Brock Holt’s Instagram post brings back fond Red Sox memories.
This has been a miserable year for reasons that extend well beyond the realm of baseball but we can endure these challenging times by looking to the the past to reminisce on more pleasant memories. Boston Red Sox fans don’t need to look back far to find those moments, as Brock Holt is here to remind us.
The former Red Sox utility man shared a photo on Instagram to recognize the anniversary of the parade celebrating the 2018 World Series champions.
The parade through the streets of Boston was held on Halloween in 2018, days after the Red Sox had defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers to capture their fourth championship since 2004. Holt captioned the photo with a clever line about dressing as a duck boat for Halloween, a reference to the Boston-based vehicles that the players ride around the city on anytime one of their sports franchises wins a championship.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is also featured in the photo and he left a comment using emojis for a duck and a boat.
Holt spent seven seasons in a Red Sox uniform and was a key contributor to that World Series team. In 2018, Holt hit .277 with a .774 OPS in 109 games.
He also had one of the most memorable moments of Boston’s postseason run in Game 3 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees when he became the first player in major league history to hit for the cycle in a playoff game.
Holt left Boston to sign a free-agent deal with the Milwaukee Brewers last winter. Fans have plenty of reasons to gripe with the front office decisions from last offseason but letting Holt go is fairly high on the list. The fan-favorite wouldn’t have been expensive to retain and his defensive versatility makes it easy to squeeze him into a roster spot.
The move to Milwaukee didn’t pan out well for Holt. He hit a meager .100 with a .322 OPS before the Brewers released him after only 16 games. He fared better after latching on with the Washington Nationals, hitting a modest .262 with a .668 OPS in 20 games.
The photo that Holt posted reflecting on the days celebrating with his Red Sox teammates gives the impression that he might miss Boston as much as we miss him. That should get the attention of fans as Holt heads back into free agency.
A reunion probably isn’t in the cards though. Boston’s agenda is focused on upgrading the pitching staff and finding a new center fielder if Bradley Jr. leaves. A utility player isn’t a top priority. The Red Sox are expected to add talent through free agency and they have several prospects that need to be added to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft. Roster spots could be scarce so there might not be room for Holt.
If the Red Sox have an open roster spot once they finish their offseason shopping, Holt could be an option to consider. He’s a great teammate who would bring a positive attitude to the clubhouse. However, based on his poor production this year, bringing back Holt would be more for sentimental reasons to appease their frustrated fans.