|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:31:09 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 1h Rodriguez on a possible six-man rotation -- 'I like to go out there every five days. That's been normal all my career. But they have a decision -- if they do it like that, we're going to follow.' #RedSox
Rodriguez on working out with J.D. Martinez -- 'He looked really good. He looked really in shape.'
'His swing, he's back to where he was back in the day. I would say you guys are going to be surprised with him, too.' #RedSox
Rodriguez said he started playing catch in November and started throwing bullpens in December. He was at once or twice a week and started to feel better as he went. #RedSox
Rodriguez -- 'As a baseball player you're always doing something.'
'Just watching games on the TV was really hard for me.' #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:32:54 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 1h Replying to @billkoch25 Rodriguez -- 'I was working on that to get ready to get here and be available to go out there every five days.'
'My shoulder is good. I threw a bullpen a couple days ago. I feel fine. I feel ready.' #RedSox
Rodriguez, in Spanish, said it was difficult to be away from his teammates and the game while recovering from COVID. He's happy to be back and working. #RedSox
Rodriguez on working with Alex Cora again -- 'I just feel happy that he's back here. Our relationship has always been that good -- like it is right now. He's been like a father, like a brother -- he's even like a teammate sometimes.' #RedSox
Rodriguez on working with pitching coach Dave Bush -- 'I like it a lot. I like the way he works. You know he's going to make me better.' #RedSox
Rodriguez -- 'I feel 100 percent. I'm going to have a regular spring training.'
Said he expects to throw another bullpen Saturday, then possibly live BP. #RedSox
Rodriguez said he was told to rest for three months after being diagnosed with myocarditis. Since being cleared he's been working out getting ready to report this week. #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:34:24 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 29m Alex Cora joining us on Zoom. #RedSox
Cora -- 'We want guys to start offseason workouts in December (after reaching a World Series). That's good news. But it's hard.' #RedSox
Cora said 15 pitchers threw bullpens today. Rodriguez could throw live BP tomorrow. #RedSox
Cora said Rodriguez faced Miguel Cabrera and a host of other hitters during some December workouts in Miami. #RedSox
Cora on Martin Perez in 2020 -- 'A guy that competed. In a tough season, he was kind of 'the guy' for the organization.'
'When the velocity is up there he's really tough to hit. When it's not there he's a great competitor.' #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:35:14 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 20m Cora on Perez -- 'The cool thing about him is he has a great attitude. He's a great teammate.' #RedSox
Cora on Matt Barnes -- 'Stuff-wise he's one of the best in the big leagues. In '18 he was brilliant. In '19 we asked a lot, and he bounced back from a tough few weeks.' #RedSox
Cora said he talked to his brother about how to interpret individual player results from 2020.
'I know the talent that we have here. J.D. (Martinez) got mad at me because I only bet $1 he was going to have a good season. Well, now I raised the bet. I made it $5.' #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:36:12 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 16m Cora -- 'Looking forward to having a good start. I think we're going to be in a better place than we were in '19.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'Bad luck. A bad stretch of games. I don't know. You should ask them what happened.'
'It was a small sample size last year. J.D. in a month can hit 12 home runs.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'Certain fields are dedicated for defense only. With the guidelines we have to split them up.'
Said some fields are dedicated to infielders, outfielders, offense, defense. Some will have technology like Rapsodo and TrackMan. #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:36:59 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 12m Cora -- 'We have to be better defensively. No doubt about it. That's something championship teams do.' #RedSox
Cora - 'We're going to have intersquad games. We have to.'
'I think the seven-inning games are great. The guy who really doesn't like them is (Dave) Bush, because he has guys who have to get innings in.' #RedSox
Cora on a potential lineup -- 'We'll wait until spring training and we're going to try a few things. I'm pretty sure what I'm thinking is going to work and is going to add length to this lineup.'
