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Post by Kimmi on Mar 15, 2022 17:13:59 GMT -5
Defensively, it's a good alignment. I'm just not sure we can sustain Bradley's lack of offense. I just don't see JBJ as an everyday starter. I do see a bit of a bounce back for him though. I'm fine with that OF, if we can upgrade 2B. It depends on whether JBJ can bounce back to at least 2019 form offensively. I always say we can bury a weak bat in the 9 hole if the rest of the line up does its job, but not with last year's numbers.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 3:10:24 GMT -5
'I look good, I feel good': Bogaerts arrives to camp, talks defense and contract March 15th, 2022 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Xander Bogaerts, the longest-tenured player and the unquestioned team leader on the Red Sox, had to play some defense before he even got to the field for the team’s first workout on Tuesday.
What he was defending was his ability as a shortstop.
Defensive metrics weren’t kind to Bogaerts last season, as he ranked 16th among shortstops in the Majors by defensive runs saved at minus-5, per FanGraphs. But Bogaerts feels there is so much more to the puzzle. He made only nine errors in 523 chances, logging 1,169 innings. Bogaerts had a fielding percentage of .983, his second best in nine years on the job.
“Oh, man, I look good, I feel good,” said Bogaerts. “I feel like I can continue doing it for a while. I don’t think there’s anything in my way that can stop me right now from accomplishing that goal. Just being ready physically to be able to withstand a whole 162 games on your body. I know it’s not easy. As I get older, I’ve got to take more care of my body. Just try to improve every year.
“A lot of early work, a lot of extra work. Continue to make the routine plays. I think for me that’s more important.”
With Carlos Correa and Trevor Story both on the free-agent market, it has been suggested at least from media outlets that Bogaerts could switch positions in the near future if the Red Sox had an opportunity to land one of those players.
Bogaerts, still in his prime at the age of 29, didn’t seem pleased when the idea of a position switch was presented to him by the media. He said nobody from the Red Sox has discussed it with him.
“Oh, you guys came with that one, huh?” Bogaerts said. “I’m a shortstop, man. That’s where I’ve played my whole career. Obviously it’s a position I take a lot of pride in. If you look at my numbers, they’ve been pretty good for these years. I like being there. That’s it.”
Considering that Bogaerts possesses a relentless work ethic, don’t be surprised if he makes improvements on defense as he enters his ninth full season. Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave him some suggestions heading the offseason.
“You saw it, he looks even [stronger] than last year,” said Cora. “It's amazing. I don't know how he does it, but he looks stronger and more agile and more explosive. It's a testament to who he is, but there were a few things that we talked about in November in our exit meetings that he needed to do, and it seems like he did and we just need to keep building up.
“One thing is for sure: Whatever he touches, he turns into outs. It's just a matter of a few adjustments here and there, and we can help him with positioning, and we'll see what the final product is going to be.”
Defense wasn’t the only hot-button topic with Bogaerts. He has an opt-out clause after the 2022 season, which would allow him to chase dollars similar to what Corey Seager (10 years, $235 million) landed with the Rangers in early December.
“I mean, you’re aware. You see what’s going on. It’s not like you’re not seeing what’s going on out there. So you have to be a little open-minded,” said Bogaerts. “I’ve enjoyed my time here and obviously you want to be here for a long time, and we’ll see what happens. Anyone that comes here wants to stay for quite some time.”
When Bogaerts gets that chance to opt out -- assuming the Red Sox don’t sign him to an extension before then -- he will be halfway through the six-year, $120 millon pact he signed in 2019 with the only professional team he has ever known.
The contract question was the first Bogaerts fielded in front of his locker on Tuesday. He had barely even finished his breakfast.
“Oh, man. I mean, I just got here [to camp], man. We’ll see,” said Bogaerts. “We don’t have much time if any [if the extension] is going to happen [before the season]. Obviously, I love being here. Everyone knows it. I think that’s pretty clear. We have time if that’s going to happen. Not as much time as we normally have though.”
One thing that is clear is the mutual respect Bogaerts and the Red Sox have for each other.
Bogaerts has two World Series championships. The first came two months after his first callup, when he broke into the starting lineup in the middle of the 2013 postseason and played fearlessly.
