Sox look to connect with power bat at Meetings

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Winter Meetings, which start Monday, are happening at a perfect time for the Red Sox.
With Giancarlo Stanton headed to the Yankees in a trade with the Marlins that will send ripples through the industry, everyone will be looking to see what kind of counter move Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will make.
The rivals are always intertwined, and Boston will try to strike fast to acquire a big bat (or two). This would ease the angst of a rabid fan base that has spent countless hours for the past few weeks speculating how the Red Sox will supplement a roster that has won the American League East Division the last two seasons with 93 wins, but has also lost in the Division Series both years.
• Sox seek big bat at Winter Meetings
Fortunately for Boston, there are still some impact bats on the market. J.D. Martinez, who smashed 45 homers in just 432 at-bats in 2017, is a free agent. And Dombrowski has history with him. Remember, it was Dombrowski who signed Martinez after the Astros released him in '14.

The complexity with a Martinez signing is that it would create a log-jam in the outfield for the Red Sox, who currently have a strong trio of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts.
Adding production at first base or DH would be a cleaner fit for the Red Sox. Mitch Moreland is a free agent, creating an opening at first. And if a DH is acquired, Hanley Ramirez could move back to first.
• Hot Stove Tracker
Eric Hosmer, Carlos Santana, Logan Morrison and Lucas Duda are among the free-agent bats the Sox could be eyeing.

In addition to searching for ways to upgrade the offense, Dombrowski is also looking for a lefty reliever and perhaps some depth for the starting rotation. He will also explore ways to acquire a bat on the trade market.
"We have a good club. We have a good team. We won 93 games. We won the AL East two years in a row with those number of wins, so we have a really good foundation of players that we like and really can be a foundation for years to come," Dombrowski said earlier this offseason. "I've also been open-minded to anything that takes place. We're not looking to overhaul our team. We're looking to fine-tune our team."

MLB.com and redsox.com is on the scene for wire-to-wire coverage at the Meetings, keeping you up to date on all the latest news and rumors. The coverage will be on all platforms -- print, video and social media -- from the start of the Meetings until they conclude on Thursday.
New manager Alex Cora will meet with the media -- national and local -- on Tuesday afternoon. MLB.com will have a full story on all of Cora's thoughts on the Hot Stove season and how his club shapes up for 2018.