2023 Boston Red Sox have a new leader in the clubhouse
With Xander Bogaerts signing a deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason, the Boston Red Sox needed a new leader to step in and fill the shoes for their clubhouse.
Most of the time, when people think of a leader for a clubhouse, they think of the longest tenured player in the clubhouse. People may think of the best player on the team maybe or even someone with just a fiery personality.
If those were the qualifications players like Ryan Braiser (one of the longest tenured Sox players remaining), Rafael Devers (the best player on the team), or Chris Sale (fiery personality). When it comes to being a leader however, Braiser doesn’t seem like the best fit for that position, Devers usually lets his play do the talking, and Sale has pretty much been away from the game for two straight seasons.
Enter Kiké Hernández.
Entering his third year with the Sox, Kiké probably isn’t who everyone thought would assume the leadership position for this team. He isn’t close to being one of the longest tenured Sox players, he’s not quite the best player on the team, and he isn’t known for being a fired up player like the Chris Sale’s of the league.
What he does have though, is bravado.
Boston Red Sox are looking for a bounce back season
Prior to him signing his one-year contract extension back in September, Chaim Bloom reportedly promised the Red Sox would be “way better” than last season.
Since that comment, Bloom has made significant upgrades to the bullpen, added more starter arms, and added some more bats in the lineup. Whether they will be “way” better than last season, is still up for debate.
Either way, Kiké is ready to go with his new squad.
“I don’t think this is an organization that should settle for last place. We are an organization that should be competing year in and year out and we need to find a way to get back into that winning mentality”, Kiké told reporters just days ago.
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Back in 2020, Kiké was apart of the Los Angeles Dodgers who won the World Series that year. Rewind even more, he was in the World Series in 2018, going against the team that currently pays him to be their utility man.
There are plenty of players on the Sox who could step up and be the vocal leaders of the team. There aren’t many players who I would rather take the initiative, however, than Kiké.