I'm not saying that they'll all be gone a year from now, but some of them will.
#RED SOX ROSTER PLUS#
In addition to their position players, starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, and James Paxton, plus relievers Matt Strahm and Hirokazu Sawamura and back-up catcher Kevin Plawecki are all free agents. Catchers are always in high demand, and the Red Sox must decide if they want him to be the catcher of the future. He's a free agent this year, and the Red Sox must decide if his inconsistent bat is worth that kind of money.Ĭhristian Vazquez has become a fixture at catcher, but he is also a free agent.
gets paid $12 million a year to patrol right field, where he does not get to show his defensive skills as often as when he was in center. His batting average is down but he is a trusted clutch hitter. Kike Hernandez, who has emerged as an elite center fielder in the last two seasons, is also a free agent this year. Will they do the same in the case of Devers, who will be in line for a $300 million dollar contract?
#RED SOX ROSTER FOR FREE#
Rafael Devers will not be eligible for free agency for another year, but the Sox traded Mookie Betts a year before he was eligible while they could still get something of value for him. Some team should be willing to pay a hefty increase in salary for a couple of years. He'll be 35 by the time this season ends, but with the National League adopting the designated-hitter rule, the market for him has expanded. He's hitting the ball with authority and consistency. His home runs are down, but no one, absolutely no one, is complaining. Martinez, currently leading the majors in hitting, is a free agent at the end of the season. If the Red Sox don't pay what he's asking, someone else surely will. He is in high demand, not yet 30 years old, and has shown real leadership skills in addition to undeniable talent. Xander Bogaerts has an opt-out on his contract with the Sox and, if he exercises it, he could be gone by next year or before. In the case of the Red Sox, for instance, the roster next season could be almost unrecognizable from this year's edition.
It has always been so but, in the age of free agency, the process has sped up dramatically. Veteran players move on and newer players move in to take their place. There will be plenty of celebrations and memories surrounding the return of Betts, who earned the 2018 American League MVP with the Red Sox, slashing .346/.438/.640 with 32 home runs and 80 RBI.Baseball rosters are, by their very nature, in a state of constant flux.
#RED SOX ROSTER SERIES#
Boston received Alex Verdugo and Jeter Downs (who made his MLB debut on June 22) while Detroit received Kenta Maeda.Ĭash and other prospects who have not reached MLB were also part of the three-team deal that altered baseball’s landscape.įollowing the trade, Betts would be a pivotal part of the Dodgers capturing the 2020 World Series title, including slashing .429/.500/.857 in the Wild Card round against the Milwaukee Brewers. It was a blockbuster deal that has paid big dividends for the Dodgers as they acquired not only Betts, but also pitchers David Price and Brusdar Graterol. The trade of Betts from Boston to Los Angeles was officially announced just before the start of spring training in 2020, which was halted shortly after it began by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the end of a six-game road trip for the Dodgers, who begin the trip in Cleveland against the Guardians. In a rematch of the 2018 World Series, captured by Betts and the Boston Red Sox in five games, the Dodgers will play at Fenway Park in a weekend series scheduled for August 25-27. Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers will travel to Fenway Park for a big Interleague matchup against the Boston Red Sox in August 2023 With the unveiling of the 2023 Major League Baseball schedule and the shift in scheduling beginning next season where every National League team plays every American League team, we now know exactly when Mookie Betts will make his return to Fenway Park to meet the Boston Red Sox.