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“Not from [the Red Sox] very much.”
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Red Sox legend David Ortiz has made it a point since retiring to be someone any Major League player can talk to about baseball. Of course, that includes the Red Sox.
However, it sounds like his former team has largely chosen not to seek out the Hall of Famer for advice this season – aside from one individual.
“Guys from a lot of different teams call me,” Ortiz told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. “Not from [the Red Sox] very much. [Bobby] Dalbec sends me videos and wants to have conversations about his swing. I like that.”
Dalbec, who has hit the second-most home runs in Minor League Baseball this season, hasn’t seen much MLB action this year. His 31 home runs would be the most on the Red Sox thus far this year, two more than Rafael Devers.
The 28-year-old has played 102 games in Triple-A Worcester in 2023. He’s slashing .274/.366/.521 with the WooSox, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to have earned him a roster spot with the big league club.
Some thought the infielder would have been a viable trade candidate last month considering his Triple-A success this season. Since Boston doesn’t appear to be calling him up any time soon, even back in July, many were left scratching their heads as to why the organization wouldn’t want to get something in return for the player.
Perhaps the player was thinking the same thing once the deadline came and went.
“Obviously, I love the Red Sox organization and everything,” he told MassLive’s Christopher Smith back in June. “But eyes on the big picture, I don’t know if there’s necessarily a lane for meaningful opportunity for me with the Red Sox right now.”
Although his minor league success hasn’t been able to translate to the big leagues in 2023, at least Dalbec is reaching out to one of the best hitters baseball has ever seen.
Those conversations seem to be paying off for the corner infielder in Worcester. There is still a chance that Dalbec could be recalled this month as MLB rosters expanded to 28 players Friday.
If Boston wants to insert another bat into the mix down the stretch, someone who has regularly sought out and applied tips from Ortiz this year could be an option.
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