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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Feb 28, 2024 20:11:12 GMT -5
Boras trying to come up with excuses for over-pricing his players.
Being the only person who likes Scott Boras, that is a low blow Joe. He is a big cog MLB, and rightfully so.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 1, 2024 8:46:42 GMT -5
MLB Notebook: Some early Red Sox spring training observations
Published: Mar. 01, 2024, 6:00 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
Back home after a two-and-a-half-week stay in Fort Myers — with another return trip planned soon — here are five thoughts about what I saw and heard during my first stay:
1) The atmosphere is different.
Scoff all you want about the talk of a “culture change,” and increasing the competition level, but there is a more lively dynamic at Fenway South this spring.
It can be seen in the clubhouse, with players checking the posted charts that tabulate dropped pitches or first-pitch strikes thrown. You can hear it in during drills all over the complex, with teammates razzing some teammates and cheering on others. But mostly, it’s a vibe — there’s an unmistakeable feel of increased energy and investment.
Some of that may stem from the talk that that began last September, when Alex Cora first broached the topic of upping competition and planning for more drills and work in jetBlue Park, the better to replicate the playing conditions of Fenway Park.
Some credit is due to Ramon Vazquez, since the bench coach is nominally in charge of planning out spring training and scheduling the work. But most of it belongs to the players, who have embraced the task at hand.
Admittedly, some of this may be solely about pride. After two last place finishes, Red Sox players are sick of losing and are willing to buy in to a new program, offered by a new regime (chief baseball officer, pitching coach, director of pitching).
Will this translate into tangible improvement on the field once the season begins? That’s tough to say. We’ll likely be left with the old chicken-and-egg argument if the team starts the year well, trying to determine if the better performance is the result of improved chemistry — or vice versa.
But for now, it’s encouraging to witness. And if nothing else, it’s a start.
2) The new pitching program has taken hold, too.
Obviously, it’s early. We’re only a week into Grapefruit League play, so labeling this an unqualified success is premature — to say the least.
But a handful of pitchers have gone out of their way to praise the program and the amount of detail it offers. Those positive reviews have come from returning young veterans like Garrett Whitlock and Kutter Crawford, as well as a veteran like Lucas Giolito.
Giolito has a lot of context, too, having been in five other organizations, including three last season alone. Giolito was impressed with the proposed program during some Zoom calls last winter when the Red Sox were recruiting him during free agency, and now that he’s spent a few weeks in camp, is even more supportive of what the Sox are trying to do.
“The communication level is extremely high,” Giolito said on a recent episode of MassLive’s Fenway Rundown. “If you want to go in and look at all the skeletons and biomechanics and study analytics, there are guides for that. If you prefer not to, then maybe it’s communicated to (Andrew) Bailey and then he comes to us with whatever suggestion. So it really can be catered to every individual player because we’re all unique and different.”
Again, none of this means that the Red Sox are going to have one of the game’s elite pitching staffs. That will be dependent on execution and consistency. But what is clear is that the pitchers, both rookies and veterans, are being given the necessary data and instruction to help them compete at the highest level.
It will likely take a while for this manifest itself at the major league level, as the real goal here is to improve the development of young pitchers throughout the minor league system. But if there’s some impact on the major league staff this season, that would be welcome, too.
3) Roman Anthony is mature well beyond his years.
Anthony is still just 19 years old, but you would never know it. Less than two years removed from high school, the organization’s top outfield prospect comes across as remarkably poised and self-assured, without seeming at all cocky.
Over the weekend, Anthony was approached by a group of reporters after he made his major league spring training debut. He answered all the questions thoughtfully, made sure to credit teammates for making him feel comfortable and said he hoped he would get more opportunities this spring.
Sometimes, we measure readiness and potential by what we witness on the field. Anthony profiles as an outfielder with plus-power and a strong hit tool, but we forget about makeup. I’ve had three conversations with him in the last two months, and each time, he’s managed to insert some variation of “when we win a World Series in Boston,” while looking ahead.
That sort of team-first approach and focus is rare, and doubly so for someone who is still a teenager.
4) Rafael Devers looks poised to go oppo a lot
Devers has two homers in games this spring, and both have been hit out to left. But it’s not just a small sample size in games; Devers has consistently worked to stay back on pitches and swat them the other way, even in batting practice. Some of it may have to do with an adjustment with his hands, which are lower and better positioned to get to the ball quicker.
The best lefty hitters in recent Red Sox history — from Fred Lynn to Wade Boggs to Mo Vaughn to David Ortiz — have learned too use Fenway to their own advantage by hitting the ball to the opposite field.
In Devers’ case, two of his three best full seasons (2019 and 2022) with the Red Sox have come when he’s had spikes in balls hit the other way. If he can carry this approach over to the regular season, he could have his first 40-homer season.
5) Maybe ownership shouldn’t talk after all.
I’ve been among those covering the team who’s voiced disappointment that principal owner John Henry hasn’t made himself available in a press conference setting for the past four years. To me, that’s a dereliction of duty for someone who has often compared owning the Red Sox to running a public trust.
Henry’s explanation, such as it is, is that he only gets himself in trouble when he speaks about the team, which seems an odd defense for someone who’s a self-made billionaire businessman. He can oversees an international conglomerate, but he can’t offer some public thoughts about his team’s payroll?
But now, I’m starting to see the light. It’s not just Henry who’s guilty of tripping over himself when it comes to public explanations. Team president and CEO Sam Kennedy last month said fans who question the team’s financial commitment are “liars,” then, on an appearance on WEEI Radio earlier this week from Fort Myers, followed down the path laid out by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. by insisting baseball isn’t a profitable venture.
Owning an MLB franchise, Kennedy told The Greg Hill Show, is “about a break-even industry.”
Say again?
The Red Sox routinely, even after last-place seasons, attract more than 2.5 million fans annually to Fenway. They draw in excess of $60 million in national media money each season, and NESN is even more profitable, according to multiple industry sources. Then add in lucrative marketing deals (Mass Mutual uniform patches are good for $17 million per year), local radio rights and other sponsorship income, and even allowing for the money they contribute to revenue sharing, the Red Sox are, in fact, profitable.
And even if they weren’t operating with a huge profit margin, the franchise is, conservatively speaking, worth $4 billion after being bought for $700 million 22 years ago. There’s nothing “break-even” about an investment that’s increased almost six-fold in the last two decades.
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The Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles may compete in the same division, but in many ways, they’re on completely different playing fields.
The Red Sox operate in a Top 10 media market while Baltimore is in MLB’s bottom 10 when it comes to market size. On the field, the Orioles won 101 games last year, while the Red Sox finished with just 78 victories. And while the Red Sox’ minor league system is improving, it’s currently no match to that of the Orioles, who are acclaimed to have the best talent pipeline in the sport.
The teams are not apples-to-apples, then. The Orioles are far ahead competitively, with a legitimate chance to win their first World Series since 1983. The Red Sox, by contrast, are widely expected to finish last in the division. The teams are at opposite ends of the competitive yardstick; in short, the Orioles have arrived at “win-now” mode while the Red Sox are still building.
Still, it’s noteworthy that the O’s, in need of a front-of-the-rotation leader, went all-in, making a trade for Corbin Burnes. Burnes is a free agent after the 2024 season, and because he’s represented by Scott Boras, who has a habit of guiding his clients to free agency to maximize their value, it’s unlikely that the O’s will extend Burnes beforehand, or, for that matter, win a bidding war for him next winter.
This deal was done with the knowledge that it was a one-year rental, quite a gamble by the Orioles. But one they felt positioned to take.
“He changes the whole complexion of the staff,” said manager Brandon Hyde of his new No. 1 starter.
At Ed Smith Stadium Saturday in Sarasota, there was a palpable excitement. Part of it was because this was the Orioles’ spring home opener, and coming off a division championship, it was only natural to have big expectations for the 2024 season.
But the presence of Burnes elevated the atmosphere. True No. 1 starters are rare — you could argue that there are fewer than a dozen throughout the game. But Burnes undoubtedly qualifies. Since the 2020 season, he ranks first among all starters in ERA (2.86), first in swing-and-miss percentage (33.7 percent), first in strikeouts (765) and fifth in innings pitched (622.1).
You could feel the anticipation in the ballpark as Burnes warmed up, and again as he took the mound.
The Orioles had made their investment and the fans treated the veteran righthander as a conquering hero.
“For me, it signals a belief in our roster,” said Orioles GM Mike Elias. “This is a player we only have under contract for one year, so it’s very clearly a 2024 investment. We paid a heavy price, as we should have. We did it because an impact starting pitcher was the right addition for this team.”
Elias felt the time was now to make this move.
“It was pretty simply, honestly. We wanted to upgrade our rotation, like any team does,” said Elias. “But with our farm system and the type of contracts that impact starting pitchers get, they tend to go to very large market teams, as free agents. I knew we would be more equipped for the asking price on the trade front with our farm system.”
The list of potential targets was short, and included two starters — Chris Sale and Tyler Glasnow — from within the division. Elias figured that the Red Sox and Rays, respectively, wouldn’t deal either within the AL East, so he zeroed in on Burnes. It cost him pitching prospect DL Hall and young infielder Joey Ortiz, but he believes it was worth it.
Again, the Orioles are pennant contenders, and the Red Sox most assuredly are not. For that matter, Jordan Montgomery is not Corbin Burnes, who has a Cy Young Award to his credit and three other Top 10 finishes.
But imagine what sort of difference someone like Montgomery could make to the fortunes of the Red Sox in 2024 and beyond. The lefty wouldn’t move the needle as dramatically as Burnes has in Baltimore. He would, however, inch the Red Sox closer to respectability for this season, and give them another experienced, dependable innings-eater to pair with Giolito and anchor the rotation going forward — until such time that Craig Breslow’s pitching development program can produce top starters internally.
And imagine the reaction of the fan base, suddenly convinced that ownership is committed to winning — all without having to dip into the’s team prospect inventory, or surrendering draft pick compensation.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Mar 1, 2024 19:52:06 GMT -5
But now, I’m starting to see the light. It’s not just Henry who’s guilty of tripping over himself when it comes to public explanations. Team president and CEO Sam Kennedy last month said fans who question the team’s financial commitment are “liars,” then, on an appearance on WEEI Radio earlier this week from Fort Myers, followed down the path laid out by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. by insisting baseball isn’t a profitable venture.
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I've been saying this for years. No one but the GM and manager should talk. The rest of these people add nothing. They probably know something about baseball, but not as much as the GM or manager. Heck, even when asked a simple question about the budget, these people cannot supply a simple answer.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 2, 2024 11:21:46 GMT -5
SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES After 43 seasons in baseball, Worcester native J.P. Ricciardi is adjusting to life away from the game By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 2, 2024, 32 minutes ago
J.P. Ricciardi got started in professional baseball in 1980 as an infielder for the Little Falls Mets of the New York-Penn League.
He went on to become a coach, an amateur scout, a front-office executive, and general manager of the Blue Jays for eight seasons. Stints with the Mets and Giants followed. In all, he spent 43 years in the game.
But as a new season gets started, Ricciardi finds himself in a much different position: staying at home.
At 64, the Worcester native has decided he’s done with the game because he fears the game is done with the qualities he brings to a job.
“I wanted to work until I was 66, but the last five years weren’t enjoyable,” Ricciardi said. “The game has changed so much. It felt like this was the right time for me.”
