Like the Red Sox themselves, NESN had to fill some significant holes in its lineup this offseason.
But unlike the Red Sox, whose roster-building approach sometimes looks suspiciously like a tribute to the television program “The Leftovers,’’ the team’s local television home has found familiar names to add to its broadcast booth.
Lou Merloni, the former Red Sox utility infielder and longtime host at sports radio WEEI, is joining NESN’s cast of color analysts on its Red Sox broadcasts. So is Will Middlebrooks, the former Red Sox third baseman who debuted with NESN as a studio analyst last season.