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Post by Kimmi on Feb 18, 2024 8:53:18 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy @mattmccarthy985 · 5h Happy pitchers and catchers to those who celebrate. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, it’s really just catchers. Ouch. Our pitchers need to take a step forward. They could be pretty good. Regardless, there is a deep concern with the lack of depth.
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Post by Kimmi on Feb 18, 2024 9:01:42 GMT -5
Red Sox fans were reminded that spring training words can hurt
"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.
“It was boring for the business, for the game, and there’s a lot of good players out there who should be somewhere getting ready for the season,” Cora said Friday morning at Fenway South.
These comments are not instilling a lot of confidence and hope for Red Sox fans. Even when teams are not projected to do well, the spring training comments from the FO and from the players are typically a lot more positive and hopeful. I guess we can praise these guys for being honest and not spouting the usual jargon.
At any rate, I'm excited for spring training and excited for the season to start. The offseason is far too long.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 11:06:41 GMT -5
Red Sox roster battle includes ex-No. 1 prospect who ‘knows the situation’
Published: Feb. 18, 2024, 10:36 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Bryan Mata, once the top pitching prospect in the Red Sox organization, is out of minor league options. He must make the Opening Day roster or else be designated for assignment (or traded).
The 24-year-old hard-throwing righty has been on Boston’s 40-man roster since Nov. 20, 2020. But he has yet to pitch in the majors because injuries, including Tommy John surgery in April 2021, have limited him to 110 innings in the minors the past four seasons. Baseball America had him as the Red Sox’ highest-ranked pitching prospect entering spring training 2023. He pitched only 23 innings for Triple-A Worcester last year though. He spent most of the season on the IL with right shoulder inflammation.
“I know the situation I’m in,” Mata said Sunday through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “My goal is to go out there and compete every day to give the best of me and try to win a spot here.”
Another major league team could claim him off waivers if the Red Sox were to designate him for assignment before Opening Day. If not, he would be outrighted off the 40-man roster and sent to Worcester. He’s obviously hoping to pitch in the big leagues this year no matter the outcome at the end of spring training.
The Red Sox never placed Mata on the 60-day IL, which allowed them to retain all his service time. He is still under team control for another six years. But in the process, he ran out of options without ever pitching in the big leagues.
“Even if they don’t give me the opportunity here, that (the major leagues) is where I want to pitch,” Mata said. “That’s what I’ve wanted my whole career. And I want to fulfill that goal of becoming a major leaguer. If it doesn’t happen here, if another organization gives me that opportunity, it’s fine. But yeah, I definitely want it to happen here.”
With no options remaining, his best shot is to make the team as a reliever. The Red Sox have communicated that to him. Mata — who throws “consistently in the upper-90s” — certainly could provide needed velo to a bullpen that lacked it last year. The Red Sox ranked 25th out of 30 major league clubs in relief pitcher average fastball velocity (93.8 mph) in 2023, per Baseball Savant. That was down from an average of 94.9 mph in 2022. Within the organization, there was a feeling the bullpen could use more high-end velocity after last season.
“When I’m 100% healthy, I know I can count on my fastball and it can be a good one,” said Mata, who has reached 100 mph post-Tommy John surgery. “Right now, I’m focused on throwing strikes and staying healthy. That’s the main goal of this camp.”
Strike-throwing is an area that must improve. He has averaged 4.7 walks per nine innings in 425 minor league innings.
“I think my mindset and my pitch mix doesn’t change (as a reliever),” Mata said. “Right now, I’m focusing on throwing strikes and staying in the zone and doing my job. But my mentality or anything doesn’t change because of the role.”
His slider is his best secondary pitch.
“For me, that’s a pitch I can locate whenever I want and I have a lot of trust and confidence in that pitch,” he said. “So for me, that’s why it’s my second best pitch.”
Mata was able to return from the IL in late September, then pitched 9 innings of relief in the Arizona Fall League.
