Red Sox Utility Player Shockingly Tabbed As Future All-Star By Franchise Icon

Never say never, especially in Major League Baseball...

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Amazingly enough, the Chicago White Sox's misery in 2024 even extends to the Boston Red Sox's bench.

Before the season, the Red Sox claimed utility player Romy Gonzalez off waivers from the White Sox, after three seasons of bouncing between the majors and minors in Chicago. It seemed like a reasonable cut by the White Sox--Gonzalez had an abysmal .600 OPS in 86 career games at the time.

Since coming to Boston, however, Gonzalez has found new life. He's assumed a do-everything role for manager Alex Cora, plugging and playing at any necessary position while providing a solid bat against left-handed pitching.

Gonzalez has carved out a nice role for himself on a much better team than the one that drafted him. But one Red Sox icon sees bigger things for Gonzalez down the road, despite the limited opportunities he's had so far.

Former World Series champion and 2024 Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee Jonathan Papelbon predicted on X recently that Gonzalez will become an unexpected All-Star in 2025.

".@RedSox RomyGonzales will be an everyday player and All Star at second base next year!!! #BookIt," Papelbon said to his 25,700 followers.

The 28-year-old Gonzalez has never been a full-time big-league starter, so Papelbon's prediction is more than a bit ambitious. But there's no denying it: the utility man has done a lot of things to help the Red Sox succeed in 2024.

You can't play at the big-league level if you can't hit, and Gonzalez has hit more than his track record suggested coming into the year. He's put up a .747 OPS/105 OPS+ in 204 plate appearances, including six home runs and 29 RBI.

Meanwhile, there's hardly a position Gonzalez won't play in a pinch. The Red Sox have used him at every position besides left field, pitcher, and catcher in 2024. He's been a negative defensively at second and third base, per outs above average, but a positive in right field, at shortstop, and at first base.

At the end of the day, Papelbon's prediction seems just a tad outlandish for a player who likely won't get a crack at a starting job on Opening Day. But the Red Sox would gladly sign up again for the production Gonzalez has given them in 2024.

As for Gonzalez, he'll just be happy to stay on a big-league roster for a second straight year. If he proves he's capable of sticking around long-term, then we'll start talking about All-Star appearances.

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