Red Sox's Adam Duvall Explains Surprising Weather Factor That Led To Him Signing With Boston
New Boston Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall had a very important choice to make on his destination this past offseason.
The slugger was coming off of surgery to his left wrist that sidelined him for the last two months of his 2022 campaign with the Atlanta Braves.
Despite the injury, Duvall still had a lot to bring to the table. Just two years ago he had 38 home runs and 113 RBIs while helping the Braves win their first World Series title since 1995. That same year he won a National League Gold Glove Award as well.
Duvall entered free agency with a big decision to make. The Red Sox also entered the offseason needing to add big bats to the lineup to put them back in contention for a postseason spot.
Appearing on our very own ITM Podcast with myself and Joey Copponi, Duvall shared a key piece to why he eventually chose to sign with the Red Sox in late January. And it was definitely surprising to hear at first.
"My mindset was I can deal with the cold if the summers are really good," Duvall said. "I played in a couple of places - Atlanta, Miami and Cincinnati that get really, really hot in the summer. I'm Type 1 diabetic so it being so hot in the summer really drains my energy. So my thought was ok, it can be super cold at the start, but the summers are going to be beautiful."
My first thought after hearing this was that Duvall might change his mind after just one stretch of cold and rainy games at Fenway Park, but it seems like he really doesn't mind playing through those conditions for a portion of the season.
"If I don't have to deal with 98 degrees with 100% humidity that would be great. And great for my recovery. I'm hoping that playing through the cold will pay off for the summers we're going to get."
I never thought the Boston weather in March, April, May and September would actually help the Sox sign a big player, but that's exactly what happened with Duvall.
His hot start to the season was exactly what the Sox had hoped for. In Duvall's first eight games, he hit .455 with four home runs and a 1.544 OPS. Unfortunately, he suffered another wrist injury that has had him missing action for a few months, but his return to big-league play is just around the corner.
All eyes will be on the new Sox slugger to see if he can help this team get back on a hot streak when he is likely to return this weekend in the Bronx against the rivaled New York Yankees.
More MLB: Red Sox's Adam Duvall 'Couldn't Be Happier' With Wrist Fracture Recovery
