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Red Sox: Three players to watch on Opening Day against Baltimore

By Brendan Mizgala

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 05: Brandon Workman #44 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees (not pictured) in the sixth inning of Game One of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 05: Brandon Workman #44 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees (not pictured) in the sixth inning of Game One of the American League Division Series at Fenway Park on October 5, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JULY 12: José Peraza #3 of the Boston Red Sox warms up before an intrasquad game during Summer Workouts at Fenway Park on July 12, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Red Sox 2B Jose Peraza

Jose Peraza came to the Red Sox via free agency this past winter and has done everything needed to earn a starting job. Not that that is necessarily a hard thing to do at second base these days in Boston. With Dustin Pedroia all but out of the picture at this point and a very young Michael Chavis splitting time between first and second, Peraza was a great signing.

Since Pedroia’s injury a few years ago the Red Sox have had a carousel of infielders cover second base. Chavis got plenty of time at the position last year but was never the long-term plan. Enter, Peraza. Jose is an incredibly talented infielder and can also flash speed on the basepaths when necessary. He’s only signed with Boston through this year but that can easily be remedied, especially with Betts not returning.

Why bring Mookie up you ask? Well, Chaim Bloom no-longer has to worry about writing a $300M+ check to re-sign the former MVP, allowing him to spend elsewhere. Boston is only on the hook for $3M this year for the second baseman and that can easily be extended to keep him in town for a few more years.

Essentially the goal is to bridge the gap between Pedroia and top prospect Jeter Downs, and Jose is the perfect player for that.

He absolutely crushed the ball during summer camp and has proven that he can be an asset to the organization. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him offered a deal in the area of 2-years/$7M, especially if he continues to perform well. Having a confident bat in the lineup with his speed and defensive prowess is something the Red Sox could definitely use.

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