As baseball becomes increasingly driven by data and predictive analytics, there is less of a role for executives who are grounded in scouting and player development.
“Experience doesn’t matter in our game anymore,” Ricciardi said. “So many people experience success and failure and can draw from those events. But they don’t want to hear it. Everything is quantified now.”
Ricciardi doesn’t want to come off as an “angry old man” complaining about modern times. He believes Major League Baseball was right in improving the pace of the game by using a pitch timer.
He also supported the idea of starting extra innings with a runner on second base.
“I love the pace of the game now,” Ricciardi said. “The next generation doesn’t want to sit there four hours to watch a game. When I was an advance scout, you’d watch a Red Sox-Yankees game and it lasted until midnight.”
The new rules returned the game to how it was once played and made it better. Front offices won’t embrace the past any time soon, but Ricciardi believes there should be more flexibility.
“The organization that successfully embraces and blends in personal [and] experienced evaluation with the analytical data will have a real advantage in today’s game,” he said.
“Many teams are not taking advantage of the untapped resource of proven evaluators with years of experience in scouting, player development, or front offices.
“Focusing on one school of thought has not produced any perennial winners.”
Ricciardi spent six seasons with Oakland working for Billy Beane, the executive most identified with bringing analytics into the game. But Beane, contrary to how it was depicted in the movie “Moneyball”, also believed in trusting scouts who saw something in a player the numbers couldn’t.
The Athletics signed players such as Buddy Groom, Carlos Reyes, and Matt Stairs based on qualities scouts observed. Ricciardi did the same in Toronto, taking chances on players other teams passed on.
Jose Bautista was a journeyman outfielder when Ricciardi obtained him in 2008 for a player to be named later. Bautista went on to hit 288 homers over 10 seasons with the Blue Jays.
Now executives often make decisions based on avoiding risk.
“If you had an opinion on a player, Billy wanted to hear it,” Ricciardi said. “We took a lot of chances. Some of them worked out and some of them didn’t. He trusted people.”
It was Beane who encouraged Ricciardi to interview with the Blue Jays. It’s not on his résumé, but Ricciardi also worked for the Red Sox — for one day.
After he was fired by the Blue Jays late in the 2009 season, Ricciardi joined ESPN and spent one season on “Baseball Tonight.” Theo Epstein then offered him a position with the Red Sox in November 2010 and Ricciardi accepted.
“I signed a contract with Theo,” Ricciardi said. “It was great; I was going to work for the Red Sox.”
He spent a day at Fenway Park taking part in a team-building simulation exercise. The Mets then called and asked permission to hire Ricciardi for a position that would have more responsibility.
Epstein gave Ricciardi the choice and he went to New York, where he spent eight seasons.
His short stint with the Sox aside, Ricciardi had connections to New England throughout his career.
He was once hired by Dan Duquette as an instructor for the Brewers. Maine native Bill Livesey gave Ricciardi a job with the Yankees as a minor league coach.
“I was very fortunate in my career,” Ricciardi said.
The high point, Ricciardi said, was his time as Toronto’s GM. He hired Alex Anthopoulos, who succeeded him with the Blue Jays and is now enjoying success as president of baseball operations for the Braves.
Ricciardi also hired Keith Law away from Baseball Prospectus to be a special assistant with the Jays. Billy Gasparino, who runs amateur scouting for the Dodgers, was another Toronto product. Angels GM Perry Minasian also worked for Ricciardi.
“Having the autonomy to run a team was something special,” Ricciardi said. “We were able to do a lot of things.”
The low point? That didn’t exist.
“I was always doing something I loved,” Ricciardi said. “Scouting, coaching, signing players and seeing them get to the big leagues. It was always fun.”
Ricciardi isn’t leaving baseball behind. He started a podcast — “The Brushback with JP” — to keep talking about the game. He’s also open to another front-office position if the right fit is there.
For now, he’s home in West Boylston and following the career of his son, Dante, who is an amateur scout with the Red Sox covering Florida. Another son, Mariano, played in the minors from 2021-23.
“I have a lot of miles in. I’m sick of traveling,” Ricciardi said. “I’m home with my wife [Diane] and it feels good.” TEMPER, TEMPER Devers aggravated by his errors
Rafael Devers has always been below average at third base, something that is unlikely to change. But it’s not from lack of caring.
As the Red Sox went through drills on Wednesday, Devers charged a ball that took a bad hop and rolled up his arm. Frustrated, he threw his glove at the ball and cursed.
He fielded the next ball cleanly and shook his head as if to say, “Why can’t I do that all the time?”
Alex Cora believes a big part of the issue with Devers is that one bad play leads to another because he gets upset. That’s an issue for mental performance coordinator Rey Fuentes, who is around the team every day.
The Sox also are working with Devers on how he sets up before the pitch is thrown. That routine has been inconsistent.
Cora also has faith that playing a full season with Trevor Story will aid Devers. Story’s uncommon range will allow Devers to play closer to the line and have less ground to cover.
“That’s a different athlete,” Cora said.
However it works, the Sox need Devers to stay at third and improve as much as he can. They have Triston Casas established at first base and don’t want a 27-year-old designated hitter set to earn $313.5 million through 2033.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Craig Breslow played a big role in convincing Jon Lester to make a two-day visit to camp. Lester respected Breslow as a teammate and agreed to put on the uniform again.
Given his bitter departure in 2014, it was a good sign. Lester has a lot to offer given his success on the field and the adversity he overcame.
▪ The cover of the 2024 media guide features Devers, Casas, Story, Brayan Bello, and Masataka Yoshida.
Kenley Jansen, the lone All-Star from 2023 and the fifth-highest-paid player, didn’t make it. That doesn’t seem like a coincidence given the persistent trade rumors.
The media guide also revealed the Sox have 35 staffers listed under “Baseball Research & Development.” That’s up from 33 last season.
They had nine in 2018. That increase is pretty typical in the game.
▪ Russell Nua, who worked for the Sox as a massage therapist since 2004, has retired. He was with the Diamondbacks before following Curt Schilling to Boston. Nua has five World Series rings.
Nua was replaced by Edwin Rodriguez, who had been with the Triple A staff.
▪ Arthur D’Angelo, who died Thursday at the age of 97, was likely a big part of your Fenway Park experience whether you knew it or not.
He was one of the founders of the Twins souvenir store across from the park on Jersey Street. It was a mandatory stop when we drove up to Fenway from New Bedford. Bet it was when you went to the park, too, and probably still is.
It had pennants and hats for every team in the league and what was surely the largest collection of Red Sox merchandise in the world. Many a tough decision was made over the years on how best to spend the money my dad doled out.
Arthur was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2018 and his family is now working with the team on a real estate venture in the area around the park.
It’s an impressive legacy for a man who immigrated to Boston from Italy in 1938 at the age of 12 and built a business with his twin brother, Henry, who died in 1987.
A celebration of Arthur’s life will be held from 1-3 p.m. Monday at Fenway Park.
▪ Condolences as well to Trevor and Brianna Wakefield on the deaths of their parents only five months apart. It’s profoundly sad and unfair and no uniform patch or other such memorial, however appropriate, will assuage their grief.
Given Tim and Stacy Wakefield’s devotion to charity, perhaps a fund-raising campaign that encompasses the team, Tim’s former teammates, and the fan base would be the most fitting way to pay tribute.
. ETC. Bowden takes shot with the Braves
Lynn’s Ben Bowden is up for a challenge.
The 29-year-old lefthander signed a minor league contract with the Braves that included an invitation to spring training knowing it would be difficult to crack the roster of a team that won 104 games last season.
Bowden was a second-round pick of the Rockies out of Vanderbilt in 2016 and made his major league debut with the team in 2021, appearing in 39 games. He has since pitched in the minors with the Rays, Giants, and Phillies.
Bowden chose the Braves because of their success with pitchers in recent years.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about the way they treat their guys and that made it easy,” he said. “They had a lot of interest early on in free agency. I wanted to go somewhere where I’m wanted. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised.”
Bowden has tried to take something from every organization he’s been with — “Some more than others,” he said — and feels like he has improved.
“I know I still have big league stuff and I can consistently get hitters out,” he said. “I’m far from done. I have a lot left in the tank. The thing that keeps me going is I know I have so much more to improve on. I’m 29 but I don’t feel like I’m 29.”
Lefty relievers always seem to get opportunities. Bowden is likely to open the season in Triple A, but even a team like the Braves is sure to have needs arise over the course of the season.
“What keeps me going? I love baseball and being around the guys,” he said. “I’m excited about the season.”
Extra bases
East Longmeadow’s Nick Ahmed agreed to a minor league contract with the Giants that included an invitation to spring training. Ahmed, who turns 34 this month, has a good chance to make the roster as a veteran presence on the bench. He would essentially replace 37-year-old Brandon Crawford, who signed with the Cardinals after 13 seasons in San Francisco . . . It was a surprise to see Ken Giles in the Braves clubhouse. The 33-year-old former Astros closer is in camp on a minor league deal. He has appeared in only nine major league games the last four years and pitched poorly in the minors during stints with the Blue Jays, Mariners, Giants, and Dodgers as injuries took a toll. But Giles struck out Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and Alec Bohm in order on Wednesday, all swinging at sliders. He also hit 95.3 miles per hour with his fastball . . . Steve Garvey is running for senate in California as a Republican. Former Dodgers teammates Dusty Baker and Dave Stewart endorsed Representative Barbara Lee, a Democrat from Oakland. Rickey Henderson also backed Lee . . . Shohei Ohtani surprised everyone Thursday when he announced he had gotten married in the offseason to a “normal Japanese woman.” It was a scene reminiscent of Yankees spring training in 2008 when Hideki Matsui got married on an offday and announced it to the Japanese media the next morning. Matsui described his wife as a “civilian who worked for a reputable company” and produced a black-and-white drawing of her to show reporters . . . Tigers manager A.J. Hinch does not allow his coaches to speak to reporters as he wants to be the only voice representing the team. How silly. Bench coach George Lombard is on a managerial track and should have the opportunity to refine his media skills. The Tigers wouldn’t even allow third base coach Joey Cora to talk about reconnecting with his brother on the field when Detroit played the Red Sox at JetBlue Park on Thursday. In addition to coaching third base, the Tigers hope Cora will be able to get the best out of Javy Baez, who has been a huge disappointment since agreeing to a six-year, $140 million contract before the 2022 season . . . Thoughts while driving across Florida: The Marlins conduct spring training in Jupiter, 82 miles north from Marlins Park. The ballpark the Astros and Nationals share is actually 10 miles closer to Miami. On the other side of the state, the Rays have their spring training complex 80 miles from Tropicana Field. The Phillies (20 miles), Yankees (21 miles), Blue Jays (22 miles), Pirates (26 miles), Orioles (47 miles), and Braves (65 miles) are all closer to the Trop . . . Congrats to Double A Portland broadcaster Emma Tiedemann and Sea Dogs director of ticket operations Jesse Scaglion on the birth of their daughter. Lucy Ruth Scaglion was signed to a lifetime contract this past week and looks like a top prospect . . . Happy birthday to Zack Kelly, who is 29. The righthander made his Red Sox debut on Aug. 22, 2022, at Target Field. Every debut is special. But Kelly’s was particularly so. He was an undrafted free agent who took $500 to sign with Oakland and was soon released. He then had elbow surgery and rehabbed on his own during the pandemic. The Sox signed him and he has since earned a place in the bullpen.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 2, 2024 22:47:32 GMT -5
Which Is The Best Team In The AL East?