“I think that was a big step for me. The Arizona Fall League last year was very special and very important because it was a difficult year for me,” he said. “I had a lot of ups and downs from injuries and all that. So to be able to go out and compete and be healthy meant a lot to me.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 11:14:20 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Rainy day at the Fort. Sox will use the batting cages to get some work in. Position guys having their physicals ahead of the full-squad workout tomorrow. Everybody who is supposed to be here seems to be here. In an upset, Triston Casas arrived with a normal haircut. 😆
In another chapter of "always talk to the backup catchers" had a nice conversation with Roberto Pérez today. He recovering well from shoulder surgery. Played for Terry Francona in Cleveland and has enjoyed working with Jason Varitek in camp.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 14:16:01 GMT -5
Casas on Boston: 'I want to be here forever' 8 minutes ago Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As the Red Sox transition into a new era that will focus on their young core, Triston Casas could wind up being the centerpiece at some point soon.
And the big first baseman made it clear on Sunday morning -- the day before the team’s first full-squad workout -- that he’d love nothing more.
Would Casas, coming off a third-place finish in American League Rookie of the Year voting last season, welcome a long-term extension with the Red Sox?
“Yeah, of course. I want to be here forever,” Casas said. “So this is not a bad place to play. It's actually the best, I think. So I'd love to be here.”
Casas, who is five seasons away from free agency, indicated there were at least some initial discussions with the club about an extension.
“Of course we have,” Casas said. “Nothing enticing, though.”
What type of extension would Casas consider enticing?
“One that sets [up] me and my family for the rest of my life,” said Casas. “I don't know what that looks like. I’m low maintenance. I don't need a lot. So I’ve got a small family. I don't need much, but something that I think would suffice [for] the work that I put into it my whole my whole life would be nice.”
Whether or not there winds up being momentum with Casas regarding a new contract, he should be in the middle of Boston’s batting order for years to come, and that’s no small thing.
The enthusiasm Casas displays as he gets more experience could become infectious. Drafted out of high school in the first round of the 2018 Draft, this is already the sixth Spring Training for the 24-year-old Casas in the Boston organization.
Even the drive to Spring Training from his home in South Florida had Casas beaming as he spoke late Sunday morning.
“It's so exciting. I was just on the drive over here on Alligator Alley, and I was just thinking about how many times I've done this drive -- how many times I hope to do it again,” Casas said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love this drive so much.’ It’s just always a good feeling to come into Fort Myers.”
A year ago, the Red Sox entrusted Casas to be their starting first baseman as a rookie. And even after he struggled mightily early on, Casas kept working and wound up as one of MLB’s most productive hitters in the second half of the season.
The one thing Casas has done his entire baseball life is smash the baseball. That doesn’t figure to stop happening any time soon.
What he looks to improve on from last season is his defense. Toward that end, Casas attended the infield camp that veteran shortstop Trevor Story held for Red Sox players and prospects. In fact, Casas said defense was at the root of most of what he did in the offseason.
“I felt like that was the biggest area that I could have improved on from last year,” said Casas. “Getting with the staff, hearing their input as to the things that they want me to work on. But I knew exactly what I needed to do when I got back home and put a lot of emphasis into that this offseason, and I really like where I'm at with my footwork. I like where I’m at with how I’m moving.”
Casas is already of value to the Red Sox for more than what he does on the field. If younger players follow his lead, they will form good habits. The club was thrilled when Casas arrived as a surprise guest at the team’s Rookie Development program over the winter.
“Since Day 1 when he got here, the structure of the things that he does -- you don't see it, but he shows up early and he's very [meticulous] on his nutrition,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He has his snack stations wherever he's going to work out that day. And he's willing to listen and then make the adjustments, and what he did in the Rookie Development Program was great for those kids. You know, there's a lot of energy, he’s a little more outspoken, we got him out of his comfort zone, which is good. I'm very excited about what the future holds for him.”
If Casas his way, that future will include staying in the same uniform for the rest of his career.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 14:24:47 GMT -5
dear god, stop all ready
Red Sox manager compares Rafael Devers’ defensive upside to new Hall of Famer
By Mac Cerullo | mcerullo@bostonherald.com February 18, 2024 at 1:58 p.m.
Rafael Devers historically hasn’t been a good defensive third basemen. He’s consistently ranked among the worst performers at the position and last year led all MLB third basemen with 19 errors.