Five years later, he was a cornerstone of a juggernaut squad, though somewhat overshadowed by the likes of Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Chris Sale.
These days, Bogaerts is front and center when you think of the Red Sox.
“Like I said before, and I’ll say it again, he was my shortstop in the World Series, he was my shortstop in the Wild Card Game,” said Cora. “I bet there's a lot of managers out there if you ask them who you want in a big game playing shortstop, they'll say Xander and I feel the same way.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 3:12:34 GMT -5
Cora delivers 'powerful' message to players, staff ahead of '22 season Eovaldi to make spring debut against Rays, Pivetta to start vs. Twins March 15th, 2022 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In 2019, with the Red Sox coming off a World Series championship, manager Alex Cora infamously told his team not to turn the page.
Three years later, Cora admitted that was a mistake.
As he addressed his players, staff and the organization as a whole prior to the team’s first full-squad workout on Tuesday, Cora had a much different tune. It was one aimed at the Red Sox not resting on their 2021 laurels, which included a trip to the American League Championship Series.
“I learned from ‘18 into ‘19, it’s not the same season,” said Cora. “So it’s a new season. A lot of new challenges and obviously we have to cancel the noise, because it’s going to be loud. There are a lot of good teams in the division. We are one of them, but at the same time, it’s kind of like last year in a sense; we have to fight for every inch. We have to get better and keep improving, and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy was among those inspired by the message delivered by Cora, who enters his fourth season as Boston’s manager.
“Alex’s message to the team as usual was powerful,” said Kennedy. “He talked about making a mistake in ’18 and delivering a message that, you know, we don't want to turn the page, that we want to just keep this thing rolling. And he acknowledged that that was a mistake and that we need to reinvent ourselves each and every year.
“He talked specifically about some of the new players coming in and some of our existing guys who have been here and just how difficult it is to get to that postseason and the grind, but he reiterated that that was the goal.
“He reiterated that the men and the women and the individuals in the organization who are standing behind the players are all there to support the players and we're there for them. And it would be great if once in a while we could say please and thank you or you're welcome. Just being courteous to each other, being respectful, being a good human being. It was a really powerful message that I think resonated.”
Cora’s other overriding theme was for his players not to view this Spring Training as a sprint even if it is condensed. Skipping steps in the process will only hurt the Red Sox from a health and performance standpoint.
“It’s not a sprint. You have to slow it down,” said Cora. “I know rumors wise and transactions wise and the [smaller] amount of [exhibition] games, it looks like it’s going to be a 100-meter race, but we know it’s not. So if we are able to do that with not only players or staff down here but from top to bottom, we’ll be in good shape.”
Eovaldi, Pivetta on tap for weekend While the Red Sox might deploy exclusively Minor League players for Thursday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Twins, Cora announced that Nathan Eovaldi will start Friday’s home game against the Rays and Nick Pivetta will take the ball for Saturday’s road game against Minnesota.
Both pitchers geared up for their assignments by throwing live batting practice on Tuesday.
Cora said that some of his position players could see action on Thursday, but most will make their debuts on Friday at JetBlue Park against the Rays.
“I think we have a good plan,” Cora said. “We were here for three weeks [plotting]. If we don't have a good plan, then we actually wasted our time. So we feel good where we [are] at as far as structure and all that.”
House beard Cora’s beard has become a big topic of conversation. The manager playfully said that his newfound facial hair has nothing to do with baseball.
“No, not playoff a beard. This is a house beard,” said Cora. “I said it before. This is not about the Red Sox or other stuff. It's about [my girlfriend] Angelica. She hates me right now because I keep saying this, but yeah, you gotta give her credit. So she's happy I'm keeping it. Tomorrow is photo day. I'll keep it tomorrow. I did a few things already for the scoreboard. So even if I shave, the beard will be there.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 3:28:26 GMT -5
Analyzing Jake Diekman and Matt Strahm, the Red Sox’ two new lefty relievers By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated March 15, 2022, 6:44 p.m.
