Moreland inks new deal to stay with Red Sox
BOSTON — First baseman Mitch Moreland has agreed to a $13-million US, two-year contract to return to the Boston Red Sox and play for former teammate Alex Cora.
“He’s a great baseball guy,” said Moreland, who was on the Texas Rangers when Cora made a brief appearance there in 2010. “He was a great teammate then, and I don’t expect anything different from him as a manager.”
Moreland, 32, spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Rangers. The 32-year-old lefthanded batter hit .246 with 22 homers 79 RBIs in his first season with the team last year. His home run total was just behind Mookie Betts (24) and Hanley Ramirez (23) on the Red Sox, who hit an AL-low 168 for the season.
“I love playing here, love the guys, everything about it,” Moreland said in a conference call with reporters. “Looking forward to being back and maybe taking care of some unfinished business.”
Moreland broke his toe last year, but never went on the disabled list, playing in a career-high 149 games.
“I don’t like to point fingers at things. I know it didn’t feel good,” he said. “That’s who I am, I’m trying to go out there and play . ... I’m not planning to break my toe this year, so hopefully we can stay out of that.”
Moreland gets $6.5 million US in each of the next two seasons as part of the deal announced Monday. He can earn $500,000 annually in performance bonuses: $250,000 each for 500 and 550 plate appearances.