Though Red Sox manager Alex Cora recognizes Devers needs to improve, he believes the young All-Star still has plenty of room to grow, and Sunday he tossed out a lofty comparison between Devers and recent Hall of Fame-elect Adrian Beltre.
“There’s a Hall of Famer now, one of the greatest third basemen in the big leagues, he makes 13, 29 and 23 (errors) in his first three years, and he’s probably one of the best defensive third basemen in the history of the game, and I saw it happen and I saw how hard it was for him to not make errors, then all of a sudden it became easy for him,” Cora said. “I’m not saying we have the next Adrian Beltre, hopefully we do, but if we look back at Raffy’s career, shoot man, it’s been a great start.”
Cora said Devers possesses the athleticism, arm and instincts to thrive at the hot corner, but his Achilles heel has always been his mental approach. When Devers commits an error he’s often had trouble putting it behind him, and as a result one error can sometimes snowball into three or four in quick succession.
To help avoid similar issues this year, Cora said they’re going to make a point to help him reset when errors inevitably happen.
“The most important thing here is the way he attacks the day after that happens and the people we have here, the support system,” Cora said. “We’re going to be more proactive in that sense to help him deal with those struggles.”
One way the Red Sox might do that is by giving Devers the next day off his feet as a designated hitter, but Cora said Devers dislikes DHing and the club would rather do it to keep him fresh than for defensive reasons. Cora said Devers will likely DH a lot during spring training to ensure he gets enough at bats, and once the season begins he’ll get extra time off his feet due to the early West Coast trip and subsequent run of day games at Fenway Park.
But big picture, Cora is confident in Devers’ talents and believes playing next to Trevor Story for a full season will help a lot too. Even if he’s not expecting Devers to immediately blossom into a Gold Glover, he’s confident the 27-year-old can take the next step, much like Beltre did two decades ago.
“Hopefully we can get him to be average or a little bit above average,” Cora said. “If we do that we’re going to be in a good spot.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 14:29:40 GMT -5
Nick Pivetta has shown he has the right stuff to solidify the Red Sox rotation By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated February 18, 2024, 2 hours ago
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday morning, in a nearly empty JetBlue Park, facing batters who wore the same uniform as him — some of whom weren’t swinging, simply trying to train their eyes again on what major league pitches look like – Nick Pivetta held back nothing.
As he unleashed his final pitch of a live batting practice session, Pivetta’s grunt echoed. When his backdoor cutter ripped over the outside corner, Pivetta hopped off the mound as if he’d just left the bases loaded in a playoff game.
The session had no real meaning. Yet Pivetta treated it as if it meant everything — a fact obvious to onlookers.
“Nick right now is the best I’ve seen him as far as motivation,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “He’s locked in mentally. His pitches are where they’re supposed to [be].”
Pivetta did not arrive in Southwest Florida and immediately flip a switch. Instead, after a tumultuous 2023 season that was humbling yet ultimately rewarding, the righthander challenged himself during the offseason to approach every pitch with Rich Hill-like purpose.
“I was trying to push the limits with getting ready earlier — facing hitters, getting my body ready earlier,” said Pivetta. “Usually it’s a more gradual buildup. This year, it was hit the ground running, go 100 percent the whole entire time [in spring training], and act like every pitch is your last — this is gonna be the last time playing, every single outing. I think having that intensity and carrying that throughout the whole entire year is what I’m focused on.”
Why? Why treat every pitch as if it’s your last — and transform the typically gentle jog of preparations for the season into a dead sprint?
“It’s a finite moment that you have in this game. I don’t ever want to take it for granted. I know how much of an opportunity it is just to play in the big leagues. I’ve gotten sent down and called up and been through the wringer,” said Pivetta, who turned 31 last Wednesday. “I’ve always succeeded after those moments, so why not live [with pressure] at all times so I can succeed the whole entire year?”
Pivetta has spent much of his career chasing the notion of elite potential established by standout pitch quality (according to the increasingly popular Stuff+ metric, Pivetta’s raw stuff surpasses that of 2023 Cy Young winners Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell). His performance has never matched such visions, a source at times of considerable frustration.
He hasn’t been complacent about the matter. Pivetta has taken giant risks in his career in hopes of fulfilling the promise that so many have seen for him — and that he’s seen for himself.
