The Red Sox might need a second baseman and you aren't going to find many better than D.J. LeMahieu.
It's why the news regarding LeMahieu's approach to the Yankees' qualifying offer should be of some note.
It might be a reach to suggest the Red Sox will be prioritizing second base when it comes to allocating their financial resources this offseason. But LeMahieu's good enough to suggest a conversation should be had.
In his last two years with the Yankees the 31-year-old has hit .327 and .364, respectively. He finished with an .893 OPS in 2019, while totaling a mark of 1.011 last season.
LeMahieu has also proven to be the kind of leadoff hitter the Red Sox currently don't possess, residing in the Yankees' lineup's top spot in each of his 2020 starts.
If the Red Sox were to sign LeMahieu (or any other free agent who has been extended a qualifying offer) it would cost them their second-highest draft pick along with $500,000 in international signing bonus pool money.
The Red Sox continue to look for some sort of stability at second base since Dustin Pedroia's injury, with six players manning the position in 2020.
The favorite to win the spot right now would seem to be Christian Arroyo, who left a positive impression in his 14 games with the Red Sox, both offensively and defensively. Prospect Jeter Downs is also being watched closely, with the organization viewing him as potentially the highest-upside option going forward.
In their free agent projections, MLB Trade Rumors has LeMahieu going to the Blue Jays on a four-year, $68 million deal.