The Red Sox exercised the 2011 option for Scott Atchison and declined the options for Bill Hall and Felipe Lopez, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (on Twitter).
The Red Sox will only pay Atchison $40K more than the MLB minimum in 2011. That's a bargain considering the 34-year-old threw 60 innings of 4.50 ERA ball with 6.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 last year.
Boston chose to pay Hall a $500K buyout instead of guaranteeing him $9.25MM in 2011. The 30-year-old utility man batted .247/.316/.456 with 18 homers in 2010 and he played every position but first base and catcher (he even pitched). Hall is an unranked free agent, so the Red Sox won't obtain draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.
They could obtain a compensation pick if Lopez, a Type B free agent, turns down arbitration to sign elsewhere. That possibility appeared to contribute to the team's interest in the infielder when they signed him in September. Lopez batted .233/.311/.345 in 441 plate appearances for the Cardinals and Red Sox.
Agree with all three there.
As expected.
Also accept ortiz option—gordon edes
They exercised Ortiz’s $12.5MM option as well.
I’m glad they exercised Atchisons option. He gave them some quality innings in relief after his brutal start to the season.
Atchison is terrible! They need to just explode the whole bullpen (except for Bard and Pap) and start over!
Looks like somebody hasn’t been on this site long!
Boston has already gone far in that process. They moved Ramon Ramirez and Delcarmen already. They brought up Doubront and Bowden to see if they could contribute, as well as Dustin Richardson. Now, I don’t think all three of those guys are good additions, but I bet you at least one of them is in our bullpen next year. Okajima is the biggest eyesore right now in the bullpen, and even he somehow improved at the end (not saying he’s good, just making a point). They still need to complete the “starting over” process, but they have definitely blown it up.
Besides, I am a big fan of Atchison. Personally I think his ERA may be up not only from the bad start, but also from a couple emergency spot starts, where he still kept us in the game and performed admirably in the foreign role of starter. After the All-Star break, Atchison was my personal #2 guy behind Bard. He wasn’t the best choice in similar high-pressure situations, sure, but in a 6th or 7th inning stretch, he was a great guy out of the pen. I’m glad to see him back; he won’t dazzle, but he’ll be a bargain at that price.
Very well said. You can’t have a complete bullpen without a guy who can eat three innings at a time without letting it get away from you. Atchison may not have eye popping peripherals, but he’ll eat innings out of the pen. Guys like him, Kyle Snyder and Bronson Arroyo (Back in the day) keep your better arms fresh.
Very well said. You can’t have a complete bullpen without a guy who can eat three innings at a time without letting it get away from you. Atchison may not have eye popping peripherals, but he’ll eat innings out of the pen. Guys like him, Kyle Snyder and Bronson Arroyo (Back in the day) keep your better arms fresh.
I’m glad someone else likes Atchison.
Agreed. I also thought Atchison did a very admirable job. Outside of Masterson, hard to find anyone they have had in the pen who has been even semi reliable over the last few years and could spot start and go more than 2 innings, plus make such a paltry amount.
I’m glad to see Atchison brought back for next year. He was mostly a pretty good pitcher or a disaster like the little girl with a curl in her forehead (you know, when she was good, she was very good, but when she was bad she was horrid…. ahem, anyway……). Overall he deserved a return gig.
Masterson was great for about 6 weeks in 2008. He was a one pitch pitcher with a lollypop curveball that everyone teed off on. I was GLAD to see him go. We got a good hitter in Vmart for a season plus (hopefully more). Masterson is a AAAA pitcher. We shouldn’t miss him. Theo did very well on that deal.
Atchison’s actually fairly popular among people who look into player backgrounds. You should hear Peter Abraham talk about him, guy loves him some Scott Atchison.
I’m glad someone else likes Atchison.
Hall a player at the right price to some team. 5M
Bill Hall plays SS, 2b, 3b, and OF….has 35 HR potential if given enough at-bats….is RH…isn’t that expense…Braves need to be all over this. He could spell chipper when needed or play OF fulltime for us and be a backup for the IF. What’s not to like?
Atchison will serve a purpose in the pen. Hopefully he won’t have to pitch alot in pressure situations, seemed like everytime he was on the mound he was giving up runs, but for that price why not.
how the heck does Lopez warrant a draft pick, while Hall, who had a much better season warrants nothing ? They need to fix the system. I’d take Hall back !
ey medias rojas de boston deben de firmar a adrian beltre, victor martinez y bill hall seria un equipaso y tambien deben interesarce en relevistas seria un equipo perron y bien organizado
I was going more on the fact that he has 18 hrs in a lil more than half a season worth of at bats last season. I agree hoping for around 35 is too high, but over the last 7 year sample (which include some down years) he averages 25 homers per 600 at bats. After seeing what the braves have had in left for the past few years, I would take that.