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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 14, 2024 6:31:05 GMT -5
As spring training begins, will the Red Sox make more changes? By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated February 13, 2024, 6:05 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — As members of the Red Sox funnel into Fort Myers for the start of spring training, the roster still feels incomplete.
The Red Sox aren’t alone in such a state. It’s been an interminable offseason free agency cycle, with four particularly prominent players — reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell, postseason star Jordan Montgomery, third baseman Matt Chapman, and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger — remaining unsigned as of Tuesday afternoon. Outfielders Adam Duvall and Tommy Pham, DH J.D. Martinez, starters Michael Lorenzen and Brandon Woodruff, and others also remain on the market.
With all of those free agents, and teams still discussing trades, there is an ongoing game of roster musical chairs. Spring training may have started, but the offseason isn’t over.
Still, the Sox had an offseason wish list that featured considerable upgrades to their pitching stockpile, and they haven’t fulfilled it. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, in reviewing his moves, acknowledged that the current shape of the club isn’t the one he envisioned. He also made clear that the Sox remain open to change even with spring training underway.
“I think we can appreciate that things haven’t come together in a way that I had anticipated,” said Breslow, who noted that he hadn’t been able to do as much to bolster the pitching inventory as he’d hoped. “I think what we have in front of us is an opportunity to continue to look for ways to improve the long- and short-term outlook of the team.”
What form might such moves take?
The most obvious curiosity is whether the market for Snell or Montgomery — both of whom were expected to command long-term, nine-figure deals at the start of the winter — might collapse, and if it does, whether the Sox would jump into the mix.
“It doesn’t make a ton of sense to speak about specific players … We’re going to remain engaged. There are some really talented players still available in the free agent market,” said Breslow. “If the situation presents itself and there’s an opportunity to further that vision [to improve the team in the short and long term], I don’t think it would make sense to turn away from any opportunity to accomplish that. But it’s also really difficult to predict whether or not those will come together.”
Of those two, Montgomery would be a likelier target than Snell, given that he’d likely cost less and the Sox wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign Montgomery (who was ineligible for a one-year qualifying offer from the Rangers after being acquired in mid-2023). The Sox would have to part with a second-rounder to add Snell, who received and rejected a one-year qualifying offer from the Padres.
The Red Sox, according to sources, have kept tabs on Montgomery’s market. But if it does collapse in a way that makes him available on a shorter-term deal, there’s an industry belief that he’d be more likely to head to a team with a better chance to win in 2024 than the Red Sox. So, not impossible, but highly unlikely.
The Sox remain open to adding complementary players. While they replaced lefthanded hitter Alex Verdugo with a righthanded bat in Tyler O’Neill, the club still could add some righthanded thump after Justin Turner signed with the Blue Jays and with Duvall still a free agent.
“That’s something we talked about, but it hasn’t happened,” manager Alex Cora said. “We’ve still got a few weeks before Opening Day.”
Duvall remains a possible target as a righthanded outfield/DH option. (He’s also played some first base).Though the Giants’ signing of slugger Jorge Soler to a three-year deal represented a potential catalyst to other signings, one source suggested Duvall wasn’t close to a deal as of Tuesday afternoon.
According to sources, the Sox have remained in discussions with teams about the possibility of dealing closer Kenley Jansen, their lone All-Star in 2023. Breslow was noncommittal about the 36-year-old’s future.
“Where we stand is he’s on this team, he is an All-Star-caliber closer who’s had an incredible career, and we’re happy for that,” said Breslow. “We have talented players on our team that are potentially of interest to others. But as of right now we’re excited about what he brings, what the back end of our bullpen brings, and the depth that we have down there.”
In all likelihood, the Sox would be looking to deal Jansen for prospects and some relief from the $16 million he’s owed this year. The better the prospect, the less relief the Sox would seek — as demonstrated by the Chris Sale-for-Vaughn Grissom deal this winter, where the Sox gave the Braves $17 million to cover the pitcher’s salary.
It’s possible the Sox would get more value for Jansen if they held on to him at the trade deadline. That said, if he gets injured or struggles in the first half, it’s also possible his value would become virtually nonexistent, explaining why the Sox are exploring his market.
The Sox also have been getting calls about some of their young outfielders, including Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, along with infielder David Hamilton. Sources confirmed that the Padres have been among several teams calling about Duran.
The Sox haven’t ruled out a deal for any of those players — or, for that matter, virtually anyone else on their roster — but likely would only consider dealing a young, controllable player if he brought back a starting pitcher who would be part of the team’s developing core. To date, there hasn’t been a match.
Of course, the matchless-ness of the offseason has been a months-long theme.
“These people [in the front office] are working hard, trying to trade for people, sign people, you name it, they’ve done it,” said Cora. “It’s not lack of work. It just hasn’t happened.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 14, 2024 6:33:34 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK You can expect most of Masataka Yoshida’s at-bats to be at DH this season By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated February 13, 2024, 5:16 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — When the Red Sox signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contract prior to last season, most people within baseball couldn’t understand the move.
Not at that price.
While Yoshida excelled in Nippon Professional Baseball, most of his superiority came with his bat. Evaluators labeled him a defensive liability, a player who could give up runs just as quickly as he could drive them in.
That scouting report turned out to be true.
On Tuesday, manager Alex Cora said that the majority of Yoshida’s playing time in 2024 would come as a designated hitter.
“Out of the group he will get most of the at-bats,” said Cora.
