MLB Rumors: Red Sox reunion gaining steam, but hurdle still remains

Adam Duvall fit like a glove, or perhaps a sock, in Boston last year. Yes, he missed some time due to injuries, playing in only 92 games. Still, when he was in the Red Sox lineup, Duvall got it done at the plate and in the outfield. He has also been a fan favorite at every stop of his 10-year journeyman career. That was no different in Beantown.

Spending most of his time in center field last year, Duvall proved to still be adequate in that spot in his age-34 season, but he is more suited for the corners at this point. What the Red Sox most covet right now, however, is his power from the right side, particularly at home in Fenway Park.

Duvall slugged .531 with 21 homers last year. That slugging percentage jumped to .596 with 11 deep drives across 169 plate appearances in Boston. His pull-happy approach and extreme launch angles (28.9 in 2023) are tailor-made for the unique dimensions of the Red Sox home park.

Duvall signed a one-year, free-agent deal with the Red Sox in January 2023. Now, reports suggest that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is at least considering a similar agreement with Duvall again this year.

One roadblock to Duvall re-upping with the Sox is that the Angels are also hovering around in pursuit of the veteran slugger.

MLB Rumors: Red Sox in on Adam Duvall reunion, Angels stand in the way

The Angels are in obvious need of a power boost to their lineup after the departure of Shohei Ohtani in free agency. With the way things currently stand with their roster, the Halos should be scouring every corner of the market for additional offense.

The New York Post and Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman pointed toward both Boston and Anaheim being potential landing spots for Duvall multiple times during this offseason. A bidding war between the two sides would only serve to benefit Duvall’s camp.

The Red Sox would probably prefer to make Masataka Yoshida more of an everyday DH during his second season in the States. Duvall’s reliability in the outfield would assist in that plan and likely lead the Red Sox to shell out more than the $7.5 million they ultimately paid him last year.