Not even a month after the World Series, the Red Sox making good on Dave Dombrowski’s promise to ‘keep as many of the champs together’ for the 2019 season.
Today, the club announced that first baseman and World Series MVP Steve Pearce has signed a one-year deal for the 2019 season. He will make $6.25 million, which feels pretty low for a certified Yankee-killer and postseason hero.
At 35 years old, the veteran Pearce has the rare distinction of having played for every team in the American League East. After starting his career in the NL with Pittsburgh from 2007-2011, he was released and subsequently picked up by the Yankees. He’s since played for Baltimore, Houston, and Tampa Bay. The Red Sox are his ninth team in seven seasons.
After being traded to the Red Sox ahead of the midsummer deadline, Pearce made an impact almost immediately. His first at-bat as a Red Sox was a hit, and he went on to demolish the Yankees in Boston’s 4-game series sweep of their rival. In just 50 regular season games with the Sox this season, he batted .279, going 38-for-136 with 16 extra-base hits, 7 home runs, and 26 RBIs. In Boston’s 13 postseason games last month, he batted .289 with 4 homers and 11 RBIs. His two home runs in the final game of the World Series propelled the Sox to their fourth championship in fifteen years, and cemented him as a Boston legend.
It’s great to see the Sox keeping the family together, because that’s truly what the 2018 team was: a family. Cora, the proud father. This incredibly talented, franchise record-breaking team, his sons. I hope this lasts forever.
Perhaps the sweetest part of this whole story, even sweeter than his 3-homer game against the Yankees this season, is Pearce’s lifelong love of the Red Sox. He has repeatedly mentioned being longtime fan of his now-team, and said that he loves playing in Boston. Coming off of a hot season, it’s likely the reigning World Series MVP could’ve gotten a better deal elsewhere. We can assume he made the conscious choice to stay here, making it even more obvious why Pearce was a good fit for the Red Sox in the first place. This team is at its best when it’s made up of good-egg players who want to be here, who truly love the game, and who love each other.
Welcome home, Steve.
Photo: Google