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Yoshida played 87 games in left field last season and was minus-4 in defensive runs saved. His arm strength is fair at best, but his slow release and occasional off-target throws make it easy for teams to take an extra base against him. Yoshida is a below-average runner, too, and though there isn’t much ground to cover in left field at Fenway, his lack of speed still hurt the Red Sox.
The Red Sox could shift Jarren Duran to left field. Even though he improved in center field last season, the club views him as a better option in left. The Red Sox could then have Tyler O’Neill, Wilyer Abreu, or Ceddanne Rafaela in center.
Cora noted that if Rafaela makes the team out of camp, he will be the center fielder because of his elite defense. Abreu or O’Neill could then play right field.
Yoshida hit .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs last season. Those numbers aren’t put up by slouches, certainly not in their first big league season. But is that really the desired performance from a DH? Yoshida’s power numbers should improve, but he is already 30 years old and doesn’t have much runway. He’s a lefthanded hitter, aiming to solidify a spot in the order previously occupied by righthanders with power, most recently Justin Turner and J.D. Martinez, hitters who could also use the Green Monster to their advantage.
Ideally, Yoshida’s offensive profile fits that of an everyday player. But his defensive struggles make him somewhat of a tweener, a reason why the Sox haven’t totally shut the door on him playing left. At least not yet.
“I know a lot was made of some of his defensive deficiencies early on,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “I think we saw some progress. I think this is a huge opportunity for us to push because any steps forward he can make defensively gives Alex and gives the staff more flexibility.” Not rushing Rafaela
Red Sox fans might see Rafaela on Opening Day, but there’s a strong chance he will start the season in Triple A Worcester.
Rafaela is a wizard in center field, and is capable of handling second base or shortstop if need be, improving the Sox’ flexibility. Yet Rafaela has had a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone throughout his minor league career, a flaw that came to the surface in the big leagues last year.
Performance in Grapefruit League games won’t dictate where Rafaela starts the season, Breslow said. Stats in the spring mean virtually nothing as pitchers begin their progression.
The Red Sox will instead pay close attention to Rafaela’s swing decisions and approach. The club doesn’t want to rush the young center fielder, who has played just 20 big league games, viewing his impact in the majors as a balancing act.
“There are scenarios where the best path for the organization is a player getting everyday major league at-bats,” Breslow said. “There’s also situations where, you know, that’s not the case. Whether it’s trying to work on a swing change or approach development, sometimes the runway in the minor leagues affords the best scenario to do that.” Soler off the table
The Red Sox were tied to Jorge Soler for much of the offseason. He would have been an ideal fit, providing a righthanded bat that hit 36 home runs last season.
Soler, however, agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract with the Giants Tuesday, a deal the Red Sox could certainly have made.
The Sox are still tied to Adam Duvall, who along with Duran were their best players down the stretch last season. The righthanded power in the lineup without Duvall is scarce, leaving Trevor Story and, to a lesser degree, O’Neill on an island. The Red Sox said at the start of the offseason that they were open to adding a righthanded power bat.
“That’s something that we have talked about, but it hasn’t happened,” Cora said. “We still have a few weeks before Opening Day. In 2018, we were lacking the same thing and two weeks into spring training [we signed Martinez]. These people are working hard and trying to trade for people, trying to sign people. You name it.”
Breslow, who said the offseason hasn’t gone as anticipated for a number of reasons, believes O’Neill was a solid addition.
“I think Tyler O’Neill is really valuable and dynamic,” he said. “We also have some young guys that we expect to take a step forward. But we’re also going to continue to look, and if the opportunity presents itself, we will certainly be willing to engage.” Showing up
Yoshida and closer Kenley Jansen are scheduled to arrive in camp on Wednesday . . . Derek Lowe was at the complex. He lives in the area and has worked with pitchers in previous seasons . . . The Sox are excited about a documentary from Netflix, which will follow the team all season. “Embrace it,” said Cora when asked what he told the players. “Because they’re going to be here. We’ve been talking about this probably halfway through the season last year. It started with the players. They wanted to do it.” . . . Pitchers and catchers will have their first official workout Wednesday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 14, 2024 12:22:16 GMT -5
Red Sox reliever on trade rumor, ‘pressure’ post-injury, being healthy now
Updated: Feb. 14, 2024, 10:47 a.m.|Published: Feb. 14, 2024, 10:39 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — John Schreiber is one of three relievers who the Red Sox are willing to listen to trade offers for, according to an executive with another major league team.
“I haven’t heard anything of that,” Schreiber said about the possibility of being involved in a trade. “It is what it is. My main focus right now is to do my job and help the team win some games. And that’s my main focus this year. And you just try and keep all that other stuff on the side. You don’t want any of that stuff to distract you. So like I said, my main focus here is just to do my job out there and help my teammates and be there for my teammates.”
It’s obvious why the Red Sox have some interest in trading the other two relievers, Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin, involved in rumors. It would slash the CBT payroll to help improve other lacking areas of the roster. Ownership expects this year’s payroll to be lower than last year’s $225 million mark. Jansen is making $16 million this season while Martin is due $9.5 million in 2024 and has an average annual value of $8.75 million for CBT purposes.
The motive to move Schreiber is less obvious in large part due to his service time and lower salary. He will earn $1.175 million in 2024, his first year of arbitration eligibility. He’s not eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season.
The Red Sox roster has seen significant turnover the past few years, including this past offseason when Boston dealt Chris Sale to the Braves and Alex Verdugo to the Yankees. Those were two trades Schreiber wasn’t expecting.
