Red Sox Year in Review: Top five pleasant surprises of 2017
By Sean Penney
The arrival of Eduardo Nunez wasn’t met with much fanfare but he ended up being one of the top hitters in the lineup during his short stint in Boston.
The Red Sox acquired Nunez in a deadline deal with the San Francisco Giants to help solve the third base riddle that had plagued the team all season. The promotion of Rafael Devers cemented the hot corner as a strength but the versatility of Nunez kept him in the lineup.
Boston couldn’t afford to take Nunez out of the lineup. The veteran infielder hit .321/.353/.539 in 38 games with the Red Sox. After hitting only four home runs in 76 games with the Giants, Nunez blasted eight with Boston in half the amount of games. Nunez had never shown much pop in the past but it turns out giving him consistent playing time and escaping the pitcher-friendly confines of AT&T Park was a boon for his bat.
A knee injury hindered Nunez at the end of the season. He tweaked the knee again in his first postseason plate appearance, knocking him out for the rest of the series.
Despite how it ended, Nunez’ time in Boston was a tremendous success. He’ll hit the free agent market looking to cash in on that strong second half, which may price him out of town with the Red Sox focused more on a bigger power threat.
Nunez became an instant fan-favorite in Boston, so fans are hoping that the front office finds room on the roster and in the payroll to keep him around.