Friday, January 11, 2019

Could The Red Sox Make A 'Panik' Move At 2B If Giants Acquire DJ LeMahieu?

(Getty Images)
UPDATE: Evil Ones Sign DJ LeMahieu
Multiple reports suggest that the San Francisco Giants are looking to "upgrade" at second-base by signing free-agent DJ LeMahieu. If that happens, they would likely look to move 2B incumbent Joe Panik in a trade. Enter your Boston Red Sox. While Boston got the good news that Dustin Pedroia will start a running program soon to prepare for a full return in the 2019 season, there is still a lot of uncertainty as to exactly how healthy The Muddy Chicken will be. So, a 'stop-gap' measure might be to trade for Panik—with an eye toward sharing the keystone position between the two during the 2019 season. The 28-year-old Panik has now logged five MLB seasons—all with the Giants. He's posted a .277 average and a .733 OPS over that span—and also collected a Gold Glove (2016) and an All-Star appearance (2015). In 2014, he finished 6th in the National League Rookie-Of-The-Year balloting. The left-hand-hitting Panik might be a interesting option for Boston—as long as he and The Laser Show can accept a shared role.