Two players intertwined in Red Sox history, Adrián Beltré and Adrián Gonzalez, are among the 12 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot.
The ballot, which was sent to voters on Monday, has 26 players in all. Qualified members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America have until Dec. 31 to vote with the announcement set for Jan. 23.
Beltré finished his 21-year career with 3,166 hits and 477 home runs. Only six other players have reached those levels and four — Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, and Stan Musial — were elected on the first ballot.
The other two — Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols — retired within the last two seasons and are not yet eligible.
Advertisement
Beltré was an All-Star for the 2010 Red Sox, hitting .321 with a .919 OPS, a league-best 49 doubles, 28 home runs and 102 RBIs. He quickly became a favorite at Fenway Park for his all-out style of play and stellar defense at third base.
But Beltré was not offered a contract after the season, the Sox deciding instead to trade for Gonzalez and move Kevin Youkilis to third base.
Beltré signed with Texas, where he spent the remainder of his career and became a franchise icon.
Gonzalez performed well for the Sox but was a sour presence in the clubhouse and drew the ire of many fans with his complaints. Gonzalez was traded to the Dodgers in 2012 as part of a salary dump that led to the 2013 championship.
Three other ballot newcomers also spent time with the Sox.
Righthander Bartolo Colon made seven starts for the 2008 team, recording four of his 247 career victories. Victor Martinez, a catcher and designated hitter, hit .313 with 28 home runs for the Sox from 2009-10.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips ended his career with nine games for the 2018 team. His highlight was a game-winning home run against the Braves on Sept. 5 in his first game with the team.
Advertisement
The other players new to the ballot are long-time Blue Jays slugger José Bautista, seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, Twins legend and three-time batting champion Joe Mauer, slick shortstop José Reyes, righthander James Shields, hard-nosed second baseman Chase Utley and Mets captain David Wright, whose glittering career was cut short by injuries.
The holdovers on the ballot are Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltrán, Mark Buehrle, Todd Helton, Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones, Andy Pettitte, Manny Ramírez, Alex Rodríguez, Francisco Rodríguez, Jimmy Rollins, Gary Sheffield, Omar Vizquel, and Billy Wagner.
Helton received 72.2 percent of the votes last year, a bit shy of the 75 percent needed for induction. Wagner also is knocking on the door to Cooperstown, having climbed from 10.5 percent to 68.1 over eight years.
Ramírez reached 33.2 percent last season, his seventh time on the ballot. The former Red Sox star hit 555 career home runs but his candidacy has been irrevocably damaged by a series of positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs.
BBWAA voters have elected only two players over the last three years — David Ortiz (2022) and Scott Rolen (2023). But this class could see multiple honorees with Beltre, Helton, Mauer, and Wagner all seen as good possibilities given recent trends in voting.
Any players elected by the BBWAA would join selections made by a committee evaluating contemporary managers, executives, and umpires. Those results will be announced on Dec. 3.
Advertisement
The induction ceremony is scheduled for July 21.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.