'I saw what Alex (Verdugo) did last year. It was impressive.' #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:38:15 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 31m Replying to @billkoch25 Cora -- 'Eduardo (Rodriguez) looks good. Physically he's in a good spot. The most important thing is that he's healthy -- forget baseball.'
'We have to pay attention, but that doesn't mean we're going to slow him down.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'He went through the whole process last year and he got clearance to do everything. He's been working hard.'
'It was a shorter season. There's a lot of unknown.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'He was the leader in 2019. We saw it. He put a full season together.'
'He can handle the workload. He can go 115, 120 pitches. He did an outstanding job saving our bullpen in those situations.' #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:38:45 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 27m Cora -- 'Pitching all the way until Oct. 28 and then attacking 162 games is not easy. Even last year, you look at the defending world champs last year -- Strasburg gets hurt. Scherzer wasn't the Scherzer we usually see.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'We want guys to start offseason workouts in December (after reaching a World Series). That's good news. But it's hard.' #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 12:41:34 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 14m Red Sox have revamped spring training to put a greater emphasis on defense. Cora's making that a major priority after believing the team "sucked" defensively in 2019, 2020.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 14:34:50 GMT -5
E-Rod ready to go: 'Don't sleep' on '21 Sox 26 minutes ago Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
Considering all that Eduardo Rodriguez went through in 2020 -- from COVID-19 knocking him down and keeping him bedridden for two weeks in June to the myocarditis diagnosis in July that wiped away his entire season -- it would be understandable for the lefty to be mainly looking to get back on his feet as Spring Training gets underway.
However, Rodriguez has come in with a totally different mindset, one fueled by a rigorous offseason.
He plans on picking right up where he left off in 2019, when he busted out with a career-high 19 wins while making all 34 of his starts.
"That's what I was working on this offseason, to get my body ready, to get my mind ready, to get everything ready," Rodriguez said. "My conditioning, everything. I was working on that to be available to go out there every five days be able to throw 30-plus starts. I feel in that position right now, I feel stronger right now, I feel better. My shoulder is good. I threw a bullpen [session] a couple of days ago and it feels fine, it feels great. I feel ready."
Not only does Rodriguez plan on pitching like he did two years ago, but he plans on doing it for a team that he thinks will exceed just about everyone's expectations.
In case you hadn't heard, expectations for Boston are a little low from the prognosticators when it comes to the 2021 season. That's what happens after a 24-36 season in '20.
"I feel like we have a really good rotation, and when [Chris] Sale gets back, it's going to be way better," said Rodriguez. "I was just going to say, don't sleep on us, because we're coming in really good. I've been out there the past three days with the guys and we look really good."
At least until Sale comes back, Rodriguez will be the one who is going to have to lead the charge in a rotation that also includes Nathan Eovaldi, new acquisition Garrett Richards, Martín Pérez, Nick Pivetta and possibly prospect Tanner Houck.
It seems like not so long ago Rodriguez was soaking up every lesson he could learn from Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello. Now he is the one the other rotation members are going to look to.
"I had the opportunity to be with them for a lot of time and learn from them," Rodriguez said. "I don't feel like a veteran right now. I just say, as an older guy on the team, everything I've learned from them I try to pass to the new guys here, to the new pitchers we have, to the guys who've come from the Minor Leagues. Just try to teach them the right way like the other guys taught me. That's the way I see it."
The 27-year-old Rodriguez shared stories on Instagram over the winter of throwing to Miguel Cabrera and racing teammate J.D. Martinez. In particular, he spent a lot of time with Martinez in Miami.
"I feel really good with the way I was working out over there, especially with J.D. there," Rodriguez said. "We were pushing each other every day down there and I think I accomplished the goal I was looking for when I was there."
Rodriguez's enthusiasm these days is easy to detect, and the Red Sox hope it will be a guiding force in their 2021 season.
"He was the leader in 2019," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "We saw it. He put a full season together. When he's healthy, when he's right, he is one of the best lefties in the big leagues. His stuff plays at this level and I'm looking forward to working with him again this season."