After the 2019 season, when the Phillies demoted him to Triple A and then the bullpen, Pivetta attempted a massive adjustment. He and his wife moved to Southern California for the 2019-20 offseason so he could work out with fellow Creative Artists Agency client Lucas Giolito.
That offseason, Pivetta tried to adopt the compact, raptor-armed delivery of Giolito — a former teammate in the Nationals farm system — in hopes of replicating the success of an emerging star (Giolito had his lone All-Star season in 2019).
“Turned out to be a terrible idea,” said Pivetta, who had an awful spring in Philadelphia that paved the way for his trade that season to the Red Sox.
Still, though the experiment was a colossal failure, it offered a window into Pivetta’s mind-set — one that ultimately proved critical in his recovery from that time in Philadelphia to become a steady contributor to a playoff-bound Red Sox team in 2021, and that likewise helped him claw back from his early-season hole in 2023.
Last year, Pivetta got bounced from the Sox rotation after he flailed to a 6.30 ERA through eight starts. Though he averaged five innings per start, his velocity was down, his secondary pitches were flat, and righties were crushing him.
But rather than accepting his demotion with resignation, Pivetta accepted it as a challenge to improve. He corrected a mechanical flaw in his delivery — staying back on the rubber — to regain velocity and power on his pitches. He developed a sweeper that neutralized righties. He attacked the strike zone rather than nibbling.
And even though his role expanded and contracted like an accordion — multi-inning reliever, one-inning reliever, starts, long relief — he approached each outing with the same urgency. From a moment when he could have retreated, Pivetta, in a shapeshifting role that could have been the source of immense frustration, had one of the best stretches of his career.
“You have to be uncomfortable at times. Being uncomfortable is an important thing. It helps you learn and helps you figure out what’s good and wrong at the end of the day,” said Pivetta. “I enjoy the freedom of trying new things. It’s a lot of fun. I like to do different things, to learn different things, and try to find the things that are going to stick for me personally.”
The adjustments of last season did indeed stick. In 97⅓ innings over the final four months, the righthander had a 3.05 ERA, held hitters to a .179 average and .591 OPS, and posted a standout 35 percent strikeout rate and reasonable 8 percent walk rate.
With that stretch, Pivetta ended the year with a career-best 4.04 ERA in 2023 and the fifth-highest strikeout rate (31 percent) of any pitcher with at least 120 innings in the big leagues. The arrow clearly pointed up, in a way that led the Sox to pen him into their rotation plans for 2024.
Still, the 2023 season reinforced that Pivetta cannot take anything for granted. That sense informed his elevated intensity and conviction in his approach to the offseason, a feeling of purpose bolstered by the sense that after years of searching, he has arrived at a level of self-understanding as a pitcher that surpasses anything he’s previously experienced.
“A lot of the adjustments that I made last year made me really grow as an individual, as a person, as a player,” said Pivetta. “Going through those really hard moments, you find out who you really are and what you’re really capable of. I know I’m capable of the world.
“I’m really excited [for 2024],” he added. “I’m enjoying every single moment, competing at all times, and striving to be great every single day.”
In an empty ballpark during an outing that had no official record, a small glimpse of that ambition was evident.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Feb 18, 2024 15:09:21 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy @mattmccarthy985 · 5h Happy pitchers and catchers to those who celebrate. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, it’s really just catchers. Ouch. Our pitchers need to take a step forward. They could be pretty good. Regardless, there is a deep concern with the lack of depth. I think we have promise, but the issue is pure math. I have confidence in Bello. Giolito has talent, but a lot of inconsistency recently. Crawford has been a long-shot his entire career. Pivetta has been inconsistent as a starter. Houck & Whitlock have been weak as starters. Winck has almost no starting experience. So it is not like I don't like them, but we need four guys to step forward. Adding Monty means we only need three. That calculus is a lot more favorable.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Feb 18, 2024 15:11:23 GMT -5
Red Sox fans were reminded that spring training words can hurt
"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.
“It was boring for the business, for the game, and there’s a lot of good players out there who should be somewhere getting ready for the season,” Cora said Friday morning at Fenway South.
