The Boston Red Sox will be better next season, at least that’s what was interpreted by Kiké Hernández.
Hernández and the Red Sox will continue their partnership with the super-utility man agreeing to a one-year contract extension, as announced by the team Tuesday. In signing the dotted line, the 31-year-old locked himself in place on a team that is facing a litany of questions this offseason — the more overarching one being whether or not improvements will be made to the current roster.
In discussing his extension with the media on Tuesday, Hernández seemingly answered that question.
“I’m not going to say Chaim (Bloom) promised me we’ll be way better next year, but Chaim promised me we’ll be way better next year,” Hernández told reporters, per The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey.
It has been a turbulent 2022 season for the Red Sox, who have been unable to overcome a number of injuries, their inability to win in the American League East and a number of rookie debuts. With just 26 regular-season games remaining, Boston sits nine games back of the third-and-final AL wild-card spot and looks to be nearing the end of its season.
One of the injuries that hampered the Red Sox this season was Hernández’s hip injury. It forced him out of action for more than two months.
When on the field in Boston, Hernández has been one of the most reliable players. He is hitting .239 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs in 202 games with the Red Sox, chipping in with tremendous defense in centerfield and at second base. If that wasn’t good enough for an extension, his performance last October was enough to make anyone a big chunk of change. In Boston’s run to the 2021 American League Championship Series the righty batted .408 (20-for-49) with five home runs, nine RBIs and nine runs scored in 11 games.
The extension is the first move in what the Red Sox hope will be a path toward becoming a better team in 2023.
