The Orioles will begin to get an idea of where things stand with former top prospect Dylan Bundy, as he’s been cleared to begin a throwing program, MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski tweets. It’ll be important for Baltimore to get a read on the righty, as he’ll be out of options next year. Now nearly 23, Bundy remains talented and rather youthful. But he’s thrown just 63 1/3 competitive, regular season innings since the end of the 2012 campaign.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Orioles lefty Dana Eveland had an opt-out date yesterday, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter), but he remains listed on the roster of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. It would appear, then, that he’ll stay in the Baltimore organization and hope that his solid numbers at Triple-A earn him another chance at big league action late this year.
- The Yankees are set up to test their commitment to in-house development as soon as next season, ESPNNewYork.com’s Andrew Marchand writes. He discusses some of the options that could be relied upon in filling out the organization’s roster in the near future. GM Brian Cashman explained that the club is “pretty locked in on some guys,” apparently referencing the fact that New York is not looking at much roster turnover. What upcoming needs there are could be met from within. “We do have some square pegs that will fit in some square holes when you look at 2017,” said Cashman. “That’s a long way off. We do have some placeholders that potentially are going to be in place, if that is the direction we choose. That’s a good thing.”
- Red Sox first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig is getting another shot at the big leagues and is eager to prove he can still be productive, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. “I feel great about where I’m at,” said Craig. “I know I’m a good player. I’m just looking forward to being back here and playing.” The former All-Star, who has struggled in recent years, says he’s still focused on the present and isn’t concerned with the possibility of moving to another organization. The big question with Craig, of course, is whether he can regain his power, which has yet to come around at Triple-A. Barring a sustained turnaround, Boston figures to have no real promise of finding a taker for any substantial portion of the 31-year-old’s remaining contract obligations.
I hated Craig in the 2013 postseason when everyone said he was going to be a game changer for the Cards and I still despise him. What a horrible trade.
The Red Sox squandered their leverage with Lackey. A number 2 starter making the league minimum is a tremendous asset. Sure he could threaten to retire, but it’s clear he didn’t want to do that.
You can’t even say hindsight was 20/20. It was a bluff and a silly one at that. They turned a 500k asset into a 20+ million dollar sinkhole plus the magic beans of Joe Kelly. Good job Ben!
Too many sink holes on the Red Sox. Craig, Ramirez, Porcello. Cherrington always traded for upside and what he forgot was the potential downside to the player. There’s still hope for these players, but when over $100 million of the next two years are deducted to these three players, it is a tough pill to swallow.