The Boston Red Sox have a well-documented outfield logjam, with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Roman Anthony. But could the team be preparing to add another piece to the already confusing puzzle? At least one person thinks so, as Seattle Mariners beat reporter Ryan Divish linked pending free-agent Randy Arozarena to Boston in an appearance on the ‘Foul Territory’ podcast. 

"They're [Seattle] going to lose their best player. Randy Arozarena is going to be a free agent. I think we all know Randy would probably prefer to stay on the East Coast," Divish said. "I'm guessing Boston is ready to cut a huge check for him," he continued. 

From a sheer production perspective, the 31-year-old could be the missing piece for a Red Sox offense that still feels a bat short. Arozarena is coming off the best two seasons of his career, hitting .258/.355/.453/.808 with 53 home runs, 63 doubles, and 152 RBI en route to back-to-back All-Star selections, all while playing half of his games in one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in the sport, Seattle's T-Mobile Park. 

Arozarena has also had incredible success at Fenway Park, posting a .278/.351/.481/.833 slash line with five home runs, 12 doubles, and 19 RBI in career 32 games. He also fits the profile of hitters that Boston has targeted under Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, pulling the ball in the air at a consistent rate. Along with a strong track record at Fenway Park, Arozarena has proven himself in the postseason, hitting .292/.380/.565/.946 in 45 playoff games, including being named ALCS Most Valuable Player in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Rays. 

However, bringing in the veteran outfielder would require significant roster reshuffling, including moving both an outfielder and the designated hitter, Masataka Yoshida.

If Arozarena is set on returning to the East Coast, he could be the perfect fit for the Red Sox offense. His defensive metrics at this stage of his career suggest he's best suited as a designated hitter, and the Red Sox have gotten some of the worst production in baseball from their revolving door of designated hitters in 2026. He also has a proven track record of success at both Fenway Park and in the postseason. 

While signing him would require some roster maneuvering, including potentially selling Duran at his lowest possible value or eating the $18.6 million remaining on Masataka Yoshida’s contract, Arozarena is about as perfect fit as you can get for the Red Sox in what’s set to be a weak class of free-agent bats, especially if the offense comes up short in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. 

After clinching a playoff berth on Sunday afternoon, the Red Sox are off on Monday before opening up the final homestand of the regular season on Tuesday, welcoming the Cleveland Guardians to Fenway Park for a three-game set. Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.02 ERA) will get the start opposite fellow rookie left-hander Parker Messick (12-9, 2.57 ERA) for Cleveland. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.