Dombrowski Hints Red Sox Will Turn To Current Roster, Prospects To Replace Ortiz At DH
BOSTON (CBS) -- Finding someone to fill the void at DH is atop the Red Sox' to-do list this offseason, but it may not come in the form of a big-name free agent with a lofty price tag.
While replacing the production of David Ortiz in the heart of the lineup figures to be a monumental task, president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski hinted that it may come from within the organization rather than the free agent market. With several promising bats on the rise in the minor league levels, Dombrowski told reporters he would prefer not to lock down someone long-term in fear of blocking one (or more) of those prospects.
"We know we can never replace [Ortiz's] presence. But we have a lot of guys who can play different positions. We have young guys coming that we like a great deal, so we'll just kind of have to wait to see what happens there," Dombrowski told reporters during the first day of the general managers' meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona on Monday. "There are a lot of different factors. One is affordability, but not only that. How long do you want to tie somebody up for that position when we have a lot of young players coming? That's a very important part of it."
While there are certainly options on the free agent front, from former Blue Jays Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista along with last season's AL home run leader Mark Trumbo, that trio will all likely seek a long-term deal for some big money. There are other options on the open market who could be a short-term answer at designated hitter, including veteran slugger Carlos Beltran. The 39-year-old hit 29 homers to go with a .295 average in 2016, and the Red Sox reportedly had interest in adding Beltran at the trade deadline before the Yankees shipped him to the Texas Rangers.
But Boston has several in-house candidates to fill the void at DH, and could potentially turn to DH-by-committee as a solution in 2017. Hanley Ramirez had a successful first season at first base, but could split time with the likes of Pablo Sandoval and Travis Shaw (both in the mix at third base) throughout the season.
Dombrowski also mentioned Yoan Moncada, Sam Travis and Rafael Devers as prospects who could possibly find their way to the majors next season, and could play a role in their decision at DH this offseason. Moncada remains a top prospect in all of baseball and his strong play in the minors last season earned him a call-up to the majors in September, but he struggled at the plate with 12 strikeouts in his 19 at-bats. He was set to play in the Arizona Fall League but that was cut short after he sprained his left thumb. Moncada is expected to start next season in Triple-A, but could also be in the mix at third base depending on Sandoval's recovery from shoulder surgery.
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Travis' promising 2016 season was cut short when he suffered an ACL tear on May 29, but in 47 games with Pawtucket, he posted a .272 average with a .765 OPS to go with six homers and 29 RBIs. Devers is much further away, spending 2016 with Single-A Salem, but he could be on the fast track after clubbing 142 hits (good for a .282 average and .779 OPS) with 11 homers and 71 RBIs over 128 games.
The Red Sox are weighing all options when it comes to filling the void at DH, and with some promising talent making their way up the pipeline in the organization, don't be surprised if they opt for a short-term fix instead of a long-term commitment.