Red Sox Video
The holiday season is a time when many people come home, wherever that home may be. For former Red Sox, I wanted to look at who might be a good fit to come home to Boston.
Infielders
Kiké was basically Ceddanne Rafaela before Ceddanne Rafaela. He played a great centerfield for the Red Sox in 2022 with four defensive runs saved above average. That season he also played shortstop with two defensive runs saved above average. Since leaving the Red Sox in mid-2023, he put up 1.8 WAR with the Dodgers. With the Red Sox having the lowest projected WAR from the shortstop position in all of baseball, Hernandez could potentially be an upgrade with the positional flexibility that the Red Sox love.
Speaking of former Red Sox shortstops…OMG, could you imagine having Jose Iglesias back? The last time Iglesias was with the Red Sox, he had been released by the Angels, for whom he put up -1.1 WAR. Since that time Iglesias put up 1.2 WAR with the Rockies and had a surprising star-turn with the Mets last season, notching a whopping 3.1 WAR. He is going to be 35 next season and he mostly played second and third last season but still seems like a player the Red Sox could use.
Outfielders
Verdugo’s post-Red Sox career has been just as tumultuous as his time in Boston. Although there was a bizarre story about his longtime batting gloves making his hands blister and bleed, changing that up did not seem to help Verdugo’s offense any. He had a 0.1 offensive WAR in the Bronx and by season's end, Yankees faithful were clamoring for Jasson Domínguez. The Red Sox already have an abundance of left-handed hitters and a crowded outfield so a reunion with Verdugo seems very unlikely.
Tommy Pham
Tommy Pham played a mediocre 53 games for the Red Sox in 2022, so I’m not sure that signing him would constitute a homecoming. Considering that he will be 37 this season, it most likely is not going to happen. The only reason it would even be considered is that he will probably be cheap and he hits from the right side.
Kevin Pillar
If you do not mind reliving past trauma, you may recall that Kevin Pillar played 30 games for Boston in 2020. I don’t want to go back to 2020 and I doubt the Red Sox do either. Pillar is no longer an elite center fielder and instead played a below-average right field last season. He is right-handed, but it might be a stretch to call him a right-handed hitter.
Adam Duvall
I look back at Adam Duvall’s 2023 in Boston with some fondness. Before an injury robbed him of nearly half the season, he was looking like the kind of right handed world beater the Red Sox needed. He hit 21 homers in 92 games that season so over 162, you would expect over 30. The issue is getting anywhere near 162 games. His 104 games for Atlanta last season was the first time he played over 100 games since 2021. Add that to the fact that he was worth -1.4 WAR last season and a reunion with the Red Sox seems unlikely. He could be a suitable Tyler O'Neill replacement, but not an upgrade. Still, he and Fenway Park were made for each other.
Designated Hitters
Justin Turner
By all reports, Justin Turner was a great clubhouse presence during his one-year stint with the Red Sox in 2023. In addition, he racked up 2.1 WAR while hitting 23 homers from the right side. If he were 10 years younger, the Red Sox might consider a reunion but considering he will be turning 40 this season and he has almost no defensive value, I can’t see the Red Sox making the move.
Take everything I wrote about Justin Turner and apply it to J.D. Martinez, except he will only be 38 this season. Martinez made less of an impact on the Mets last season than Turner did with the Mariners and Blue Jays, so even though he is younger, he's still not a fit on the Red Sox.
Starting Pitchers
Wade Miley
I’ll admit I was surprised to find that Wade Miley was worth 2.3 WAR during his one season with the Red Sox back in 2015. It was Miley’s third-best season, with his second-best season coming in 2023 with the Brewers. Considering that he missed almost all of last year with Tommy John surgery and he has stated that if he continues his career he’d like it to be with the Brewers, the chances of him returning to Boston seem slim.
Martín Pérez
Martín Pérez spent two years in Boston before heading to the Texas Rangers in 2022. In 2022, he earned his first and only All-Star selection while racking up 5.1 WAR. The 2024 season saw Pérez start on the Pirates before making the leap to the Padres. He was worth 1.0 WAR over his final 10 starts with San Diego. While it might not be any Red Sox fan’s dream, the team could do worse than signing a 34-year-old Pérez as starting pitching depth.
The Red Sox extended Nick Pivetta a qualifying offer, which he turned down, as expected. With draft pick compensation tied to him, the market hasn’t seemed to heat up for the Canadian righty. While signing Walker Buehler was seen as an upgrade, Pivetta’s ability to pitch from the rotation or bullpen means that a reunion with the Red Sox is unlikely but not out of the question.
Relief Pitchers
Kenley Jansen
Right now, the two main closer options for the Red Sox are Liam Hendriks, who is returning from missing an entire season due to injury, or Aroldis Chapman, who has amassed 29 saves over the last three seasons while playing for four teams. It would seem that the Red Sox could really use someone like Kenley Jansen to anchor their bullpen. Unfortunately, Kenley skipping town on the end of his final season in Boston rubbed enough of his teammates the wrong way that a reunion seems completely out of the question.
Daniel Bard
There was a time when you thought you’d hear “Daniel Bard throws wicked hard” in a Boston accent for years and years to come, but a case of the yips derailed Bard’s career, giving him seven seasons between major league appearances. Having played the last four seasons for the Rockies with varying degrees of effectiveness, he has become a symbol of overcoming adversity, but would he want to be back on the mound at Fenway? Would the Red Sox want him back in a Red Sox uniform? Both seem unlikely.
Should Joe Kelly’s fight club re-establish their Boston chapter? Why not? Kelly has the kind of fastball that pitching coach Andrew Bailey can dream on, while a tweak in repertoire could be just what the doctor ordered. Red Sox beat writers keep in touch with Kelly like he still pitches in Boston, so the team might as well bring him back.
Craig Kimbrel had 42 saves in his final season in Boston in 2018. That's a big number, but by the end of his tenure, he was no longer the untouchable closer he'd been with the Braves. The cracks that began to show in 2018 have since become chasms. Kimbrel had his worst major league season to date in 2024; he was worth -1.1 WAR with the Orioles. Ultimately they released him in September. Someone will still take a gamble on Kimbrel but I doubt it will be the Red Sox.
Chris Martin
Perhaps no reunion makes more sense than bringing back Chris Martin. Martin was a stabilizing force in the Red Sox bullpen and had his best career year with Boston in 2023. The 2024 season was a bit more adventurous, but still excellent. The Red Sox do not currently have a reliever who is as dependable as Martin has been over the last two seasons. Few teams do. Unfortunately, Martin has indicated that 2025 will be his last season, and there are rumors that he'd like to spend it closer to his home in Texas.
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