“I was surprised,” Schreiber said. “Those guys were great teammates. So when you hear the news you’re like, man, it’s sad seeing those guys go because you’ve been around for so long now and they’ve been awesome teammates like I said. So you wish the best of luck to anybody who has been your teammate going forward with another team. So I wish them a healthy season this year.”
Schreiber was such an important member of Boston’s 2022 bullpen (2.22 ERA, 65 outings) but his 2023 season was highlighted by a 60-day IL stint (right teres major strain) and some inconsistency. He finished with a 3.86 ERA in 46 outings.
Command is something that needs to improve in 2024. He averaged 4.8 walks per nine innings last season after averaging just 2.6 in ‘22. He averaged just 2.8 walks per nine innings in the minors and was averaging just 2.6 for his big league career entering last year.
“I think maybe it was just more of a mental thing being out two months,” Schreiber said about his command last season. “First time being on the IL, first time experiencing that and coming back, it was pretty tough. I didn’t know what that entailed being out two months and then coming back in the middle of the season, later in the season. I think mentally I was just trying to get back to what I was before I was injured. I was pitching well before I got injured and just coming back I was like, “All right, I need to get off on a good start here coming off the IL and getting back to where I needed (to be).’ And I think I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, trying to get back to that.”
Schreiber’s slider, his best pitch, was still very effective last season. He held opponents to a .185 batting average and .203 expected batting average when he threw it.
“I think the stuff I had, shapes and stuff, were OK,” he said. “I think just the walks pretty much hurt me the rest of the way. I had some good outings and bad outings but it wasn’t at all consistent. So that’s the main goal this year going forward. I’m fully healthy. I had a fully healthy offseason. Feeling good. Body is feeling good. So I’m excited to get going this year.”
Schreiber lost 10 pounds during the offseason. He said he did it by eating a lot healthier.
“Shoulder is feeling really good,” he said. “So I’m in a really good spot.”
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Asked if he’s going to be the unexpected star of the Netflix documentary on the 2024 Red Sox, Schreiber laughed.
“No chance,” he said. “I’ll probably be in the background, which I’m fine with. No, I’ve always been in the background. So that’s normal to me.”
Schreiber enjoyed a relaxing offseason.
“Just spent some time with my family. My son just turned 1. So it’s been amazing spending the offseason with him and my wife. They came down here to Fort Myers.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 14, 2024 12:23:25 GMT -5
Red Sox’ Kenley Jansen has lat soreness, sidelined from throwing for now
Updated: Feb. 14, 2024, 12:06 p.m.|Published: Feb. 14, 2024, 12:05 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Closer Kenley Jansen did not participate in the first official workout for Red Sox pitchers and catchers Wednesday here at JetBlue Park. He reported to camp with “some general lat soreness,” as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow described it.
“I’m fine. It’s just precautious,” Jansen said. “I’ve been doing this for a while now. You just don’t want to go out there. You want to make sure you’re 100%. Make sure everything is fine.”
Jansen anticipates that he’ll resume throwing relatively soon.
“Probably in a week I’ll be throwing again,” Jansen said.
The 36-year-old righty — who has been mentioned in trade rumors — said he felt healthy throughout the offseason. But he “slowed it down a little bit” last week when he felt it.
“So the medical staff is still kind of working things out but we’ll keep him out of throwing until we get a better understanding of what’s going on,” Breslow said.
Breslow said there’s no plan as of now to send him to Boston to get checked out. He said it seems to be fairly mild.
“He was ramping up at home. He’s been throwing. Just generally want to get a better idea of what’s going on,” Breslow said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 14, 2024 16:19:30 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy @mattmccarthy985 · 5h Happy pitchers and catchers to those who celebrate.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, it’s really just catchers.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:36:46 GMT -5
Rumors don't distract Jansen from family, Sox Veteran closer weathers offseason trade talk, stays committed to helping club improve February 14th, 2024 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- An offseason full of trade rumors involving Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen didn’t lead to an actual trade, and the big righty was on hand with his teammates for the first official day of Spring Training on Wednesday.
And if you think Jansen, the ultimate professional, was shaken by the reality that the Red Sox explored his trade market, you’d be mistaken.
Just as Jansen is able to block out the noise when a packed house is cheering for him to succeed or fail, he is able to do the same with the noise that happens during baseball’s Hot Stove season.
“Well, for me, I just spent time with my family, knowing that I tried to be the best dad I can be, and bringing them to school and making sure I worked out in the morning and did all my stuff,” said Jansen. “Just keep my mind off. At the end of the day, I love this game, and this is where I'm at right now, and I'm always going to invest my time wherever I am. To me, just focus on the fact I’m here and I signed here for two years, and I’m going to try to do everything to improve this ballclub.”
Jansen, who won’t throw during the first week of Spring Training due to what he believes is a minor right lat issue, vowed to give the Red Sox everything he has while he’s still wearing the uniform.
There could come a day that changes. Perhaps this spring or during the Trade Deadline sweepstakes. Or next offseason, when Jansen becomes a free agent.
“I think where we stand is, he's on this team, and he is an All-Star-caliber closer who's had an incredible career, and we're happy for that,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “We have talented players on our team that are potentially of interest to others. But as of right now, we're excited about what he brings, what the back end of our bullpen brings and the depth that we have down there.”
