Steve Pearce, 2-years, $14 million
You didn’t think I would leave out the World Series MVP, did you?
Pearce hit .279 with a .901 OPS, 7 home runs and 26 RBI in 50 games after the Red Sox acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays in June. He was one of the team’s best hitters in the playoffs, hitting .289 with a 1.083 OPS, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI.
More from Red Sox News
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Why Red Sox fans should be rooting for Carlos Correa’s Mets deal to go through
Shortly after our simulation was complete, the Red Sox struck a one-year, $6.25 million deal with Pearce. It turns out my pretend offer wasn’t far off from the real one. Ideally, my offer would have been a one-year deal with a club option but the rules of our simulation didn’t allow for that.
The deal I offered is similar to the two-year, $13 million contract the Red Sox re-signed Mitch Moreland to last December. That sounds about right considering the pair will continue to platoon at first base. If you take Pearce’s production against lefties and Moreland’s against right-handed pitching, plus his Gold Glove caliber defense, you get a player who is a bargain at $13.5 million next season.
I thought Pearce’s performance on the World Series stage would entice other teams to jump into the bidding for his services yet I surprisingly was the only one to make an offer. I would have been disappointed to lose him considering what he meant to this championship run yet also couldn’t justify paying much more to a platoon player or handing more years to a 35-year old journeyman. Luckily, Pearce went overlooked and I managed to retain him for a fair salary.