The Red Sox have added depth to their bullpen, acquiring lefthanders Jake Diekman and Matt Strahm. Diekman, 35, most recently played 2½ seasons for the Athletics. Strahm, 30, was a member of the Padres for the last four years.
Diekman’s deal is for two years and $8 million, with a $4 million team option for 2024 or a $1 million buyout; he will make $3.5 million in both 2022 and 2023. Strahm’s deal is for one year and $3 million.
Each comes with the hope that he can bolster the Red Sox bullpen. Here’s a breakdown of both:
▪ Diekman leans heavily on his four-seam fastball/slider combination. The average velocity on his fastball was 95.3 miles per hour last year, but with his wiry 6-foot-4-inch frame and three-quarter arm slot, it can smother the hitter or be a difficult pitch to time.
If Diekman’s wipeout slider is working — a pitch that held hitters to just a .121 batting average last season — he can be a dominant reliever.
Take the 2020 season, for instance. Diekman was one of the best relievers in baseball, carrying a 0.42 ERA in 21⅓ innings. He flashed 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings, the highest mark of his career.
“He has big stuff,” an American League executive said. “He misses bats and will take the [ball]. But his command fluctuates.”
Inconsistency is common for relievers. And over a 162-game season, command fluctuation has more wiggle room to reach the surface. The 2020 season was shortened because of COVID-19, and while Diekman’s numbers were impressive — especially if you consider all the peculiar circumstances — the sample size wasn’t big enough to make a fair assessment.
The 2021 season, however, was.
Oakland’s plan heading into that season was to use a closer by committee. On some days, Lou Trivino would get the role. On other occasions, it would be Diekman. But Trivino took over as Diekman blew as many games (7) as he would save.
Diekman was placed in the setup role, but the A’s decided to trade for Andrew Chafin, another lefty, because Diekman became unreliable. In the end, Diekman was behind Trivino, Chafin, and Yusmeiro Petit.
Following a splendid August in which he posted a 1.64 ERA, Diekman sputtered in September. He yielded an 8.18 ERA that month, allowing a whopping 10 earned runs in 11 innings.
Nevertheless, at the season’s completion, Diekman held a respectable 3.86 ERA, striking out 12.3 batters per nine innings (83 in 60⅔ innings). That is likely in line with who Diekman is. He has a career ERA of 3.73 and averages 11.5 strikeouts over nine.
“As a reliever, some years are going to look better than others, but he’s been very consistent with the three-batter minimum,” said Padres manager Bob Melvin, who managed Diekman with the A’s the three previous seasons. “And every lefty I talk to [that has faced him] says it’s a real difficult ball to pick up.
“He’s definitely an effective lefty and he’s been doing it for quite a while.”
Diekman isn’t a top-tier reliever, but he certainly can be a very good one and give the Red Sox flexibility. He has had success against both lefties and righties; righties batted .200 against him last year while lefties hit .229. Manager Alex Cora should feel comfortable employing him in different scenarios, not just lefty-on-lefty matchups.
▪ Strahm dealt with a right knee injury much of the last two seasons. In September 2020, he was placed on the injured list with inflammation. In April 2021, the knee required patellar repair. He was activated in August, but by September the Padres decided to shut him down. He finished with just 6⅔ innings of work for the season.
Strahm doesn’t overwhelm hitters with velocity; he is more of a finesse pitcher. His four-seamer averages around 93 m.p.h. Like Diekman, he plays the fastball off the slider.
His numbers show him as somewhat of a reverse split-type pitcher. Righties have a career .229 batting average and .699 OPS against Strahm, while lefties are at .253 with a .732 OPS.
Strahm’s best season came in 2018 when he put together a 2.05 ERA and 0.978 WHIP in 61⅓ innings.
The additions of Diekman and Strahm were the Sox’ first attempt this offseason at trying to bolster their bullpen, one that stood in the middle of the pack last year but faltered in the playoffs, registering a 5.23 ERA. It’s a long time until October rolls back around, but the moves certainly detail what is at the top of the team’s to-do list.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 3:32:34 GMT -5
Xander Bogaerts, still happy with Red Sox, but now in position to lead contract discussion By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 15, 2022, 7:11 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — As he prepares for what would be his 10th season with the Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts is already one of the most accomplished players in franchise history.
