Why Nolan Arenado wouldn't be the perfect fit for the Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are set to begin their Spring Training camp soon at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida, as pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 12 and the full team is expected to be there on Feb. 17.

Despite the date, Boston is still looking to add, and the conversations with the St. Louis Cardinals regarding third baseman Nolan Arenado are still ongoing.

Arenado is willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to the Red Sox, and it wouldn’t be surprising if St. Louis is willing to eat some of the money to make a deal happen.

The eight-time All-Star would significantly improve Boston’s infield defense if he played his natural spot at third base, moving Devers to designated hitter. In 2024, Baseball Savant graded Arenado in the 95th percentile in range and 44th in arm strength, while Devers was 8th percentile in range and 48th in arm strength.

That would be a massive upgrade for the Red Sox, who made the second-most errors in baseball in 2024 (115), behind only the Miami Marlins (117).

However, Arenado isn’t exactly the perfect fit for Boston.

Arenado may be a right-handed hitter, but he hasn’t hit well against left-handed pitchers recently, which is a big issue for Boston. In the 43 games where the Red Sox faced a left-handed starter in 2024, they went 17-26. Arenado’s .235 with five home runs and .646 OPS in 154 plate appearances against lefties last year wouldn’t help.

This may be why the Red Sox haven’t pulled the trigger yet. If that’s the case, they should still focus on adding to their bullpen before Opening Day.