a very serious run at acquiring Gonzalez. If the Red Sox get him, and agree to a long-term contract extension, they would have one of the best young hitters in the game.
Gonzalez is only 28 years old and has already hit 168 career home runs with a .875 career OPS. He's been an All-Star each of the past three seasons and already owns two Gold Gloves. There's nothing more Red Sox fans could ask for.
It will take a gigantic package to pry Gonzalez away but Boston is one of the few teams with the resources to realistically pursue the slugger. At this point it's only a matter of time.
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