Before the pandemic halted Spring Training and altered the entire 2020 season, Rodriguez would have had pitched Opening Day for the first time in his career.
Rodriguez had that taken away from him, but he will likely be on the mound on April 1 at Fenway Park when the Red Sox open up against the Orioles.
"My goal is to go out there every five days no matter what day it is, if it's first, second, third, fourth or fifth game," Rodriguez said. "Just go out every five days. I feel like Opening Day is just the first game of the season. After that, you face the aces if you're the fifth guy and things like that -- every time the other team has days off or we have days off, so that's how it works. But if they give me the opportunity to be the Opening Day starter this year, I'm going to take it as an honor to be the Opening Day starter with the Boston Red Sox and go out there and pitch."
This is a pivotal season for Rodriguez, in that he will be eligible for free agency for the first time come November.
Thanks to the perspective he gained last year, Rodriguez isn't thinking about his contract situation. Instead, he has laser focus for what is directly in his sights. Up next could be his first live batting practice session of camp.
"I mean, I just thank God to have the opportunity to pitch again," Rodriguez said. "I'm not thinking about any of that right now. I'm just thinking about getting ready to pitch the season, enjoy Spring Training the most I can, learn from the guys, learn from the pitching coach and go out there and get ready for the season. That's all I'm thinking about right now. I'm not thinking about anything else."
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 14:41:37 GMT -5
‘I’m not going to take it for granted’: Alex Cora discussed his first day back at Red Sox spring training "I was out of the game for the wrong reasons and deservedly so, but moving forward I’m not going to hide it," said Cora.
By Hayden Bird, Boston.com Staff February 19, 2021 | 2:06 PM
Alex Cora spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time after getting underway at Red Sox spring training ahead of the 2021 season.
Cora was suspended for the entire 2020 season due to his role in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. In January of 2020, he mutually agreed to part ways with Boston, but was rehired by the Red Sox in November.
“It was fun,” Cora told reporters. “Just to be around the guys, it was a great day. The last few days, you start thinking about what happened and where I was. I was thinking about the family, and the people supported me throughout the process. Just texting them and letting them know it was
“I’ll say it again,” Cora added. “I was out of the game for the wrong reasons and deservedly so, but moving forward I’m not going to hide it. It was an outstanding day.”
Calling some of the returning Red Sox veterans “family,” Cora, who managed Boston to a 2018 World Series win, said he enjoyed catching up with the players, many of whom are familiar with him.
“It’s refreshing, to be honest with you,” Cora explained of his experience. “This is where I wanted to be. This is where I’m at. I love every second of it and I’m not going to take it for granted.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 14:51:49 GMT -5
J.D. Martinez jokingly ‘got mad’ at Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora for betting only $1 on bounce-back season; ‘I raise the bet to $5’ Updated 2:35 PM; Today 2:29 PM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
“I‘m not a gambling man, but I’ll bet you a dollar that J.D. will have a better season.”
Manager Alex Cora said that Dec. 17, predicting a bounce-back season for J.D. Martinez in 2021. Martinez saw the comment and told Cora his bet was too small.
“J.D. got mad at me because I only bet one dollar a few months ago that he’s going to have a better season,” Cora joked during a Zoom call Friday. “I’ll raise the bet to five dollars that he’ll have a better season.”
Martinez had an awful year during the shortened 2020 season. He batted .213 with a .291 on-base percentage, .389 slugging percentage, .680 OPS, seven homers, 16 doubles and 27 RBIs in 54 games (237 plate appearances).
The 33-year-old batted .186 against fastballs, down from .318 in 2019 and .361 in 2018.
But he wasn’t alone. Several star players, including Kris Bryant (.644 OPS, 34 games) and Christian Yelich (.786 OPS, 58 games) experienced down seasons.
Cora said he had a conversation with his brother Joey Cora on Thursday about how much weight should be placed on 2020 statistics.
