It all comes down to a level of comfort for Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland.
Moreland turned down multiple offers, ultimately agreeing to a one-year deal with $3 million guaranteed in order to return to Boston for his fourth consecutive year with the organization. The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham talked with Moreland about what made the 34-year-old veteran want to return to the Sox.
“The biggest thing for me was I’ve enjoyed my time in Boston,” Moreland said, per Abraham. “It feels like home for us and there’s a good group of guys. I’m comfortable there.
“It’s a good family atmosphere, too, and that means a lot to me.”
As one of the team’s veteran major leaguers, Moreland also knows the upcoming season could bring on an added role — as a mentor. He certainly could help some of Boston’s up-and-coming players like Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec, who both are likely to see some innings at first base, where Moreland has played the vast majority of his 1,000 career games.
That too is something he is content with.
“I feel comfortable in that position,” Moreland said. “It’s something I bring to the table. I’ve had some experience and I want to pass that along.”
It proves the Sox agreement with Moreland not only was a good decision for the Sox short term, but could pay dividends in the long term as well.
Moreland was limited to 91 games last season due to injuries, but he was impactful when healthy. He hit .252 with 19 home runs, 58 RBIs and an .835 OPS during the 2019 season.
It’s caused Boston’s chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom to be confident Moreland still is capable of producing at a high level, and in multiple facets, as the Sox get set for their 2020 campaign.
