Red Sox Unveils Ad Patch For Jersey, And It’s Not Great

Advertising patches on MLB jerseys are coming in full force next year, and the Red Sox have just unveiled how theirs will look.

While advertising is undoubtedly an important source of revenue for professional teams, jerseys have remained mostly unblemished.

Outside of team logos, patches and the manufacturer's logo, outside advertising has never previously been allowed.

The Red Sox are partnering with Mass Mutual, a life insurance and financial services company.

As such, Mass Mutual logos will now be featured on large sleeve patches on all Red Sox jerseys.

If you thought losing a star pitcher to a bicycle accident was bad, this is worse.

READ: CHRIS SALE WILL MISS REST OF SEASON AFTER BICYCLE ACCIDENT

Ad patches like these immediately cheapen the look of classic jerseys. What's even more embarrassing is that the patches will be on different sleeves depending on the handedness of the hitter.

According to UniWatch, the ads will be positioned to "maximize TV exposure."

"Reports have indicated that the patches will be positioned on a player’s left or right sleeve depending on whether he hits left- or right-handed, thereby maximizing TV exposure."

They're not the only team to have unveiled their advertising patch.

The San Diego Padres previously showed off their partnership with Motorola, which was even less subtle.

Teams need revenue to pay the bills, but it's disappointing to see the look of MLB jerseys changed with giant ad patches.