Kiké Hernández admitted he planned to test the free agent market this winter before signing a one-year contract extension with the Red Sox earlier this week.
Part of the second baseman-turned-outfielder wanting to remain in Boston was the fact that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom allegedly told Hernández the Red Sox would be a better team in 2023 than in 2022.
What that means exactly remains to be seen, but there must be some sort of plan for next season considering it’s likely the Red Sox won’t make the postseason this year.
Bloom had the opportunity during his appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday morning to address what he told Hernández.
“Well, I think Kiké was paraphrasing a little because there’s only so much we control. But, look, we need to be better than this, right? This is not what anybody around here deserves or wants,” Bloom said. “And Kiké’s a winning player and when you get to the point he was a year and a half ago, and had a chance again this winter to choose your employer, if you’re a winning player, the chance to win matters a lot. That was on his mind and we talked about it. I believe we’re going to be better and I believe he’s going to be better, too, and that’s going to be part of why we’re going to be better.”
Hernández provides stability in center field for the Red Sox going into next season. Plus, we know he’s comfortable at second base — his natural position — and shortstop. But Hernández was just one of many question marks Boston faces going into what’s sure to be a busy offseason.