The three-time All-Star has earned two World Series rings, won four Silver Slugger awards, and appeared in 44 postseason games.
All that before turning 30.
Bogaerts is the de-facto team captain, too, a player respected by teammates for his ability to blend in with any segment of clubhouse culture and showing up every day ready to play.
But that could all change soon. Bogaerts has the right to opt out of his contract after the season and enter free agency at a time when teams are bestowing lavish deals on shortstops.
In 2019, Bogaerts and agent Scott Boras discussed an extension with the Sox during spring training and a six-year, $120 million deal was finalized a few days into the season.
It was Bogaerts who insisted on getting the contract done, saying his priority was to stay in Boston rather than seek a more lucrative deal on the open market. Boras insisted on the opt-out to protect his client.
That proved to be good guidance. In the years since, middle infielders Javier Báez, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Fernando Tatis Jr. have agreed to deals with higher average annual values.
Bogaerts would give up a guaranteed $60 million by opting out. But, if healthy, he would certainly command much more as a free agent.
Trading him before he opts out would not be simple as he has full no-trade rights.
“I love being here. Everyone knows it. I think that’s pretty clear,” Bogaerts said. “We have time if that’s going to happen but not as much time as we normally have though.”
Team president Sam Kennedy said Bogaerts “represents everything that’s great about the Red Sox” but didn’t speculate on the possibility of an extension.
Bogaerts also turned aside talk that the Sox could ask him to play a different position. Being a shortstop is part of his identity.
“I look good. I feel good. I feel like I can continue doing it for a while,” he said. “I don’t think there’s nothing in my way that can stop me right now from trying to accomplish that goal.
“It’s just being ready physically to be able to play the whole 162 games. It’s not easy. As I get older, I’ve got to take more care of my body. I try and improve every year. A lot of early work; a lot of extra work and continue to make the routine plays.”
Defensive metrics point to Bogaerts being a poor defender. But manager Alex Cora is a loyalist.
“It all depends on how you measure it,” he said. “He was my shortstop in the [2018] World Series; he was my shortstop in the [2021] Wild Card Game.
“I bet there’s a lot of managers out there if you [ask] them who they want in a big game playing shortstop, they’ll say Xander and I feel the same way.”
The Sox are working with Bogaerts on having a quicker first step, which doesn’t come easily to a player 6 feet 2 inches, 224 pounds.
“He looks bigger than last year. It’s amazing. I don’t know how he does it,” Cora said. “He looks stronger and more agile and more explosive.”
Bogaerts understands the time could come to change positions. But he still painfully remembers the 2014 season when the Sox tried to shake up a struggling team by signing Stephen Drew in May and moving Bogaerts to third base.
A disconsolate Bogaerts hit .182 in 44 games at third base. He returned to shortstop Aug. 1 after Drew was traded and has not played a different position since.
Bogaerts has seen suggestions that the Sox should sign Carlos Correa or Trevor Story and move him to second base.
“Nobody has asked me that?” he said. “I’m still here, right? I’m still this team’s shortstop and that means a lot to me.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 3:37:12 GMT -5
Red Sox president Sam Kennedy: ‘We’re not going to deviate’ from long-term outlook Sox payroll could be under the CBT for third straight year
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: March 15, 2022 at 5:10 p.m. | UPDATED: March 15, 2022 at 5:32 p.m.
FORT MYERS — Two days into the start of Red Sox camp, there’s a clear message emerging from the front office.
However much money the Sox spend on their payroll in 2022 is irrelevant, Sox officials have said. What matters is that the team is competitive.
“Yeah, the way we’ve handled it is we’ve tried not to talk about specific payroll numbers, just because that would be tipping our hand to a very, very, very competitive American League East,” Sox president Sam Kennedy said Tuesday. “And so I guess I’ll just point to previous history and in our time here, this would be my 21st year in Boston with the Red Sox. We’ve been over the CBT threshold many times; we’ve been under many times. So to the extent that we can keep our competitors guessing, that is a good thing.”
It doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot of guessing to be done. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Monday the team doesn’t need to make a big splash in free agency/trades to be competitive, though he’s considering all options.
