The reigning AL MVP will be making his Spring debut for the Red Sox on Wednesday. What will the champ have in store for the baseball world?
Today is the day that Red Sox Nation has been waiting for since the 2018 season ended, Mookie Betts makes his return. In what is set to be the biggest day of Spring Training for Boston, the reigning AL MVP gets his first minutes of playing time.
The Red Sox will be running a split squad today with half the team playing at Fenway South and the other heading off to play the Rays. WIthout a shadow of a doubt, the majority of eyes will be on Fort Myers as Mookie suits up for the first time.
Coming off a record-setting year in 2018, the Red Sox will need their star centerfielder in prime form to make a charge at repeating. That all starts today against one of Boston’s most heated rivals, the Baltimore Orioles.
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We all know that the future isn’t some distant mirage when it comes to baseball, Mookie will be a free agent at the end of the 2020 season and things are gonna get crazy. If he continues on the path that he’s been going down, he will be able to command a king’s ransom for his services. But if Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox can come up with a number that is good for both sides, Betts could be in Boston for the foreseeable future.
Granted one spring training game doesn’t constitute a massive contract, but every game, every inning, every out for Betts will be monitored until he’s a free agent. Every move he makes will be a factor when it comes time to sign on the dotted line in 2021.
Back to the matter at hand though, today will be a great chance to see a mix of the guaranteed main roster guys as well as the young prospects playing together. With young names like Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec off to hot starts, it’ll be awesome to see them interact with the big club stars. Also getting a start today will be Eduardo Rodriguez as he takes the hill against the Orioles.
With baseball finally back in our lives after what felt like the longest Winter in history, it’s great to see Mookie getting back to work. The Red Sox will need to rely on their powerhouse centerfielder if they want to pull off the repeat in 2019. I don’t expect Betts to play the entire game but to go in there, get the crowd excited and get some reps in.
In what should be a good glimpse into what the Boston squad may look like come Opening Day, it’s also our first glance at the AL MVP. With Betts ready to prove his winning of the MVP was more than justified, today is his first crack at doing so. The season starts today for Mookie Betts and I’ve got a good feeling it’ll look a lot like 2018. The Red Sox will be taking on the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon from Fenway South at 1:05 pm.