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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 12:22:43 GMT -5
Sean McAdam @sean_McAdam · 24m Brayan Bello has been shut down until Monday after experiencing some forearm soreness. Red Sox insist it’s nothing serious and are acting out of caution.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 12:23:41 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 39m Alex Cora says Brayan Bello was shutdown briefly (“nothing to alarm”) due to forearm soreness he experienced in his last bullpen, when he threw a lot of breaking balls. He’s scheduled to resume throwing Monday. “We’re very confident Monday he’s back on his throwing program.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 15:07:02 GMT -5
Red Sox trade caught Richard Bleier ‘off guard’ but he always wanted to be on Fenway ‘home side’
Updated: Feb. 17, 2023, 1:16 p.m.|Published: Feb. 17, 2023, 10:53 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox reliever Richard Bleier already had been traded twice before in his career. But he was still caught off guard when Marlins GM Kim Ng called him two weeks before spring training camp was scheduled to begin.
Bleier was preparing to head to the gym. Ng told him Miami just traded him to the Red Sox for Matt Barnes. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom then called to welcome him.
“It happened quick, for sure,” Bleier said. “It just caught me off guard a little bit in terms of — it’s not like they give you a heads-up, like ‘Hey, you’re going to get traded.’ So I was caught off guard but excited about the move. Miami was great and Boston is looking like it’s going to be a good situation for me. So far, so good.”
The 35-year-old lefty has AL East experience, pitching for the Yankees in 2016 and the Orioles from 2017-20.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming to Fenway,” he said. “It’s been one of my favorite places to play. Just the history of the park. I like Boston as a city. So it’s been one of the teams that I have always wanted to play for and be on the home side at Fenway. So that’s kind of cool it worked out.”
He is a strike-thrower. He has averaged only 1.5 walks per nine innings in his career.
“I think it’s worked for me to be successful in the major leagues,” Bleier said. “For me at least, the mindset is to try to keep people off base, keep the ball in the park. And that’s kind of how I’ve figured out how to be successful in the big leagues.”
He throws a sinker, cutter, slider and changeup. He ranked in the 94th percentile in walk rate in 2022, according to Baseball Savant. He walked just 10 batters.
“Some people are blessed with 100 and some people have to figure out other ways to get people out,” Bleier said.
Bleier’s sinker averaged 89.8 mph last season, per Statcast.
“For me, it’s been attacking the zone,” he said. “Throughout the years, I’ve figured out ways to consistently get in the strike zone. I’ve been the same pitcher since college in terms of always throwing a lot of strikes. I’ve just kind of gotten better at it over the years. It’s really not about walks. It’s just ahead vs. behind in the count. And so if you’re constantly ahead in the count throwing first-pitch strikes, you’re going to walk a lot less people.”
He has averaged just 5.1 strikeouts per nine innings in his career. So he doesn’t miss bats but he induces weak contact. He ranked in the 90th percentile in barrel rate (limiting hard contact) last year, per Baseball Savant.
Being too much in the zone can be an issue at times.
“I see these guys (other relievers) and they just spray one up and in or whatever, and it ends up being a very effective pitch,” he said. “And for someone who is always in control of the ball and kind of has a general idea of where it’s going all the time, I don’t really miss huge areas like that very often. At times you’re like, ‘I could really use one of those out of control ones.’ But also, it’s hard to really purposely throw a ball, like a non-competitive ball.”
Bleier is surprised he stayed with the Orioles for four years and Marlins for three years. He said relievers often are journeymen.
“How many relievers stick on that same team?” Bleier said. “Honestly, it’s impressive within itself that I’ve made it multiple years with multiple teams. I just looked at our roster and it’s everyone’s last-year picture. And it’s like four Red Sox hats and everyone else has different hats on. So in today’s game, players move around a lot and I think especially relievers.”
He outlined three typical scenarios for relievers.
“You either have a really good year and your team does really well and you price yourself out of that team and you sign somewhere else. Or you’re on a bad team and you’re really good and then you get traded at the deadline. Or you’re bad and you’re just not in the big leagues anymore. So I think it takes unique situations to really stick on.”
He met Barnes briefly once. But he doesn’t know him well.
“We’re forever linked,” he said.
What does Bleier, who lives in West Palm Beach during the offseason, enjoy off the field? He has a 3-year-old daughter and 3-month-old daughter. His life revolves around being a dad.
