THURSDAY: Despite the early struggles of Edward Mujica, it doesn’t appear likely that the Red Sox will end up signing Hanrahan, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY: The Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers are among the teams showing strong interest in free agent reliever Joel Hanrahan, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Hanrahan impressed scouts from as many as 20 teams at a showcase two weeks ago, hitting 93 mph on the gun and appearing to be in good shape. The 32-year-old Hanrahan is roughly two weeks shy of the one-year anniversary of his Tommy John surgery.
The teams listed by Heyman have all seen some degree of bullpen struggles with the exception of the Red Sox, whose collective 3.25 bullpen ERA ranks eighth in the Majors. The other four teams are each in the bottom half of the Majors in terms of reliever ERA, with the Tigers (5.48) and Rangers (4.45) displaying the most troubles in run prevention. Each of the clubs mentioned by Heyman has been relatively stable in the ninth inning to this point, meaning that Hanrahan would likely be ticketed for a setup role should he latch on with any of the five.
Recent reports have indicated that the Mets are also interested in Hanrahan, to an extent, but they aren’t sure whether or not they’ll be making him an offer.
Why do the Sox keep putting Mujica into games that mean something? He stinks on ice.
Of Red Sox’s relievers only Beslow (called up April 9) Workman (sent down April 9) and Mike Carp (position player with 1 IP) have fewer IP than Mujica. I’d say they are limiting his exposure as much as possible.
Please Dipoto… this would be the perfect guy to take a flier on. The Angels NEED bullpen help.
Mujica is basically Bobby Jenks revisited. The Sox should stop wasting money on other’s teams’ old closers. The Sox have a lot of success with low risk veteran relievers signed to incentive deals like Takashi Saito and Koji Uehara. More of those deals and less multiyears to risky players.
Uehara is another team’s old closer. Sometimes they work out.
Uehara is not really, though Saito is.
The difference is that Mujica/Jenks were guaranteed large salaries and Uehara/Saito weren’t. The Sox haven’t really had any success with multiyear deals for relievers except for Mike Timlin.
Webster, Wilson, Workman and/or De La Rosa, are available at Pawtucket and under contract for something like $500,000 per man. Hanrahan would simply be too expensive to sign when considering the aforementioned cheaper options are a mere phone call away and, at best, he, Joel, would be 3rd or 4th in line to be the Red Sox closer behind the likes of Urehara, Tazawa, Mujica…and, maybe Breslow or Miller, in a pinch. There simply is no need for his talents in Boston at this time.