“Like what’s what?” Cora said. “Is it a bad year or only a bad stretch of games? Or is it a great year or did you just get hot? I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Eduardo Rodriguez worked out at the same facility in Miami with Martinez during the offseason.
“I was working with him the whole offseason and he looked really good,” Rodriguez said. “He looked really in shape. I was watching him ... and he looked really good, man. His swing, everything. I think he’s back to where he was back in the days. So I will say you guys are going to get surprised with him, too.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 18:19:00 GMT -5
Red Sox notes: Alex Cora is betting on bounce-back season for J.D. Martinez DH had worst statistical performance of career last season
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: February 19, 2021 at 4:11 p.m. | UPDATED: February 19, 2021 at 4:12 p.m.
Alex Cora is betting on J.D. Martinez having a better season in 2021 — literally.
The Red Sox manager seems confident that the designated hitter will bounce back, even if he’s jokingly only putting a few bucks on the line.
“J.D. got mad at me because I only bet $1 a few months ago that he’d have a better season,” Cora said. “Well, I’ll raise the bet to $5. He’ll have a better season.”
It shouldn’t be too hard for Martinez to have a better year after the worst statistical performance of his career in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His .213 batting average ranked 126th out of 142 qualified hitters and his .680 OPS ranked 122nd as he hit only seven homers and 27 RBI in 54 games.
It was a huge drop-off from his first two years with the Red Sox, both All-Star seasons, and it helped spark a conversation for Cora with his brother Joey on how last year should be looked at due to the nature of the delayed and shortened season. “Is it a bad year or only a bad stretch of games?” But whatever the case, the Red Sox are optimistic about Martinez’s return to form this year.
“Bad luck, a bad stretch of games, you should ask him what happened,” Cora said. “But in a sport that when somebody gets hot or somebody gets called up and everyone’s saying that’s a small sample size, well it was a small sample size last year. J.D. in a month can hit, what 12 home runs, in 30 more games he hit 12 more home runs, that’s 19, he’s on pace for 30 home runs. I’m not making excuses for him, but I see it as a small sample size season.
“It was a true season, a real season … but as far as like numbers, it’s hard. It’s hard. You count it, but it was a small sample season. Like I said, I bet you $5 J.D. has a better season than last year.”
Eduardo Rodriguez spent a lot of time this offseason working with Martinez in Miami, and the pitcher was impressed with what he saw.
“He looked really good, he looked really in shape,” Rodriguez said. “I would say like, I was watching him hitting and all that because they had the cage right next to where we were working out and he looked really good, man. His swing, everything, he’s back to where he was back in the day, so I would say you guys are going to get surprised with him, too.”
Who’s batting leadoff?
Cora doesn’t have Mookie Betts anymore, his 2019 experiment with Andrew Benintendi in the leadoff spot didn’t work, and he’s gone anyway. So who will lead off for the Red Sox this year?
Alex Verdugo made 33 starts as the leadoff hitter last season and impressed, with a .304 average, .362 on-base percentage and 13 doubles in that spot. Cora saw that, but he has some thoughts up his sleeve that he’s not ready to share.
“I’ve got a few ideas,” Cora said. “I think we’ll wait until spring training, and we’re going to try a few things. I’m pretty sure that what I’m thinking is going to work, and it’s going to put us in a good position to add length to this lineup. We’ve got certain guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark on fastballs. We’ve got guys that can be patient and get on base. I saw what Alex did last year, it was impressive. In the beginning, he kind of struggled with the leadoff spot, but then he was good.
“We have some new guys around and some guys that are looking to bounce back. So, we’ll decide as a group what we’re going to do, but there’s a few ideas that I’m going to try in spring training.”
Cora welcomes Perez back
Martin Perez is finally getting the opportunity he wanted in 2019 to be managed by Cora, and the skipper is excited to work with him, too.
