Kike Hernandez sets a positive tone for the Boston Red Sox for the upcoming season - "We need to find a way to get back into that winning mentality"

Former World Series champion Kike Hernandez was transferred to the Boston Red Sox, who are second only to the New York Yankees in terms of World Series victories. Considering that the franchise last won the World Series in 2018, it is only natural that there are great expectations for them to return to winning ways.

Hernandez said:

"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"

Only 100 games have been played at shortstop by Hernandez in his nine seasons in the major leagues, most of which were spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kike Hernandez, who is 31 years old, believes that his 5-foot-11, 190-pound build can endure the rigors of playing shortstop and that he doesn't need to prepare physically differently for the positional switch.

"The Red Sox needed to prioritize two positions going into this later stage of free agency and one of them was the outfield. Kiké Hernandez will likely shift into the infield. The signing of Duvall and Tapia provides a lot of depth in the outfield" - Ahan Karanth

When it comes to moving to the infield, Kike Hernandez doesn't have many, if any, concerns. He gave the Anaheim Angels' road game from the previous season as justification. After not fielding a simple grounder since Spring Training, he was asked to play shortstop in that game during the late innings and came up with a crucial play.

Kike Hernandez and the Boston Red Sox aim for glory

The Boston Red Sox had a 78-84 record and finished last in the American League East in 2022, but this season will be drastically different. The Boston Red Sox may not have made the most spectacular moves in history, but the team's roster still exudes class and style when it comes to sporting the prized Red Sox shirt.

Kike Hernandez is one of many players that the Boston Red Sox management relies upon. They lost Xander Bogaerts this offseason, but instead gave Rafael Devers a blockbuster contract. They also signed Justin Turner from the Dodgers and Adam Duvall in the outfield, among many other infielders and pitchers, to improve their roster depth for the 2023 season.

"Here’s how I envision the 2023 Red Sox Opening Day roster (assuming Mondesí/Story start on IL)" - Sean Gilmartin

Although there isn't much chance that the Boston Red Sox will win the AL East in 2023, there is potential given all the roster changes. Players like Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida, who have high potential but remain uncertain, are abundant on the Red Sox. High expectations exist for both Yoshida and Casas, yet in 2023 they will both be inexperienced players.