Baseball fans love the home run ball. And after 47 games into the2018 MLB season, the home run ball is alive and well in Boston. Not since the days of Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, and Carlton Fisk have Sox fans experienced so many home runs by a Red Sox team. So far the duo of Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez have made the Red Sox one of the top home run hitting teams in baseball. Currently, the Sox have 77 home runs as a team. The only other team close to them is the Yankees who also have 77. In this post, we’ll examine three reasons why it’s imperative that the Red Sox future depends on the re-signing Mookie Betts.
Why The Future Of The Red Sox Lies In The Hands Of Re-Signing Mookie Betts
The Martinez Signing
In, 2017 the Red Sox were last in the majors in home runs with a combined total of 168 home runs. During the offseason Sox General Manager, Dave Dombrowski went out and signed Arizona slugger JD Martinez. Thus far in 2018 Martinez has been the talk of the town slugging 15 home runs and solidifying his spot in the middle of the order. Along with Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts, the Red Sox have one of the most dangerous lineups in all of baseball.
By re-signing Betts the Red Sox can have Ramirez hitting in front of him which will make Betts that much better. As it stands right now Betts is signed through this year for an estimated 10,000,000 dollars. If he decides to go on the open market, his stock could be around close to 40 million per year if he continues on his torrid pace.
Re-signing Craig Kimbrel
Another dilemma the Red Sox have to deal with after the season is re-signing closer Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel who has 304 career saves is most likely a Hall Of Fame candidate if he can remain healthy. The base salary for Kimbrel right now is 13,000,000 dollars per season. So far in 2018 Kimbrel has recorded 13 saves and is one of the most dominant closers in the league. If the Red Sox want to stay on top of the AL East the re-signing Kimbrel is also a priority.
Next Seasons Free Agency Class
Aside from next seasons free agency there’s no one out there that’s better than Betts or Kimbrel. Power wise there’s Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Josh Donaldson available. The only one equal to Betts hitting wise is Machado but he is an infielder. On the pitching front, there’s Tampa’s Sergio Ramos, Mark Melancon of the Pirates, and Baltimore’s flamethrower Zach Britton. Britton is damaged goods, as he has been recuperating from an arm injury. So basically Kimbrel is in a class by himself.
Main Photo:
