Among a myriad of other teams seeking power from a position known for run production, the Boston Red Sox will be in the market for a first baseman this off-season after dealing left-handed slugger to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend.
Some baseball pundits argue that the Red Sox will have trouble replacing Gonzalez’s bat. The 30-year-old Gonzalez – who was acquired before the 2011 season for top prospects Anthony Rizzo, Casey Kelly and Reymond Fuentes and then signed to a seven-year, $154 million contract – hit .338 with 27 home runs, 117 RBI, a .548 slugging percentage and a .947 OPS in 2011 but slipped to 15 home runs and 86 RBI with a .300 average this season before last weekend’s trade.
The Red Sox could opt to retain one of the players they received from the Dodgers. James Loney, a 28-year-old left-handed hitter, is a plus defensive first baseman and until this season he was an asset to the Dodgers lineup. In 2011, for example, he batted .288 with 12 home runs, 65 RBI and a .755 OPS. Those are not prodigious numbers, but productive enough if there is ample power at other positions.
Loney did drive in 90 runs in 2008 and 2009, and collect 88 RBI in 2010, and the Red Sox plan to see if he will benefit from the Green Monster for the rest of this season. With the Dodgers, Loney was awful, batting .254 with four home runs, 33 RBI and a .646 OPS.
If the Red Sox do not retain Loney, he could interest a budget-conscious team starved for a first baseman like the Tampa Bay Rays.
Top 5 first basemen who will be free agents:
1. Mike Napoli
Currently on the DL with a quad strain, the 30-year-old Napoli is struggling this season after a 2011 campaign that saw him bat a career-high .320 with other career-high numbers that included a 1.046 OPS, 30 home runs, 75 RBI and 25 doubles. Napoli offers versatility because he can play first base, DH and catch, though at this stage of his career he is best suited for the first two options.
2. Adam LaRoche
The left-handed hitting LaRoche, who will turn 33 this off-season, is a solid defensive first baseman and steady at the plate. His .261 average, 23 home runs and 78 RBI with the Washington Nationals this season is in line with his career production. He batted .261 with 25 home runs and 100 RBI last season. LaRoche has hit 25 or more home runs in four of his nine Major League seasons and likely will reach that number this year.
3. Nick Swisher
The switch-hitting Swisher will be 32 this off-season, and with his ability to play first base and right field, he will be a heavily pursued free agent should the Yankees decide to part ways. Swisher has 19 home runs and 73 RBI this season, and when he hits No. 20, it will mean he has reached that number in each of his eight full seasons in the majors.
4. Carlos Lee
If he is not retained by the Miami Marlins, who acquired him earlier this summer from Houston, the 36-year-old Lee has a .280 average with eight home runs and 60 RBI this year. Though Lee does not possess the same power he had earlier in his career when he eclipsed 30 home runs five times, his left-handed bat still has some pop and he could be an ideal two-year fix for a team at first base.
5. James Loney
As mentioned earlier in this column, Loney is not a home run hitter. His single-season high is 15 in 2007. Yet he has knocked in 90 runs twice and 88 another time. He is also a defensively sound first baseman and has a career average of .284. Loney will be 29 in the off-season and can likely be signed for reasonable dollars.
