Mitchy Two Bags is back!
The 32-year-old first baseman is here to stay, signing a contract that will keep him in Boston, barring a trade, through the 2019 season. The deal, which is worth $13 million, may come as a surprise to some. For the past few weeks, it looked like the Red Sox were in on free agent Eric Hosmer. With this move being announced today, I would expect Hosmer to land with the San Diego Padres in the next few days.
In his first year with the Red Sox, Moreland put together a solid season. Nothing great, but nothing too bad either. In fact, his worst stretch of 2017 was mainly due to a broken toe he suffered back in June. Other than that, I was impressed with the defense and run production he provided, mashing 22 long balls and driving in 79 RBIs. Looking forward to more of that in 2018.
Going with Moreland over Hosmer most likely means Dave Dombrowski is pursuing a deal with free agent outfielder JD Martinez. This scenario would also mean that the Red Sox outfield could get shaken up. With the reports out there that Hanley Ramirez could get traded, I would not be surprised if Jackie Bradley Jr. is involved in the same deal. Moving both Ramirez and Bradley would allow Martinez to switch between playing the field and DH’ing, a situation the outfielder probably wants. It would be sad to see JBJ go, but Martinez is an upgrade. As for Hanley, it appears his contract may be tough to move given his lack of production last season. Trading Ramirez could also mean the Red Sox may move away from a full-time DH, something the club has not done in a long time. Between Martinez (potentially), Moreland, and Bryce Brentz, that’s not a terrible idea.
If something comes up regarding free agency soon, I’ll have something.
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