BOSTON -- More Moreland is hard to resist.
Even when Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts have missed time for health reasons in this young season, the Red Sox have been successful. Position-player depth is one of the team’s strengths, a point that should only be underscored when Dustin Pedroia returns.
The presence of one guy, first baseman Mitch Moreland, is largely the reason the Sox roster looks prepared rather than merely adequate. Moreland was the unexpected re-signing this offseason. When the world thought the Sox would pursue a first baseman who was known to mash, Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski instead brought back a first baseman who is capable of mashing, but not known for it.
Moreland has made both his bosses look like geniuses thus far.
The rotation that Sox manager Alex Cora wants to employ to keep guys healthy (and to get J.D. Martinez outfield time) would be much more questionable if the fellow most often moving in and out of the lineup were scuffling.
MORE RED SOX
Moreland on Monday made his 14th start of the season. Eight Red Sox players have at least 20 starts. The Gold Glove-winning first baseman, then, is the position-player equivalent of a swing man — and he’s certainly swinging it at the moment. Moreland hit his third home run of the season Monday in a 10-6 win over the Royals, and entered Tuesday with a .305/.373/.559 line. He had nearly as many walks, seven, as strikeouts, 11.
Boston Red Sox
Moreland is thus far showing that one need not play every day to be consistent.
"I don't look at it as roles,” Moreland told reporters Monday. “We've got a group of 25 guys in here and every one of them are going to do something. Their role is going to be to help us win. That's the way we look at it. That's the way I look at it. That's the only role I've got, is to go out and try help the team win. If we win the big one at the end, then I think my role is looking pretty good.”
And yet, Moreland’s own play opens a question of whether the Red Sox should be playing Moreland more often for the team's benefit. Not all players who thrive in part-time roles are suited for increased opportunity. Sometimes, such players can be exposed, and the best managers typically find the best match-ups for each individual player. There’s a possibility that Moreland is being used ideally at the moment.
At the same time, as Jackie Bradley Jr. scuffles, there’s an easy opportunity for Cora to play the hot hand. To this point, the skipper has done something that runs contrary to classic baseball logic but is in line with modern-day analytics: he’s resting guys regardless of whether they homer the previous night. A day off for someone playing well does not always threaten that player’s ability to keep playing well.
But what's best to get Bradley going? Is it more playing time, or less? What's best to keep Moreland hot?
Cora's been successful with one plan so far, in large part because of Moreland's play. Now to see how Cora reacts to that play.
MORE RED SOX