Red Sox predicted to sign $75.3 million ‘All-Star snub’ away from Yankees originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox ranked near the bottom of the Majors in the slugging department last season.
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They hit 163 home runs as a team, which was good for 26th in baseball. Willson Contreras (27 HR) and Wilyer Abreu (24) did most of the heavy lifting.
This offseason, the Red Sox should target a few power bats while filling in positional needs on the diamond. Second base may be one of the spots Boston’s front office feels it should upgrade.
Curtis Mead will likely be named the starting second baseman if the Red Sox don’t make any changes.
But Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly predicts they will sign Brandon Lowe to a three-year, $75.3 million contract with a $25 million club option for 2030.
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“Lowe seemed to fit well in Pittsburgh, but whenever you’re talking about making this type of investment, it’s hard to bet on owner Bob Nutting writing the necessary check. Some of the same teams we’ve mentioned in connection with [Luis] Arraez and [Jazz] Chisholm make sense for Lowe.
“Boston would be among those, as Lowe could take over at second base, allowing Curtis Mead to compete with Caleb Durbin for time at third base,” Kelly wrote.
Lowe had a tremendous season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs and a 121 OPS+.
MORE: Phillies predicted to sign Cubs’ $85M former Silver Slugger finalist
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His defense improved vastly, earning a nomination for a Gold Glove Award with 13 defensive runs saved and 15 outs above average.
Injuries are a concern for Lowe, but his defensive work should make the Red Sox feel great about how he can impact both sides of the ball.
Plus, signing the two-time All-Star would eliminate one possibility for the New York Yankees if they let Chisholm walk.
Lowe will turn 33 next July, so he’s probably still got a few more years left of above-average power and overall production.
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