As an organization, the Red Sox have made it clear they are going to prioritize the growth of their young core in 2024. That’s why it might make sense for Breslow to part ways with Jansen if he can get prospects or a young big leaguer who might fill another need. Jansen also carries a $16 million salary, and shedding some of that could help Boston with the optimization of the roster.
But Jansen wouldn’t have 420 career saves if he let that context bother him. He was asked if he spent time Googling himself in the offseason.
“I learned my lessons already; you don’t do that anymore,” said Jansen. “You don't go make comments. You’ve got to have your own life and see what's in front of you and enjoy the blessings that I have, what's in front of me, which is my family. So now that I'm here, I'm focused. I don't like to lose. I like to win. We have to get ready to win ballgames.”
When Jansen signed with the Red Sox in December 2022, he came to a team that had several other veterans, including long-time teammates with the Dodgers in Justin Turner and Kiké Hernández. Not only are those two players gone, but so are Chris Sale, James Paxton and Adam Duvall.
“Yeah, of course it's tough,” Jansen said. “I liked those guys. Had a great time with them last year, and I see what type of competitors they are. At the same time, we’ve got to stay focused here and see what we’ve got in this clubhouse and improve.”
Jansen, a sage leader, believes he can help the team in more ways than saving games.
“We have a lot of young guys,” Jansen said. “I can be a good leader and help them improve by any way I can. It could be sitting out there watching bullpens and telling them what they can be better at, or having them tell me what I can do to be better. You just have invest your time to improve and get better.”
Though Jansen realizes the Red Sox won’t be viewed as an upper-echelon team heading into 2024, he knows that the city he plays in carries a lot of weight.
“I love Boston fans,” Jansen said. “I was excited playing in Fenway last year. This ballclub can be out there again and playing in October. They deserve it. It is the city of champions. I’m going to invest my time and help these young kids and even me try to get better every day. That’s important.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:37:53 GMT -5
Healthy Whitlock 'in a great spot' to begin camp February 14th, 2024 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Though the Grapefruit League season is still more than a week away, there was something to be said for Garrett Whitlock being the first pitcher to throw off the main mound at JetBlue Park on Wednesday’s opening day of Spring Training.
The fact that Whitlock threw live batting practice on the start day of camp was a big difference from a year ago, when the Red Sox smartly put the kid gloves on him in his return from right hip surgery.
There was something symbolic about Whitlock being first out of the gate in the succession of live BP sessions that will come for the next week or so.
“It means I'm walking and running and throwing normal,” Whitlock said. “Last year, I felt like I looked like I was barely walking around when I first saw you all. Now, I'm actually standing up straight and throwing and getting off the mound, so I feel like I'm back to myself.”
When Whitlock is himself, he is a key member of the pitching staff. Last year, he was injured and ineffective, posting a 5.15 ERA in 22 appearances, 10 of them starts.
At the team’s Winter Weekend event in January, Whitlock referred to himself as “the worst guy on the team last year.”
While that was an exaggeration, it is an example of how much Whitlock expects from himself.
Yet again, Whitlock's role isn’t certain at the outset of Spring Training. He will battle his best friend Tanner Houck and also Josh Winckowski for the final spot in the rotation. If he loses that battle, a high-leverage bullpen role awaits.
“Garrett’s in a great spot,” said Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey. “He's put a lot of work in this offseason. He threw live BP last week, too. He's a full go and ready to compete for that rotation spot. Today was very promising. His [pitch] shapes are locked, and his arsenal is in a good spot. He's trending in the right direction, and I think priority is his health, so he's in a really good spot now.”
The 27-year-old is probably the strongest he has ever been after an offseason of hitting the weights and getting his throwing reps in.
“I've been throwing bullpens since November, whereas this time last year, I hadn't picked up a ball until December,” Whitlock said. “So getting off the mound early, it's allowing me to really focus on pitch shape and making sure everything is getting where it needs to be.”
Bailey’s plan for Houck Much like Whitlock, Houck struggled to be consistent last season, notching a 5.01 ERA in 21 starts.
What is Bailey’s plan to help get the talented righty back on track?
“Prioritizing goals for him is huge,” Bailey said. “Coming in, he’s another one competing for a spot in the rotation, and understanding that the history of baseball tells us that the more we're in the zone, chase [rate] goes up. Just being in advantage counts. So again, harnessing the arsenal and then creating structure and accountability behind the process and making sure you attack hitters.”
Cora misses first workout The Red Sox were without their manager for the first workout of Spring Training. Alex Cora is battling a stomach bug, and the medical staff advised him to stay away from the team to avoid spreading it.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:42:28 GMT -5
Red Sox dark horse rotation candidate ‘not comfortable’ after breakout 2023
Updated: Feb. 14, 2024, 7:24 p.m.|Published: Feb. 14, 2024, 7:13 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Entering the offseason, the Red Sox were expected to meaningfully add to their starting rotation by adding multiple impact arms to the group. The fact that hasn’t quite happened yet might lead to an unlikely presence in the starting five to begin the season.
At present, barring a last-minute addition or key injury, the Red Sox have Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford locked into their rotation with the fifth and final spot up for grabs. Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock are the primary candidates after getting ample chances in the rotation over the past two years. But Josh Winckowski, who thrived out of the bullpen last season, is a dark horse candidate who is motivated to get back to the rotation, where he struggled in 2022.
Winckowski, 25, debuted as a starter in 2022, scuffling to a 5.89 ERA (and 4.95 FIP) in 70 ⅓ innings over 15 outings (14 starts). He entered last year unlikely to make the team but after an impressive spring training, opened the year in the majors as a bullpen option. An excellent April solidified his place in the big leagues and Winckowski, in an unlikely feat, led the Red Sox in appearances in 2023. In 60 games, he posted a strong 2.88 ERA while serving as a late-inning setup option for veterans Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen. His 83 ⅓ bullpen innings put him third-most among MLB relievers.
The Red Sox know what Winckowski can do out of the bullpen and might slot him back into the sixth or seventh inning ahead of Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen. But first, they’re going to give him a chance to start. Impressed by the aggressiveness he showed throughout 2023 and thinking there’s more to tap into, the club identified him as a 2024 rotation candidate at the end of last year. Now, his spot on the team is certain, even if his role is not. Winckowski enters this year’s camp in a much different place than he did a year ago.
“It means a lot,” Winckowski said Wednesday. “Truthfully, after 2022 I wasn’t too sure what my career in baseball would look like in general, yet alone as in terms of starting. So I’m obviously super excited that the new pitching people think that. Even the possibility of it means a lot.
“Last year, I was built up as a starter until the last four or five days of spring training. So yeah, if that (moving to the bullpen) does happen again, I obviously have no problem with it and have already been through it. But I’m obviously excited to potentially help out the rotation.”
Even before pitching coach Andrew Bailey was hired in November, the Red Sox told Winckowski to come to camp stretched out as a starter. His focus was on increasing the depth of his pitches — including a fastball that averaged 96.2 mph and a cutter and slider that kept hitters off balance for much of 2023. A southwest Florida resident, Winckowski spent the entire offseason working out at the Fenway South facility.
“There’s a lot of competition in this camp for rotation spots, for bullpen spots, for roster spots,” Bailey said. “You want to drive that. Having Winc come in here and compete as a starter is a real possibility. He has been really quality. He spent pretty much the whole offseason down here and he’s in a really good spot as well.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:43:54 GMT -5
Red Sox pitcher: Being traded by Yankees (for Alex Verdugo) ‘pretty crazy’
Updated: Feb. 15, 2024, 6:25 a.m.|Published: Feb. 15, 2024, 6:21 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Greg Weissert was relaxing at home on the evening of Dec. 5 while Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was working the phones. Breslow completed a deal with the rival Yankees, sending Alex Verdugo to New York for pitchers Richard Fitts, Nicholas Judice and Weissert.
“I was pretty surprised,” Weissert said Wednesday at JetBlue Park. “It caught me a little off guard. I was just sitting at home on my couch late one night, 9:30 or something like that. And the call came in and they let me know I was going to be traded. It was pretty crazy because I had been with the Yankees my whole career. So to be with a new team is definitely different but it’s exciting.”
Fitts is the top piece the Red Sox acquired in the deal but the 29-year-old Weissert is an interesting right-handed pitcher with a plus slider. He had some success with New York last season, posting a 4.05 ERA with two holds in 17 relief outings (20 innings). He has recorded a 2.90 ERA in 231 minor league outings.
In 2021, Baseball America wrote that “internal evaluators (from the Yankees) grade Weissert’s slider as the system’s best.” His BA scouting report noted he throws the pitch in the low-80s and “shows outstanding spin at nearly 2,800 rpms on average as well as an elite 19 inches of horizontal break.”
“Just sink ‘em and slide ‘em,” Weissert said about what he likes to do. “Mostly sliders.”
Weissert’s sinker — which averaged 94.1 mph last season — and slider are his two most frequently used pitches. He throws with a low three-quarter arm slot, which gives him deception. Baseball Savant actually characterizes his slider as a sweeper.
“Mostly sinkers and sliders and just trying to play them off each other,” he said.
On what makes his slider effective, he said, “I think just because of my setup and the deception I guess and general movement. I’m not exactly sure why but it seems to work.”
Weissert is focused on command, something that needs to improve. He has averaged 4.2 walks per nine innings in the minors and 3.7 walks per nine innings in the majors.
“Just really trying to throw strikes with everything,” he said. “Just keep it in the zone and let the stuff move.”
He also mixes in a cutter and changeup.
“I’ve got a lot of pitches,” he said. “I just try to throw them all for strikes. ... Just offering a different look (with the cutter and changeup) so guys can’t look at one thing too much. So just having a good mix.”
Weissert grew up a Mets fan living in Bay Shore on Long Island.
“And I went to college in the Bronx (Fordham University) so it was pretty cool to be able to play there for my first big league experience,” he said.
He is looking forward to facing his old team and embracing the rivalry from the other side.
“It will be fun. I’m excited to get out there against the Yankees and get going,” he said.
In his downtime, Weissert enjoys golfing and has an outstanding 1.5 handicap.
“I just picked it up in spring training one year, in 2017,” Weissert said. “I think we just went out one day. Bored during spring training. We didn’t have anything to do. The first couple of spring trainings, I was by myself. My wife now, she was at home. So I didn’t have much to do at spring training. So I killed time with the boys. Just go out there and play and I got addicted to it. Still addicted to it.”
Could he go pro in golf after retiring from baseball?
“No, I don’t think so,” he said, smiling.
Weissert also played volleyball at Bay Shore High. He was a setter, taking after his mom Liz and older sister Nicole. He got into it just “messing around” at Nicole’s volleyball tournaments growing up.
