Possible Solutions to Replacing David "Big Papi" Ortiz
Even with the 2017 MLB season well under way, all of Red Sox Nation still wants to know what the answer is to finding a replacement to the permanent absence of their longtime DH and slugger, David Ortiz. Following the retirement of "Big Papi", John Farrell's baseball club needs a temporary solution, as well as a long-term solution.
Most obviously, the absence of David Ortiz is felt within the team's offense, or lack thereof. With that said, an underrated effect of Big Papi no longer putting on a Red Sox uniform is his presence among his teammates in the locker room and his charisma with the fans. First and foremost, the franchise needs a mainstay in the designated hitter position. Going forward, a veteran presence in the locker room like Big Papi needs to be addressed before another "chicken and beer" fiasco occurs, like in the franchise's epic 2011 collapse.
The immediate solutions are presented in the form of Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, and Mitch Moreland. Moreland and Sandoval do not have the cerebral pedigree to fill the spot, in my opinion. However, Ramirez has all of the talent in the world to excel at being a designated hitter. The fellow Dominican Republic native has played at shortstop, left field, and first base in his career. Ramirez is already versatile but when he concentrates all of his abilities on batting, he can get back to being a consistent all-star and "silver slugger". Hanley Ramirez has a unique blend of speed and power, although his plate discipline can be questioned sometimes.
Looking towards potential free agents, there do appear to be many great options in the long term. In the short term, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Mark Trumbo, and Kendrys Morales are all capable batters to fill the role. Thus, the Red Sox could sign one of these aforementioned options and then wait on a slugger to become their next designated hitter through their minor league system or the future MLB drafts. Moreover, the Boston Red Sox could very well look to make a splash by finding an international talent with comparable hitting ability to Yoenis Cespedes. The obvious risk with bringing in a player similar to Cespedes or Yasiel Puig is all of the antics and baggage that they bring along with time. With that said, this franchise has had many past dealings with the theatrics of international baseball players such as Manny Ramirez and Daisuke Matsuzaka.
While pursuing any player in the MLB by way of making a trade, acquiring a talent like Mike Trout or Bryce Harper would be the permanent fixture at the designated hitter slot that the Boston baseball team could use. However, the haul that it would take to bring in a superstar like Trout or Harper would likely be insane. Although seeking out a trade for a potent hitter seems like the best solution, Dave Dombrowski would have to get very creative.
The only certainty about permanently replacing David Ortiz is that nothing is for certain. After all, there may never be a true "replacement" for Big Papi.