By Nick Deeds | March 2, 2024 at 7:11pm CDT
Just over a week ago, MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald discussed the National League Central, which is arguably MLB’s most tightly-contested division. While no other division compares to that projected dogfight, the American League East provides the Central with a worthy rival in that regard as the only other division that Baseball Prospectus’s PECOTA projects to not include a 90-loss team. Indeed, there’s an argument to be made that the battle for the AL East this year figures to be even more hotly contested. After all, PECOTA projects both the Pirates and Reds to finish with a lower win total than any of the teams in the AL East, while Fangraphs projects the East as the only division in the majors without a sub-.500 club.
That projection systems see the AL East as a division with five potential contenders is supported by last year’s results. The Orioles led the pack last season with a 101-win record, capturing the division title despite a strong showing from the Rays, who finished two games behind Baltimore. Both Tampa and Toronto also managed to make the postseason last year, while New York and Boston both remained on the periphery of the playoff picture into September despite ultimately coming up short. Since then, each club has seen significant changes, and with the likes of Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery still on the market, it’s easy to imagine one or more of these club’s further improving their stock prior to Opening Day. In the meantime, let’s take a look at where things stand in the American League’s most competitive division:
Orioles: 101-61 in 2023, FG projects 85 wins in 2024, PECOTA 86.2
The Orioles were perhaps the most surprising team in baseball last year, surging to the club’s first AL East title since the 2014 season thanks to contributions from youngsters like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Grayson Rodriguez. Those same young players will be back this season and figure to be joined by consensus #1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday at some point this season, perhaps as soon as Opening Day. The club’s exciting young core figures to once again be complemented by solid veterans such as Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander as well, giving them a strong offensive nucleus with which to attempt to continue their reign atop the East.
With that being said, the club has seen some turnover this winter. Veteran starter Kyle Gibson departed the rotation via free agency this winter, and while the club swung a deal earlier this offseason to acquire former Brewers ace Corbin Burnes to front their rotation, dealing away promising southpaw DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz could be something of a blow to the club’s depth headed into the season. More noticeably, two key pitchers from the 2023 season are entering the season with significant injuries: closer Felix Bautista underwent Tommy John surgery late last year and figures to miss all of the 2024 campaign, while right-hander Kyle Bradish faces a lengthy absence of his own due to a UCL issue after leading the Baltimore rotation last season with a sterling 2.83 ERA across 30 starts.
While the injuries faced by Bradish and Bautista leave the Orioles without two of their top pitchers to open the season, the additions of Burnes and veteran closer Craig Kimbrel should help to soften those blows, and with youngsters such as Holliday, Cade Povich, and Coby Mayo all on the verge of contributing at the big league level, there’s plenty of reason to believe Baltimore can remain in the upper echelon of the league headed into 2024 as long as the club’s young stars can avoid taking a step back this season.
Rays: 99-63 in 2023, FG projects 86 wins in 2024, PECOTA 86.9
The Rays started the 2023 campaign on an incredible hot streak, winning a record-breaking 13 consecutive games to open the season last year thanks to strong pitching performances from the likes of Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen, and Shane McClanahan. Unfortunately, each of those aforementioned arms underwent season-ending surgery last year and are expected to miss at least the first half of the 2024 campaign, if not longer. Tampa’s rotation mix was further weakened by the club dealing right-hander Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers back in December, leaving the club with little certainty in the starting mix outside of Zach Eflin and Aaron Civale. Another major loss from a production standpoint is shortstop Wander Franco, who posted 4.6 fWAR in 112 games last year but is facing sexual abuse charges in his native Dominican Republic that put his future in the majors in doubt.
Even with that hefty number of losses, however, the Rays still figure to be a force to be reckoned with headed into 2024. After all, the club sports one of the deepest lineups in the game, led by the likes of Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena. In addition to that group, the club sports plenty of young talent with the likes of Junior Caminero, Josh Lowe, and Curtis Mead all expected to contribute at the big league level at some point this season on the positional side. Meanwhile, the pitching staff boasts intriguing youngsters like Taj Bradley, Shane Baz, and offseason acquisition Ryan Pepiot, each of whom are likely to join Civale and Eflin as rotation pieces this season. The club’s perennially excellent bullpen continues to look strong as well, with a back-end trio of Pete Fairbanks, Jason Adam, and Colin Poche bolstered by offseason additions such as Phil Maton.
Given the number of significant absences the Rays are facing entering the season, it’s not necessarily surprising that projections systems expect the club to take a major step back in 2024. The club figures to rely on the likes of Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls in place of Franco at short and young, unproven arms like Bradley and Pepiot in place of established power arms like McClanahan and Rasmussen. Even so, the club’s deep lineup and strong bullpen figure to keep the club in contention for the AL East crown this season, particularly if the youngsters in the rotation find success in the big leagues.
Blue Jays: 89-73 in 2023, FG projects 85 wins in 2024, PECOTA 88.6
The 2023 season was a strange one in Toronto, as key stars such as Alejandro Kirk, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took steps back at the plate to leave the club with a surprisingly tepid offense. That didn’t stop the Jays from contending last year, however, as the club managed to sneak into the final AL Wild Card spot with an 89-win campaign thanks to a strong performance from the club’s starting rotation. Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Yusei Kikuchi, and Chris Bassitt each combined to give the club above-average production while making more than 30 starts a piece, and veteran southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu managed to step into the rotation and provide solid back-end production when youngster Alek Manoah struggled badly throughout the season.
Entering the offseason, the club seemed poised to make big changes as they were connected to the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, though they ultimately ended up having a much quieter offseason. After watching the likes of Matt Chapman and Brandon Belt depart in free agency, the club brought in the likes of Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Justin Turner to fill the void at third base and DH while adding to their pitching depth with the addition of Yariel Rodriguez. Those minor moves leave the club likely to look for internal improvements as they hope to return to the postseason in 2024. Some of that improvement could come from the club’s young talent, with top pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann likely to debut sometime this year while the likes of Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement figure to attempt to establish themselves in larger roles.
While the club’s lineup took a bit of a hit this winter after a disappointing 2023 campaign, a robust pitching staff figures to keep the Blue Jays afloat this season even if the offense fails to take a step forward. It’s easy to imagine the club returning to the postseason in 2024 if stars like Bo Bichette, Guerrero, and Springer can deliver impactful performances, especially if the club gets strong production from its supporting cast of hitters like Turner, Schneider, and Daulton Varsho.
Yankees: 82-80 in 2023, FG projects 89 wins in 2024, PECOTA 94.7
After missing the postseason for the first time since 2017 and barely escaping the 2023 season with a winning record, the Yankees wasted no time this winter in looking to improve the club’s postseason chances for year two of Aaron Judge’s nine-year megadeal with the club. That included a complete retool of the club’s outfield mix as the club acquired Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Alex Verdugo to complement Judge on the outfield grass while balancing a lineup that leaned too right-handed in 2023. The blockbuster deal for Soto and Grisham cost the club plenty of big league pitching talent, including the likes of Michael King and Randy Vasquez, though New York went on to patch up the club’s starting rotation by landing veteran right-hander Marcus Stroman in free agency.
That lengthy offseason shopping list seems likely to leave them in strong position to contend this season even as they lost the likes of Luis Severino, Harrison Bader, and King from last year’s club. Even as the club added a quality mid-rotation arm, solid outfield regulars, and a superstar bat to its mix, however, it’s possible the club’s most impactful improvements could come internally after the club dealt with a hefty number of injuries last year. Judge followed up his 2022 AL MVP-winning performance with another season that saw him post an OPS north of 1.000 in 2023, though he was limited to just 106 games by a toe injury. Meanwhile, southpaws Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon both struggled badly with injuries and ineffectiveness last year but still carry front-of-the-rotation upside when healthy, while veteran hitters like Stanton and Anthony Rizzo could also benefit from improved health this season and rebound from difficult 2023 campaigns.
Of all the clubs in the AL East, it’s easy to make the argument that the Yankees did the most to improve this winter. While even those additions may not be enough to catch up to the club’s divisional rivals on their own after an 82-win campaign, improved health from the club’s key regulars both on the mound and in the lineup could certainly help the club avoid missing the postseason in back-to-back campaigns for the first time since the 2013 and ’14 seasons.
Red Sox: 78-84 in 2023, FG projects 81 wins in 2024, PECOTA 79.2
It’s been a strange offseason in Boston, as the club began the winter with promises of a “full throttle” approach to the 2024 season and a goal of improving the club’s rotation. Despite those major plans, the club has generally opted for smaller moves throughout the winter. Perhaps the club’s most notable move was parting ways with longtime ace Chris Sale in a trade that netted the club young infielder Vaughn Grissom, while Sale’s spot atop the club’s rotation appears poised to go to right-hander Lucas Giolito.
The club also added outfielder Tyler O’Neill in a trade with the Cardinals while signing veteran closer Liam Hendriks to a two-year deal, though the righty won’t impact the team until the second half at the earliest as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Those moves more or less leave the club in a similar position as they were last season, with Giolito replacing Sale while O’Neill and Grissom figure to replace Adam Duvall and Turner in the club’s lineup. While the club’s most significant offseason losses have been replaced in one form or another, other departures such as those of James Paxton, Alex Verdugo, and John Schreiber have all gone unanswered to this point in the winter.
Despite the club’s many question marks, there’s some reason for optimism in Boston, thanks to the young talent that could impact the club this year. In addition to Grissom serving as a potential solution at second base, Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and Brayan Bello took significant steps forward last year and could prove to be core pieces for the club, while youngsters like Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela could also impact the club this season after making brief cameos in the majors last year. It’s certainly possible to imagine Trevor Story returning to the form that once made him a star with the Rockies now that he’s further removed from the elbow troubles that cost him much of last season, and Masataka Yoshida could be an impactful bat if he can recreate his performance from the first half of 2023 over the full season this year. Meanwhile, the rotation features a handful of interesting youngsters such as Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, and Kutter Crawford, any of whom could prove to be an impactful arm if they manage to take a step forward this year.
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On the heels of a 2023 season that saw three of the division’s five teams make the postseason and its fifth-place finisher end the season with a better record than the fourth place finishers of four other divisions, it’s perhaps not a surprise that the AL East figures to once again be among the most competitive divisions in baseball this year. After a busy offseason in the division, which team do you think will come out on top? Was the Yankees’ splashy offseason to put them back in the driver’s seat? Will another year of development for the young players in Baltimore allow them to repeat their dominant 2023 campaign? Will the deep rosters of the Rays or Blue Jays manage to outlast the competition? Or could the Red Sox outperform the projections and take the division on the back of their young players and rebound candidates?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 3, 2024 6:36:43 GMT -5
Some Things I Think I Think: On early trouble signs for Red Sox and more
Published: Mar. 03, 2024, 5:15 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
* Saturday was not a good day for the Red Sox.
First came the news that Vaughn Grissom was dealing with a groin strain and will likely not be available for the start of the season.
Grissom had been penciled in as the team’s starting second baseman. The team prized his athleticism and bat-to-ball skills when he was acquired him over the winter from Atlanta. In Grissom, they saw someone who could be their everyday second baseman for years to come, and his arrival was supposed to improve the Red Sox in the middle of the field, an area in significant need of an upgrade after last season.
