Will Middlebrooks, much to his chagrin, looks like the odd man out.
Middlebrooks is still on the Boston Red Sox’s roster, but many think it’s only a matter of time before the third baseman is traded. The writing for a deal certainly appears to be on the wall after the club invested more than $180 million in Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez — two players who can play third base.
Middlebrooks knew the Red Sox had to make changes this winter after a last-place finish last season, which largely explains the additions of Sandoval and Ramirez.
“I understand the moves they had to make,” Middlebrooks said Friday at David Ortiz’s charity golf tournament in the Dominican Republic, according to the Boston Herald. “For the organization we are, we have to win next year. Everyone knows that. They had to make some moves. I was hurt, been hurt a lot. You can’t rely on that.”
What’s next for Middlebrooks is still unclear — it’s a “blurry” situation, Middlebrooks said — but he’s hoping there’s a way he can remain with the Red Sox.
“I want to stay in Boston; I want to play in Boston,” he said, according to the Herald. “I came up here, and I know it’s pretty rare for someone to stay in one place their whole career. I understand that. But I’m still going to try. I don’t really fit the mix right now. It doesn’t seem that there’s a place for me now. But it’s a long time until April and a lot of things can happen.”
Middlebrooks’ big-league career to this point has been marked by injury and inconsistency. Things hit their lowest point in 2014 where the third baseman appeared in just 63 games, hitting .191 with two home runs and 19 RBIs.
Middlebrooks told reporters he’s still rehabbing a fractured finger and bruised hand twice a week, which is why he opted not to play winter ball despite the club’s request.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
