Mitch Moreland remains without a new team, and it appears sticking with his most recent squad isn’t totally out of the question.
Over the last week, both MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham have indicated that a Moreland reunion with the Boston Red Sox is not off the table.
“Both Brock Holt and Mitch Moreland — somewhat surprisingly — remain unsigned with just a couple weeks to go before (spring training),” wrote Cotillo on Thursday. “That might not be the case for long. Whispers throughout the industry suggest a Moreland signing could be imminent, potentially with the Red Sox.”
Noted Abraham: “Outside of the Blue Jays and Reds, no team has been connected to Holt. The Sox have not closed the door on him, but a return seems unlikely at this point. That may not be true for Mitch Moreland if the Sox decide they need another lefthanded hitter.”
If a market for Moreland doesn’t materialize and he comes cheap, bringing the 34-year-old back would be a logical move by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Moreland made $6.5 million each of the last two seasons, and it seems unlikely he would make close to that in 2020 given his age and recent health problems.
Moreland dealt with injuries last season, but when healthy still can play Gold Glove-caliber defense while providing decent pop offensively. For now, the Red Sox effectively are entering camp with Michael Chavis as the likely starting first baseman, with prospect Bobby Dalbec presumably getting a chance to make a case for himself.
In a pinch, Christian Vazquez can fill in at first, as can new backup catcher Kevin Plawecki, who has logged 36 innings at first over his career.
Those aren’t the worst options, but re-signing Moreland could provide more stability to the position, especially if it’s determined Dalbec needs more time in the minors to begin the season.