Grissom had already been sidelined with a hamstring issue before the groin pull further complicated things. As such, he hadn’t been able to do a lot of on-field work with shortstop Trevor Story. Now that he’s shut down, there will be little of that the rest of spring, so even when Grissom is cleared to return, he won’t have had a lot of reps with his new double play partner.
In his place, the Sox will give playing time to Enmanuel Valdez, who was a disaster defensively at the position in the first half of last season before showing some improvement in the final two months. Valdez has some pop from the left side, but he’s not the defender Grissom is, and the team’s pitching staff will suffer the consequences.
Next came a rocky showing from Brayan Bello. Yes, it’s only one spring outing, but the fact of the matter is, Bello has not looked crisp this spring. Bello has been the hailed as the organization’s best homegrown starter in more than a decade, but his growth hasn’t been linear. To the contrary, he’s been highly inconsistent. Bello turns 25 in May, and as Alex Cora pointed out earlier in camp, the younger starters — Bello included — “aren’t kids anymore.”
It’s not worth overreacting to a groin injury and a shaky Grapefruit League start. But for a team with very little margin for error, the Red Sox don’t need any more bad news less than four weeks from Opening Day.
* I don’t envy Don Sweeney. The Bruins GM has some tough calls to make in anticipation of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
For one thing, there’s the question of how good his team is. Currently, while they’re contending for the President’s Trophy, they’ve looked less than stellar since the All-Star break. For another, Sweeney has very little trade capital, having already dealt off draft picks in past deadline deals. And finally, he’s got next-to-room up against the salary cap.
About all he can do is make a “money-in-money-out-deal’ in which the B’s trade from one area to improve another. That’s always a risky proposition.
It might be best to stand pat and see where this Bruins team goes in the postseason. Then again, eventually, the contention window is going to slam shut for the B’s and given the unpredictability of the NHL playoffs, you never want to miss out on a chance to win the Cup.
* If your son or daughter got the kind of grades Robert Kraft got from the NFLPA — and by extension, his own players — you’d ground him or her for a good long time.
Once again, we’re reminded that Tom Brady covered a multitude of sins in Foxboro, including, apparently, an aversion to spending money that would make Jeremy Jacobs, in his prime, blush.
It’s not a good look when the Krafts preach treating players like family, only to be given some of the worst grades in the league when it comes to their family room and game-day day care facilities.
But hey, that new lighthouse sure is something.
* The decision by UMass to move to the Mid-America Conference looks suspiciously like Boston College’s equally silly choice to spurn the Big East in order to join the ACC. (It’s understood that BC moved en masse with others from the Big East, and not alone. But that doesn’t make the call any less misguided)
It’s a reminder, as if one is necessary, that football is the tail wagging the dog in big time college sports. BC hamstrung its basketball program with their switch, all in service to a football program that hasn’t benefited. And now, UMass is making the same mistake.
* If I’m the Patriots and Jayden Daniels isn’t available at No. 3, I’m trading back. Just because one of the three top quarterbacks is still on the board doesn’t mean you have to take one.
* Maybe Kiké Hernandez is correct when he says owners are colluding in free agency to depress salaries. But being that Hernandez, with a cumulative .639 OPS the last two years, just got a $4 million deal from the Dodgers, is he the right guy to be making this allegation?
Also: while Anthony Rendon hasn’t attracted plenty of criticism for saying baseball isn’t a top priority for him, what about Hernandez acknowledging he’s a better player when playing for a contender? Meaning, what — he isn’t as committed when his team’s not winning?
* If teams are tripping over themselves to bid for 34-year-old Jacob Markstrom, a pending UFA, what would they pay for 30-year old, Vezina-winning Linus Ullmark, who has a year of control remaining? Just asking.
* Scott Boras is the gold standard among baseball agents. But he’s far from infallible. His decision to wait out the market for some high-end clients (Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Chapman, J.D. Martinez et al) has proven to be a poor one. It’s obvious that a sea change has taken place in baseball free agency, and if you don’t strike early in the offseason, you risk not having a seat when the music stops.
* Others have said it and I’ll join in: if you need any additional evidence of just how unfair life can be, look no further than the Wakefield family. Less than six months after she buried her husband Tim, Stacy, too, passed from cancer last week. Those of us privileged to have attended Tim’s memorial service at Fenway late last fall will not soon forget the grace with which she eulogized him.
* If you enjoy a good mystery, check out Hulu’s Death and Other Details, with Mandy Patinkin starring as a modern-day Hercule Poirot.
* If the NCAA wanted to stop the court storming epidemic, it could do so tomorrow by warning schools that they risk forfeiture should fans rush the court post-game. But because the NCAA is otherwise occupied with counting its money and making life miserable for the majority of student-athletes, that isn’t about to happen.
* There’s more than a little bit of irony to the fact that the player the Red Sox acquired for Chris Sale is set to start the season on the Injured LIst.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Mar 3, 2024 11:21:45 GMT -5
Boras trying to come up with excuses for over-pricing his players.
Being the only person who likes Scott Boras, that is a low blow Joe. He is a big cog MLB, and rightfully so.
FWIW, I have no objection to Boras. If a GM allows himself to bid up past a player's real value, that's their fault, not Boras'. I also have no philosophical objection to getting paid more, so I can't have an objection to a player getting paid more.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Mar 3, 2024 13:28:56 GMT -5
Some Things I Think I Think: On early trouble signs for Red Sox and more Published: Mar. 03, 2024, 5:15 a.m. Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com * Saturday was not a good day for the Red Sox. First came the news that Vaughn Grissom was dealing with a groin strain and will likely not be available for the start of the season. * If your son or daughter got the kind of grades Robert Kraft got from the NFLPA — and by extension, his own players — you’d ground him or her for a good long time. * If I’m the Patriots and Jayden Daniels isn’t available at No. 3, I’m trading back. Just because one of the three top quarterbacks is still on the board doesn’t mean you have to take one. 1-Injuries happen to everyone. 2-No one knows what pitchers are working on in ST. I suspect that some pitchers might be throwing nothing but heat to build up arm strength. 3-I can't believe they are taking player polls of the owner. Are the upset that they aren't invited to Kraft's country club? 4-I'm not sure what the point is about Daniels. If Daniels is not available at #3, it means either Williams or Maye is. Both are rated higher than Daniels. If Washington takes Daniels, then I hope my Raiders trade up for Maye. That said, NE might be better off trading back no matter who is available. If I were them, I would trade for Trey Lance and give him 17 starts. The downside is a better draft pick and the upside is a real QB.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 4, 2024 10:55:49 GMT -5
Former Red Sox pitcher ‘felt kind of naked’ as he burned out in Boston
Updated: Mar. 04, 2024, 8:34 a.m.|Published: Mar. 04, 2024, 8:14 a.m.
By
Nick O'Malley | nomalley@masslive.com
James Paxton started strong with the Boston Red Sox in 2023. But injuries derailed his performance down the stretch.
Talking to the Los Angeles Times, Paxton says his body burned out last season in Boston, where his performance dipped precipitously halfway through his 19 starts. Paxton told the LA Times that his pitches lacked the spark from earlier in the year, leaving him feeling almost “naked” to opposing hitters.
“The life on my stuff was not there,” Paxton said, via the LA Times. “I could still throw hard, but I didn’t have any finish on anything. The ball was coming in kind of dead. And it doesn’t matter how hard you’re throwing, if it’s coming in dead, it’s sitting there on a tee for them. I felt kind of naked out there. I was grinding as hard as I could, and it just wasn’t coming.”
The 35-year-old Paxton originally signed with Boston in 2022 while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in May of 2023. He was dominant in his first 10 starts, posting an ERA of 2.73.
Talking to the Times, Paxton said he could tell his body wasn’t holding up. But with the Red Sox desperate for quality arms, they were forced to rely on him, even though he wasn’t 100%. Paxton had an ERA of 6.98 after the All-Star break.
“It had been like 2½ years since I pitched (meaningful) innings in the big leagues, and I felt like I kind of reached a point where my body was just a little burned out,” Paxton said to the LA Times. “I didn’t have much left in the tank.”
Paxton’s 2023 season started and ended with injury issues. He tweaked his hamstring in spring training, delaying his debut in the regular season. Paxton missed time at the end of the season due to injury as well. He was eventually shut down due to knee inflammation.
Paxton signed a one-year deal this offseason to join a loaded Dodgers team that will allow plenty of rest for the veteran pitcher.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 8, 2024 6:27:12 GMT -5
MLB Notebook: Brayan Bello deal a worthwhile risk; recalling Shohei Ohtani pursuit
Published: Mar. 08, 2024, 6:00 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
Every major league contract is a risk of sorts, some more than others. As a rule, the riskiest involve veteran players near the end or younger players without much of a track record.
With the former, teams are betting that current performance can continue and injuries can be minimized. With the latter, teams are betting their projections for the players are accurate and that injuries can be minimized.
For pitchers, the projection and injury aversion get trickier.
That’s where the Red Sox find themselves, having given Brayan Bello a six-year, $55 million contract extension, carrying him through the 2029 season. The deal also features a team option for 2030 at $21 million.
That’s quite an investment for a pitcher who has made fewer than 40 major league starts to date and compiled a rather ordinary 4.37 ERA. But, of course, that’s where the projection comes in.
The Red Sox are betting that Bello will reach the ceiling of at least a No. 2 starter, and are paying him accordingly. According to the breakdown of the year-to-year salaries, the club is buying out two free agent years (2029 and 2030) and committing $40 million to do so.
That commitment will make sense if Bello becomes who the Red Sox expect him to. And if he fails to attain that level, they can always decline the option for 2030 and reduced their liability at least somewhat.
What they hope is Bello takes a significant step forward this year and begins to profile as a top-of-the-rotation arm, the likes of which they haven’t produced internally in a long, long time.
Is it fraught with risk? Yes. But it was a move the Red Sox had to make for any number of reasons. Among them:
1) Projecting remains difficult, but there are more tools available to teams than ever before.
Not long ago, deals like this were truly rolls of the dice. In addition to crossing fingers on injuries, teams had to project based on what they had already seen.
No longer.
“Player evaluation has changed a lot,” said one longtime major league front office executive. “Every team is projecting performance and the further out you go, the greater the variance (in projections). But predictions are more accurate now thanks to advances in pitch data, analysis and technology. It’s still really hard, but teams can feel more confident about their evaluation, versus what you can see only with your eyes.”
This is especially true with pitching, where the amount of available data is nearly endless. Everything from measuring the movement of pitches to biomechanical breakdowns of deliveries can go into a decision.
2) Pitching has never been more important, or for that matter, expensive.
Even with the likes of Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell still unsigned and available on the market, established starting pitchers made a killing in free agency. Sonny Gray, Aaron Nola and Eduardo Rodriguez all signed deals worth at least $20 million annually. Several others (among them Marcus Stroman and Lucas Giolito) were close behind.
And of course, Yoshinobu Yamamoto got a guaranteed $325 million without having thrown so much as a pitch in the big leagues.
If you want to trade for an established starter, the price is still prohibitive. The Orioles gave up two top prospects for one year of Corbin Burnes. The Dodgers had to sacrifice an elite pitching prospect for a year of control of Tyler Glasnow (they then extended him at $27.5 million per season over four years).
The alternative is to develop your own, something at which the Red Sox have failed miserably over the last 15 years. If you don’t have homegrown pitching, it’s going to cost you dearly to get it — either in salary or player acquisition cost.
