Ranking the Red Sox 5 best moves under Chaim Bloom

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BOSTON, MA – MAY 29: Enrique Hernández #5 of the Boston Red Sox rides in a laundry cart through the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 29, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images /

Red Sox sign Kiké Hernández to a 2-year, $14 million deal

There was not much fanfare from Red Sox Nation when Chaim Bloom brought Kiké Hernández aboard two winters ago. Sure, Hernández had been a useful player for some really good Dodgers teams, but he was looked at more of a utility piece than an everyday player. In his six years in Los Angeles, he topped the .250 average and 20 home run mark just one time each.

With such a meager resume entering 2021, it was a surprise to many when Alex Cora installed Hernández as the everyday centerfielder and leadoff hitter. Yet Hernández responded with a career-best season, setting personal highs in at-bats, runs, on-base-percentage, and WAR. He also proved to be one of the best defensive outfielders in the game and went nuclear in the postseason with a .408/.423/.837 slash line and five home runs.

If Hernández was able to continue his 2021 success, he would be much higher on this list. Yet this season has been a massive struggle, first with an offensive slump and then with a hip flexor strain that landed him on the IL. Still, Hernández’s value has far exceeded expectations, especially considering he’s only making $7 million a year.

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