Steve Pearce
Steve Pearce brought a level of excitement and energy to this Red Sox team last season that helped get them over the edge. He joined the team during the trade window and never looked back. Having grown up a Red Sox fan he finally made it to Boston after playing for every other team in the AL East.
Pearce had his coming out party against the Yankees were he went yard 3 times in the same game. After that, he had a permanent home in the hearts of Red Sox Nation. His heroics wouldn’t stop there as he remained consistent throughout the rest of the season and came through in some big moment.
Then the calendar flipped to October and it was as if he couldn’t get out. After strong showings in the ALDS, he would disappear a bit in the ALCS but would dominate the World Series. After hitting 3 bombs and knocking in 8 RBI against the Dodgers he would not only raise the Commissioner’s Trophy but the World Series MVP Trophy as well. Not a bad day at the office for a journeyman.
Pearce is making similar money to that of Moreland and both play first base, so we have a bit of a logjam. Where Pearce loses out to Moreland is in the age column as he just turned 36.
The Red Sox rewarded him for what he did for the team in 2018 with a new deal for this season but I can’t see them making a similar offer going forward. In my eyes, 2019 will be the end of the road for Steve Pearce with the Red Sox.
Decision: Do not re-sign