Projecting the Red Sox Starting Outfield After Team's New Acquisitions

The Boston Red Sox made one of the most shocking personnel moves in recent memory when they sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pennies on the dollar. Even with one of the five best players in the sport now practicing his trade in Los Angeles, the Red Sox will still have one of the finer outfields in all of baseball.

Projecting Boston Red Sox 2020 Outfield After Kevin Pillar Signing

Andrew Benintendi will return to his familiar left field spot. Benintendi's batting average dropped from .290 to .266 last year, and he's hoping that he'll improve now that he's lost weight. Defensively, however, Benintendi maintained his effectiveness in 2019, recording seven assists from left field.

Jackie Bradley Jr. will man Fenway's center field for what could be the last time. He is a free agent at the end of this season and may not be part of the team's future plans. While he's in center, fans can expect some more excellent defense, though his bat has always left something to be desired.

Alex Verdugo, the key piece headed to Boston in the Betts deal, will finally get regular playing time this season in Mookie's old right field spot. Verdugo hit .294 with 12 home runs in limited playing time, and his numbers are only expected to improve now that he can play regularly. However, the young stud is dealing with a back injury which is expected to sideline him to start the season.

With Verdugo at risk of being shelved for Opening Day, Boston's latest acquisition, Kevin Pillar can showcase his worth in the outfield from the get go, though he'll eventually give way to Verdugo.

So, when healthy, the Red Sox should slot Benintendi in left, Bradley Jr. in center and Verdugo in right. Pillar will act as the serviceable depth piece, capable of filling in at any position in the outfield.

While Betts' loss will be felt by the group, they'll still be among the better outfields in the league.