Red Sox resolutions: How much is left to do?

Matthew West/Boston Herald

With 2 of the Red Sox major needs addressed after acquiring an ace and strengthening their bullpen by acquiring Carson Smith and Craig Kimbrel, how much is left for the team to do? According to the Boston Herald, there are a few things left the team could do.

1.) Drop Hanley Ramirez and sign Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis.  From the Herald:

Is it really that crazy of an idea? The Baltimore Orioles already appear tired of waiting for an answer from Davis after reportedly offering him a seven-year contract for $154 million, which would pay Davis $22 million per season, the same annual salary Ramirez will be paid over the next three years. Boras doesn’t appear to like that offer. And it’s no slam dunk the Orioles will increase it. They don’t want to bid against themselves when the market for Davis appears to be nonexistent.

Is that really a good idea, though? We already overpaid for Hanley Ramirez last season, and we'd most likely have to eat a hefty chunk of his remaining contract in addition to meeting Chris Davis' contract demands. And Chris Davis is a Scott Boras, so he'll be looking for top-dollar. So, I think I'll pass on this idea. I'd rather see Hanley at least be given a chance at first before I'd want Chris Davis on the team, as good as he is.

2.) Trade Hanley and sign Justin Morneau. The Herald:

Morneau could be a one-year stopgap while the Sox wait for 22-year-old Sam Travis, who hit .344 with a .900 OPS in the prospect-loaded Arizona Fall League. It would also allow catcher Christian Vazquez to take his time making a full recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2016, then the Sox could take a look at Blake Swihart at first base in 2017, assuming Swihart hits well enough to influence such a change. Morneau hit .319 and .310 in Colorado the last two years. His concussion history is a concern, but he knows how to play first base, is a former MVP, hits left-handed and, as an irresistible bonus, hails from Canada.

I'll point out again that trading Hanley would likely involve eating his salary, unless they can find a team crazy enough to take on a good chunk of his salary. At least in this case, they would just be signing Morneau to a one-year deal until their young guys are ready, so they wouldn't be taking on a lot in addition to Hanley's contract. In that regard, this would make more sense than Davis, but I still don't see it happening. If they trade Hanley, they'll likely hand over the reigns at first base to Travis Shaw, rather than try to bring in external help.  

3.) Trade Rusney Castillo and sign Alex Gordon. The Herald:

Dombrowski might need a black top hat and magic wand to pull this one off, but it’s worth considering. With Pablo Sandoval, Castillo, Jackie Bradley and Swihart penciled in to hit No. 6-9 in the batting order, the Sox lineup will finish with four aggressive hitters who had 83 walks to 273 strikeouts last season. The highest on-base percentage in that group belonged to Bradley, who had a .335 OBP last year (but a .265 OBP in 2014). There’s certainly some untapped potential in those four hitters, but adding Gordon (.377 OBP last year) to lengthen the lineup and provide elite defense in left field, even if that defense is negated at Fenway Park, would make the Sox much more dangerous.

As unlikely as this is, this one is more appealing because it involves bringing in proven championship-caliber talent in Alex Gordon. The key word, though, is unlikely. Why? Again, it would involve moving Rusney Castillo's contract, which is pretty hefty, and replacing it with another hefty contract. Make no mistake: Alex Gordon will likely get a more than the $12-13 million a year (as reported by the Herald) that the Kansas City Royals reportedly offered. I don't see the Red Sox pulling this off. So all of these scenarios seem like pipe dreams, but what fun is baseball if you can't dream? I certainly don't blame Red Sox fans if they dream about having these guys on their team.

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