C.J. Cron Signs With Red Sox: Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Free agent C.J. Cron signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox on March 1, and the veteran first baseman is expected to compete for a roster spot this spring. It will be the sixth club Cron has played for since he was called up with the Los Angeles Angels back in 2014, but hey, at least that means you're wanted.

If Cron were to make the roster, he'd presumably spell 24-year-old Triston Casas, who struggled versus left-handed (LHP) pitching last season. Casas is the incumbent first baseman, and that is the only position Cron has ever known.

So, what does Cron's signing with the BoSox do for his fantasy value? Is he still a relevant name we should consider? Let's take a look.

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C.J. Cron Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Cron's fantasy relevance hinges more so on whether or not he makes the big-league roster, so make sure to keep an eye on his performance this spring. As of this writing, he's scheduled to make his spring debut with the club on March 11.

#RedSox officially announce CJ Cron signing - @wbz pic.twitter.com/FmHbb2P4lr

— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) March 3, 2024

If Cron were to win a spot, it appears as though Bobby Dalbec would be the odd man out as he has one more option left. Dalbec mashed in the minors last year, compiling a .269-33-79-82-18 line, but his K% has been no less than 33.4% in any of the four seasons he's seen MLB action. And, for what it's worth, Dalbec hasn't done himself any favors this spring, going 5-for-20 (.250) with zero HR, two walks, and nine strikeouts (40.9% K%).

Now, assuming Cron wins the roster spot, he could be a valuable asset as a right-handed hitter who plays his home games swatting balls at the Green Monster. As mentioned earlier, he should play against left-handed starters as he is a career .266 hitter against them while Casas has a .214 average against LHP in his young MLB career. If Cron can get hot, then it's possible he could also get some play at DH, although the current projected DH, lefty Masataka Yoshida, hits LHP fairly well (.273 BA).

Cron was an All-Star as recently as 2022, but last season, the veteran played just 71 games due to being hampered by back problems. The former 2011 first-round draft pick would play 2024 in his age-34 season, so the wear and tear could be starting to pile up and it's entirely possible 2022 was his peak with it all heading downhill from there.

Could he still be a relevant fantasy player, though? Well, in his All-Star campaign of 2022, 22 of his home runs came at Coors Field (76%) and just seven HRs were on the road (24%) despite having basically the same amount of AB splits (281 Home vs. 294 Away). He won't be playing his home games in the thin air of Colorado anymore, so that doesn't bode well. Notably though, he has good numbers in his career at Fenway, going 21-for-64 (.328), including six home runs there.

If you want more reason to be bullish, Cron's Barrel% in 2023 was 13.8%. That is the same rate as Austin Riley (13.8%) and just behind Spencer Torkelson (14.1%), who had 37 and 31 HRs, respectively, last season.

Cron's current ATC projections see him with a .244-13-43-37-0 line with .322 wOBA and 98 wRC+ in 303 PA (72 games). Even if he surpasses those numbers, he's not a draftable fantasy asset right now, but if something were to happen that opens up the door for significantly more at-bats, then it'd be advisable that power-needy managers give him a look. He can still hit balls over the "Monstah."

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