Bloom hasn’t handed out a contract larger than $14 million (Kiké Hernandez’s two-year deal) to any one player since he took over in 2019. The team has been under the luxury tax threshold in two straight years and is currently in line to be under again in 2022.
They have some clear needs for another outfielder, a second baseman and perhaps a first baseman in addition to more relief pitching.
“Can we expect a splash? I don’t know,” Kennedy said. “We’re gonna see how this market unfolds and see how it plays out. But I don’t think we’ll deviate from — I said this last year, said it two years ago – we’re not going to deviate from the plan to try and put a premium on winning now, but also winning in the future.” Henry, Kennedy want new rules
Kennedy noted that the baseball industry is “recovering from a horrific two-year period” and thinks one way of rebuilding it is speeding up the game and increasing offense.
He said principal owner John Henry, who usually speaks during the first week of camp but is not in Fort Myers as of yet, was a “voice of reason towards getting a deal done” and has supported some on-the-field changes.
“I for one am a big proponent of the pitch timer, eliminating the dead time and I’m also a fan of banning shifts and really appealing to a broader and younger demographic,” Kennedy said. “I think that anything that can encourage more balls in play, more action, is a good thing.”
Manager Alex Cora agreed about MLB needing a pitch clock, but said he doesn’t agree with eliminating defensive shifts. New year, new message
In his annual spring training meeting to the entire organization, Cora said he had to deliver a new message this year.
In 2018, he told the Sox how they were much better than they performed the year before. In 2019, he said it’s important not to turn the page, but to continue what they did the year before. And in ‘21, he focused on how the team was not being taken seriously and would need to prove a lot of people wrong.
This year, he said he made a mistake with his message in ‘19.
“He acknowledged that that was a mistake and that we need to reinvent ourselves each and every year,” said Kennedy, who was in the meeting.
Cora also told players to treat each people with respect and “just be a good human being,” Kennedy said. “It was a really powerful message.”
Said Cora, “We talked about life man.” Pitching a schedule
Nathan Eovaldi, who has started the last two Opening Day games for the Sox, impressed during live batting practice on Tuesday and will make his first Grapefruit League appearance on Friday.
The oft-injured starter said he feels great after making every start in 2021, but he’s concerned about the short spring before Opening Day on April 7.
“Usually you have a little wiggle room if you’re feeling sore,” he said. “But now it’s like, make sure you’re on top of everything. It’s almost like not a normal spring training because you want to make sure you’re careful.”
Eovaldi is a pending free agent after the season, but said, “I’m very open” to re-signing in Boston.
Nick Pivetta is scheduled to start Saturday’s game, but Cora said he’s not sure when Chris Sale will make his first appearance.
The games begin Thursday, which will be a bullpen day.
“Obviously none of the starters will play on Thursday,” Cora said. “There’s a good chance some of them will play Friday. A bigger chance they’ll play Saturday and from there we’ll go off and on.”
The Sox finalized a one-year deal with lefty Matt Strahm, who will earn $3 million. They’ve also reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth $8 million with lefty Jake Diekman, per MassLive.com. Strahm will be in the bullpen, where the Sox have tried to add more southpaws.
“I think even in the playoffs, it’s something we recognized in the offseason that we want it to get better and we got better,” Cora said. Opening Day tickets available
Tickets to the Sox’ first home game at Fenway Park on Friday, April 15, against the Twins are not yet sold out, Kennedy said.
“Ticket sales were understandably slow this offseason with lingering effects of COVID and obviously the lockout, so we are pacing well behind prior years,” he said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 7:49:06 GMT -5
Nathan Eovaldi, Boston Red Sox Opening Day starter? Righty will start Friday, putting him in line to pitch April 7 vs. Yankees Published: Mar. 16, 2022, 6:00 a.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox never name their Opening Day starter during the first week of spring training, but early indications are that Nathan Eovaldi will take the hill for Boston on April 7 against the Yankees.
Eovaldi will make his first spring training start Friday and build up over the course of four total spring starts, the righty said Tuesday. That lines him up to start on Opening Day on regular rest. It has been clear that either Eovaldi or Chris Sale will start the opener for the Red Sox; Boston may take Sale along more slowly this spring after his return from Tommy John surgery in mid-August.