The Red Sox are betting that Bello is going to end their streak of futility when it comes to pitching.
3) There’s a long history with the player here.
Bello may have only slightly more than a year of major league service time to his credit, but he’s been part of the organization for an extended period.
Signed as a 16-year-old international free agent, he’s been in the system for close to nine years. That gives the Red Sox a pretty good understanding of who he is and what makes him tick.
Instead of being motivated to fully capitalize on every trip to the salary arbitration table, Bello now has his salaries fixed for the next six years, and potentially, a seventh. That means no external pressure or angst about pending free agency, but it could also invite some complacency.
If the Red Sox are convinced they he won’t be negatively impacted by the lack of a “carrot” — the possibility of earning more each year, based on performance — it’s because they know his makeup and are comfortable that he won’t become complacent.
4) Deals like this make statements.
Not in the sense of statements to the fan base and the general public — though that can’t be completely dismissed for an organization that has come under fire for failure to spend in recent seasons.
More importantly, it sends a message to the clubhouse and into the minor leagues: Yes, the Red Sox are interesting in committing to their best young players.
That’s a not insignificant message after Mookie Betts was traded a year before reaching free agency, and Xander Bogaerts, after agreeing to one extension, couldn’t be signed to a second.
Betts and Bogaerts were homegrown All-Stars and Betts remains one of the handful of best talents in the game. The fact he was dealt for 50 cents on the dollar because the Sox weren’t proactive enough to secure him to a deal sooner, or, unwilling to pay the going rate as he neared free agency, remains an embarrassment to a team with the resources of the Red Sox.
A deal like Bello’s will resonate with top prospects such as Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony — and others.
5) A commitment of $55 million isn’t chump change, but if this deal goes poorly, it won’t cripple the Red Sox.
This isn’t the Kansas City Royals we’re talking about. When a small-market team signs a player to a deal like this, it can’t go wrong because it would hamstring them for years.
That’s not the case here with a team with the Red Sox’ resources. Were it, say, $155 million, the stakes are different. But $55 million in guarantees? That’s hardly ruinous in a worst-case scenario.
Let’s say Bello never reaches the heights projected for him, and over the next six years, is merely a competent starter. That will mean the Red Sox are spending an average of just over $9 million annually for a starting pitcher. Even in that case, the Sox won’t be negatively impacted or restricted from making other moves.
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When Shohei Ohtani reached free agency last fall, the Red Sox weren’t part of the equation. A handful of teams stepped up to compete for the great two-way player’s services — Toronto, San Francisco, and the eventual winner, the LA Dodgers — but the Red Sox weren’t among them.
For now, other than a brief flirtation with Yamamoto, the Red Sox have kept their checkbook largely holstered the last few offseasons.
But more than a decade ago, in 2012, when Ohtani was about to begin his professional career, the Red Sox were very much in the mix.
Back then, Ohtani wasn’t the game’s most celebrated star. In fact, he was largely unknown to the Western world. But the Sox were among the teams that had scouted him extensively as an amateur. Jon Deeble, who was their scout in the Pacific Rim, along with current assistant GM Eddie Romero, both saw a lot of Ohtani and had built a rapport with him and his family.
At the time, the idea of a player both pitching and hitting was the stuff of fantasy. And even the teams pursuing him — the Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Dodgers — were open to the experiment. Mostly, however, they were just captivated by his talent and dedication.
That Ohtani was considering trying to both pitch and hit was one thing. But the notion that an 18-year-old, with no professional experience, was willing to come to North America and attempt to play the game at its highest level, was statement enough.
Further, he made an impression by being willing to take a forego a bigger payday that he would later get as part of the posting process and sign at an early age for far less also made an impression. At the time, MLB set caps on international signings, and teams could only go over their prescribed allotment by sacrificing money the following year.
“I thought it was pretty courageous and impressive at the time,” said Romero, “and it spoke to his confidence and competitiveness.”
And so, the Red Sox prepared their pitch.
“We had worked to develop to establish a relationship with him and some people around him,” recalled Pittsburgh Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who at the time held the same title with the Red Sox, “that at least gave us a window, a door opening. We had people on the ground that, at one point, actually felt it was possible to sign him. I don’t remember all the details, or the exact sequencing.
“I don’t know if we allowed ourselves to get too optimistic about it. But I do remember, there was one phone call, and it was, ‘We didn’t get him.’ When it happened that he determined he was going to stay (in Japan and sign with the Nippon Ham Fighters), it happened pretty quickly.”
Romero recalls meeting with Ohtani and his family, and watching him compete in high school games and private workouts.
“To this day,” said Romero, “it remains the best report that I’ve ever written up on a pitcher.”
Romero and Deeble, with the help of a translator, laid out the plan they had in place for Ohtani’s future. Ohtani knew that the Red Sox had a history with Japanese players, highlighted by their recruitment of Daisuke Matsuzaka. And in turn, the Sox solicited input from Matsuzaka and others as they prepared their charm offensive.
“I thought it went really well,” said Romero. “He had quite a presence even then. We made a strong push, and he decided to stay put in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball). He was interested in coming, but it didn’t work out. Still, it was very cool to see him in that environment. He threw a bullpen for us in a small shack, where it looked like he was throwing 200 mph. He was very impressive in every regard.”
So impressive that Romero hurried to call Cherington with his impressions, even though it was 3 a.m. stateside.
“We thought highly of him before,” said Romero, “but hearing him talk about his goals, how he saw himself, he was very mature, was quite an experience. It’s one of the highlights of the travel and doing what we do — getting to see him at that age. Even then, he was different.”
Ohtani was, at the time, somewhat uncertain as to how to proceed as a two-way player.
“He wanted to try it and we were open to it,” said Romero. “I think he was favoring pitching, but he also didn’t want to give up on hitting. But we were open to him coming in as a two-way player.”
Romero said Ohtani wasn’t very curious about Boston as a city or Fenway Park, but more intent on finding out the organization’s plan for him, with an special focus on the pitching structure and how the Sox had developed other international players.
Losing out on Ohtani then was a disappointment for the Red Sox, a turn of events that Cherington labeled “a bummer. But at the time, we didn’t know what we were missing out on. Obviously, we thought he was going to be good.”
“I would put it this way — at the time, I thought we had as good a chance as anybody,” said Romero, more than a little wistfully. “Jon and our scouts had put us in a really good position. From an evaluation standpoint, I thought we had done our homework. I had made a few visits to see him, not only in Japan but in other international tournaments. We had done a good job establishing a strong foundation for conviction with him. When decision time came, we thought, ‘We’ve done the best we can do.’ We thought we were in a good place.”
Alas, it was not good enough.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 9, 2024 11:51:49 GMT -5
SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES Could the MLB Players Association also be representing college baseball players in the future?By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 9, 2024, 1 hour ago The news that the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to join a union certainly caught the attention of Tony Clark. He was a baseball and basketball player at San Diego State before playing 15 seasons in the majors and becoming executive director of the MLB Players Association in 2013. The Big Green players, men and women, had called to get Clark’s advice on the matter. “We believe that a lot of the challenges that currently exist in the college landscape can be remedied by guys having a formal seat at the table,” Clark told the Globe. “So that call that we got from the Dartmouth men’s and women’s team at the time, I tip my hat to those guys and gals. The guys moving forward in the fashion that you’ve seen them and being able to come alongside them in whatever fashion that we can has been great. “We’re hopeful that there are additional conversations that are had beyond the Dartmouth men’s basketball team.” Now that the MLBPA represents minor league players, the next logical step could be to do the same for college baseball players. Given the large number of former collegiate players in its ranks, the MLBPA is uniquely positioned to render assistance. That could come from the union being a member of the AFL-CIO’s Sports Council along with the NFL Players Association, the NWSL Players Association, and some smaller unions. But not necessarily. “There’s an opportunity as we continue to discuss among that council and separately for all of us to engage in a way that’s a little bit different than happened at this point,” Clark said. “Obviously our expertise would be in baseball.” The MLBPA could aid college baseball players in a number of ways: improving facilities, finding more routes to NIL income, mentorship programs, and representing the players in any disputes with their schools or the NCAA. The Dartmouth basketball players voted to join a local union that represents service employees at the college. The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board had previously ruled the players were employees of the school, something that may not be applicable to public schools. It’s also uncertain to what degree other teams or athletes from other sports will follow Dartmouth’s lead. But it has been clear for several years that college athletics is changing dramatically. As to major league issues, Clark has spent much of the last month dealing with problems the players have had with the look and comfort of the new uniforms designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics. The clamor has died down, with the league vowing to get the fit right, particularly for the pants. “We’re working through that,” Clark said. “I admit that I didn’t think it was going to be a topic of discussion and it has been maintained as a topic of discussion. I reiterate that I’m hopeful that by the time we get to Opening Day, it’s less of a topic of discussion.” Within the Red Sox clubhouse, fit has been less of a problem than the idea that the new uniforms don’t look as stylish and well-designed as you’d expect for the major leagues. The other big issue that has come up — MLB’s seemingly endless free agency — doesn’t seem to have an answer. As the weekend approached, Mike Clevinger, Adam Duvall, Michael Lorenzen, J.D. Martinez, Jordan Montgomery, Tommy Pham, and Blake Snell were among the players who are still free agents. Is there any way the league and the union could come together to tighten up a process that has become aggravating to all concerned? Commissioner Rob Manfred has suggested a deadline be put in place in conjunction with the Winter Meetings. That would create content for the league and its media partners. But the players don’t see that as their problem. “The conversation around a [signing] deadline, we don’t believe there’s value in that,” said Clark, who also pointed out that teams had the freedom to sign players a few days after the World Series and there was little action. Meanwhile, the league has rejected the idea of rewarding teams who sign players early in the process. It’s a stalemate and nobody benefits, fans included. The topic will likely come up when the next collective bargaining agreement is negotiated after the 2026 season. “That tango could be held at some point,” Clark said. “We’ll have a formal tango in a few years.” LESSONS LEARNED Crawford appreciated his time with SaleChris Sale is now an Atlanta Brave. But he’s still a good influence on Kutter Crawford. Sale surprised Crawford with a congratulatory text message when he was drafted in 2017, then became a mentor once they became teammates in 2021. Both grew up in central Florida and attended Florida Gulf Coast University. “It was huge having somebody I could relate to,” Crawford said. “We’re not the same pitchers. He’s a tall, lanky lefty and I’m a stock righty, so to speak. I just tried to pick his brain.” Crawford vented to Sale after a poor start last season, and after he let his frustration out, Sale offered simple advice. “He said, ‘It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to show up for work tomorrow. That’s it. It’s not going to be your last bad outing,’ ” Crawford said. “That resonated with me.” Crawford has stayed in touch with Sale since he was traded to the Braves and hopes to face him this season. Sale has looked sharp in spring training after joining one of the best rotations in the game. Atlanta’s plan is to carefully parcel out his starts with an eye on keeping Sale healthy for the postseason. That could be a chore, as the Red Sox learned. But Sale is hungry to show he can still be one of the best in the game. A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Rich Hill was at Fenway South for two days this past week to call two games on the radio and be around the coaches and players. “Now back to the great unknown,” he joked. The lefthander, who turns 44 on Monday, is a free agent who could return to the mound once his son, Brice, is finished with his final Little League season in Milton. Here’s a thought: The Sox should offer Hill a chance to join the team as a player with the further understanding that a job in the front office awaits once he’s done pitching. The Sox do not have many alumni in meaningful roles. Given the breadth of his experience and knowledge of pitching, Hill would be a smart addition. ▪ The Sox sent $17 million to the Braves along with Sale to get back second baseman Vaughn Grissom. That money counts against the luxury tax, as will the $19.25 million paid to Lucas Giolito this season.