“Whatever mostly my 3-year-old is into, it’s what we’re doing,” he said. “It could be just drawing on the sidewalk, going to playgrounds or parks. Riding around the neighborhood. We’ve got some cows in the neighborhood. So feed the cows.”
Bleier is up for the challenge of returning to the AL East where he’ll face four tough lineups.
“The big leagues is tough across the board,” Bleier said. “The AL East is the same. It’s definitely in that category of tough. I feel like I’m good enough for it.”
Bleier — who will play in the WBC for Israel — said he’s looking forward to winning games with the Red Sox.
“I wasn’t here last year so I don’t really know what happened last year or anything like that,” he said. “I know a lot of the guys on this team from facing them. I know it’s a very good team and there’s a lot of guys in this clubhouse that I’m glad are on my team now and I don’t have to pitch against them anymore. And I know a lot of these pitchers are really good. So just put it together and go out there, compete and try to get it done.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 15:08:10 GMT -5
Red Sox shut down Brayan Bello with forearm soreness but ‘very confident’ it’s not serious
Published: Feb. 17, 2023, 1:21 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Less than a week into spring training, the Red Sox are dealing with a minor setback when it comes to one of their projected starting pitchers.
Right-hander Brayan Bello has been shut down for a few days after experiencing forearm soreness after his last bullpen session, manager Alex Cora said Friday. At this point, no imaging is planned. Cora expects Bello to take the weekend off from throwing before resuming his program at Fenway South on Monday.
“Nothing to alarm, but obviously, he’s so important to the organization... He’s important for what we’re trying to accomplish. He’ll be back on his throwing program on Monday,” Cora said.
Bello told Cora that the injury was something that popped up in the last few days and not before he arrived to camp.
“I talked to him in one of those eye-to-eye, heart-to-hearts,” Cora said. “I was like, ‘Did this happen here or did this happen before?’ He threw a lot of breaking balls in that one, working on stuff. It was kind of a different bullpen for him and he felt it. We’re very confident that Monday he’s back on his throwing program and we’ll go from there.”
Bello, who logged 13 appearances (11 starts) in the majors last season after debuting in July, is expected to be a key part of Boston’s rotation mix in 2023. While he’s not locked into a spot in the Opening Day rotation, the 23-year-old is Boston’s top young pitching talent and entered camp with a strong chance of making the team. That will still be the case as long as the soreness doesn’t linger.
The health of Boston’s rotation is a key storyline as camp begins. While veteran lefties James Paxton and Chris Sale are said to be full go after dealing with multiple injuries over the last few seasons, other starters are taking it slow in the first week of the spring. Nick Pivetta is being built up slowly as he regains his strength after battling COVID-19 in recent weeks. Righty Garrett Whitlock, who will be in the rotation this season, has not been fully cleared yet after undergoing season-ending hip surgery in September.
“He’s not doing PFPs (pitchers’ fielding practice) yet,” Cora said. “That’s the last hurdle. He threw a very aggressive bullpen today. He looked good. Obviously, there’s some stuff we need to make sure we can accomplish before he does the whole thing. So far, so good.”
Cora hopes Whitlock will be ready for Opening Day but it’s too early to say he will be for sure.
“We’ll see how he progresses when we add more stuff to his menu,” Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 15:09:40 GMT -5
Can Red Sox’s Adam Duvall provide 30-homer power? ‘I’m a home run, RBI-type of guy’
Published: Feb. 17, 2023, 1:46 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox finished 20th in the majors in home runs (155) last season.
Adam Duvall, a right-handed slugger who Boston signed in the offseason, has the ability to help this team boost its power in 2023.
“I do like to pull the ball so hopefully having that wall (Green Monster) there is effective for me,” Duvall said Friday at JetBlue Park. “But I’m just really looking to put the barrel on the ball and hit it in the gap somewhere.”
Of his 163 career homers, 142 have been pulled or gone to center field, per Baseball-Reference.
“I’m not going to necessarily try and pull the ball more or do anything I’m not accustomed to,” he said. “But hopefully it plays to my strengths.”
Duvall belted 38 homers in 2021, 31 homers in 2017 and 33 homers in 2016.
He was asked if he can get back to his 30-homer power after a down year in 2022 due to a wrist injury. He missed significant time on the 60-day IL with a left wrist sprain.
“I’m a home run, RBI-type of guy. I pride myself on driving runners in,” Duvall said. “That’s what I’ve been able to do over my career. So I’m going to continue to look to do that. At the end of the day, it’s about putting together a good at-bat, passing the torch and just being a tough out for the other team. So I think if you can do that up and down the lineup, you’re going to have success, you’re going to score runs and you’re going to put pressure on the other team. That’s what I’m looking to do.”
