Of all the potential free agent signings the Red Sox could make this offseason, veteran infielder Whit Merrifield has emerged as perhaps the most polarizing.
To some fans adding Merrifield seems like a no brainer. To others he’d be a waste of money and the Red Sox would be better off without him. With such a thin class of free agent infielders there aren’t many viable alternatives, so the Merrifield question has become particularly charged among certain portions of the fanbase.
So, who’s right? Should the Red Sox sign Merrifield to take the reins at second base or should they steer clear? There are pros and cons to each approach, so here’s an argument for and against bringing Merrifield aboard this winter.
Right now the Red Sox options at second base include rookies Enmanuel Valdez and David Hamilton and journeyman utility player Pablo Reyes, who had his moments last season but who has primarily been a minor leaguer throughout his career. None of them are reliable big leaguers, so bringing in a proven veteran like Merrifield could go a long way towards stabilizing Boston’s lineup.
Even approaching age 35, Merrifield remains one of the fastest players in the game and is coming off a season in which he stole 26 bases for the Toronto Blue Jays. The three-time All-Star also batted a respectable .272 with 66 runs scored, scored well above average with a 17.1% strikeout rate, and he’s demonstrated impressive durability over the course of his career.
Pairing Merrifield with fellow speedsters like Jarren Duran and Trevor Story would also go a long way towards making the Red Sox a much more dynamic, athletic club, which manager Alex Cora has frequently cited as a goal.
Defensively Merrifield isn’t great, but he’s not terrible either and the prospect of him and Trevor Story forming a double play tandem every game sounds a lot better than the revolving door of inconsistency Boston dealt with most of last season. We also saw how much Story elevated the play of those around once he returned in mid-August, so even an adequate defensive second baseman who plays every day could prove a huge upgrade.
Beyond his fit on the field, Merrifield would fit Boston’s timeline perfectly. With top prospect Marcelo Mayer expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2024, and with other standout infield prospects like Nick Yorke also working their way up, the Red Sox don’t need to lock someone up long-term to potentially block their path. Merrifield could probably be had for a one-year deal, after which the club could re-assess and potentially hand the keys to Mayer if he’s ready.
Beyond his speed, Merrifield’s tools aren’t very impressive and given his age there’s risk his production could plummet across the board next year.
Last season Merrifield posted a .700 OPS and a 94 OPS+, which translates to 6% worse than the league average of 100. His advanced metrics are pretty grim as well, especially when it comes to making hard contact. According to Statcast, Merrifield ranked near the bottom of the league in expected slugging (5th percentile), barrel percentage (3rd percentile), hard-hit percentage (2nd percentile) and average exit velocity (1st percentile).
He also doesn’t walk much (6.1% walk rate, 19th percentile), so between that and his tendency to hit a lot of weak ground balls, Merrifield doesn’t project as someone who will get on base enough to maximize his speed. Should the Red Sox really invest $7-10 million or more in a player like that? Even if it’s only for one year?
The other options on the free agent market aren’t particularly appealing, but the Red Sox could look to the trade market to find a better fit at second base. For instance, Los Angeles Angels utility man Brandon Drury has one year, $8.5 million left on his contract and boasts better power and defense than Merrifield. There have also been rumors of a possible Alex Verdugo for Gleyber Torres swap with the Yankees, though that seems like more of a long shot.
Again, this isn’t a clear cut decision either way. Merrifield would check a lot of boxes for the Red Sox but he comes with real risk as well. The one thing that’s certain is that standing pat shouldn’t be an option, and whether it’s Merrifield or someone else the Red Sox need to shore up second base to ensure their middle infield woes don’t persist into 2024.