Red Sox History: Look Back at Successful Under-the-Radar Offseason Acquisitions

[Jordan Leandre]

As fans, it's customary to seek the thrill of the marquee player acquisition.

That thrill is unique in the sports world, even compared to that of winning a championship. Regardless of confidence level in landing the particular player, knowing your team got them eliminates any doubt, subconscious or otherwise.

That said, it's often the moves that get little limelight that put a team over the top, especially in Boston Red Sox history. As crucial as trading for Chris Sale or signing J.D. Martinez and David Price were, there are several players that got little praise in comparison that ended up playing huge roles for the Red Sox.

So, as the offseason begins, with all eyes fixated at the top of the market for talent, it's important to remember those under-the-radar acquisitions. The sexy moves aren't always as attractive when they play out. The Red Sox are laden with those outcomes as well—Pablo Sandoval, Carl Crawford, and to some degree, current players like Trevor Story and Masataka Yoshida have all been mixed bags in terms of "living up to" the hype.

With that in mind, let's take a look at some of these recent unsung offseason pickups, shall we?

UT Romy Gonzalez

Gonzalez flashed his potential with a 98 wRC+ and six home runs in 2024, but the waiver pickup from the Chicago White Sox flourished in 2025. 

Across 96 games, he slashed .305/.343/.483 with a 123 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR this past season. He also nearly doubled his career RBI total, driving in 53 runs in 341 plate appearances.

The former White Sox utility man promised versatility when he came over to Boston, but injuries on the roster held him to mostly first and second base in 2025. At both spots, he filled in admirably and even started to hit right-handers at a clip he'd never previously come close to. 

Time will tell what his future with the Red Sox looks like as far as his role goes, but finding at-bats for him, especially against southpaws, is something manager Alex Cora needs to continue doing.

OF Rob Refsnyder 

Though not a World Series champion, outfielder Rob Refsnyder is one of the best signings in recent Red Sox history, full stop.

Signed as a minor-league free agent before the 2022 season, the lefty-masher posted an 88 wRC+ in 2021 with the Minnesota Twins. Since coming to Boston, he's slashing .276/.364/.440 with a 124 wRC+ across 936 plate appearances. He's tied with Joc Pederson and Jackson Merrill in wRC+ for 17th among outfielders with at least 750 plate appearances in that span.

Though primarily manufacturing these gaudy numbers against southpaws, that's been the veteran's role with the club. Given that he's made, in total, less than $6 million in four seasons with the team, it's safe to say he's done his job and then some.

The jury is still out on whether the soon-to-be 35-year-old will return to the Red Sox for his fifth season. If not, they will certainly miss his presence in the clubhouse and the lineup.

RHP Garrett Whitlock

Any time you hit a home run with a Rule 5 selection, they must find their way onto a list like this. You could give an honorable mention to fellow reliever Justin Slaten, but I felt as though there's an element of uncertainty there thanks to injuries.

Whitlock's had several injuries to his credit, as well, but is heading into his sixth year in Boston and, hopefully, his third healthy campaign. After the organization waved the white flag on making him a starter, the right-hander returned to high-leverage relief and was almost every bit as good as All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman in 2025.

In his two seasons as a full-time reliever, Whitlock has accumulated 3.8 fWAR and ERAs of 1.96 and 2.25, respectively. For all the talk about Slaten being the future closer of this team when Chapman is no longer in the equation, perhaps that sentiment should go to Whitlock. He's filthy on the mound, and it's nice to see him sustain a year of healthy volume.

Now, he's just got to do it again.

1B Mitch Moreland

Moreland spent three-plus seasons with the Red Sox and filled in admirably at first base. 

An All-Star and World Series Champion in 2018, Moreland was tasked with filling the roster spot created by David Ortiz's retirement. Despite most public clamoring for eventual Red Sox first baseman Eric Hosmer, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski signed the former Texas Ranger to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million.

In three-plus seasons with the Red Sox, Moreland slashed .251/.332/.471 with a 108 wRC+ and 64 home runs in 381 games. He added a .333/.412/.533 slash line in 15 playoff games for Boston and, of course, we all remember his pinch-hit, three-run homer in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

RHP Rick Porcello

I had a tough time deciding on Porcello, seeing as he wasn't some unknown commodity at the time of acquisition. Not only that, but he also cost the Red Sox Yoenis Cespedes.

But given the level of expectations, him churning out a Cy Young campaign and being a pivotal part of a World Series winner dramatically outweighs the struggles he faced at times in 2015, 2017, and 2019. 

If nothing else, the right-hander ate up innings with the best of the best during his Red Sox tenure. In fact, he ranked fourth in the league in workload, behind only Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Zack Greinke. He was also top 30 in fWAR during that stretch, among qualifiers. While not a super-valuable pitcher relative to his volume, his Boston career was one of tremendous highs.

RHP Koji Uehara

It feels somewhat taboo to refer to Uehara as an under-the-radar signing, but people forget he wasn't the Red Sox's Plan A or B at the closer position in 2013.

When the call came, though, he was electric. 

In 2013 alone, Uehara posted a 1.09 ERA with a 1.61 FIP in 74 1/3 innings pitched. Despite not opening as the team's closer, he finished with 21 saves in the regular season. That October, he allowed one earned run in 13 2/3 innings pitched, recorded seven saves, and struck out 16 of 46 batters faced.

The only more valuable season by a Red Sox reliever, minimum of 50 innings, was Craig Kimbrel in 2017, with 2006 Jonathan Papelbon tying him at 3.1 fWAR. The only two seasons a reliever had a better ERA was Papelbon's 2006 (0.92) and Chris Martin's 2023 (1.05).

But his Red Sox career didn't end after 2013; he played three more years in Boston before wrapping up with the Chicago Cubs in 2017. From 2014 to 2016, Uehara posted a 2.73 ERA and 58 saves across 157 outings. He was über-dependable, hammered the strike zone, and had a tantalizing splitter that kept him dominant despite sub-90 mph velocity on his fastball.

UT Brock Holt

Holt is one of the most widely loved Red Sox players of the 21st century for several reasons, and that's before we even get to what he did on the field.

His impact on the community is still felt to this day, especially with the Jimmy Fund. His impact on the field greatly outweighed expectations seeing as he was a throw-in in the deal that acquired Joel Hanrahan ahead of 2013.

Holt spent parts of seven seasons with the Red Sox, slashing .270/.340/.374 with 144 extra-base hits. He hit for the cycle twice, including once in the 2018 playoffs, made an All-Star team, and logged over 100 games at three separate positions. Had it not been for vertigo in 2017, who knows how much better his Red Sox tenure looks, even though it's already viewed in a very favorable light.

View full article

[Malcolm White]

Who can recall the Sox closers BEFORE they got around to Koji? Joel Hanrahan and yep, Andrew Bailey.

Chapman was great last year, but didn't hold a candle to Koji. 

[JoeBrady]

16 hours ago, Malcolm White said:

Who can recall the Sox closers BEFORE they got around to Koji? Joel Hanrahan and yep, Andrew Bailey.

Chapman was great last year, but didn't hold a candle to Koji. 

It's remarkable that TX let him go.  I know he was old, but he had a 43/3 K/W in 36 IPs.  That's almost impossible.  And he finished 2012 with a 0.09 FIP in September, with a 19/1 K/W.  And he had a 16/0 K/W in our playoff run in 2013.  Man, did we ever get lucky there.