The Bill James Handbook projects Duvall to hit 22 homers in 2023. His ZiPS projection has him projected for 24 home runs.
The 34-year-old slashed .213/.276/.401/.677 with 12 homers, 16 doubles, one triple, 36 RBIs, 39 runs, 21 walks and 101 strikeouts in 86 games for the Braves last season.
“I started off really slow last year but I caught some wind there about a month and a half before I got hurt,” Duvall said. “We changed a couple of things and I really felt like I was back to where I was used to being. Really getting things going. And then obviously the injury happened. But a month and a half prior to the injury, I felt like I was right where I needed to be.”
He said his wrist feels good.
“Knock on wood, I haven’t had any setbacks,” he said.
The Red Sox are without three of their top five home run hitters from last year. J.D. Martinez, who was tied with Trevor Story for second on the team with 16 home runs, left for the Dodgers in free agency. Story, meanwhile, is expected to miss significant time in 2023 after undergoing elbow surgery. Xander Bogaerts, who was fourth on the team in homers (15), left in free agency to sign with the Padres.
But the Red Sox added some power potential with Duvall, Justin Turner and even Masataka Yoshida who had 21 homers in Japan last year.
Duvall is expected to be the Red Sox’s primary center fielder with Kiké Hernández at shortstop.
“Center field, obviously you’re kind of the captain out there so you have to be vocal with the guys and make sure that everybody’s kind of in the right spot based on where you’re shaded,” Duvall said.
“I ran a lot more this offseason,” Duvall added. “I’m looking forward to seeing how that’s going to help. I think that’s going to be something to build the legs up and keep the legs up underneath me throughout the season. I’ve heard them talk about bouncing me to the corners. Kind of managing that load a little bit. So that’ll be good.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 15:10:52 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Alex Cora wants more steals in 2023 but says ‘baserunning is at its worst’ in MLB
Published: Feb. 17, 2023, 2:21 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For the past two seasons, the Red Sox have finished among the bottom five teams in baseball in stolen bases. After finishing second-to-last in the majors with just 40 bases in 2021, the club was 26th with 52 steals in 2022.
This season, with new rules in place that are expected to make stealing bags easier across the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is hopeful his team can add an element of speed to its offensive attack for the first time in years. But Cora cautioned that it’s not automatic that will happen with bigger bases and more limitations on pickoffs. The 47-year-old, who played 14 years in the majors from 1998 to 2011, is aggrieved by the state of baserunning in the modern game.
“Baserunning around the league, around baseball... it’s at its worst,” Cora said Friday. “Guys don’t don’t get good primary leads, they don’t have good secondaries. They don’t see the game before it happens, right? They don’t anticipate. That comes from youth baseball, showcases and all that stuff. You don’t play baseball, you just go and hit the ball far, throw it hard and just run as fast as possible on 60 yards. The game itself, the development of the instincts, it doesn’t happen in youth baseball anymore. We have to do a better job coaching guys in that sense.”
Cora has said before that showcases for amateur players, in which the focus is on specific individual tools like power and velocity, have hurt the overall development of players. He believes the modern player has a lesser understanding of the little things that win games, especially on the bases. This spring, it’s a focus of the coaching staff to emphasize certain baserunning techniques that might not show up in the box score.
“We just try to make sure they understand what we’re trying to accomplish as a unit,” Cora said. “We’ve done it before the right way. We struggle certain years, but I think as far as like what we’re trying to accomplish, we’ve got to get back to being efficient, being smart and taking advantage of certain situations.”
In meetings with his players, Cora has emphasized that throwing away any of the 27 outs an offense gets over the course of a game is a waste. In 2022, he said, the Red Sox were often punished for failing to make contact, especially when runners were thrown out on 3-2 counts. The winter makeover of Boston’s lineup, which included the additions of Masataka Yoshida and Justin Turner, put an emphasis on contact and getting on base.
“You’ve got to take care of those outs because they’re so valuable, especially with those guys on the mound now,” Cora said. “You don’t get too many chances. If we’re going to become an on-base percentage machine, type of team, when you get on, you’ve got to be smart about it. We have to be efficient, stealing bases and obviously running the bases.”