That’s $36.25 million for pitchers who will not play for the Sox this season — roughly 20 percent of their luxury tax payroll. ▪ Sam Kennedy added his latest two titles earlier this month. He was named chief executive officer of Fenway Sports Group on March 1, and on Wednesday he was named to the board of directors for PGA Tour Enterprises.
Kennedy also is president and CEO of the Red Sox, CEO of Fenway Sports Management, and CEO of FSG Real Estate.
Privately, some people within the organization wonder if this will lead to Kennedy giving up his day-to-day duties with the Sox and FSG hiring a team president whose sole focus is the team and Fenway Park.
That’s probably overdue at this stage. And, while Kennedy tries to be earnest, it’s clear his public comments about the team have done more to anger fans than assure them.▪ BetOnline lists Texas outfielders Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford as the favorites for American League Rookie of the Year at 3/1. Wilyer Abreu is the eighth choice at 16/1. Ceddanne Rafaela (50/1) and Marcelo Mayer (80/1) are among the long shots. ▪ No matter how many baseball games you watch, there’s always something new to see. On Tuesday, Masataka Yoshida was at the plate with Rafael Devers at third and two outs against the Rays in the fifth inning. As Yoshida swung and missed at a pitch from Ryan Pepiot, the white thumb padding on his hand came loose and flew to the backstop. Devers thought it was the ball and took off for the plate. Catcher Rob Brantly was waiting with the actual ball and tagged out Devers. It went down as a caught stealing. “Everybody thought it was the baseball,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who briefly argued. But no rule covers the situation. ▪ U.L. Washington, who died on Monday at the age of 70, was best known for his eight seasons with the Royals and ever-present toothpick. But he also worked as a minor league hitting coach for the Red Sox from 2003-14. His pupils included Mookie Betts with Single A Greenville in 2013. Washington also influenced a number of other future major leagues as the Gulf Coast League hitting coach from 2006-12. ETC. An opera house in the desertRenderings of the 33,000-seat ballpark the Athletics want to build on the Las Vegas Strip look a lot like the iconic Sydney Opera House. A press release described the structure as a “spherical armadillo.” There have been renderings of ballparks in multiple spots in California over the last 20 years and a shovel has yet to hit the ground. But this time John Fisher does have permission from his fellow voters to move the team and commissioner Rob Manfred approves of Las Vegas. The latest plan calls for a $1.5 billion park at the site of the Tropicana Hotel that would open for the 2028 season. The overlapping roof structure is designed to allow in indirect sunshine. There would be an 18,000-square-foot scoreboard in right field with left field open to views of the Strip, largely the New York New York Hotel & Casino. Only 2,500 parking spots are planned, meaning the team will have to work with local officials on a bus system to bring in fans who park away from the area. The team also believes a good percentage of fans will be tourists who will walk to the park from nearby hotels or use ride shares. It seems likely that weekend games in particular will draw a large number of fans of the visiting teams. The financing is not yet settled and until it is, this is all hypothetical. But the Athletics have taken another step out of Oakland. Extra bases When it comes to Mookie Betts, it seems anything is possible. The Dodgers initially decided to move him to second base this season to fill a need. Now he’ll be at shortstop, the move coming after Gavin Lux struggled with his throwing during spring training. Betts started 12 games at shortstop last season, all in the first half. Before that he hadn’t played the position since 2012 when he was with Single A Lowell. You have to wonder if the Dodgers will eventually obtain a shortstop — Willy Adames of the Brewers? — and move Betts back to second base or right field to protect him from wearing down physically. It also raises the question of how the Dodgers could invest as much as they did in their roster and not have a reliable shortstop. Whether Betts plays shortstop for 25, 50 or 150 games, that he was willing and able to switch positions further underscores what a historic blunder the Red Sox made in trading him. It was incredibly foolish in 2020 and has only gotten worse since . . . The Blue Jays have Justin Turner and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on their 40-man roster with Daniel Vogelbach and now Joey Votto in camp on minor league deals. Guerrero will be the regular first baseman and Turner took a $13 million deal to be the designated hitter. Votto can play first and DH, while Vogelbach is a full-time DH. Those parts don’t fit together well. Guerrero has averaged 158 starts the last three seasons, DH-ing on the days he doesn’t play first base. If there’s a role for Votto, it could be as a backup first baseman and DH against some righthanders. Votto is a Toronto native and Blue Jays fans will want to see him on the field . . . If he can stay healthy, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal will be a Cy Young contender this season. He’s taken a step forward with his command . . . James Wood, 21, was 9 of 24 with 3 homers, 5 RBIs, and 6 walks in his first 11 Grapefruit League games for the Nationals. The 6-foot-6-inch outfielder was one of the prospects Washington received from San Diego for Juan Soto in 2022. Wood finished last season in Double A and will be in Washington soon. The ball comes off his bat with a noticeable crack . . . Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were in the lineup for the Dodgers on Wednesday when they played the White Sox in Arizona. There were 10 media members representing outlets in the United States, 35 from Japan. To a lesser degree, that’s happened in Fort Myers, too. When the Rays started Naoyuki Uwasawa on Tuesday against a Red Sox lineup that included Masataka Yoshida, there were 10 Japanese media at JetBlue Park and only five who regularly cover the Sox and Rays . . . Northeastern beat Georgia Tech, 7-0, on Wednesday. Upsetting an ACC team is a major accomplishment for the Huskies, but the bigger story might have been the work their pitchers did against Yellow Jackets star freshman Drew Burress, who was 0 for 5. Burress was 18 of 43 (.419) in his first 10 games with six doubles, a triple, seven walks, 10 home runs, and 23 RBIs . . . Happy birthday to Mike Timlin, who is 58. The reliable righthander pitched for the Red Sox from 2003-08, appearing in 394 games, fifth in team history. Timlin won World Series with the Blue Jays (1992, ‘93) and Sox (2004, ‘07) and appeared in 46 postseason games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 10, 2024 6:30:55 GMT -5
Some Things I Think I Think: On making another try at Triston Casas and more
Published: Mar. 10, 2024, 5:15 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
* It’s well past time for the Red Sox to win the winter. That went out the window when it became clear that the Sox were not, in fact, going “full throttle.” Having whetted fans’ appetites, they then mostly punted on the offseason. Needing at least two starting pitchers for the rotation, they instead traded from their already thin allotment, and their one addition (Lucas Giolito) is now unlikely to throw another pitch this season.
But there’s still time to make some inroads with the fan base. Getting an extension done with Brayan Bello was a good first step. Next, the Red Sox need to make another run at getting one done with Triston Casas.
Their first approach, confirmed last month by Casas, wasn’t tempting enough. That’s not a huge surprise, as negotiations often begin that way. It’s worth another shot, however. Casas is that important.
It’s possible that Casas isn’t inclined to sign away his salary arbitration seasons or forego any free agency years. He doesn’t lack for confidence in himself and he may figure that going year-to-year and maximizing every dollar is the best path for his career. That’s his right, of course.
But Casas has all the makings of a future star and looks to be a difference-maker in the middle of the Red Sox’ lineup for years to come. Securing him now to, say, a seven- or eight-year extension would send a loud message to the fans and avoid trouble down the line.
* The Bruins didn’t do much to improve themselves at the deadline, which, given their cap situation and their lack of draft capital, wasn’t totally unexpected. Don Sweeney was mostly boxed in.
But here’s what concerns me: while the Bruins didn’t get any better, a number of Eastern Conference teams — some of them potential playoff opponents — did: Tampa Bay, Florida, and Carolina. The East doesn’t have a dominant, overwhelming team as the playoffs draw near, so even the slightest edge can make the difference between a deep run and reserving late-April tee times.
That said, it would have been interesting to see what the Bruins were offered for Linus Ullmark from the Los Angeles Kings. And their willingness to move him now all but guarantees he’ll be dealt this summer.
* The Celtics don’t have much to prove in the regular season. It’s pretty obvious they’re going to easily clear the 60-win plateau and barring some late-season collapse, very likely will earn home court throughout the playoffs. And that sort of dominance shouldn’t be taken for granted.
But let’s face it: with this team, it’s championship or bust. No one will be satisfied with a deep playoff run. So it’s at least a little concerning that the Celts are 1-6 vs. teams with a 600 winning percentage or better since Jan. 1.
* Re-signing Hunter Henry seems like a decent start to free agency. Now, if the Patriots can find a way to make sure he’s not hugely under-utilized.
* Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and maybe Josh Winckowski in the rotation. Chris Martin potentially sidelined. And a still nearly three weeks worth of exhibition games still to go. At this rate, there are going to be a lot of unfamiliar names in the Red Sox bullpen on Opening Night.
* I enjoyed Jeopardy! more when each contestant didn’t have to go through a choreographed bit when being introduced. Some otherwise intelligent people feel the need to look like they’re auditioning for the high school drama club or convince everyone they’re proficient at semaphore. A simple smile and wave will do, thanks.
* It’s kind of weird that the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a payroll of nearly $315 million and having spent more than $1 billion this offseason, have discovered, less than three weeks out from Opening Day, that they may not have a shortstop. Concerned with Gavin Lux’s defense, the Dodgers have made Mookie Betts their starter at the position.
Betts is athletic enough to play almost anywhere, and of course, came up as an infielder. Having Betts to make the position switch is a significant ask midway through spring training, and the whole thing suggests a lack of foresight.
* I am here for the next Jack Edwards-Pat Maroon interaction.
* Good to see Angel Hernandez is already in mid-season form. Hernandez ran St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn in the third inning of a Grapefruit League game for arguing balls and strikes Friday night, then stopped him from throwing additional pitches in the bullpen. Even in March, as always, it’s all about Angel.
* If the Patriots are indeed thinking about handing the quarterback reins to a veteran for a season to two, seems they could do a lot worse than a guy who had 24 TD passes and just eight interceptions this past season with a quarterback rating of 98.0. But the mere mention of Russell Wilson as a potential placeholder has some people over the edge.
* Not sure how I missed this last spring, when he was briefly a member of the Bruins, but: Tyler Bertuzzi is the Lost Culkin Brother, isn’t he?
* After laying off five percent of its workforce in 2023, the NFL is offering buyout packages to another 200 or so employees this year. Apparently, nearly $12 billion in revenues in 2023 is insufficient for that little Mom-and-Pop operation on Park Avenue.
* If I had to bet on a Red Sox player enjoying a breakout season, my money would be on Kutter Crawford. More than any of aspiring starters, Crawford looks ready to get to the next level.
* Not long ago, when a star football player retired, the question immediately asked was: Is he going to Canton? But in the NFL, the question now is: Which network pregame show will hire him? So it is with Jason Kelce.
And for the record, while Kelce is indeed a Hall of Famer with a stellar career, can we stop with the “GOAT” talk every time an excellent player enters retirement? It’d be difficult to make the case that Kelce was a better center than Jim Otto, Mike Webster, Dwight Stephenson or any number of players who preceded him at the position.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2024 9:06:27 GMT -5
SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES Here are some trends developing in spring training that are worth noting By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 16, 2024, 7 minutes ago
Spring training has come to the point where everybody just wants to get the season started.
