The Red Sox offseason is set to get underway, and one of the key questions is what, exactly, the team will do with its crowded outfield picture. Jarren Duran is a fan favorite in left field, and helps serve as a team leader with his hustle and enthusiasm. But center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is signed on a team-friendly deal, and the Red Sox are convinced that they’ve only scratched the surface of Wilyer Abreu‘s potential in right field.
It’s a fine trio until you remember that the Red Sox’s future might well be built around rookie Roman Anthony, who was the top prospect in MLB for more than a year before he arrived and Boston and showed what the hype was all about. He was injured for the final month of the season, and into the playoffs, but Anthony hit .292 with an .859 OPS in 71 MLB games this season.
The Redo Sox could certainly manage four outfielders–injuries happen, after all–but juggling four who are all starting quality won’t be easy. The expectation is that one (not Anthony) will be used in a trade for pitching this winter.
Wilyer Abreu Needs to Be an Everyday Player
In the meantime, though, the trade value of both Abreu and Rafaela may have gotten a boost this weekend with an announcement from MLB: each player won the American League Gold Glove for his position.
Abreu, of course has been here before–he won the AL Gold Glove in right field last season. The Red Sox have struggled with their infield defense in recent years, but the outfield has been well-manned, and Abreu is a big part of that.
The team wants him to be able to play all 162 games, and the hope is that he can fix his issues vs. lefthanded pitching both to bolster his offense and to keep his glove on the field. Abreu hit .250 with an .808 OPS vs. righties this season, and only .230 with a .676 OPS against lefties.
As Alex Cora said last month, ““We need Willy. We need to figure out if Willy is a platoon player or an everyday player.”
Red Sox Thriving With Ceddanne Rafaela in Center
As for Rafaela, his bat was solid and his pitch selection was more discerning in 2025, an important jump because he is so good defensively, the team can withstand his slumps–as long as they’re not too long. Rafaela is new to the Gold Glove, though there was little doubt he was deserving of it.
From the MLB announcement on the 2025 Gold Glovers: “Rafaela has won his first career Gold Glove Award after a stellar defensive showing in center field — the only outfielder with more than his +21 OAA was the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong. Rafaela’s +20 DRS ranked second among Major League outfielders only to Steven Kwan last season, and he had the best average jump in the game — +5.3 feet vs. average.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post MLB Announcement on 2 Red Sox Stars Bolsters Value appeared first on Heavy Sports.