Last season, the speedy Trevor Story led the Red Sox with 13 steals and was the only player to post a double-digit steal total. Xander Bogaerts was next with eight, followed by Jarren Duran with seven. Cora named Verdugo and Kiké Hernández as players who he believes can steal more bags in 2023. New infielder Adalberto Mondesí, who is expected to miss Opening Day as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL last April, is one of the game’s elite speedsters; he stole 43 bases in 2019 and led the American League with 24 steals in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
“When when (Mondesí) is healthy, he’s a guy that was elite before,” Cora said. “He’s going to be great. You’ve got to get on base first but like I said before, .300 on-base percentage and he stole 25 bags.”
Cora believes the Red Sox will be able to take advantage of the new rules and become speedier all-around.
“They can maximize this, especially Trevor (Story) with his lead,” Cora said. “I think he’s like No. 1 as far as his leads on first base in the big leagues. He doesn’t get picked off so he can be more aggressive and he can take advantage of that.
“I would like Kiké to steal a few,” he added. “We’re not talking about 20 bags. You steal eight, you steal 10, you become a threat. But we’ve got to be efficient. We’re shooting for like 80%. In the environment we play at Fenway, you have to be very cautious about getting thrown out stealing bases because you’re in scoring position at first base.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 15:12:07 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta off to slow start in spring training -- but it’s not due to injury
Published: Feb. 17, 2023, 2:57 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Alarm bells went off briefly Friday at Fenway South after a report surfaced that Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta left a back field with a trainer after throwing a pitch. Pivetta, however, is not injured.
On Friday morning, Beyond The Monster’s Jamie Gatlin tweeted: “Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta left workouts earlier today with a trainer. He threw a pitch and then crouched down before a trainer came over.” Pivetta did not join the other 12 pitchers in his assigned group for pitchers’ fielding practice afterwards. The reason, according to multiple sources, is that Pivetta is building up slowly after being hit hard by a bout with COVID in recent weeks. Pivetta has been seen wearing a mask around the team’s facility in recent days.
“He had COVID not too long ago so he’s just building back,” manager Alex Cora said.
At this point, Pivetta is building back strength after his illness. The bout with COVID is not expected to impact his availability for Opening Day but might put him behind the team’s other pitchers early in camp. The Red Sox are dealing with some injury concerns early as righty Brayan Bello has been shut down for a couple days due to forearm soreness and Garrett Whitlock is not yet fully cleared after undergoing hip surgery in September.
Pivetta led the Red Sox in games started and innings in 2022. He was 10-12 with a 4.56 ERA in 179 ⅔ innings over a league-leading 33 starts.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 17, 2023 15:13:42 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 39m #RedSox having an open house event for Saturday morning’s workout. Kid-friendly activities, autographs, etc. Also hosting a blood drive and a food drive. Bring a non-perishable food item and you could win tickets for the Northeastern game next Friday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2023 4:51:31 GMT -5
Signing with Boston a full-circle moment for Martin February 17th, 2023 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- At some point, new Red Sox reliever Chris Martin will take it back to the ranch -- literally.
“I’m a rancher in the offseason,” said Martin. “I have cattle and I have a ranch with deer and stuff like that. That’s kind of consumed me. I go work out early and then I go take care of the animals and do all that stuff. I used to like to golf a lot but [the ranch and baseball] kind of took my time.
“Obviously baseball is my first passion and I really enjoy it, but I also know that I can’t do it forever. I went ahead and found a second thing and went ahead and started it, a smooth transition for later on down the road.”
Make no mistake about it though. At the age of 36, the righty setup man, who should be one of Boston’s most important relievers this season, isn’t close to giving up the game he loves for full-time duty at his Texas ranch.
The late-blooming righty, one of the best strike throwers in the game, is having too much fun making up for lost time to want to do anything else. The path Martin took to at last reach success in baseball was at times demoralizing, but ultimately worthwhile.
He was selected by the Tigers in the 18th round of the 2004 Draft out of high school and declined his first chance to go pro, instead going to McClennan Community College in Waco, Texas. A year later, the Rockies took Martin in the 21st round. Again, Martin turned down the opportunity and went back to McClennan with visions of pitching for a major college by his junior year.
Instead, disaster struck when Martin tore his right labrum during his sophomore year at McClennan. He couldn’t even make an independent league team after his recovery from surgery. Baseball was practically in the past tense for Martin, who gave up his dream and worked at UPS, Lowe’s and several other places.
In 2010, the independently-affiliated Texas AirHogs of Grand Prairie gave him a shot to return to the game. Martin got in 13 appearances that season. After that, it was the Red Sox -- yes, the Red Sox -- who at last gave him the chance to go pro.
