Steps were taken in the offseason to address the Red Sox offense, notably signing third baseman Alex Bregman, but the club still went into spring training with a potential hole on the roster: A lack of first base depth.
Triston Casas was penciled in as the team’s starter at first, but Boston failed to address adding depth behind him during the offseason. Injuries last season limited Casas to just 63 games, in which he hit .241/.337/.462 with 13 home runs.
Casas was off to a slow start to this season, batting .182/.277/.303 through 112 plate appearances before his season came to an end on May 2 due to a torn left patellar tendon.
Boston’s left with a hole on their roster at first base and without a (willing) replacement, they’re going to need to look outside the organization to address that need. The club doesn’t need someone under a long-term contract, as Casas should be healthy again by next spring, so pursuing a pending free agent might be the solution.
Here are four players who fit the bill.
(Stats are entering play on Monday, May 12.)