Eovaldi, who has started the last two openers for the Sox, is expected to throw two innings Friday against the Rays after tossing a two-inning live batting practice session at Fenway South on Tuesday. From there, he’d be scheduled to pitch on March 23, March 28 (likely on a back field, as the big-league team is off) and April 2. The veteran said he believes he can be built up to 100 pitches by Opening Day; it’s unclear if the Red Sox, who are going to be careful with their pitchers during a shortened spring training, agree with him.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday’s spring opener would be a “bullpen day” featuring minor-leaguers before Eovaldi pitches Friday. Nick Pivetta will pitch Saturday against the Twins; beyond that, it’s unclear when Sale and rotation candidates Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck will make their spring debuts.
Eovaldi, who finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting a year ago, said he spent the winter building up at home in Houston. He threw bullpens at least once a week to catcher Connor Wong but did not face hitters before Tuesday’s session. Eovaldi said the buildup to the 2020 season, in which the second spring training was abbreviated before the season started in July 24, helped him prepare for gearing up during MLB’s lockout, which ended last week.
“It was almost like a test run for this coming up,” he said. “I feel like nobody really knew when we were starting.”
Eovaldi expects to be ready once the regular season starts but knows the shortened camp will force pitchers to get locked in earlier in camp than usual.
“Usually you have a little wiggle room if you’re feeling sore or something like that,” he said. “Now, you’ve got to make sure you’re on top of everything.”
Another task during a busy spring training for Eovaldi may be working out a contract extension to remain in Boston past 2022. The 32-year-old said he has told his agents that he would like to explore a new deal before hitting free agency in the fall.
“I’m very open to staying here with the Red Sox,” he said. “I haven’t been in this situation. I usually try not to focus on it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:11:09 GMT -5
Chris Sale Has Stress Fracture In Rib Cage, Won’t Be Ready For Opening Day
By Steve Adams and Tim Dierkes | March 16, 2022 at 8:52am CDT
Red Sox ace Chris Sale has a stress fracture in his right rib cage and will not be ready for Opening Day, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced to reporters today (Twitter links via Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). It will be “weeks, not days” before Sale is even cleared to pick up a ball and begin any form of throwing, Bloom adds. Sale didn’t suggest a timeline other than stating that bones typically take six to eight weeks to heal. Sale suffered the injury during the lockout during a live batting practice he was streaming on Instagram, but was prohibited from communicating it to the Red Sox until the new collective bargaining agreement was reached March 10.
Sale joined the Red Sox in a December 2016 trade and is in the third year of a five-year, $145MM extension. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2020, ultimately leading to a gap of almost exactly two years between MLB mound appearances. In his nine starts in late 2021, Sale averaged 82 pitches per outing. Sale’s work fell short of his Cy Young-caliber peak, which is to be expected at age 32 and after a long layoff, but he still managed a healthy 28.4 K% and 6.6 BB% in his 42 1/3 innings. Two of Sale’s three postseason starts were particularly brief, but he was able to make a strong 87-pitch effort in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Astros.
The prospect of Sale missing potentially a couple months of the 2022 season is a blow to the Red Sox. Still, the club did sign free agents Michael Wacha and Rich Hill before the lockout, and has already been stretching out Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock this spring. Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta are also set for the team’s rotation.
More to come.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:32:13 GMT -5
Chris Sale has a rib cage stress fracture and won’t be ready for start of Red Sox season By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated March 16, 2022, 10:05 a.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — For the third straight season, Red Sox lefthander Chris Sale will not be available for Opening Day.
The Red Sox disclosed Wednesday that Sale suffered a stress fracture in his right rib cage during MLB’s lockout of players. He felt discomfort after a Feb. 24 live batting practice session at Florida Gulf Coast University but initially believed it was minor soreness, and he went through a full upper-body workout after the session. Over the subsequent days, however, the injury became more severe.
With teams prohibited from contact with players during the lockout, Sale connected with Dr. Patrick Joyner, an orthopedist based in Florida, who diagnosed the stress fracture after extensive imaging. Sale informed Sox officials of the injury as soon as the lockout ended.
