When it comes to the MLB Winter Meetings, rumors fly left and right. With these rumors always comes the “mystery team” when a big name player is involved. In regards to this year’s Winter Meetings, which are currently underway, the big name being talked about at the moment is Pittsburgh Pirate’s outfielder, Andrew McCutchen. And as you may have guessed, there is now a mystery team in the mix.
Up to this point, the Washington Nationals have been the team linked to the star outfielder the most. The Nationals and Pirates are said to have had multiple discussions so far. But, the Nat’s reluctance to part with big time prospect Victor Robles may be holding things up. Other teams known to be in the mix include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and the Seattle Mariners. Then Jon Heyman dropped this tweet on us.
There is said to be "mystery team" in McCutchen talks that has not been mentioned publicly yet. Not surprising. Great player
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 5, 2016
So obviously, this begs the question, who is this mystery team? When you look through the entire league, there is no team left who matches up better than the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have yet to be mentioned in McCutchen talks, but they simply make perfect sense.
For starters, they are in need of some new, big name bats. The departure of David Ortiz leaves a big hole in the lineup that needs to be filled. The team also has multiple positions that could be seen as needing an upgrade, including left field. Currently Andrew Benintendi, a 22-year-old who performed pretty well in 2016, as their starter. There is certainly nothing wrong with going with him, but if the team could turn him into with the track record of McCutchen, don’t you think they would?
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Benintendi could very well be included in a possible package for the current Pirate star. Jackie Bradley Jr. is another name who could find his name in the mix. The Red Sox have a handful of young players, and that means they certainly have the depth to pull off such a deal. Pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is a former top prospect, and the Pirates certainly want to add some pitching depth. Matt Barnes is another arm that could certainly interest the Pirates.
Let’s not forget who is running the show for the Sox either. Dave Dombrowski is a man known for making big moves. He was the architect behind the monster Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis deal years ago. He loves to make big splashes, and this would certainly qualify. Add in the fact that the Red Sox has been surprisingly quiet up to this point in the winter.
They were expected to be big movers this offseason, and so far, crickets. They were supposed to be big on the Edwin Encarnacion trail, but they appear to be nowhere near the former Jay. So maybe they have laid low as they have planned to pounce on McCutchen. I am not saying they are the mystery team, but I am saying it would make perfect sense.
So where will McCutchen end up? Are the Boston Red Sox the mystery team? Tell us what you think in the comments!