3 Red Sox One-Hit Wonders We Wish Hadn't Disappeared

Trade deadline acquisitions, free-agent busts, and magical out-of-nowhere performances have all contributed to baseball's one-hit wonder. Sometimes a player outperforms expectations in a contract year and exponentially increases his value, leading to a more robust free agent market. Other times, free-agent signings get off to a hot start before flaming out, while lesser-known guys burst onto the scene with career years.

Wouldn't it have been great if these guys could've stayed with the Boston Red Sox and continued their impressive play in Beantown?

3. Jason Bay

Jason Bay hit 36 home runs with the Red Sox in 2009. / Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

In 2009, the Red Sox acquired Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a blockbuster three-team trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. At this point, Manny was past his prime and the Red Sox were excited to receive former MVP candidate Bay in the deal. In Bay's first full season with the Sox, he hit 36 home runs and collected 119 RBI, finishing seventh in AL MVP voting. He hit free agency the following offseason and the Sox let him walk. This ended up being the right decision as Bay never hit more than 12 homers in his time with the New York Mets, but it sure would've been great if Bay could've sustained that success in Boston.

2. Adrian Beltre

Adrian Beltre led the league in doubles in his only season with the Sox. / Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Adrian Beltre is one of the greatest hitters in recent history and one of his best seasons came with the Sox in 2010. Despite finishing second in MVP voting after hitting 48 home runs for the Dodgers in 2004, he had never made an All-Star appearance before joining the Red Sox. In his lone season with the Sox, he batted .321, driving in 102 runs and leading the MLB in doubles with 49. He finished ninth in AL MVP voting. Looking back, the Sox should have extended him the following fall, as he went on to make four more All-Star Games for the Texas Rangers and continued to produce well into his 30s.

1. Adrian Gonzalez

Adrian Gonzalez hit .338 in 2011 for Boston. / Elsa/Getty Images

The same offseason the Sox let Beltre walk, they decided to bring in Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. While Crawford was an utter failure in Boston, the same can't be said for Gonzalez. In his only full season with the Sox, Gonzalez hit an outstanding .338 with 27 home runs and 117 RBI. He also led the majors in hits with 213. Gonzalez took home both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove that season while finishing seventh in AL MVP voting. The Sox then gave him up as part of another blockbuster deal with the Dodgers, with Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford going with him to LA.