The Sox took the initial days of camp to get their own evaluation of Sale, who is entering the third year of a five-year, $145 million extension he signed in the spring of 2019. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said it would be “weeks, not days” before Sale can start throwing again, meaning that he will not be available for the start of the season April 7.
“Bones typically take 6-8 weeks to heal,” said Sale. “That’s a pretty universal timeline. Outside of that, I don’t know anything. I’m just kind of waiting. Does it suck? Yes. Was I discouraged? Absolutely. Pissed off? One hundred percent.
“All that being said, none of those feelings, none of those emotions, none of that wasted energy is going to help [the injury], help me, help [the team]. I’ve got work to do.
“I’ve been here before. I’ve got much bigger hurdles. I’ve been behind rocks I thought I’d never be able to get over. This is just another one of them, another life test to get over and all the while trying to be a good teammate, a good leader, and doing the things I need to do.”
Sale said that he’d been aggressive in his buildup, long-tossing regularly in Fort Myers with Nick Pivetta to build arm strength while preparing for what he hoped would be his first full healthy season since 2017. He is unsure whether those efforts contributed to the injury, which is typically a product of excessive activity.
Though Sale said his arm felt great, the rib emerged as a “freak injury” that, while improving, remains tender at all times and acutely uncomfortable at some, particularly if coughing or sneezing.
Sale is weeks away from beginning a throwing program, with weeks more before he will be able to build the arm strength to return to the rotation.
The Sox believe they have enough starting pitching depth to withstand injuries — the signings of Michael Wacha and Rich Hill, along with the ability to stretch out Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock, give them options behind Nate Eovaldi and Pivetta — but Bloom said they are not taking that depth for granted.
“We’re fortunate to be in a better position with respect to internal depth than we’ve been in the past,” said Bloom. “But it’s always something that we’re looking to supplement.”
The rib is the latest in a run of injuries for Sale, who turns 33 this month. In 2018, a Cy Young-caliber season was interrupted by a shoulder injury. In 2019, he dealt with an elbow strain that ultimately required Tommy John surgery in March 2020. During his rehab last season, Sale was slowed by a COVID-19 infection as well as a neck issue.
He returned to the rotation last August, going 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts, though he did miss time in September with another COVID-19 infection.
He disclosed Wednesday that he has not been vaccinated, putting into question whether he would be able to play when the Red Sox go to Toronto, given Canada’s border restrictions on unvaccinated individuals.
Sale was eager to move forward with a healthy 2022 campaign, but that goal has proven unobtainable.
“I’m like a dog on a chain right now,” he said. “I can’t wait to get off this thing.
“The last couple years have sucked. I’m getting paid to do nothing. That sucks, and I’m not afraid to say it. That’s who I am and that’s what I believe.
“All I can do is show up every day, try and get this right, and go back out there and try and do my job.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:37:49 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h Chaim Bloom on Matt Strahm: “When you look at what he’s done when he’s been healthy, he has a repertoire that can get out righties and lefties.” Sox also see him as able to go more than one inning. “We think there’s a lot of upside.”
Bloom on roster-building: “The important thing is to focus on what you’re doing - not on what everyone else is doing.”
Bloom says Sox were better off last offseason for headline-making moves they did not make. “We’re trying to stay focused on chasing down things that make sense for us.” Says some are expected, some aren’t.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:40:05 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h Bloom: Chris Sale has a stress fracture in his right rib cage and won’t be ready for start of season
Bloom: “We’re talking weeks, not days until we can get a ball back in his hand.”
Bloom says Sox are always looking to add starting depth, but feels team has better depth than was the case in past years.
Bloom says Sale has shown improvement since reporting to camp.
Bloom says, among Red Sox, more than Bogaerts and Arroyo have been vaccinated since the end of the season.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:42:24 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h Chris Sale: “It’s the curse of social media and me.”
Sale said it happened four weeks ago. Got worse in the days after a live BP session. He saw Dr. Patrick Joyner, who diagnosed stress fracture. “Now we’re just playing the waiting game, waiting for the bone to heal.”