Cora was impressed with what he saw from Perez last season, when he made a team-high 12 starts and seemed to be the only constant in a struggling rotation. Perez finished with a 4.50 ERA, but Cora noted that he thought that number was inflated due to a couple of bad starts.
“When the velocity is up there, he’s really tough to hit,” Cora said. “When it’s not there, he’s a great competitor. And that’s what we’re looking for. He can give you innings. It’s a different look. I’m looking forward to working with him. We saw him in ’19 against us and he was amazing against that lineup, good fastball, good cutter, elevating and trying to make him better. The cool thing about him is he has a great attitude. He’s a great teammate and I think everybody will benefit from having him again in the clubhouse.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 19, 2021 18:23:27 GMT -5
8 observations on the 2021 Red Sox as spring training begins
By Chad Finn, Sports columnist February 19, 2021 | 5:28 PM
Here’s a little inside baseball about something that’s … well, inside baseball.
You know all of those tidbits of statistical data that your friendly neighborhood beat writer (or wise-acre columnist) uses to populate their stories with facts and context on a daily basis?
Not all of them come from the writers’ own accounting and research. Some do, maybe even most for the more enterprising writers who have mastered baseball-reference.com’s Stathead search feature.
But even independent homework is often buttressed by information provided by the daily notes packet provided by Justin Long and the Red Sox public relations staff. During the season, the packet is a marvel, requiring daily updates to information like, “Xander Bogaerts has hit six home runs in his last 12 games versus California-born righthanded pitchers at Camden Yards,” or “The veteran lefthander has allowed seven home runs in his last 17 innings and may want to consider an apprenticeship in a trade over the winter. Plumbers make real good money, you know.”
OK, you know I’m kidding on that last one. There’s no snark, editorializing, or change-of-career suggestions in the game notes. No, sir. Just the facts, and lots of ‘em. They’re hugely helpful, not to mention fun to peruse just for the heck of it to get a baseball fix before the games begin.
So it was a pleasant surprise – and one of the best confirmations yet that, yes, the season and hopefully better days are finally near – when an email from long showed up in my inbox Tuesday, titled Red Sox Spring Training Game Notes.
The notes were full of interesting information on the makeup of the Red Sox’ 40-man roster – and let me tell you, is that ever needed, with so much turnover from last year’s ball club.
Here are some of the notes’ revelations and factoids, followed by my usual digressions and tangents on what they mean …
Twelve of their 31 RHPs are new to the Red Sox organization in 2021. Quick, how many of that dozen can you name off the top of your head? There’s Adam Ottavino, whom you may have heard pitched for Northeastern. (That’s the baseball version of “Did you know Chris Hogan played lacrosse?”) There’s Garrett Richards, his intriguing spin rate, and his Carl Pavano-like injury history. There’s Matt Andriese, Hirokazu Sawamura, and Rule 5 pickup Garrett Whitlock.
How many is that? Just five? Hmmm … is Alfredo Aceves back? John Wasdin? The original Pat Mahomes? Maybe Dominican mystery man Robinson Checo has finally arrived at camp? (The correct answers are: non-roster invitees Matt Carasiti, Frank German, Daniel Gossett, Zac Grotz, Kevin McCarthy, Kaleb Ort, and Josh Winckowski. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to identify them in a lineup of their headshots.)
The Sox led the AL with a .265 batting average in 2020. They also ranked third in on-base percentage (.330), slugging (.445), and OPS (.776). Not that batting average is still the glamour stat it was during Wade Boggs’s heyday, but I have to admit, I had no idea the Red Sox were first in the league in hitting last season – or that they were third in those other important categories. The Rangers, conversely, hit .217 as a team. How does that even happen? They were basically a lineup of modern-day Stan Papis (.218 career average.)
Anyway, even though the Red Sox were just fifth in runs per game last season (4.87), this is further confirmation that offense is not and will not be the problem for this team, especially if J.D. Martinez can start turning on fastballs again.
