The Boston Red Sox have a ton of depth defensively, but not necessarily at first base.
The Red Sox are expecting a powerful season at the plate from their 25-year-old stud first baseman Triston Casas, but in the unfortunate event that Casas misses time, Romy González is Boston’s only experienced first baseman behind Casas.
Are the Red Sox comfortable with the idea of González playing a lot of games as a starter, or should Boston snag another veteran first baseman in free agency?
If Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is indeed interested in adding depth at first base, Breslow should consider acquiring a 35-year-old three-time All-Star who is currently looking for work.
Anthony Rizzo is a free agent, as the New York Yankees bought out his contract for $6 million shortly after losing the World Series.
A former member of the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs, with whom he won a World Series in 2016, Rizzo is a four-time Gold Glover.
Sure, Rizzo’s no longer a viable starter at his advanced age, especially for a team employing Casas, but he’d be a great veteran presence in Boston’s clubhouse on top of providing Alex Cora with some needed depth at first.
Injuries have hampered Rizzo’s capacity to hit with any consistency recently, but there might still be some magic left in his bat. This is a guy with 1,644 career hits and 303 career home runs.
Given Boston’s shallow depth at first and disproportionately young roster, it makes sense to add a guy like Rizzo to the mix, provided he costs close to nothing.