Martin impressed scouts at a pro tryout, and Boston signed him to a Minor League deal. He would pitch for Red Sox affiliates from 2011-13, advancing all the way to Triple-A before getting traded to the Rockies a week before Christmas.
During that first stint in Boston’s farm system, Martin made an impression on Paul Abbott, a long-time Minor League instructor with the Red Sox who is now the pitching coach for Triple-A Worcester.
“He was a signing out of tryout camp, and Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman were throwing [side sessions] at the same time,” Abbott said. “Two high-prized prospects and Chris Martin. You couldn’t tell which one was the first rounder. He looked great back then. It was shocking he had to go through that route to get signed because it was obvious he was talented.”
What a thrill it was for Martin when he recently arrived to Spring Training and one of the first people he bumped into was Abbott.
“I remember not too long into it, he was telling me, ‘Oh, you’re going to be a big league pitcher’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, right.’ I was just happy to be playing baseball again,” Martin said. “I guess he was right. I talk about him a lot, just giving young guys a lot of confidence and building them up.”
After getting his first taste of the Majors with the Rockies (2014) and Yankees (’15), Martin started to build momentum in ’19 with Texas. He also had successful stints with the Braves, Cubs and Dodgers before coming full circle with the Red Sox on a two-year, $17.5 million contract in the offseason.
As far as manager Alex Cora is concerned, it’s about time.
“I remember in ’19, he pitched against us. He was with the Rangers right around the [Trade Deadline],” said Cora. “And that was on the wish list from my end. Santa didn't show up that day. But he was really good.
“He’s just a strike throwing machine. And we were talking about it yesterday, his story, his road to get here back to the Red Sox, independent baseball, UPS, all that stuff, and he's pitching for us now.”
The trying nature of Martin’s journey is something he is now at peace with.
“A lot of that was self-induced, the way I had to go about getting here. But I think it made me better,” said Martin. “The story is what it is but I was a young kid not making the best choices and you look back on things and I could have done things different but everybody has a certain path. I put all that stuff in the past and am moving forward.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2023 4:53:16 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Chris Sale texted Corey Kluber ‘let’s go, come on’ to Boston in previous offseasons
Updated: Feb. 17, 2023, 3:44 p.m.|Published: Feb. 17, 2023, 3:35 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Corey Kluber won the 2017 AL Cy Young and Chris Sale finished second.
They competed for hardware against each other for years. Sale finished third for the AL Cy Young in 2014 when Kluber won it for the first time.
They both are represented by the same agent, B.B. Abbott, and both now are in the same starting rotation together. If Sale had his way, Kluber would have signed with the Red Sox two years ago.
“I’ve been recruiting him for a couple years,” Sale said. “I actually said something to him. I’ve sent him text messages a couple offseasons, like, ‘Hey, man. Let’s go. Come on. Come on.’”
Kluber said, “I always enjoyed watching Chris from the other side. I had a lot of experience doing that early on in our careers and I look forward to watching him every fifth day.” Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Boston actually pursued Kluber each of the past two offseasons before landing him this winter for one year, $10 million in guaranteed money. The contract also includes a 2024 club option worth $11 million.
Kluber’s wife, Amanda, is a Winchester, Mass. native. They own a house there.
“It’s nice. I know that his wife’s family is from the area,” Sale said. “So a little bit less moving around for him. But talk about a model of consistency. A guy that, you pick his brain, his baseball IQ is through the roof. His resume speaks for itself. Just his demeanor and how he carries himself, his character. All of those things are going to do very well for him not only on this team but in Boston.”
Sale received Cy Young votes each season from 2012-18. Kluber received votes each season from 2014-18.
Both pitchers have not received any Cy Young votes since ‘18 as injuries have been an issue for both in recent years. But Sale is confident he, Kluber and James Paxton can be forces in the 2023 Red Sox rotation.
Paxton, who has made just six starts the past three years, feels completely healthy and is treating this camp like a normal spring training.
All three pitchers are on track for Opening Day.
“When he (Paxton) is at his best, watch out,” Sale said. “Kluber’s got a trophy case for anybody. I’m not going to sit here and talk about myself but I know what I can do too. Not only that, we’ve got a bunch of guys on that pitching staff top to bottom. Bullpen, starting staff. We’re going to make some noise. Say what you want but I like where we’re at.”
