Ian Browne
@IanMBrowne
BOSTON -- The Red Sox continued to re-make their roster on Wednesday, agreeing with veteran outfielder Adam Duvall on a one-year deal worth $7 million, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Duvall can also earn up to an additional $3 million in performance bonuses.
The agreement, which has not been confirmed by the club, is pending a physical.
By adding Duvall, a power hitter and a highly-skilled defender in the outfield, the rest of the position-player puzzle is starting to come into focus for Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
The agreement with Duvall signals that Kiké Hernández, Boston’s primary center fielder the past two seasons, will get most of his playing time at either second base or shortstop in 2023.
With Xander Bogaerts departing to the Padres via free agency and Trevor Story out indefinitely following surgery on his right elbow, the Red Sox were left with vacancies at both middle infield positions. Story had been planning on moving back to shortstop before he instead had to undergo an internal bracing procedure on his elbow.
Hernández has started 187 games at second base in his career, compared to 60 at shortstop, but the Red Sox are confident in his ability to play both positions.
His versatility gives Bloom flexibility to target a shortstop or a second baseman with his next move. The Red Sox also have Christian Arroyo to roam around the infield, but the club prefers the oft-injured, right-handed hitter to be in a utility role.
Based on Boston’s current roster, it seems most likely Duvall will be the team’s center fielder, though he has started only 55 games in center in his career. The other option would be to move Alex Verdugo to center and have Duvall play right, the position he won a Gold Glove at in 2021.
Not only is Duvall a strong defender in the outfield, but he’s versatile. He has started games in all three outfield spots in the past two seasons.
In Duvall, the Red Sox are getting a 34-year-old player who was limited to 86 games with Atlanta last season due to a sprained right wrist and slumped to a .677 OPS to go along with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs.
However, Duvall’s numbers just two years ago make him a viable bounce-back candidate. Splitting the 2021 season with the Marlins and the World Series champion Braves, Duvall ripped 38 homers to go with a National League-leading 113 RBIs in '21.
The hope is that Duvall has the same type of rebound season that Hunter Renfroe did when the Sox signed him in 2021. Renfroe had been designated for assignment by the Rays, and Boston swooped in. Renfroe had 31 homers and 96 RBIs for a Red Sox team that came just two wins shy of getting to the World Series.
Duvall joins Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner as new position players projected to be in manager Alex Cora’s starting nine. The Red Sox have also made moves on the pitching side, adding starter Corey Kluber and relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Joely Rodríguez.
Of course, the biggest move the Sox made this winter was signing star slugger Rafael Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million extension that will start in 2024.
Once Bloom acquires another middle infielder via free agency or a trade, the bulk of his offseason roster construction will be complete.
The Sox are looking to rebound from a 78-84 finish last season, which placed them in last place in the highly-competitive American League East.
Ed Eagle contributed to this story.