These comments are not instilling a lot of confidence and hope for Red Sox fans. Even when teams are not projected to do well, the spring training comments from the FO and from the players are typically a lot more positive and hopeful. I guess we can praise these guys for being honest and not spouting the usual jargon. At any rate, I'm excited for spring training and excited for the season to start. The offseason is far too long. Yes, but it is also possible that the press is not publicizing the players that love our potential. But some of this is weak. I never go into a game without thinking that we are going to win.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 20:42:31 GMT -5
Rob Refsnyder: Sox must embrace Dirt Dog playing style of past ‘We know we have the talent’
By Gabrielle Starr | gstarr@bostonherald.com PUBLISHED: February 18, 2024 at 3:48 p.m. | UPDATED: February 18, 2024 at 6:31 p.m.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. – “I think we have to be uncomfortable to take the next step,” Rob Refsnyder told the Herald on Sunday, his first morning back at JetBlue Park for spring training.
Throughout the offseason, Red Sox players spoke about how they wanted to come into a new season after back-to-back last-place finishes.
“(Alex) Cora does a really good job keeping us all pretty in-contact,” said Refsnyder. “We were all in agreement that spring training’s gotta be a little bit different. It’s a lot more competition-based.”
“If you don’t work hard in the offseason, you’re just blown away in the season, I think,” he added.
Despite the club’s lackluster results over most of the last half-decade, Refsnyder thinks Bostonians will understand and appreciate the mindset and approach players have this year.
“Just looking at Boston as a city, it’s just such a super-hungry city,” he assessed. “I think it reflects well, you know, we’re the same way: just super-hungry, don’t take anything for granted, hard-working people.”
“These people are putting in so much time and effort into the offseason,” he said of his teammates. “There’s a lot of people that worked extremely hard… whether it was on their bodies, their minds, specific skills, pitch design, swing thoughts.
“I think there’s a lot of guys with the chips on their shoulders, they didn’t think they had a good season last year, we’re coming off back-to-back last-place finishes, we talk about it, that we were pretty close at the deadline. We know we have the talent, and we just gotta put it together for the whole season and stay healthy. It’s a close clubhouse.”
The downside of closeness is that it can be hard to watch teammates leave.
“It is different, seeing or not seeing some people here,” Refsnyder admitted. “(John Schreiber) was one of my closest friends on the team, if not the closest on the pitching side. We had a lot in common. He’s just such a good guy. Good, good guy. I don’t think anyone here didn’t love him.”
“We’re happy for him though,” he added of the right-hander, who was traded to Kansas City on Saturday. “It’ll be good. Getting traded is cool, it means somebody wants you. I think the Royals are trying to take that next step.”
As to who’ll lead the Red Sox this year, there’s no doubt in Refsnyder’s mind that their shortstop is the man for the job.
“I think Trevor’s going to take that next step as our leader,” he said of Trevor Story. “And he’s a super-competitive guy. Just bringing that perspective, I think that there’s going to be a lot more competition this spring training, and just trying to push the envelope and make people uncomfortable.”
Refsnyder doesn’t want to dwell too much on the past, but he does think that this year’s team should draw some inspiration from previous Red Sox squads.
“I feel like the best Boston teams when I was growing up, they were just grimy and dirty, played hard,” he said. “They’ve never been the pretty, ‘everyone expects them to win’ kind of thing, they just get after it. You look at guys like (Dustin) Pedroia, (Jonny) Gomes, (Mike) Napoli, guys like that, Daniel Nava, Brock (Holt), guys that just get after it. For us to be successful, we’re going to have to really be a team like that.”
“We got good guys to do it, though,” he added.
“Jarren’s going to take that next step,” Refsnyder predicted of his fellow outfielder, Jarren Duran. “Guy’s a freak, super-hungry, he cares so much. I feel like, as a fanbase, you want players like that.”
Refsnyder is entering his third season with the Red Sox after playing a career-high 89 games last year. That makes the 32-year-old utility player the second-most veteran member of the outfield, after Duran, who debuted in 2021.
“I think Jarren’s done a great job. He was unbelievable, you saw, last year,” Refsnyder lauded.