Kluber went 15-13 with a 4.17 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 47 starts over the past two seasons with the Yankees and Rays.
“I’ve haven’t looked at numbers on stuff all offseason,” Kluber said. “I kind of took the same approach I had last year. Just trying to make sure I got my body in the best spot I can be at coming into spring training. So I came in healthy. ... The stuff is what it is. I like to think I have enough experience, knowledge now that if it’s a day where the stuff’s down or the stuff’s up, I kind of have an idea on how I need to pitch that day. It’s a natural part of getting older. Most guys’ stuff isn’t as good as it was eight, 10 years ago. I understand that. So I think I’ve learned some different ways to do things.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2023 4:55:52 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook: Trying to figure out the Bobby Dalbec dilemma The Red Sox are going to experiment with Bobby Dalbec’s defense while Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernández are in the World Baseball Classic in March
PUBLISHED: February 17, 2023 at 8:06 p.m. | UPDATED: February 17, 2023 at 8:07 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — While Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernández compete in next month’s World Baseball Classic, the Red Sox will take a closer look at Bobby Dalbec.
The struggling infielder will spend some time at every position but second base.
Dalbec came up in the organization as a third baseman, but moved to first to avoid being blocked by Devers. After struggling through 2022, he’s now blocked by Triston Casas, too; the rookie is expected to be the everyday first baseman, with veteran infielder Justin Turner backing him up.
Hernández originally signed on to be the everyday second baseman in 2021, then spent the majority of his time in center field, and signed a one-year extension last fall to continue in center before Xander Bogaerts’ departure and Trevor Story’s UCL surgery necessitated a move to shortstop.
Where does all of this leave Dalbec? The organization has been trying to figure out where he fits into the equation for the better part of the last year. According to a source within the organization, the Red Sox were prepared to trade Dalbec early in the ’22 season, if Casas got off to a hot start in Triple-A and looked ready to debut.
But when Casas sustained a high-ankle sprain in May and missed over a month of the minor-league season, and Dalbec struggled to the extent that it didn’t make sense to trade him, the Red Sox had to pivot. They tried to turn outfielder Franchy Cordero into a first baseman, and when that didn’t work, they acquired Eric Hosmer, a former Gold Glove first baseman, at the trade deadline.
As Casas returned from his injury and it became clear that he could be ready for a September call-up, the Red Sox tried to teach Dalbec second base. Ultimately, they optioned him to Triple-A to open a roster spot for Casas.
Now, Dalbec is slated to see time at shortstop, instead, an interesting experiment for a player who ranked in the fifth percentile in arm strength last year.
Through his first three years playing at least part of the season in the majors, he’s made 233 appearances at first, 40 at third, five as DH, three at shortstop, and two at second. Last year, he made three errors in 24 appearances (14 starts) at third, and two in 89 appearances (64 starts) at first.
Dalbec was a top prospect when he debuted with the Red Sox late in the 2020 season. He hit eight home runs in 23 games that first year, but also struck out 39 times in 23 games.
In 2021, he collected 21 doubles, five triples, and 26 home runs in 133 games, but also struck out 156 times and only walked 28 times in his first full season.
Last year, he regressed, putting together nine doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs while striking out 118 times in 117 games, but he pushed his walk rate up from 6.2% the year before, to 8.2%. Cumulatively, though, Dalbec draws walks at a below-average rate, and his 34.9% career strikeout rate is over 10% higher than league average (22.9%). In 2022, his K% ranked in the 2nd percentile.
It’s difficult to compare Casas’ offensive numbers after only 27 career games in the majors, but even in that short span, his plate discipline improved dramatically. In his first 13 games, he collected three hits (though two of them were home runs), struck out 12 times, and drew six walks; in the remaining 14 games, he added 12 hits and 13 walks and only struck out 11 times.
Maybe there’s still room for Dalbec somewhere in the infield, but that’s only part of the puzzle. Machado to opt out
Good thing the Red Sox locked Devers down when they did.
On Friday, Manny Machado officially confirmed that he plans to opt out of his Padres contract at the end of the season, telling reporters, “There’s a lot of money out there.”
Ahead of the 2019 season, Machado became the first player in MLB history to receive a contract of $300 million or more. But he was 26 then; the shortstop-turned-third-baseman will be 31 in July, so it makes sense that he’d want to opt out and seek a new long-term deal; he’d be a 36-year-old free agent if he opted into his 2024-28 player option.