This isn’t 1975. Players don’t need 40 days to get in shape for the season. They now arrive at camp after a full offseason of workouts with most players employing professional trainers.
Truth be told, position players could be ready in a few weeks. But pitchers need time to build up innings while facing hitters. Spring training also is a profitable enterprise, let’s not forget that.
Beyond checking days off the calendar as Opening Day approaches, there are some trends developing in Florida and Arizona that are worth noting:
▪ The Orioles are a terror: Baltimore won 16 of its first 21 games and led the Grapefruit League in runs. That’s not some fluke.
Adding Corbin Burnes to the young core of stars stamped the Orioles as the team to beat in the American League East, and they’re comfortable with the expectations.
Jackson Holliday was given No. 87 for spring training. That could change if the 20-year-old comes out of camp as the starting second baseman. Even if he doesn’t, Holliday will be in the majors soon.
Outfielder Colton Cowser, who turns 24 on Wednesday, has been one of the most impressive hitters in Florida, statistically and according to scouts.
As new owners prepare to take over from the Angelos family, the Orioles are positioned for long-term success.
▪ Paul Skenes is the real deal: The first pick of the 2023 draft by the Pirates appeared in only one Grapefruit League game and was told he wouldn’t make the team. But the 21-year-old from LSU seems sure to make his debut within a few months, if not sooner.
Consider this six-pitch at-bat against Holliday in a Spring Breakout prospects game. Skenes started out with fastballs of 101 and 102 miles per hour that Holliday took for balls. A changeup was fouled off.
Skenes came back with 101 that was just off the plate. Then came a breaking ball that Holliday missed and a changeup off the outside corner he swung through.
“Not fair,” wrote Hall of Famer Jim Palmer on X. He compared the 6-foot-6-inch, 235-pound Skenes to Nolan Ryan.
▪ Competitive Padres: The death of free-spending owner Peter Seidler, the trade of Juan Soto to the Yankees, and the loss of Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to free agency seemed to signal a step back for the Padres.
But never count out president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. He swung a trade for Dylan Cease and seems set to start the season with 20-year-old outfielder Jackson Merrill.
Merrill had a .995 OPS through 13 Cactus League games and accompanied the Padres to South Korea this past week to open the season.
“He’s earned what’s coming after the plane,” manager Mike Shildt said.
Merrill, who turns 21 in April, was the team’s first-round pick in 2021 out of a high school in Maryland. He finished last season in Double A. Merrill was a shortstop in the minors, but the Padres are trying him in center field.
A rotation fronted by Cease, Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and former Boston College pitcher Michael King (obtained from the Yankees as part of the Soto deal) will be competitive.
They could use a run producer like J.D. Martinez to DH.
▪ Yankees woes: Gerrit Cole is expected to miss 1-2 months with an elbow injury. Marcus Stroman was asked to start Opening Day and turned it down. Aaron Boone settled on Nestor Cortes, who had a 4.97 ERA in 12 starts last season.
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is dealing with an abdominal strain and slimmed-down Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t found his swing. The Red Sox require the best-case scenario to reach the playoffs
HE’S A KEEPER Rule 5 pick Slaten has impressed Red Sox
There was a time when Red Sox officials attended the annual Rule 5 Draft only to see if any of their prospects were taken.
That changed when Garrett Whitlock was plucked from the Yankees in 2020. He’s provided 4.9 WAR since.
In December, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow arranged for the Mets to take righthander Justin Slaten from the Rangers with the seventh pick, then traded a prospect for him.
Through Friday, Slaten had pitched 5⅓ innings in five Grapefruit League games, allowing one unearned run on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
At this stage, it’s not a question of if the Sox will keep him. It’s how much they could use the 26-year-old.
“He’s been great. Swing-and-miss stuff,” manager Alex Cora said. “Throwing strikes, which is the most important thing.
“We’ve added things during camp that he needs to do to be a big leaguer: holding runners, expanding the zone with your stuff, getting ahead.” Related: Red Sox add minor-league pitcher Justin Slaten in trade with Mets, lose two players in Rule 5 draft
Slaten was a third-round pick by the Rangers in 2019 and reached Triple A last season. The Sox see him as being able to work two innings at a time out of the bullpen.
“His stuff will play at this level,” Cora said. “Just like Garrett said a few years ago, they don’t want to go back. They want to be here. They want to be big leaguers and he has a shot.”
A few other observations on the Red Sox
▪ A few readers have emailed suggesting the Sox must have missed a preexisting injury with Lucas Giolito when he had his physical.
That’s a convenient excuse but incorrect in this case. Giolito had a physical before he signed in January and again at the start of camp, and the team’s medical staff did its due diligence.
The Sox also had access to information from the physicals he took last season after being traded to the Angels in July, then claimed off waivers by the Guardians in August.
That Giolito had Tommy John surgery in 2012 would have triggered an even more extensive look at his elbow.
Sometimes it’s just one pitch. That can happen with pitchers. Related: A hopeful Lucas Giolito is back with Red Sox, pointing toward next year
▪ During a conference call to discuss ESPN’s coverage of the coming season, vice president of production Phil Orlins praised Eduardo Perez for his ability to interview Latin American players.
“A guy like Rafael Devers, who doesn’t do many interviews at all, especially in English, he’s happy to go on and catch a pop fly and talk about his favorite flavor of ice cream in a mix of Spanish and English,” Orlins said. “It really opens up access to the stars of the game.”
Orlins is right, Perez does an excellent job. But Devers does plenty of interviews and is increasingly comfortable speaking in English with reporters he knows. Compared with a few years ago, he’s come a long way.
But it does speak to the national perception of Devers, which is that he’s a star player in the shadows. Devers has a $313.5 million contract, so what does he care about public relations? But perhaps it’s something he, the Sox, and his agents should discuss.
▪ That baseball has changed from even just a few years ago is evident every time you watch a game. But how can that be put into a statistical context?
Like this: Cora feels a team would be “just fine” to get 25 innings from its rotation through one turn. That’s only five innings per pitcher.
“Nobody’s going to be like the 2005 White Sox [who had four starters with at least 204 innings]. We know that,” Cora said. “That’s in the past.”
Anything short of that, Cora said, is a problem because it will wear down the bullpen.
“If you get 30, you’re gold,” Cora said. “Those six innings are huge.”
Cora looked at the 2021 Sox as having ample innings with Nate Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, and Eduardo Rodriguez combining for 495 innings.
The Sox have not had a pitcher with at least 200 innings since Rodriguez had 203⅓ in 2019. Only five pitchers — Logan Webb (Giants), Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks), Gerrit Cole (Yankees), Miles Mikolas (Cardinals), and Chris Bassitt (Blue Jays) — did it last season.
▪ Joe Dunand, a 28-year-old infielder, was in major league camp before being assigned to the minors on March 7. He is the nephew of Alex Rodriguez.
▪ If you ever visited McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I., you likely saw the large murals of the players who advanced to the majors. With the ballpark headed for the wrecking ball, they are up for auction.
So if you ever wanted Bo Diaz or Chico Walker to grace your Sox collection, this is your chance. The more notable players have higher starting bids.
Go to bidlive.bruneauandco.com for information.
ETC. DiSarcina decides he’s had enough
After 32 years in professional baseball, Gary DiSarcina is ready to enjoy a summer on Cape Cod.
The 56-year-old Billerica native isn’t closing the door on future opportunities in the game, but he considers himself retired and is ready to be a full-time husband, son, father, and grandfather.
“I missed so much over the years. It’s time to do something else,” DiSarcina said. “I’m very comfortable with the decision.”
His family and friends threw DiSarcina a party two weeks ago in Sandwich to celebrate his decision. John Farrell, a former teammate with the Angels, was among the guests, as was former Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick.
In 2017, DiSarcina was Farrell’s bench coach with the Red Sox. He managed the team to a victory against Toronto on July 1 when Farrell was given a day off to watch his son, Luke, make his major league debut with the Twins.
“That was one of the highlights for me, managing the Sox to a victory,” DiSarcina said. “As a kid who grew up in Billerica, I would have never imagined that.”
DiSarcina was drafted out of UMass in 1988 by the Angels, made his debut in 1989, and went on to play 12 seasons with the organization. He was an All-Star in 1995 and finished his career with 1,086 games, tied for 10th in franchise history.
DiSarcina then embarked on a 17-year career as a coach with the Red Sox, Angels, Mets, and Nationals.
“I wanted to be a high school history teacher and coach the baseball team,” he said. “I didn’t have a goal to be a major league player.”
DiSarcina has plenty on his plate this spring and summer. His son, JR, is set to play for the New England Knockouts in the independent Frontier League.
The team plays in Brockton, only an hour from DiSarcina’s home in Barnstable.
Daughter Carlee has a 2-year-old daughter and another baby on the way.
“I haven’t seen my son play in person since he was in Little League,” DiSarcina said. “I’m looking forward to that and being a grandfather and helping out there. Maybe I’ll help out coaching my son’s team. That would be something fun.”
DiSarcina also is an amateur beekeeper. Farrell, who became a lobsterman after leaving baseball, advised DiSarcina to stay busy and continue learning about new things.
“Being able to be around my family was an easy trade-off for me,” DiSarcina said. “There was no doubt in my mind that it was time to enjoy some life. It’s a big commitment to be on a major league staff, a lot of work. I still love the game, but it was time to walk away.”
Extra bases
The Yankees are giving away George Costanza bobbleheads on July 5. The Red Sox are in town that night and should be mandated by the commissioner to have righthanded reliever Jason Alexander on the roster. Alexander was signed a free agent last month and is in major league camp . . . Mets closer Edwin Diaz tore the patellar tendon of his right knee while celebrating a victory in the World Baseball Classic last March 16 and missed the season. He pitched his first game in spring training on Monday and struck out the side on 14 pitches. He hit 98 m.p.h. with his fastball and induced seven swings-and-misses. Diaz then returned home for the birth of a child but should be ready for Opening Day. Diaz had 32 saves and a 1.31 earned run average in 2022 . . . The Worcester Red Sox promoted Brooke Cooper to general manager. A Rhode Island native who helped lead Woonsocket High to two state titles in basketball and two in soccer, Cooper has been with the franchise since 2015 when she was an intern. Unlike the majors, GM is essentially a business position in the minor leagues and Cooper will run the team for Diamond Baseball Holdings. Former WooSox GM Dan Rea is moving to an expanded role with the parent company and will utilize his real estate experience in developing the neighborhood around the ballpark . . . There are plenty of good reasons to attend a game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. It’s a great ballpark for starters and they sell real Philly cheesesteaks. If you arrive early enough, you could see 78-year-old Phillies legend Larry Bowa throwing batting practice. Bowa has been affiliated with the team since 1965, when he signed out of junior college. He played 12 seasons for the Phillies, managed them for four seasons, and had two stints as a coach . . . The Red Sox released righthander Nate Tellier, who played at Attleboro High and UMass Dartmouth, this past week. He was quickly signed by the independent Kansas City Monarchs . . . The collective bargaining agreement allows a team to terminate the contract of a player whose salary is decided by an arbitration panel. The Giants used the loophole to pay off infielder J.D. Davis with $1.11 million rather than his full $6.55 million. San Francisco made the move after signing Matt Chapman to play first base . . . Red Sox first baseman Pablo Reyes was called for obstruction late in the game against the Cardinals on Tuesday. It led to Alex Cora huddling with the umpires to make sure he understood why the call was made. The league has told umpires to be more diligent about fielders blocking runners from the bag or moving up to take a throw and getting in the way of the runner. Umpires could be making the call more often in the final weeks of spring training to make it clear . . . One more on the umpires: ESPN will debut an “Ump Cam” this season . . . The ALS Awareness Game between Virginia and Boston College will be at 7 p.m. on April 25 at Fenway Park. The game, played in memory of former BC captain Pete Frates, benefits the Frates Family Foundation. Go to redsox.com/alsgame for tickets . . . City Winery Boston will host “Josh Kantor’s 7th Inning Stretch: Opening Day Edition” on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Fenway Park organist will host a night of live music with guests Vance Gilbert, Kelly Hogan, former Red Sox pitcher Lenny DiNardo, and Fenway announcer Henry Mahegan. Go to citywinery.com/boston for tickets . . . Happy birthday to Bill Mueller, who is 53. He had the best season of his 11-year career with the Red Sox in 2003, winning the American League batting title with a .326 average and hitting 19 homers. He followed that up by posting an .811 OPS for the 2004 team. Mueller retired after the 2006 season and returned to the game quickly as special assistant, coach, and scout with the Dodgers for seven seasons. Stints with the Cubs, Cardinals, and Nationals followed. He is now assistant hitting coach of the Marlins.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 17, 2024 5:52:02 GMT -5
Some Things I Think I Think: On fans turning their wrath on injured players and more
Published: Mar. 17, 2024, 5:15 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lucas Giolito managed to violate the cardinal rule earlier this week: he publicly acknowledged that he felt he had let his team and his teammates down by incurring a season-ending elbow injury.
