Kiké Hernández made his latest career decision earlier this week, but the outcome might not have been his initial first choice.
Hernández, who was one of the Red Sox's best players in the 2021 playoffs, was slated to hit free agency after the conclusion of the 2022 season. But the versatile veteran now will wait at least another year to test the open market, as he finalized a one-year contract extension with Boston on Tuesday.
In his first media availability after inking the new deal, Hernández didn't shy away from the fact that he originally was excited about the opportunity to be courted across the league. That said, the 31-year-old clearly is happy to be sticking with the Red Sox.
"It meant a lot obviously," Hernández told reporters, per The Boston Globe. "Beginning the season, I was looking forward to hitting free agency again, and obviously things didn't go my way. So it was a change of plans. This is a place where I want to be."
"You experience (free agency) once and it's kind of not that much fun anymore. So yeah, I'm excited to stay."
Perhaps a promise from Chaim Bloom increased Hernández's motivation to stay with Boston beyond the current season. The Red Sox chief baseball officer assured the ninth-year pro that Boston will be better next season, which probably isn't lip service when you consider the amount of money the club will have to work with this winter.
