Red Sox Spring Training News: Marwin Gonzalez has that special shine

A year after trading Mookie Betts, the Boston Red Sox dismantled the rest of their outfield by trading Andrew Benintendi and watching Jackie Bradley Jr. walk away in free agency to join the Milwaukee Brewers.

Suddenly, the team is left with Alex Verdugo as the longest-tenured outfielder and a cast of utility outfielders that include veteran outfielder Marwin Gonzalez.

As one of those under-the-radar signings prior to spring training, Gonzalez could turn out to be one of those special kinds of players who help the Red Sox perhaps overachieve heading into a season where expectations aren’t high outside of the team’s own expectations.

Marwin Gonzalez will be one of those special Red Sox players

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Thinking of players in the past like Johnny Gomes, Kevin Millar and Shane Victorino who came in and added leadership and a clutch factor to the Red Sox lineup, Gonzalez has that same type of motivation and pop in his bat as showcased in Thursday’s 5-4 victory over his former team, the Minnesota Twins.

In that game, the switch-hitting utility man launched two homers, driving in four runs and had a stolen base to cap it all off.

It certainly was a performance that turned some heads, including another Red Sox newcomer Kike Hernandez who enjoyed what he saw from his new teammate.

"“I mean, he definitely won the MVP of the day today.  I don’t think there’s going to be a player in baseball with a better day than he had today,” Hernandez said, via MLB.com.  “Marwin is a good player.  Everybody knows that.”"

Will there be many of those good days ahead for Marwin Gonzalez and the Boston Red Sox?

Coming off a down 2020 MLB season, Gonzalez is as motivated than ever to battle back in 2021.

In 199 plate appearances with the Twins last season, Gonzalez hit just .211 with five homers and 22 RBI.  Though just a 60-game season, that was far below seasons prior, including that 2017 season with the Houston Astros in which he batted .303 with 23 homers and 90 RBI.

If he gets back to that sort of production, it will be a very satisfying year for both the Red Sox and Gonzalez who seems rejuvenated in a Red Sox uniform.

Cora does have a very versatile bunch of players and it will be fun on a game-to-game basis to see what combinations he puts out there defensively and how he crafts the batting order, which should be a potent one with many players like Gonzalez hungry to re-gain their momentum at the plate.

In all, look for Marwin Gonzalez to be one of those special players the Boston Red Sox seem to run into every now and again.