Informed of Alex Cora’s announcement that if Duran’s healthy, he’ll be their leadoff hitter, Refsnyder was all for it. “He should be,” he said. “You saw with Jarren last year, when Jarren’s healthy and leading off, we’re just so dangerous.
“He does stuff on a field that doesn’t make sense. He hits routine ground balls that are doubles. He’s just so exciting.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 20:45:01 GMT -5
Red Sox roster competition includes catching position; Gold Glover in mix
Updated: Feb. 18, 2024, 5:11 p.m.|Published: Feb. 18, 2024, 5:01 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox have seven catchers in big league spring training camp. Three of them are on the 40-man roster and four are non-roster invitees, including two-time Gold Glove winner Roberto Pérez.
Boston signed both Pérez and Mark Kolozsvary to minor league contracts with big league camp invites. Pérez, 35, won Gold Gloves in 2019 and ‘20 with Cleveland and has played in 516 major league games. Kolozsvary has 11 games of big league experience in 2021-22.
Connor Wong, Reese McGuire and Tyler Heineman are on Boston’s 40-man roster. Wong and McGuire are the two leading candidates to be on the Opening Day roster after sharing the duties last year. Wong appeared in 126 games in ‘23 while McGuire logged 72 games.
Heineman, meanwhile, has appeared in 104 games over four seasons (2019-20, 2022-23). Boston acquired him from the Mets for cash considerations Feb. 2.
All four catchers will compete for Opening Day roster spots. Cora was asked if Pérez and Heineman are challenging McGuire for the No. 2 catcher spot.
“They’re challenging everybody,” Cora replied, indicating even Wong is competing for a job.
“We’re competing here. And there’s nothing given,” Cora added. “Obviously those two guys (Wong and McGuire) were really good last year. I feel they grew up. Another season under their belt, especially Connor. First full season with him. And dealing with a staff that was up and down. We had our good months and the bad ones. And that’s a good learning experience. Reese has been with us since ‘22 and last year was an up and down year for him but we trust him. I think at the end, we’ve got a good catching unit and let’s see what the next six weeks are all about.”
It’s unclear whether Pérez will be ready for Opening Day after he missed 2023 because of right rotator cuff surgery. He threw Saturday and Cora said it went “OK.”
“There’s a few things as far as his rehab that he needs to do but so far he’s been good,” Cora said.
Pérez worked with pitchers Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta in West Palm during the offseason.
“Having veteran guys that can catch and have that defensive-mentality is going to benefit us,” Cora said.
Cora called the veterans “really good receivers.” Their defensive ability should greatly benefit a young (and relatively inexperienced) Red Sox staff that includes Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford as well as Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski who are competing for rotation spots.
“Defensive-minded guys that I think they’re going to help the group (of pitchers),” Cora said. “We’ll see what happens the rest of spring training. But I do believe we’re in a great spot pitching-wise, structure-wise. And I think behind the plate it is very important to continue to do that. We have some veteran guys that are here fighting for jobs. If it doesn’t happen, some of them are going to go to Triple A and there’s development to do down there in Triple A (helping prospect pitchers).”
Cora said framing is a point of emphasis around the league.
“If you’re not framing strikes, you’re not successful,” Cora said. “You’ve got to maximize every pitch in a sport that is max-effort stuff. You’re able to hold those strikes, it’s something that every team is trying to accomplish. I think we have a good unit not only with them here but I think they can actually help out Connor and Reese and the rest of the group, the young guys who are here, to be better and help them out with the mentality part of it.”
That young catching group also includes prospect Nathan Hickey and Stephen Scott who are in camp as non-roster invitees.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 18, 2024 20:52:35 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox owners will meet with team Monday before first full-squad workout of spring training By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated February 18, 2024, 3:22 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The first full-squad workout of spring training is scheduled for Monday at Fenway South. It will be preceded by ownership’s annual meeting with the Red Sox players, coaches, and staff members.
What has traditionally been a day of unchecked optimism could take on a different tenor this year.
Barring a sudden move to sign one of the high-profile free agents still on the market, the Sox are entering a third consecutive season of rebuilding accompanied by a steady drop in payroll.
Based on luxury tax calculations, the payroll has dropped 21.5 percent since 2022.
Manager Alex Cora said principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy would be on hand.
