The Boston Red Sox Keep 1st Baseman Mitch Moreland For Two More Years

© 2107 Jordan Long Sports-Scoop.com | Sports with Attitude! 

The Boston Red Sox were searching for a 1st baseman this offseason.  They thought about the possibility of Eric Hosmer but decided to re-sign Mitch Moreland.  The deal is 2 years and he will total $13 million during the contract term.

The Red Sox knew they had Hanley Ramirez on the roster.  He is used mostly as the DH.  Ramirez can play 1st base.  The Red Sox wanted a 1st baseman who could play pretty much everyday.  They were looking at Hosmer, but he wanted more money than Moreland.  And the team knew what Moreland could do for them.

Moreland appeared in 149 games for for Boston last year.  At the plate he hit .246 with 22 home runs.  Moreland was able to move his teammates around the bases and drive them in with 79 RBI’s.  His problem at the plate was strikeouts.  Moreland is a free swinger and swung at anything close to the strike zone.  More times than not he would strike out with a personal record high last season of 120.

The Red Sox are bringing him back for his glove, not his bat.   Moreland rarely makes an error at 1st base, starting 126 games for Boston at the position.  He is able to catch the baseball thrown from his teammates and step on the bag for outs.  Moreland can start or complete a double play.  He had 5 errors all of last year.

The Red Sox could have let him go.  He won’t put up the offensive numbers of Eric Hosmer.  But his value is defense.  The Red Sox knew they had to keep him.  He is the type of 1st baseman every team looks for.  Moreland is staying with the Red Sox for two more years.  His play will determine if he is in a Red Sox uniform beyond that.  Right now, this is a decent move for the team as they hope to win a World Series title in 2018.