Boston Red Sox super-utility man Kiké Hernández has been in the news in the last few days for a few reasons. On Monday, he signed a one-year extension with the team and, on Tuesday, he made some comments on why he wanted to remain with the team in 2023.
The main reason that he said that he signed the extension was that Chaim Bloom promised him a better team in 2023.
On Audacy’s WEEI 93.7 in Boston, Bloom was a guest of The Greg Hill Show on Thursday and he walked back Hernández’s comments a bit … but he also said that they expect to be better next year.
Boston Red Sox: Chaim Bloom says Kiké Hernández was paraphrasing on their 2023 success
“Well, I think Kiké was paraphrasing a little because there’s only so much we can control,” Red Sox president Chaim Bloom said. “But, look, we need to do better. This is not what anybody around here deserves or wants and Kiké is a winning player. When you get to the point as he was a year and a half ago and had a chance to be again this winter — to choose your employer — when you’re a winning player, the chance to win matters a lot.
“I believe we’re going to be better (in 2023) and he’s going to be better too and that’s going to be part of why we’re going to be better.”
Hernández, who spent a large chunk of the season on the injured list, has not been as good as the Red Sox were hoping this year. He has only played in 70 games and he has hit .220/.282/.355 with an OPS+ of 76. Last season, he played in 134 games and he hit .250/.337/.449 with an OPS+ of 108.
The Red Sox, in general, went 92-70 and made it to the ALCS last year but, this year, they are 67-71 and in last place in the AL East.
You can check out all of Bloom’s comments in his entire interview on the show below. He talks about the Kiké Hernández comments at the 2:20 mark.