Red Sox must bring back free agent utility man Brock Holt
The Boston Red Sox are on a budget, but they have some holes to fill during the winter. One of the smarter moves they can make is bringing back Brock Holt.
As they try to figure out how to get through their most complicated offseason in recent memory, the Boston Red Sox and Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom have some fairly tough decisions to make in the coming months. On the flip side, one of the easier things the organization can do is keep utility man Brock Holt in a Boston uniform.
Holt isn’t going to command a ton of money in free agency. In fact, he hasn’t even received any real interest from other clubs yet. Holt is projected to make $8 million over two years by MLB Trade Rumors, which is affordable for any team whether they are cautious of their payroll or not.
The Red Sox don’t really have an answer at second base right now, which is Holt’s primary position. Holt has never been a full-time player but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to split time at second with Marco Hernandez. Alternatively, the team could explore a shake-up in the outfield with the pressing rumors of a Mookie Betts trade. Holt has experience in the outfield as well which could be very valuable.
In the field he is a jack of all trades and he has proven he can play well wherever he is slotted. In 2019, he made appearances at 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and RF and only made 3 total errors in 288 chances. That type of defensive flexibility is impressive to say the least and is worth keeping around.
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At the plate, you’re not getting a ton of power from him, but his career batting average of .271 and OBP of .340 is plenty respectable. He’s also been able to surpass both of those numbers in the last two seasons. You can certainly find worse options for the back end of the lineup where generally all you want is a chance to make something happen.
Perhaps the biggest reason to bring Holt back is because of his presence in the clubhouse. Holt has established himself as one of the most beloved players not only by fans but also by his teammates. After all, it seems like he’s always hugging someone. His energy in the dugout would be severely missed if he’s on a different team in 2020.
Next. Cutting payroll could last until March. dark
Unless they have a definitively better option in their back pocket, the Red Sox have no reason not to try and bring Holt back. He’s versatile, consistent, and likable, three traits that any team will gladly take on especially at his projected price tag. He’s on the open market for now, but Boston has been Holt’s home since 2013 and it would feel wrong to see him anywhere else.