The 2020 Red Sox used an MLB-high 16 starters, three of whom started only one game as “openers.” And this, friends, is further confirmation that the pitching staff was holding open auditions last season while putting up a franchise-worst 5.58 ERA. Even factoring in the use of openers – something we’re just going to have to get used to as baseball fans – 16 starters is an absurd total, especially for a 60-game season. In 2004, the Red Sox used eight starters in 162 games, with Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Derek Lowe, Bronson Arroyo, and Tim Wakefield making 157 of those starts. (Pedro Astacio, Abe Alvarez, and Byung-Hyun Kim made the other five.) The 2007 champs used nine starters, while the ’13 and ’18 champs each used 11.
The most important thing for the 2021 Red Sox, by far, is that the starting rotation – whether via the return of Eduardo Rodriguez and, in the summer, Chris Sale, the emergence of Tanner Houck or Nick Pivetta, the good health and form of Richards and Nathan Eovaldi, or all of the above – provides reliability and quality. Last year, they had neither.
The oldest Red Sox player in camp is 35-year-old Adam Ottavino. Maybe it’s because his collegiate years with the Huskies were revisited so much after the Red Sox acquired him from the Yankees earlier this month, but I had no idea he was their oldest player. Everyone else on the roster is 33 or younger. As Chaim Bloom builds up the quality depth on the 40-man roster, he’s also making the Red Sox younger on the fringes. The plan is taking shape. You see it, right?
Christian Vázquez (2008 June Draft), Xander Bogaerts (2009 international free agent), and Matt Barnes (2011 June Draft) are the longest-tenured members of the Red Sox organization. Count this as more proof of the relative youth of the Red Sox roster, or, with some justifiable cynicism, use it to broadly note that veteran players don’t get the opportunities to extend their careers deep into their 30s like they used to. But it should also be noted that in terms of MLB service time, Vazquez (six years, 31 days), Bogaerts (seven years, 42 days), and Barnes (five years, 110 days) have less cumulative time with the Red Sox than Carl Yastrzemski had himself entering the 1980 season.
Matt Barnes has made 323 relief appearances for the Red Sox, fourth-most in franchise history behind only Bob Stanley (552), Mike Timlin (394), and Jonathan Papelbon (393): This Barnes fact didn’t surprise me. He’s been the late-inning relief pitcher who is just effective enough to remain in an important role for five seasons now. (He’s such a mainstay in the bullpen that it’s easy to forget he’s started games for the Red Sox, a pair in 2015.) But I was impressed, if not surprised, that Timlin is second on the Red Sox relief appearances standings, if only because he was almost 37 years old when Theo Epstein signed him in January 2003. If Koji Uehara was the ultimate low-anxiety closer, the one who always kept calm and got outs, then Timlin owns that title for setup men. The Sox should have cloned him for future generations when they had him.
Only two duos have ever started as many as four consecutive Opening Days at SS and 3B for the Red Sox. Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, who have formed the left side of the infield for three Opening Days so far, are poised to join company that includes shortstop Freddy Parent/third baseman Jimmy Collins (1901-06) and Everett Scott/Larry Gardner (1914-17). As a child of the ‘70s, I will admit to surprise and blinding bitterness that Rick Burleson and Butch Hobson did not make the cut here. They started together in 1977-78 and ’80, but Jack Brohamer got the start at third base alongside The Rooster on Opening Day ’79. Hobson was still recovering from – you guessed it – elbow surgery.
Among MLB and the NFL, NBA, and NHL, the only other franchises to win as many as the Red Sox’ four championships since the start of 2002 are the New England Patriots (6), San Antonio Spurs (4), and Los Angeles Lakers (4).
You’d never know that listening to us, would ya? Imagine telling your devastated October 1978 self, or your crushed October 1986 self, or your bitter October 2003 self that there would be a time someday when they’d have won four World Series championships in a 19-year span, and we’d still be finding ways to be fed up with them.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 20, 2021 3:30:20 GMT -5
RED SOX JOURNAL: Spring training starts for Boston's pitchers Bill Koch The Providence Journal
Martin Perez was among the 15 Red Sox pitchers to throw a bullpen session on Friday.