This was all a certain subset of fans needed to hear on the hellscape that is X, formerly the hellscape known as Twitter.
The predictably cynical vitriol followed: So is he going to give back his salary? Or Yeah, I bet he’s laughing all the way to the bank. Not to mention He should be sorry, but he’ll still take the money.
Apparently, the worst offense one can commit these days is to be a highly-paid athlete who gets injured.
It’s natural that fans feel frustrated when a player is lost for the year. But as long as I live, I’ll never get over the idea that some fans have — namely, that injured professional athletes should, in good conscience, decline their guaranteed salaries because, well, that would be the honorable thing to do.
This foolish notion seemed to reach its apex in the final years of Dustin Pedroia’s long-term contract, when fans called him for return the money had legally coming to him, because that would free up additional money for the team to spend elsewhere. As if it were somehow Pedroia’s responsibility to refund his salary to help the Sox fix a poorly managed payroll. As if John Henry and Co. should be bailed out from a legally binding contract to which they agreed.
Put it this way: if you’re rooting for a billionaire to recoup his money at the expense of a player who is unable to perform through no fault of his own, it might be time to re-examine your priorities.
I’ve covered sports for more than 40 years, and yes, I’ve come across the occasional entitled, spoiled athlete. They exist in every profession and walk of life. But in that time, I would wager that the number of players who would prefer sitting out a season while getting paid to earning their salary on the field, court or ice would number less than a handful. Athletes love to be paid, sure, but they love to play even more. It’s that competitive zeal that has brought them to the top of their profession.
The money may seem absurd to most of us, but really, this is no different than a construction worker getting injured on the job and collecting disability. The only real distinction is the number of zeros on the paycheck.
Well, that and an unhealthy case of schadenfreude from fans who should know better.
* It’s not quite to the level of “full throttle” disappointment, but the Patriots’ initial foray into free agency has been, shall we say...underwhelming.
A team with the most cap space of any team in the league shouldn’t be losing players over a few million, which is what happened with Calvin Ridley. The Patriots needed a No. 1 receiver and Ridley was there for the asking. The failure to operate with the necessary urgency is alarming.
* The Bruins attempted to trade Linus Ullmark to the Los Angeles Kings, only to have Ullmark invoke his limited no-movement clause to block the deal. The next day, Ullmark, with absolutely not an ounce of bitterness, expressed relief and delight that he was staying put and played what was arguably his best game of the season. Hockey players are just different.
* The only surprising thing about the stolen shipment of Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads is that it didn’t take place in Canada.
* Their biggest need — by far — remains starting pitching. But something tells me that the Red Sox are going to regret not spending $3 million or so on Adam Duvall. Duvall has certainly had his own durability issues, but the Sox can’t be sure how Tyler O’Neill will hold up physically, and while both Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are talented, but largely untested.
* It may be tempting for the Patriots to value quantity and trade down for some additional picks. They can surely use all of the premium talent they can find in the upcoming draft, and a trade with the Vikings could net them a tackle and a top wideout. But none of that matters if they don’t have the right quarterback in place. And given that it wouldn’t appear the Pats are willing to turn things over to Jacoby Brissett for the next few seasons, they need to stay put and draft a QB around whom they can build.
If they pass this time, who knows when they might next get a crack at a franchise quarterback?
* Two losses in the world of music hit hard last week. Eric Carmen, who led the Raspberries to a string of terrific power pop singles in the early-to-mid 70s, and Karl Wallinger, whose unmatched gift for crafting Beatlesque melodies with World Party made radio more fun in the late 80s and early 90s. RIP to both.
* Do you think the Red Sox are watching the fallout from The Dynasty and starting to second-guess their decision to take part in the Netflix series?
* It’s probably not a coincidence that two MLB general managers — San Diego’s A.J. Preller and Seattle’s Jerry Dipoto — never win anything. The two shuffle players around, execute blockbusters (sometimes with each other) and in the end, fail to make their teams appreciably better. You can’t act like you’re taking part in a Fantasy League when you’re dealing with real flesh-and-blood players.
* Joe Mazzulla gets an “A” for enthusiasm and competitiveness, but stepping out on the floor to contest a shot from an opponent after the whistle blows may not be the best idea. It strikes me as similar to a baseball manager going out to argue a call with the sole purpose of making a statement to his players. Others might call it “eye wash.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 19, 2024 5:22:38 GMT -5
Column: Invite or no, Schilling should stay away on Wakefield’s day
By Gabrielle Starr | gstarr@bostonherald.com March 19, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
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From the moment news broke of Tim Wakefield’s passing last Oct. 1, it was clear that this year’s Red Sox home opener would be an emotional day.
After all, the 2024 schedule had been finalized months earlier, and the first game at Fenway Park was set for April 9. As in, the Red Sox would be honoring the player who wore No. 49 on 4/9. Like a message from the baseball gods.
Unfortunately, there was an immediate issue, too. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Red Sox breaking the 86-year “Curse of the Bambino.” Incorporating that into the home opener’s pregame festivities was a given. However, the world found out that both Tim and his wife, Stacy, were battling cancer less than a week before his passing because his former teammate, Curt Schilling, decided to announce it for them, against their express wishes for privacy.
The Red Sox were furious with Schilling, and many members of the organization remain so. When asked about plans, a source told the Herald that the Sox were going to prioritize respecting the Wakefields. According to another source, a higher-up proclaimed that there was “No (expletive) way” Schilling would be included in any such festivities. Some players from the ‘04 team made it clear to the Sox that they didn’t want Schilling to come.
Such sentiments were further compounded when Stacy passed away less than five months after her husband.
So it was an unpleasant surprise when the Sox announced new home opener details on Monday, and the press release specifically noted, “All members of the 2004 team are invited.”
The juxtaposition of that statement, sandwiched between paragraphs about honoring the Wakefields, is stunning.
Then there are the No. 49 patches, which will be on the team’s jersey sleeves all season long in Wakefield’s honor. Unlike the traditional round patches for the late Johnny Pesky and Jerry Remy, the Sox opted for a heart shape for Wakefield. The press release explained that this is technically a “nod” to his tireless philanthropic efforts with the Red Sox Foundation. It’s also simply appropriate for a man who was very much the heart and soul of this organization for nearly three decades.
How, then, can they extend an invitation to someone who behaved so heartlessly?
Likely, the Sox chose to make this public statement so that Schilling can’t claim he wasn’t invited, as he did during the ‘18 World Series. Several members of the ‘04 squad wanted to attend, and though it was far from a complete roster, Schilling complained about being excluded. One would think that, given the many times he’s lambasted the Sox over the years, he wouldn’t even want to come.
There’s also a chance that the Red Sox will work something out with Schilling behind the scenes so that he agrees not to attend.
Regardless of the outcome, the entire situation is painful, frustrating, and just plain sad. Any and all ‘04 celebrations will forever be incomplete without Wakefield, and Schilling has ruined his own reputation, tarnished the collective memory of that historic season, and caused immense hurt to so many.
For over a decade, Schilling has retained hero status among many fans who believe baseball’s equivalent of separation between church and state. It’s one of the worst time-honored traditions in baseball: “on-field issues” such as performance-enhancing drug use are judged more harshly than the “off-the-field issues” that have real-world implications. In other words, it’s acceptable to be a bad person as long as you’re throwing gas, regularly putting up double-digit strikeout numbers, and pitching your team to the World Series.
Few ballplayers have benefited from this way of thinking more than Schilling over the last decade or so.
First, but certainly not foremost, he’s bad-mouthed the Red Sox several times over the years, and called out ownership on more than one occasion. “The ownership in Boston is comprised of some very, very bad human beings who on my way out of baseball did things to myself and my family that I’ll never forget,” he said in January ‘22. He once called principal owner John Henry “a dummy.” In 2011, he went on 98.5 The Sports Hub and said Henry was “full of (expletive).” He declared that if elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, he wouldn’t be wearing a Red Sox cap on his bronze plaque, then blamed the Sox for not getting elected.
Then there was the Rhode Island lawsuit regarding his failed gaming company and the tens of millions of taxpayer money he wasted.
Schilling was removed from the 2015 Little League World Series broadcast for tweeting out a meme that compared Muslim extremists to Nazis. Speaking of, he has an ample collection of what he calls “World War II stuff.” That’s a sanitized way of saying that he’s spent thousands, perhaps millions on Nazi artifacts, including uniforms worn by Adolf Hitler, Reinhard Heydrich, and Hermann Göring. The 192-photo Facebook album is still up; the description notes that he needs to sell off some of his collection because he’s running out of space.
ESPN finally fired him in 2016, when he posted transphobic content on social media. That was the same year he joked about lynching journalists. “Ok, so much awesome here,” he captioned a post that November, which showed a photo of a shirt with the roads, “Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required.”
Even then, it was clear he felt somewhat untouchable. “Given how much I talk, it’s amazing that I haven’t ruined myself,” he told Esquire Magazine in 2017.
In the years since, Schilling plunged himself into the alt-right deep end. He interviewed white supremacists on his Breitbart radio show, and his X page (formerly Twitter) was overflowing with medical disinformation, QAnon content, and praise for the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
At some point after Wakefield’s passing, Schilling wiped the entire account. He has yet to make a public apology to the family. If that’s still the case in three weeks, how can the Red Sox possibly allow his presence?
There are still far too many people who believe that baseball should only be about baseball, even though that has never been the case. Baseball has always been about more. Baseball is about patience, perseverance, history, teamwork, brotherhood, family, and love.
Tim Wakefield exemplified all of those things. Curt Schilling betrayed all of those things.
If Schilling had any sense of respect, he would stay home. Of course, the reason this is even a topic of discussion is that he doesn’t.
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