Sale said he let Red Sox know about injury on the day the lockout ended.
Sale: “I don’t have any idea” how long it will be before he can pitch in games. “The last couple years have sucked…What can you do?”
Sale: “I’ve got work to do…This is just another life test to get over.” Sale says the injury is still tender, and that sneezing and coughing is particularly uncomfortable.
Sale says “the biggest blow” was that he’d been looking forward to his first full healthy season since 2017. Says he’d been very prepared for season with arm. Was he overdoing it with preparation? “Yes and no…These type of injuries are overuse injuries.”
Sale says he didn’t get vaccinated in the offseason.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:45:34 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 2h Today also marks the start of minor league spring training games between organizations. Red Sox will have AAA and AA games against Rays minor leaguers at JetBlue.
Cora on Sale’s injury: “Not perfect, right? …. we’re going to be OK. We know his arm is sound. He was feeling really good… It’s a setback for the team, but somebody needs to step up.”
Cora days Eovaldi will start Opening Day.
Cora says Sox are still figuring out who will take Sale’s spot. Houck and Whitlock both being stretched, there are early off-days, so Sox still mapping out plans.
Cora on free agent signings/market activity: “I’m happy for some guys that played for us. They killed it.”
Cora: “Patience is important. You can’t react to what other teams are doing.”
Cora on Schwarber: “We were really good before him, too.” Praises impact of Schwarber but also notes guys who took steps forward in August/Sept.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:47:30 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Asked Alex Cora yesterday if anything came up during the physicals.
His answer was a couple of guys would be slow getting starting. He wouldn't say who.
Fair to say this is a lot more than somebody slow getting started.
Cora yesterday: "There's a few guys, not that they're limited, but we've got to be careful with their ramp up. But right now everything has been positive."
Who are those guys?
"I'm not going to get into those."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 16, 2022 13:51:32 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo still wants to be two-way player; ‘I think it is going to be there in the future’ Updated: Mar. 16, 2022, 2:20 p.m. | Published: Mar. 16, 2022, 2:14 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo mentioned before Game 2 of the ALDS last year his desire to become a two-way player by 2023.
Verdugo was a talented high school pitcher, topping out at 97 mph with his fastball and throwing a knuckle-curveball.
He was considered a draft prospect as both a pitcher and position player coming out of Sahuaro High in Tucson, Ariz., but the Dodgers drafted him primarily as an outfielder in the second round.
“I did it a little bit this offseason,” Verdugo said here at JetBlue Park on Wednesday about pitching. “I was messing around, definitely throwing more. I’m still a ways away. I don’t know if I’d want to do it next year (2023 season) or not. But I think it is going to be there in the future. I just want to make sure I do it right. I don’t want to have any dumb injuries where my elbow starts barking or I blow out. I’ve got to make sure my arm is able to handle all the hard throws and intensity. I’m sure at some point I’ll be up there whether it’s for fun or to be serious.”
He said he threw off the mound during the offseason.
“I still feel good out there,” Verdugo said. “There’s no question. It’s just how many times can I throw the ball hard before my flexor gets a little sore? I’ve just got to be careful. And at the end of the day, I’m here to play baseball. I’m here to be a left fielder, center fielder, right fielder, whatever they want me to be. Here to be an outfielder and hit. So got to be there to play 162 (games).”
The 25-year-old batted .289 with a .351 on-base percentage, 13 homers, 32 doubles and two triples in 2021. He then had a .310/.383/.452/.835 line with four extra-base hits in 11 postseason games.
“I didn’t decide to stop. It’s just maybe pushed the timetable back a little bit,” Verdugo said. “Every day I throw from the outfield, I still mess around with my pitches. I still throw a knuckle-curveball. A slider, whatever. But like I said, we’ve got goals in mind this year. We’ve got somewhere we want to be. World Series is there. So right now it’s all hands on deck.”
Cora added about Verdugo: “We had to make adjustments throughout the course of the season. He wasn’t playing against lefties toward the end. And all of a sudden, he started playing (against them) and was hitting behind J.D. (Martinez). And he did an amazing job controlling the strike zone. I do believe there’s more there.”
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