Asked if any of the trio would take questions from reporters, chief communications officer Zineb Curran said their plans in relation to the media had not been set.
Cora will address the team. Asked what his message would be given the state of the franchise, he said he had a few ideas but was waiting to write them down.
“I’ll have dinner, have a few tequila mules, and see what happens at night,” he said. “I don’t have the speech yet. I’ll sit down and figure it out.”
How many drinks might it take?
“Sometimes one. Sometimes three,” Cora said. Cover me up
The first rainy day of camp pushed all of the on-field workouts into the covered batting cages.
Zack Kelly and Josh Winckowski were among the pitchers who threw in the cages and the catchers got their usual work in.
The position players were not scheduled to be on the field, as Sunday was their day to get physicals.
“Everything was on schedule,” Cora said. “Timing-wise, if it was going to rain, today was a good day for it. They worked hard during the week.”
The forecast is for colder temperatures than usual Monday but no rain.
Last of my kind
Rafael Devers, the lone player remaining from the 2018 championship team, reported to camp after completing his offseason workouts with a private coach in Tampa.
“It’s always good to have your guy here,” Cora said.
Devers will have a sit-down with reporters in the next few days. Cora expects the third baseman to have a better year defensively based on the improvement he showed at the end of last season.
Playing a full year with shortstop Trevor Story also should help. Cora plans to pair them up as often as possible during spring training.
“I feel really good,” said Devers, who looked trimmer than previous years.
Devers said he is looking forward to the exhibition games against Tampa Bay in his native Dominican Republic March 9-10. Catching on
It’s likely Reese McGuire will retain his spot as the backup catcher. But the Sox added Tyler Heineman to the 40-man roster and signed veteran Roberto Pérez to a minor league contract.
Heineman, 32, has 104 games of major league experience. Pérez, 35, has played parts of 10 seasons in the majors and appeared in 516 games.
“Really good receivers; defensive-minded guys” Cora said. “I think they’re going to help the group. We’ll see what happens.”
The Sox felt that having some experienced catchers would benefit the pitchers at Triple A Worcester and their development.
Pérez is recovering from rotator cuff surgery on his throwing shoulder last April. He said the Sox were an easy choice when they contacted him.
“Alex called me. I know him from Puerto Rico and wanted to play for him,” Pérez said. “It’s a great opportunity. I want to win. I’ve been around and they have some good pitchers here. I want to help them.”
Pérez has enjoyed working with catching instructor Jason Varitek.
“A great catcher,” he said. “He’s a guy who communicates very well. When I was younger, I saw his fight with Alex Rodriguez. It’s exciting to work with him.”
Pérez played for the Guardians from 2014-21 under Terry Francona. Bad memories
As MLB Network was showing a replay of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Jim Rice paused for a moment in the clubhouse to watch himself strike out facing Rick Aguilera in the ninth inning. Dwight Evans was watching in the coaches’ locker room … Triston Casas had 18 packages of various shapes and sizes waiting at his locker when he arrived at camp. One contained a custom-made red first baseman’s glove with his last name in blue letters. Another had Oakley sunglasses in the blue-and-yellow color scheme from the team’s City Connect uniforms. Several had new cleats. “This is fun,” Casas said as he tore open boxes. “I ordered a lot of stuff.” … The Sox have a basketball hoop in the clubhouse that is getting a lot of use. However a new Jazzminton set has been ignored by the players. It’s a badminton/pickleball hybrid with a square net … All 63 players on the camp roster have reported.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2024 6:47:36 GMT -5
Well Henry, Werner, and BS specialist Kennedy will be down at the Fort today.... Gonna have the hip waders and goggles at the ready as Operation Full Throttle officially commences today
I have never been less excited for a baseball season to start until this year.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2024 11:06:38 GMT -5
Red Sox’ next Garrett Whitlock? ‘He looks like a way different guy than me’
Published: Feb. 19, 2024, 7:06 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Justin Slaten is in the same position this spring training as Garrett Whitlock was in 2021.
Like Whitlock, he’s a hard-throwing right-handed Rule 5 Draft pick needing to win a job in his first ever big league camp. Whitlock had never pitched above Double A when he made the Red Sox’ 2021 roster. Slaten, who spent most of last season in Double A, has logged just 8 ⅓ innings at Triple A.