This winter, shortstops Xander Bogaerts and Trea Turner each received 11-year contracts this winter that will take them into their 40s. Bogaerts turned 30 on Oct. 1, Turner will be 30 on June 30 of this year.
If Machado opts out next fall, he can secure a deal that cushions the decline that inevitably comes with age. And there’s a lengthy, lucrative deal with his name on it somewhere, but there’s always an element of risk when leaving guaranteed money on the table. This offseason already provided one of the most shocking, Icarian storylines in free-agent history. Twice in December, Carlos Correa almost became the third shortstop to command a contract of a dozen or more seasons, but the Giants and Mets both balked at his physicals, and backed out.
Machado will be over a year older than Bogaerts and Turner were when they received their offers, and Bogaerts’ Padres deal vastly exceeded projections, both in years and salary. Correa is only 28, and ended up returning to the Twins on a six-year deal for over $100 million less than the two National League teams had offered.
The most intriguing aspect of this 2023 storyline is the ripple effect of Machado’s decision. Will the Padres make a play to keep him? Will they pivot to trying to extend Soto? Would they dare do both?
In recent years, the Padres have shown no hesitation when it comes to spending and trading to finally build that elusive first championship team. They’ve committed over half a billion dollars to Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr. over the next 11-14 years, Joe Musgrove’s five-year, $100 million extension begins this season, and they just extended Yu Darvish through 2028 for $108 million.
But as Red Sox fans saw in 2018-19, the bill comes due eventually. Spotrac estimates that the Padres are currently over $11 million above the Competitive Balance Threshold. If they remain over the limit through the season, it will be their third consecutive year of taxation, and the penalties grow steeper each year they don’t reset. They paid a 30% tax on their overage last year, and would owe a 50% tax for this season; if the season ended today, that’s a $6 million penalty. (The Red Sox exceeded the luxury tax last season, but are on track to reset it this year by remaining comfortably under the $233 million threshold.)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2023 4:59:10 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox will give Brayan Bello the weekend off as he develops forearm soreness By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated February 17, 2023, 3:22 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox have shut down righthander Brayan Bello for a few days with forearm soreness.
Bello felt soreness after his most recent bullpen. Manager Alex Cora said Friday the team doesn’t view Bello’s condition as anything serious, but they want to err on the side of caution. Bello is expected to be back on his throwing program Monday.
“Obviously, he’s so important to the organization and what we’re trying to accomplish,” Cora said.
Bello, 23, arrives at camp following a promising rookie campaign. He pitched in 13 games in 2022 (11 starts), compiling a 4.71 ERA in 57⅓ innings. He took a significant step forward in September when he registered a 1.65 ERA in 27⅓ innings, striking out 27.
The Red Sox have seven potential starters vying for five rotation spots. Bello is one of them and has a case to be one of the best homegrown starters the Sox have produced in recent history.
As to Bello’s current issue, Cora made it clear that this is something that occurred at camp and not something that popped up during the offseason.
“I actually talked to him in one of those eye-to-eye and heart-to-heart conversations, like, ‘Did this happen here or before?’ ” Cora said. “He said it happened here.
“He threw a lot of breaking balls, working on stuff. It was a different bullpen for him and he felt it. But we’re confident that he will be back on his throwing program Monday and we’ll go from there.” Older and wiser
Corey Kluber made 31 starts for the Rays last season, the first time since 2018 that the veteran righthander made more than 30, as he was plagued by injuries for roughly three seasons.
He joins the Red Sox with the same expectations and more confidence.
“It’s just the mental side of knowing that you are still capable of doing that,” Kluber said after his bullpen Friday. “Even though you have belief in yourself when you go through a few years of injuries in a row, there’s always some doubts in the back of your mind.
“Am I going to be doing the right things or wrong things? Or what do I need to change to be able to get through a season healthy? I feel like I pinned down a good new routine to help me do that.”
One change to Kluber’s routine is his reliance on recovery. He took on the habit of overworking, sometimes, during his younger years. But as he’s aged, he understands that rest equally plays a part in honing one’s craft.
Kluber, 36, was a two-time Cy Young winner in Cleveland. He joins a Sox rotation that includes a lot of question marks as it pertains to health — namely lefthanders Chris Sale and James Paxton — and youth.
