Red Sox Outfield: Possible Depth Additions

With the loss of Rob Refsnyder to the Mariners this offseason, plus the never-ending rumors of either Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran being traded for an upgrade in the infield, the Boston Red Sox have been discussing moves for outfield depth. While Boston may ultimately not trade one of the two corner outfielders, this is a relatively young outfield in terms of seasons played. Masataka Yoshida is most likely a part-time DH. This means the oldest outfielders are Nate Eaton and Duran, both 29. They are probably looking for a Refsnyder veteran replacement.

Red Sox Outfield: Possible Depth Additions

The three players that were reported to be on the Red Sox’s radar were Randal Grichuk, Starling Marte, and Tommy Pham. All three are current free agents right now, and all three are also right-handed hitters. Out of the current Boston outfield options, only Cedanne Rafaela is a righty. They are all still getting serious playing time and are contributors wherever they go.

Randal Grichuk

Grichuk appeared to have a little of a down year in 2025, only batting .228 between Arizona and Kansas City. That being said, nearly 50% of the balls he made contact with were Hard Hits (balls that come off the bat at 95 mph or faster). To go along with that, 23.4% of balls he put into play were line drives, and 27.1% were fly balls. So if Grichuk can hit far enough, that’ll drive runs in. 

Obviously, with all three of these guys, they won’t get a huge amount of playing time unless someone’s hurt. The key part of this addition is just depth. In terms of his fielding, he’s got a .984 fielding percentage, which is just shy of the league average fielding percentage at .988. As for Boston, this would place Grichuk third among the outfielders, behind Roman Anthony and Rafaela. Grichuk’s glove would help in the outfield in case someone like Abreu goes down. However, his bat didn’t prove it this year. In 2024, though, he hit .291 with Arizona, so a bounce-back season isn’t crazy. 

Starling Marte 

Former Pittsburgh Pirate star Starling Marte is another option that the Red Sox are looking at. Since Pittsburgh, Marte bounced around before becoming a reliable player for the Mets. The 2022 all-star is coming off a season in which he batted .270 and had a .335 on-base percentage. The OBP would place him as the highest on the team, beating out Duran’s .332. He didn’t show this much last season, but he’s decently fast as well. However, he has led the league in times caught stealing twice in his career. The one issue is that he is 37, so it would almost certainly be a 1- or 2-year deal, followed by his retirement. That might be all the Red Sox are looking for, though. 

This year on the defensive side, Marte saw little action. He was primarily the Mets’ designated hitter, but he also played 12 games in the outfield. In those 12, he posted a positive 2 defensive runs saved. For a better volume year, in 2024, he played 85 games in the outfield, holding a fielding percentage of .986. He would fit right in with the Red Sox offensively, as he’s another player who gets right on base, and he’s still a decent hitter. If the front office isn’t certain about his glove, he could platoon with Yoshida at DH. 

Tommy Pham 

Tommy Pham has been around the league with several teams over the years, including a half-year in Boston. While he’s far removed from his Tampa Bay years, he’s still kicking around and contributing to teams such as Pittsburgh and the Mets. The 37-year-old is coming off a season where he hit 17 doubles, which, as a pull hitter in Fenway, could serve him very well. That is, granted his production stays the same. His on-base percentage is also in the .330’s.

 In addition, he’s very disciplined at the plate. Advanced metrics show that he is in the 95th percentile for chase percentage. His 19.9% chase rate is just .8 shy of Refsnyder’s mark and .1 short of Bregman’s. However, his K% at 20.9 ranks in the 52nd percentile. If there’s a positive outlook on that, it’s that Pham’s most likely swinging at the pitches that he’s supposed to swing at. 

Out of all three of the choices, Pham is possibly the most experienced recently, fielding-wise. In 117 games in the outfield for the 2025 season, he had 214 chances. Of those 214, 204 were putouts, 6 were assisted, and 4 were errors. He finished 2025 with a .981 fielding percentage with 4 defensive runs saved. In left field, he managed 5 runs saved, putting him tied for 10th among all left fielders. The problem is that Duran and Anthony are both stellar left fielders, so Pham probably won’t play much there. His stats in right field aren’t bad, it’s just such a small sample size. Overall, Pham would be a very underrated pickup, but the logjam at his primary position could cause Boston to lean away. 

The Verdict 

If these are the three guys that the Red Sox are pulling from for outfield depth, this is a tough decision to make. They are all pretty good in different areas. Grichuk is the better fielder, percentage-wise, but his bat was inconsistent. In terms of a long-term contract, however, he might be the best shot, seeing as he’s 34. Marte is definitely coming off the best offensive season of the 3. And Pham’s an underrated outfielder, on both sides of the field.

Out of all of these, though, Marte would probably suit the Red Sox best. His bat is the best of the three and can hit to all areas of the field, not leaning heavily on one side. He can either be a DH or play the outfield, working perfectly with the strategy. And as far as fielding, he’s been playing mostly right field recently. With Abreu’s injury concerns last year, should Abreu go down, Marte can slide right in. As stated, all 3 are good options, but Marte is the standout.