“It looks electric,” Whitlock said about Slaten’s stuff after watching him throw a bullpen. “He looks like a way different guy than me. Four-seam ride and then a hard slider. So his stuff looks good. I haven’t seen him against hitters but I’m excited to watch him.”
Slaten’s Rule 5 status means he must remain on the active roster for the entire regular season (barring an IL stint) or be returned to his previous club for $50,000.
“I mostly told him to be himself and enjoy it,” Whitlock said. “I told him, ‘When I came in, it was my first big league spring training and I got to enjoy the process.’ And to know that no matter what, you have this experience and you’ve got the stuff so just trust it.”
Slaten, who’s listed at 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, posted a 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .206 batting average against, 86 strikeouts and 20 walks in 59 ⅔ innings (40 appearances, one start) last season at Double A and Triple A combined.
“Garrett’s been great,” Slaten said. “When I was able to first meet him (at Winter Weekend in January), he immediately brought up the fact that he was also a Rule 5 guy so we had a little bit of a connection there. So it was cool of him to just share that. And just obviously looking at the success that he’s had, I think not only I feel good about it but the organization feels good about it knowing they have had somebody in the same position already and it’s turned out to be a success. They feel very confident that they know how to handle this situation and that just makes me feel more confident going into spring training.”
While Whitlock is known for his hard sinker, Slaten throws a four-seam fastball up in the zone. The 2019 third round pick out of New Mexico threw 62 four-seamers in his five Triple-A outings (8.1 innings) last season, topping out at 98.3 mph and never throwing one below 94.1 mph. His average four-seam velo was 96.1 mph or faster in four of his five outings.
“I’d say for me, it’s the best when it’s playing up in the zone because it just opens up everything else,” Slaten said. “If I’m consistently throwing the fastball up, right at the top, that’s gonna make the cutter play better, the slider play better and the curveball play better. So that’s just kind of a general thing for me. When I can get the fastball up, I know that all of my other stuff is going to do better.”
Slaten also throws a cutter, curveball and slider.
“I feel comfortable throwing all of them to any batter right now,” Slaten said. “To me, I think it’s just trying to break tendencies as far as if I get a guy to 0-2, I’m not always throwing a slider, I’m not always trying to throw a fastball up or a curveball. I think it’s good to have those pitches, especially feeling confident with them so I know I can throw them in any count at any time to any batter.”
He throws his slider more often than the curveball.
“(The slider) has big turn to the left,” he said. “And it’s been the pitch I’ve thrown my entire life. So I would say I’ve always thrown the slider more. The curveball is a relatively new pitch. I’ve been throwing it for a couple years but it’s never been one of my main pitches until this past year. And so this past year, I started throwing it a little bit more. I’ve thrown both in the mid-80s; the curveball more lowish like 82, 83 and then the slider will get up to 86, 87. But really the difference is the curveball has a ton of depth. It’s up and then it’s straight down. The slider I feel like does a good job of staying on plane kind of looking the same as a fastball before breaking left.”
He began throwing his slider in high school.
“I changed the grip multiple times in college just to try to make it as effective as possible,” he said. “It was a pitch I started throwing when I was in high school and it was just easier for me to throw than the curveball.”
He said he tries not to worry about fastball velocity.
“I know that the metrics of the pitch are going to play no matter what,” he said. “Last year, I threw it at times at the beginning of the season coming out of spring training at about 5, 6 (95-96 mph). Towards the end of the year, I’d be 7, 8 and then I touched a 9 toward the end of the year. So for me, I just know that if I can get the fastball to the top of the zone, even if it’s 94, anywhere between 94-98, it’s going to play for me.”
Like Whitlock, Slaten seems pretty laid back.
“I’m a pretty low-key guy,” he said. “I like to just show up to the field, go to work. I like to be around the guys, have fun. I’m very competitive. Love to play a lot of card games, board games back home.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2024 11:09:28 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo John Henry was asked if he has a couple minutes to talk about the team, said no, then walked to the back fields. So for now, the streak continues. But the day isn’t over. 11:34 AM · Feb 19, 2024 ·
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