“So I was the same position as them,” he said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:50:07 GMT -5
Red Sox pitchers place premium on competition entering 2024
By Gabrielle Starr | gstarr@bostonherald.com PUBLISHED: February 14, 2024 at 7:23 p.m. | UPDATED: February 14, 2024 at 7:47 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Competition was the buzzword on Wednesday on Day 1 of official spring training for Red Sox pitchers and catchers.
“We compete for a living, and I think that needs to start from Day 1,” said Nick Pivetta. “The earlier on we can start that and we can compete with each other, and we can, you know, feel the fire and really, you know, get that mindset going early, the better we are going to be as the season progresses.”
Perhaps that sounds too obvious. This is a sport, after all.
Competing with other teams is a given, but the shared mindset on display by Red Sox pitchers this week is different. It indicates a squad that’s hyper-competitive, not only with one another but with their past selves.
“You should always be competing with yourself,” Pivetta said. “You should be with others, but you should always be trying to push the envelope, make yourself better, have a better outing than you did before, change something that you need to change.”
“If you’re always in that competitive mindset, you’re always in that competitive kind of situation, you’re gonna succeed when you’re in the even-more-competitive situations,” he added.
“Having external motivation, or external competition is great, but that’s not always going to be there,” Tanner Houck told the Herald. “Having that internal competitive edge, if you’re competing with yourself today and pushing yourself to get that much better each and every day, then it adds up over a long time. The hard work pays off in the end.”
“I don’t think any guy in here, in this clubhouse, wants to lose,” Kutter Crawford told the Herald. “We play this game to compete.”
As the team’s player representative, Pivetta is serving as his teammates’ point person amidst the ongoing Netflix project about the upcoming season. He’s a fan of several other Netflix sports docuseries, but one in particular, really spoke to his competitive side.
“I’m a huge fan of ‘The Last Dance,’ ” he said.
His favorite part of the Michael Jordan show?
“Getting to know Jordan as who he was as a competitor,” Pivetta said. “But also how much he cared on a daily basis. You know, you see him as a fierce competitor and that, but his caring for, wanting to push guys to be who he was and who he is, to bring up all of the players around him, I think that’s what really stuck out to me.”
That’s evident in how Pivetta speaks about wanting to motivate his teammates and be motivated by them.
“Other guys see what you’re doing and they want to do what you’re doing,” he said. “I always wanted to emulate, do better what Nate (Eovaldi) did the start before me, for example. I would feed off of him going out and doing his thing. Same thing with (Brayan) Bello, same thing with Lucas (Giolito), same thing with Kutter (Crawford). I want to, I do want to be better than those guys, because I want those guys to be better than me at the same time, because if we’re all doing really good, then everything else is kind of smooth sails from there.”
“We all have the same goal, and we all want to win, and post great stats,” said Houck. “Something that we all do really well is turn on the competitive edge. Whenever you get to compete against each other, with how much time we spend together, it’s fun. It’s good banter back and forth after outings, stuff like that. It’s great, I love the camaraderie and competitiveness, because I think it draws us all closer.”
The players’ mindset has already earned the approval of their new pitching coach. “I’m really pleased with the energy level that the guys are coming into camp with,” Andrew Bailey said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:53:14 GMT -5
More to Trevor Story’s healthy outlook at Red Sox spring training than physical appearance By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated February 14, 2024, 6:57 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Trevor Story’s physical appearance commands attention, as it is reminiscent of his days in Colorado when he was an All-Star shortstop.
His shoulders are broader, his abs more defined. Unlike his first two seasons with the Red Sox, Story had a full offseason to get his body right, to eat right. He didn’t have to play catch-up because he was, and is, finally healthy.
However, the physical change isn’t the only noticeable difference.
Story speaks differently now. He moves differently around the clubhouse, a space he knows he must claim for the team to reach its peak capabilities.
“That’s something I’ve grown into a little bit,” Story said Wednesday morning in reference to becoming one of the main leaders of the Sox. “Leading by example has definitely been more of my way the last five years or so. You can be what you want to be, and I think that’s something that I want to embrace.”
What Story was won’t work with this group. Not when the Sox are picked to finish last in the American League East for a third season in a row. Not a year removed from replacing franchise pillar Xander Bogaerts at shortstop being a topic. Not when Story is fully healthy on a roster full of youth and inexperience.
He has to be the guy.
“We don’t like to lose, and we’re tired of it,” Story said.
Story preached a culture shift this year, creating more healthy competition between teammates, not just competition. In previous springs, the Sox’ initial focus revolved around individual work. But manager Alex Cora noted at the end of last season that competition this spring would be stout. Players, from the outset, would be expected to compete. Cora’s message — that you can’t just turn off the competition switch, that it always needs to be on — was reinforced by Story to his teammates.
“I think just the way we go about the details in professional baseball, I think sometimes competition within the group is overlooked a little bit‚” Story said. “I think we’re really going to challenge each other. Sometimes you’re going to go out there and get exposed a little bit, but I think that’s part of it. It’s going to happen to me, it’s going to happen to everyone.”
That mentality is one Red Sox pitchers have adopted, too.
“Guys are competing for jobs,” starter Nick Pivetta said. “Guys are competing for everything, and every time even throughout the season, there’s so many different things that can happen. So you’re always in that competitive mind-set. You’re always in that competitive kind of situation.”
During the offseason in his home state of Texas, Story hosted a camp for a young group of Red Sox infielders, including first baseman Triston Casas and new second baseman Vaughn Grissom. On Wednesday, a similar scene unfolded on the back fields at Fenway South where a group of young infielders from all levels surrounded Story, who has always been one to arrival early to spring training, at shortstop during double play drills.
