Tomase: MLB no longer has room for guys like Brock Holt; Here’s why that’s wrong originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
In the race to squeeze every last bit of efficiency out of every last roster spot, a certain type of player is being squeezed out of a job — a player like Brock Holt.
The former Red Sox utilityman became one of baseball’s most unlikely All-Stars in 2015, but his value transcended his numbers. He played a key role in the 2018 championship as a clubhouse glue guy, a role he learned by watching the 2013 Red Sox win it all behind a group of veterans like Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, and Shane Victorino, who put their egos aside and then hoisted a trophy.
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Now he’s a free agent after hitting .209 with the Rangers last year.
Appearing on the Bradfo Sho podcast with WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford this week, the 33-year-old lamented the de-emphasis being placed on clubhouse dynamics when assembling a roster, particularly at the margins.
“You’ve got to have good players,” Holt said. “That’s the most important thing to winning and being a good team is having good baseball players, I think anyone would tell you that. But the culture in the clubhouse, the attitude, all of that stuff matters going into a game. If you’ve got a bunch of good players who don’t like being around each other and don’t like each other, I mean, yeah, you’re probably still going to win some games, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to win when it matters.”
The fun-loving Holt served as a mentor to young outfielder Andrew Benintendi and kept things loose in 2018 when the Red Sox were steamrolling everyone. He also produced when it mattered, delivering the first cycle in postseason history in a blowout victory over the Yankees.
He was by no means a star of that club, but he still played a central role behind the scenes, and he wonders if that attribute is being disregarded by today’s analytically inclined front offices.
The culture in the clubhouse, the attitude, all of that stuff matters going into a game. If you’ve got a bunch of good players who don’t like being around each other and don’t like each other, I mean, yeah, you’re probably still going to win some games, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to win when it matters.
Brock Holt on clubhouse dynamics being de-emphasized
“Now there’s so much numbers and analytics and projections in the game that people look past that aspect,” Holt said. “‘Well, this guy can provide a little more on the field, so we’re going to go this route instead.’ I think it’s still a very important part of the game. It’s part of the reason I’m still playing.
“But I think it’s getting a little bit less important for a lot of teams. Every person I’ve talked to who’s been around the game, veteran players, say the same thing. They don’t really value that anymore like they used to. The game’s changing and that’s part of it. That’s why we’ve just got to evolve with it and see what happens.”
Check out the entire interview here.