The left-hander returned to Boston on a one-year deal with a club option for 2022 after leading in starts last year. Perez was the only member of the Opening Day rotation to take his regular turn all the way through the end of September. He finished with a 4.50 ERA and allowed 55 hits in his 62 innings.
“When the velocity is up there, he’s really tough to hit,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “When it’s not up there, he’s a great competitor, and that’s what we’re looking for. He can give you innings.”
Perez was hit hard in three of his 12 starts, spoiling his overall numbers. He allowed a combined 16 earned runs in a pair of home games against Baltimore and another against Washington. Perez was effective otherwise, allowing two earned runs or less seven times.
“The cool thing about him is he has a great attitude,” Cora said. “He’s a great teammate. I think everybody will benefit from having him again in the clubhouse.”
Perez should slot in toward the back end of the Boston rotation. Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Richards would all seem to have more upside on paper, as would a returning Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery) later in the season. Perez, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Matt Andriese and Garrett Whitlock could all find themselves battling for jobs at some point. Red Sox starter Martin Perez pitches to an Orioles batter during a game in September. Boston's pitchers had their first throwing session on Friday at JetBlue Park in Fort Meyers, Fla. Looking for a lead-off batter
Mookie Betts appears to be the quintessential modern leadoff man, a position in the Red Sox batting order that became his own in 2018.
Power, speed and a relatively discerning eye make for a tough combination to find. There seems to be little Betts can’t do on a baseball field, and he was the offensive catalyst while Boston claimed its latest World Series title.
Andrew Benintendi struggled in that spot through each of the last two seasons. He’s since been traded to the Royals, and Alex Verdugo filled in quite nicely during his Red Sox debut in 2020. He’s certain to make a return to the top of the lineup this season, right?
“We’re going to try a few things,” Cora said. “I’m pretty sure what I’m thinking is going to work, and it’s going to put us in a good position to add length to this lineup.”
The Red Sox play their first Grapefruit League game on Feb. 28, and Cora could opt to build some suspense until that matchup with the Twins. Verdugo slashed .304/.362/.442 in 33 games as a leadoff hitter, including a .403 on-base percentage in the 44 total innings where he batted first.
What might tempt Cora into a change is the chance for Verdugo to produce lower in the lineup. He posted a 1.098 OPS in a limited sample batting sixth, covering just eight games. The newly acquired Kiké Hernandez holds a career 1.001 OPS in his first at-bat of the 57 games where he’s served as a leadoff man.
“We have some new guys around and some guys who are looking to bounce back,” Cora said. “We’ll decide as a group what we’re going to do, but there are a few ideas that I have in mind that we’re going to try this spring.” Defense to be stressed
Boston’s field setup at JetBlue Park reflects a fresh emphasis on the club’s defense.
The main stadium sits empty and is generally reserved for game action. Pitchers throw their bullpen sessions on a row of mounds just across a sidewalk from the home clubhouse.
Some of the back fields are typically reserved for minor leaguers, but the Red Sox are spreading out in the name of social distancing and with a player cap set at just 75. Boston’s goal is to improve a defense that ranked a mediocre 16th in FanGraphs WAR last season.
“We have to be better defensively,” Cora said. “No doubt about it. That’s something that championship teams do. I said we had to be better than ’18 defensively — better than ’19, better than ’20.”
Fields 2 and 4 will be reserved for infield and outfield defense, respectively. Hitters will work on Fields 1 and 3 while pitchers and catchers will enjoy Fields 5 and 6 to themselves. The Red Sox have set up cameras and tracking devices to measure player movement on defense.