“I think the rotation has a lot of potential,” Kluber said. “For every rotation, health is first and foremost. I feel like if we’re able to consistently take the ball every fifth day, then there are exciting things to come.” Masked man
Nick Pivetta threw a bullpen Wednesday but is off to somewhat of a slow start after a recent bout with COVID. The righthander has been wearing a mask in indoor areas at Fenway South … Catcher Jorge Alfaro was still awaiting his visa. The Colombia native was scheduled to travel Friday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2023 5:01:11 GMT -5
Red Sox are looking at one big outfield shift from last season By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated February 17, 2023, 5:50 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — When the Red Sox traded Hunter Renfroe to the Brewers for Jackie Bradley Jr. last winter, the hope was that they would see an upgrade in outfield defense.
The trade, which came just before MLB imposed a lockout in early December, was a head-scratcher to many critics. Renfroe had hit 31 homers in his only year with the Red Sox while Bradley struggled mightily in Milwaukee, batting just .163 with six homers in 134 games.
But the Sox believed it could work, confident that they could revive the outfielder in Bradley given his history with the club.
In short, it didn’t work. Bradley, while still a savant in the outfield, didn’t hit enough to stay in the lineup and was ultimately designated for assignment.
Bradley’s lack of production added to the Sox’ misfortune in the outfield. In June, Kiké Hernández dealt with a bad hip and spent much of the summer on the injured list.
The Sox’ outfield defense was a train wreck. It was minus-20 in defensive runs saved, worst in the majors.
The Sox took another hack at upgrading their defense again this offseason, but not at the expense of power. They added Adam Duvall and Masataka Yoshida and signed Raimel Tapia to a minor league deal. And even though most reports grade Yoshida as a below-average fielder, they can hide him in left field at Fenway Park.
The elbow injury to Trevor Story means Hernández will shift to shortstop, with Duvall getting a lot of the reps in center field. Most of Duvall’s time in the majors has been spent at the corners, but he still grades as an average to above-average defender in center.
Coming into spring training, Duvall changed up his workout routine a bit in preparation for playing center.
“I ran a lot more this offseason,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how that’s going to help, and I think that’s going to be something just to build the legs up and keep the legs up underneath me throughout the season.”
The Sox will take care of the 34-year-old Duvall, giving him a breather at the corners. Rob Refsnyder, Tapia, and Jarren Duran are all candidates to play center when Duvall is unavailable.
Though Duran had a forgettable 2022 season — especially in the field — manager Alex Cora believes he has made strides in the outfield.
“Jarren is in the mix,” Cora said. “His jumps got a lot better halfway through the season. He kept working on it in Triple A. And he’s working hard here, too, just to get better.”
First base coach Kyle Hudson is expected to be a significant help, too. In addition to his first base duties, he will work with the outfielders — something that’s already taking place. After spending the majority of his time playing in front of the scoreboard in left field at Fenway Park, Alex Verdugo will primarily be in right in 2023.
Alex Verdugo, who will get the majority of the reps in right field, is also coming off a down season as the primary left fielder. Verdugo came into camp last year out of shape, and even though he played in 152 games — most on the team — his range was limited at times (minus-4 defensive runs saved).
This year, Verdugo came into camp trim, which could be compared to his 2020 spring when he arrived via trade from the Dodgers.
The Sox needed to get better in the outfield, and they feel they have the weapons to do so.
“One of the most important things in the outfield is communication, not only for safety but to get the out,” Duvall said. “That’s going to be something that as spring training goes on, and as the season goes on, hopefully we get more comfortable with each other.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2023 10:08:19 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 2h Dustin Pedroia is in the house as a coach today
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Feb 18, 2023 12:33:08 GMT -5
“It just pissed me off, man,” Verdugo said. “But everything pisses me off. I don’t like when people talk about me and things like that. They had reasons to talk, right? They had fuel, they had (expletive) ammunition for it. For me, it’s ‘Let’s take that away.’
“I took it how I was supposed to take it,” he added. “I took it on the chin and took it as more of a compliment than I did as an insult. At first, I thought about it like, ‘Man, why is why is it me?’ But I agree with what he says.”
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I hope he is taking this to heart, and not merely saying it because it sounds good. I loved getting him in the trade, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. He averaged 5.5 bWAR/650 PAs in his last season in LA and his first season in Boston. The 598 PAs are a small enough sample size, but enough to be meaningful. I thought he'd easily be a 3+ WAR player, with the upside of a 4-5 WAR player. But he's looked increasingly worse the past two years. Maybe he can start with getting rid of that 5-pound gold chain around his neck. I never cared much for wearing necklaces, but if he wants to, get something small like Mookie. It just seems like it almost has to be detrimental to wear something that big while trying to swing a bat.
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