The Red Sox are getting their offseason started a little early.
The first of what promises to be several moves ahead of a busy winter, the Red Sox agreed to a contract extension with center fielder Kiké Hernández that keeps him in Boston through 2023, according to ESPN. The deal is for one year and $10 million.
Hernández – who signed a two-year, $14 million deal to join the Red Sox prior to the 2021 season – was due to be a free agent this winter. The deal gives the Red Sox short-term security at a premium position without breaking the bank on a player in Hernández, who shined for them in 2021 before an injury forced him out for most of this season.
Hernández had a good first season in Boston in 2021, when he emerged as the everyday center fielder and one of the best defenders at the position while becoming a force as the leadoff hitter. He broke out as a postseason star last October, when he helped the Red Sox reach the ALCS and two games short of a World Series berth after hitting .408 with five home runs and a 1.260 OPS in 11 games.
There were high expectations for Hernández this season, but he didn’t get off to a good start offensively before a right hip flexor strain he suffered in early June ultimately cost him 60 games and possibly a bigger payday this winter. He’s hitting .219 with six homers, 37 RBI and a .637 OPS in 68 games so far this season.
With this winter’s class of free agent center fielders not especially deep, and no obvious replacement in Boston after rookie Jarren Duran struggled mightily throughout a two-month audition this summer, it made sense for the Red Sox to reunite Hernández, whose versatility they also value. A super utility player throughout his career, Hernández has also played second and shortstop for the Red Sox this season.
Duran, Alex Verdugo, Franchy Cordero and Rob Refsnyder are the only other outfielders with major league experience who the Red Sox have under team control going into next season.
Hernández was one of several Red Sox players who are pending free agents this offseason, which will be the biggest one yet for chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom as the club stumbles toward a last-place finish in the American League East. Xander Bogaerts is expected to opt out of his contract, and other key players like Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez and Michael Wacha are set to hit the market.
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