3 Moves the Red Sox Can Make to Leapfrog the Yankees in the AL East

After winning the World Series in 2018, the Boston Red Sox had a disastrous title defense last season. Even so, if Boston makes the right tweaks this offseason, the Red Sox still have a chance to be a contender in 2020.

With that in mind, here are three moves the Red Sox can make to potentially unseat the New York Yankees in the AL East.

1. Re-Sign Mookie Betts

There have been rumors swirling about Boston potentially moving on from Mookie Betts for quite some time. While he'll likely command a big contract when his current deal expires next season, Betts is absolutely worth it. Yes, his 2019 campaign wasn't nearly as effective as his 2018 AL MVP season, but he's still one of the most dynamic players in the sport. Ensuring that Betts stays in right field for the Red Sox next season is one of the best ways Boston can look to load up for another run at the AL East in 2020.

2. Sign Chris Martin

Boston has one of the highest payrolls in the league, so the Red Sox likely don't have the financial flexibility to pursue some of the top-tier pitchers on the market. Even so, someone like Chris Martin could be a solid consolation prize. Martin isn't a big-name star, but he was solid last season, putting together a 3.40 ERA across 55 2/3 innings pitched with the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. Boston's relievers had a combined 4.40 ERA last season, and Martin could be an effective piece at a much lower cost than some of the other pitchers on the market.

3. Sign Rich Hill

As mentioned above, Boston needs to upgrade its pitching staff, but it almost certainly won't be pursuing the big-name starters like Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole. Rich Hill, a 39-year-old veteran, is coming off a great season, but likely wouldn't command a huge salary at his age. He had a 2.45 ERA in 13 starts last season, and the Red Sox starters had a combined 4.95 ERA last season, which was the 11th-worst total in MLB. Hill is also from Boston, and a homecoming could make a ton of sense for both sides.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.