The Boston Red Sox have been more active this offseason compared to recent years, but their level of activity has been relatively moderate. Their free-agent spending ranks 11th in Major League Baseball, totaling $52.3 million, all of which has been invested in bolstering their pitching staff. This includes acquiring top-of-the-rotation starter Garrett Crochet through a trade.
However, the Red Sox have yet to address their offense, which has taken a hit. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill signed with the Baltimore Orioles on a three-year, $49.5 million deal, taking his 31 home runs and .847 OPS with him. O’Neill’s departure leaves a notable gap in the lineup, particularly for a right-handed bat, as the Red Sox roster is heavily skewed toward left-handed hitters such as Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida, and Triston Casas.
“With most of the heavy lifting in the rotation complete, we’ll now shift focus to balancing out the lineup,” said Boston’s chief of baseball operations, Craig Breslow, on Monday. “We’ve talked about adding a right-handed bat to help balance our significant number of left-handed hitters.” While Breslow didn’t name specific targets, a prominent Red Sox newsletter author, known as BallPark Buzz, suggested a potential trade for Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer, which could be a cost-effective solution.
Steer, a 27-year-old who was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft, joined the Reds in 2022 via a trade as a minor-league prospect. In 2023, his first full MLB season, Steer finished sixth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Over the past two seasons, he has hit 43 home runs and demonstrated consistent power both at home and on the road, with 24 of his 45 career homers coming at Great American Ball Park and 21 on the road. Notably, his road OPS (.767) slightly exceeds his home OPS (.753).
Steer averages 2.13 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) per 162 games in his young career, compared to Tyler O’Neill’s 3.46 WAR/162. However, Steer brings added versatility, playing left field as well as first and third base.
Under contract for just $800,000 in 2025 and with team control through 2028, Steer offers an affordable right-handed bat to fill Boston’s lineup needs without requiring the Red Sox to part with their top prospects.
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