“I take a lot of pride in playing shortstop,” Story said. “To me, it’s a prideful position and you’re the leader of the infield. You set the tone out there. So that’s the attitude I’m coming in with. It starts with me.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 6:57:59 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Lucas Giolito’s first Red Sox camp starts with a great deal of optimism for free agent addition By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated February 14, 2024, 5:52 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lucas Giolito arrived at camp especially optimistic about the start to his tenure with the Red Sox. While Wednesday marked the first official workout for pitchers and catchers, for Giolito it also marked the start to what he hopes will be a return to success.
The former All-Star is coming off two disappointing seasons where he registered a combined 4.89 ERA over 63 starts. He conceded 65 homers between 2022 and ‘23 — 41 last year alone— the second most in the majors behind Lance Lynn.
Giolito partook in daily conversations via Zoom with new pitching coach Andrew Bailey after signing as a free agent in late December. Those conversations are part of the reason the righthander is confident he can return to prominence.
“I feel like this is a place where I can really retool,” Giolito said. “Get better at the things that I know I’m good at. The things that I had been kind of slacking in the last couple of seasons, so I’m very excited to be here.”
Giolito preferred to keep the specific tweaks he made somewhat private. Generally speaking, he said Bailey and the Sox staff put together side-by-side video from when he was at his peak to his nosedive the last two seasons. The club dissected his mechanics, too, and organized drills that could possibly remedy some of his issues.
The manner in which Giolito attacks hitters was another point of emphasis.
“Obviously, there’s some arsenal things we need to solve for,” Bailey said. “The fastball damage has been noted. We’re taking a look at the [shape of the pitch]. In general, helping him be in the right place at the right time [with his delivery]. There’s an input/output component to it. So if we solve for the delivery that affects the way the ball travels. So, he’s done a really good job of getting the deception back into his delivery.”
Last season, hitters slugged .546 against Giolito’s fastball. He allowed 19 homers on the pitch.
The 29-year-old is in the first year of a two-year deal. He will likely be an anchor to the rotation as one of the older and more accomplished pitchers.
“I still want to have that kind of youthful nature and heart,” he said. “ have fun with these guys but also be there for whatever guidance or support they need.” Pivetta seeks consistency
Nick Pivetta came into camp last year fighting for a rotation spot — a competition the righthander won. He then lost his starter’s role before returning to the rotation from the bullpen toward the end of the season.
This year, without question, Pivetta will be in the rotation aiming to build on his successful end to last season, which included pounding the strike zone more often and implementing a sweeper.
“I think the biggest thing is just consistency,” Pivetta said. “It’s honing in on my mechanics, making sure I’m hitting with all my pitches, making sure my philosophy is where it needs to be.”
The Sox need help in the rotation and Pivetta has never been a consistent performer as a starter over the long haul.
The pitching market, along with the general market, has been slow this winter. A free agent starter such as Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery would help the Sox. However, the organization’s reluctance to spend has made it a less desirable destination.
“It’s kind of interesting still seeing Montgomery and Snell up there,” Pivetta said. “But I can’t speak on their behalf. They have their individual plans with their agent, Scott Boras. You have two extraordinary pitchers and they’re kind of holding out for what they believe they deserve. More power to them.” Whitlock throws BP
Garrett Whitlock threw live batting practice at JetBlue Park. The righthander is one of seven starters vying for a rotation spot … Manager Alex Cora was not at the ballpark after coming down with a stomach bug … Bobby Dalbec, Jarren Duran, Trevor Story, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu are among the early position-player arrivals at camp.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 10:39:59 GMT -5
Red Sox fans were reminded that spring training words can hurt
By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 35 minutes ago Alex Cora's spring training kickoff press conference
The bench interviews in Fort Myers are in full swing.
Remember those? They were always the highly-anticipated get-togethers with the media involving some high-profile players, adding edge to anticipation. And then, to top everything off, the owners took their 20-or-so minutes to offer some sort of noteworthy verbal flag in the ground.
This time around? Two comments from the sessions involving Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow and reliever Kenley Jansen served as the highlights:
"I think we can appreciate that things haven’t come together in maybe a way that I had anticipated." - Breslow on the Sox' offseason.
“You never know, right?" - Jansen when asked if the Red Sox are a playoff team.
This is where things have landed. Not shock. Not awe. Just numbness.
There were some words, however, that should have served as a shock to the system. They came from Yankees camp Wednesday.
“We’re hell-bent on being a champion."
That was Yankees manager Aaron Boone. He continued, "We understand very well that last year was not anything anyone in this organization wants or demands or expects."
Hell-bent on being a champion! That's how it's supposed to be, right? That's how Boston fans had been programmed up until recent months. It's the reason why "full throttle" offered so much hope and then so much disappointment.
The Red Sox' defense of this will be that they also are hell-bent on being champions. They are trying with that same goal serving as their "North Star." The problem is that when Boone utters those words he isn't talking about 2026. He is verbalizing the desperation and course correction that is expected in these sort of markets.
Juan Soto. Alex Verdugo. Marcus Stroman. Sincere aggressive pushes to get Josh Hader and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. That's why Boone could sit in front of those microphones and say what he said.
The Red Sox interviewees? They were being uncomfortably honest.