Boston ranked in the top 10 at just three defensive positions in 2020 and was inside the bottom half in three others. The Red Sox were last in defensive WAR at third base, with Rafael Devers struggling throughout the season. The club’s rotating cast of second baseman ranked a disappointing 25th. Looking for a role
How might the Red Sox employ new utility man Kiké Hernandez?
Boston manager Cora seemed to enjoy discussing the possibilities as pitchers and catchers went through their first official workout on Thursday morning. Hernandez is among the position players to report early after signing a two-year, $14-million deal in free agency.
“We’ve been talking a little bit the last few weeks, me and him, about how we’re going to use him and what I expect,” Cora said. “I’ll challenge him to do certain things, and we’ll do that in spring training.”
Hernandez grades out as an elite defensive second baseman per FanGraphs and could plug what has largely been a three-year production hole at the position. The Red Sox rotated through five different players in that spot last season — Jose Peraza, Christian Arroyo, Michael Chavis, Jonathan Arauz and Tzu-Wei Lin. According to Baseball Reference, Boston finished 27th among 30 teams in wins above average at second base.
“Numbers-wise he was actually the best defender at this level last year,” Cora said. “At shortstop, he can play good defense. At any three of the spots in the outfield, he’s a plus defender. As a hitter, I still believe there’s something more there.”
Hernandez cracked 21 home runs and posted an .806 OPS in 2018, helping the Dodgers reach the World Series to battle the Red Sox. He dipped to just a .715 OPS in 2019 and was limited to a .680 OPS last season, totaling only 14 extra-base hits in 148 plate appearances. Hernandez’s career splits include an almost 150-point difference in OPS between left-handed and right-handed pitching, as he tends to perform significantly better at the plate with a southpaw on the hill.
“I believe he can hunt fastballs and hit them for extra-base hits,” Cora said. “That’s something that I liked a few years ago.
“He's very dynamic. He's a good athlete. He’s coming from an organization that lives with the extra-base hit and trying to get on base, which is good.” Houck in mix for rotation
His successful three-start cameo to close the 2020 season won’t be enough to guarantee Tanner Houck a rotation spot to begin the upcoming year.
The Red Sox right-hander represented an increasingly rare homegrown player to take the mound for the club. Boston has struggled to develop starters since the days of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, two pitchers who played key roles in helping the Red Sox secure a pair of their four championships this century.
“I know his goals and everyone knows our goals,” Cora said. “It’s just a matter of seeing what’s best for the team and for the organization. Looking forward to seeing him compete.”
Houck stepped in late and went a perfect 3-0 with a tidy 0.53 ERA last season.
Left unsaid in the debate about whether or not to start Houck in Boston is the matter of club control. The Red Sox can delay advancing his arbitration clock by denying him service time. The 24-year-old isn’t currently on track for free agency until prior to the 2027 season. Roster moves
The Red Sox celebrated the opening of pitchers and catchers by making their latest pair of roster moves on Thursday.
Boston claimed Tigers right-hander John Schreiber off waivers and formally placed Sale on the 60-day injured list, clearing the required 40-man roster spot. Sale isn’t expected to return at any point prior to the summer.
Schreiber turns 27 on March 5 and was a career member of the Detroit organization prior to being designated for assignment. He was selected out of Northwestern Ohio, an NAIA program, in the 15th round of the 2016 draft. Schreiber debuted in 2019 and has made all 28 of his appearances in relief, posting a 6.28 ERA and striking out 33 in 28 2/3 innings.
Schreiber features a sidearm delivery that was quite effective during his four-year stay through the minor leagues. He posted a 1.99 ERA through 147 games, fanning 235 and allowing just 138 hits in 204 innings. Schreiber surrendered just seven home runs and recorded 18 saves, including four with Triple-A Toledo in 2019.
The Red Sox will eventually need to clear two more 40-man spaces in the coming weeks. Boston has yet to officially announce the signing of utility man Marwin Gonzalez and will eventually activate catcher Kevin Plawecki off the COVID-19 reserve list.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
|
|