After a disappointing season, the Red Sox are looking to get better at this year's winter meeting. Two of the names on the Sox radar are Jayson Werth (no surprise there) and right-hander Justin Duchscherer.The Sox main goal at this point is to land Werth, the 31 year-old outfielder who has been playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. Last season, Werth hit .296 with 27 HRs and an OPS+ of 145, and his WAR (Wins above replacement) is highest among free-agent batters at 5.2. In layman's terms, WAR estimates the value of the player to the team by estimating how many wins he is worth, getting the number from the player's showing in the field, at bat, pitching, and running. Needless to say, Werth could be a great addition based on his WAR, as many sabermetricians claim this stat is the best way to measure a player's worth. However, Werth struggled during his time in the AL, and that adjustment could make teams weary.
In much lesser known news, the Red Sox are also pursuing right-handed pitcher Justin Duchscherer. The 32 year-old only pitched in 5 games last season due to injury and depression. However, his WHIP in his last full season was 0.995 in 22 starts, and his ERA was only 2.54. Duchscherer could be a good addition for the Sox in long relief or as a spot starter if injuries hamper the Sox next season. Though injury is an issue with Duchscherer, he could be a good bargain pick up this off-season. He is a true low-risk/high-reward free agent at this juncture in his career. Plus, he has worked with new Sox pitching coach Curt Young in Oakland, so there is already some familiarity there.
Thanks to Craig for the find on the Justin Duchscherer story.
this is going to be a good offseason
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