By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
After one of the worst seasons in franchise history, and with Alex Cora back in the fold after a year away, the Red Sox could use a big move or two to put themselves back on the map in Boston.
They may have their sights set on exactly that, too, with the Sox among those linked to free agent DJ LeMahieu.
A member of the New York Yankees for the last two seasons, the 32-year-old LeMahieu is looking at his options after an all-world 2020 season, with an MLB-best .364 average in 50 games with the Bombers. The .364 season, which also featured an AL-best .421 on-base percentage and 1.011 OPS, already earned LeMahieu a Silver Slugger, and has the veteran poised for what would be the first MVP of his career, as he was named a finalist along with the Indians’ Jose Ramirez and Chicago’s Jose Abreu. This, of course, after LeMahieu finished fourth in American League MVP voting last year, too.
And not only would LeMahieu fill a starpower need of sorts for the Sox, and rob the Yankees of high-end talent, but he would also address what has emerged as a multi-year hole at second base for the Red Sox. While the Sox have fielded one of the best left-side infield one-twos with Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, the team has essentially gone with patchwork fill-ins at the second base since Dustin Pedroia’s by all means career-ending knee injury.
LeMahieu is more than capable at the position, too, with three Gold Glove honors, and with over 1,000 of his career games coming at second base in a 10-year career with the Cubs, Rockies, and Yankees. (LeMahieu can also play first and third base.)
But the Red Sox will not be alone in their pursuit of LeMahieu, of course, as the New York Post has also linked the three-time All-Star to the Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees, and Mets among others.
The California-born infielder is a career .305 hitter with 85 homers, 478 RBIs, and 1,294 hits in 1,150 games since 2011.