Now, understand, words don't mean really anything when it comes to wins and losses. Remember, it's best shape of their lives season. And taking the title as most prolific offseason in mid-February can ultimately be nothing more than an uncomfortable memory. (See the 2023 Padres and Mets.)
But words can hurt. This is a reality Red Sox fans have become all too familiar with too many times since the end of the 2023 season. The latest dagger coming in the form of Boone's message.
This isn't another opportunity to bemoan that the good ol' days are a thing of the past. It will be interesting to see how the evolution of approach when it comes to some things with the Red Sox manifest themselves in actual wins. (Not exactly a bumper-sticker sentence, but it is what it is.)
This is an appreciation for the feeling that come with legitimate February hope, anticipation and excitement. This week, they got that in Tampa and various other spots throughout Florida and Arizona.
At Fenway South? They are hell-bent on patience and process. It doesn't quite hit the same, does it.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 10:43:04 GMT -5
Will Ceddanne Rafaela be the Opening Day center fielder for the Red Sox? By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated February 15, 2024, 1 hour ago
FORT MYERS, Fla. — There’s no question about Ceddanne Rafaela’s Gold Glove potential.
“We know the defensive game is elite,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It’s a game-changer.”
Still, it’s just as clear that Rafaela’s offense remains a work in progress. In his 2023 big league debut, he hit .241 with a .281 OBP and .386 slugging mark. Once pitchers marked him as a free swinger, his tendency to chase and make soft contact resulted in a .133/.184/.178 struggle over his final 13 games.
That made it seem likely throughout the offseason that Rafaela would open 2024 in Triple A. Yet at the start of spring training, the Sox have sounded a bit of a different note.
One year removed from fielding arguably the worst defense in baseball, the Sox seem to be giving serious consideration to opening the year with Rafaela as their primary center fielder.
Cora noted that other teams — the Phillies in promoting 22-year-old Johan Rojas from Double A to the big leagues last summer, as well as the Blue Jays with Kevin Kiermaier — have prioritized defense and been willing to live with offensive struggles from a bottom-of-the-order player. He suggested Rafaela might prompt a similar conversation.
“We’ll sit down as a group towards the end [of spring training] and decide what we want,” said Cora. “If we’re comfortable with a kid playing center field, understanding that there’s going to be struggles at the big league level in the offensive part of it, then we’ll go that way. If we feel that he needs to go to the minor leagues and keep getting better and keep improving, we’ll do that, too.”
Of course, such decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. Rafaela’s glove carries more appeal given the team’s defensive woes a year ago and what it might look like if he anchored center while surrounded by athletes such as Jarren Duran, two-time Gold Glover Tyler O’Neill, rookie Wilyer Abreu, and/or Rob Refsnyder.
At the same time, the Red Sox lineup appears thinner than it has been in years. In such an environment, it may be more challenging for the Sox to keep him in the lineup and let him develop in the big leagues.
New chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has seen the Sox face similar dilemmas in the past.
By 2013, José Iglesias had demonstrated spectacular defensive ability — but incomplete development of his offensive approach. However, injuries to Stephen Drew and later Will Middlebrooks opened the door for Iglesias to have a role, and he not only played dazzling defense on the left side of the infield but also hit over .400 in his first 39 games, helping to kick-start a strong first half for an unlikely championship team. (That performance also boosted Iglesias’s trade value, allowing the Sox to deal him in a three-way trade for Jake Peavy.)
One year later, Jackie Bradley Jr. lost a competition for the everyday role in center field to Grady Sizemore. The Sox had planned to send Bradley to Triple A, but an injury to Shane Victorino on the last day of spring training forced a reversal.
Bradley delivered one of the most breathtaking defensive performances in Red Sox history that year. But offensively, he was underwater. His struggles deepened as the season progressed, and his confidence was shaken deeply in a thin lineup that couldn’t hide his .198/.265/.266 line no matter how many outrageous defensive plays he made.
On a last-place team with one of the worst offenses in baseball, his spiral at the plate was jarring. Bradley needed not only the end of 2014 but also the first half of 2015 in Triple A to regain a foundation that permitted him to have an eventual breakthrough down the stretch in 2015.
Some players benefit from the developmental challenge of being thrown into the deep end in the big leagues. Others do better when given a chance to marinate in Triple A. The Sox seemingly hope to use spring training to get a better feel for where Rafaela sits on that spectrum.
“I think it is pretty clear that Rafaela possesses the skills to be a game-changer on defense,” said Breslow. “I think we’ll see over the course of the next five or six weeks if the major leagues is the best environment for him or if additional time in Triple A is. I think it is to be determined.”
For his part, Rafaela is hoping to make his case that he’s prepared for a big league role. He spent much of the offseason working out in Tampa Bay, trying to refine his swing decisions by letting the ball travel farther before making the choice to swing or take.
“I have that mentality to do my best to make this team,” said Rafaela. “I’m not comfortable. I’m working hard to get a job. I feel awesome coming into the spring. I feel very confident
“I think it’s simple: Just prove to them that I belong, just show them that I can help this team win.”
A year ago, Rafaela had the same mission — but not a true opportunity. The Sox weren’t going to consider him for a big league role out of the gate no matter what he did in spring training.
This year is different. While there is no guarantee of a spot in the big leagues on Opening Day, the door seemingly remains open for him to prove he’s worthy of one.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 15, 2024 14:39:26 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne Alex Cora drawing some comparisons between Vaughn Grissom and a young Xander Bogaerts from a physical standpoint. 1:28 PM · Feb 15, 2024
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