Last night, the Boston Red Sox chose to non-tender second baseman Marco Hernandez. The vacancy at second base grows more concerning as the days pass.
The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players has come and gone and the Red Sox made a curious move as the clock struck zero. They chose to non-tender second baseman Marco Hernandez, instantly making him a free agent. This move seems odd as Boston doesn’t have a set second baseman ahead of the 2020 season.
Since the end of the season, much of Red Sox Nation has been wondering just what will happen at second base. We saw Michael Chavis get an early-season callup and have a strong campaign until injuries took down the rookie. Brock Holt would come back from injury and become one of Boston’s key players down the stretch. Finally, there is the can he/will he relationship Dustin Pedroia has with the game of baseball right now.
So the news that Boston wasn’t going to offer Hernandez a contract came as a surprise as he was called upon quite a few times by Alex Cora when either Holt or Chavis were unable to cover second. Though he was only with the big club for a few spurts in 2016,2017, and 2019, he was reliable. With that said, he never truly showed enough to earn him a full-time spot on the 40-man roster.
Sending Hernandez to free agency could mean a few things for the Red Sox as the Chaim Bloom era is beginning. Will Chavis take the mantle at second and become an everyday player? Is Boston having serious talks with Holt about his future? Could Pedroia be further along in his rehab with the potential of a return increasing?
These were the things that ran through my head as I saw the news about Marco, and all are plausible.
Of the three options, the most likely to me is the Ice Horse taking over full-time at second. He proved he could play at the Major League level this past season, especially if he can stay healthy. Chavis came out of the gates like a ball of fire but eventually, the league caught up to his overeager ways and he cooled off. Even with the cold spell, he flashed the leather and bat enough to show he should get the start for all 162.
In my heart of hearts, I’d love to see Holt in a Red Sox uniform for the rest of his playing days. His ability to be plugged into any position is beyond irreplaceable. Brock mentioned recently that he’s’ spoken to the Red Sox about his future but the talks weren’t serious and came before Bloom was hired. Holt’s contributions to this organization and the overall community and city of Boston are unmatched and he’d be a major loss felt by everyone.
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Finally, we have the possible return of the Laser Show. Pedroia has been the definition of an underdog throughout his career as he’s always been undersized compared to his fellow players. What he lacked in size he more than made up for in grit and heart.
He was a major component in 2007 when the Red Sox won the World Series while also earning a Rookie of the Year nod. He followed that up with an MVP winning 2008 where he silenced any doubters that questioned his ability.
Knee issues stemming from a slide by Manny Machado has for the lack of a better word halted Dustin’s playing career. He’s only been able to suit up nine times over the last few seasons with zero luck in the health department. His latest surgery is wielding some positive results though and it feels like this may be the best chance for Pedroia to make a comeback.
As the Winter Meetings creep closer and closer the Red Sox are clearly freeing up space on the roster to make some moves. What those moves will entail, none of us know, but with several spots open it leaves the mind free to explore. We all know the pitching is what needs the most attention of Bloom and company this offseason, but they can’t ignore the hole in the middle of the infield.
Letting Marco Hernandez go was a head-scratcher but I want to believe that the Red Sox have a plan in place. Whether that be re-signing Holt, handing the reigns over to Chavis, or a shock return from Pedroia, there has to be something in the works. If Boston truly wants to contend and get back to the Fall Classic in 2020, they’ll need to plug the gap at second base as soon as possible.