The Red Sox announced that they have signed right-hander Koji Uehara to a two-year extension that runs through the 2016 season. Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that it is a two-year, $18MM contract (Twitter link). Uehara is represented by Mark Pieper of Relativity Sports.
Uehara, who turns 40 next April, has thrived over the past two seasons in Boston, rising from elite setup man to All-Star closer in short order. Though he finished 2014 on a negative note — he yielded 10 runs over his final 7 2/3 innings and pitched just five time in September due to arm fatigue — Uehara has overall been nothing short of outstanding in Boston.
In 138 2/3 innings for the Red Sox, Uehara has pitched to a pristine 1.75 ERA with 11.7 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9. He was a postseason hero during the Red Sox’ 2013 World Series run, allowing one run in 13 2/3 innings and winning ALCS MVP honors after appearing in five of the six games in that series. Though not a flamethrower, Uehara racks up strikeouts thanks to an exceptional split-finger. This past season, the only pitcher in all of Major League Baseball who posted a higher swinging-strike rate than Uehara’s 18.8 percent was Aroldis Chapman.
Uehara figures to be the first significant signing of what should be an active offseason for the Red Sox, who appear to have no plans to go into rebuilding mode on the heels of a last-place finish in 2014. Rather, the Red Sox prioritized adding MLB-ready help at the trade deadline and are expected to pursue at least one top starting pitcher on the open market in the offseason. Boston has also been connected to the likes of Pablo Sandoval and Chase Headley. To that end, Uehara’s contract isn’t a detriment to the team’s long-term outlook. Including Uehara, the Red Sox still have just four contracts on the books for 2016 and only two guaranteed contracts to which they are committed beyond that season. That positions the team well to add at least one significant multi-year pact this winter, if not more.
In my recent free agent profile for Uehara, I pegged him for a one-year, $11MM contract on the open market while noting that I felt he could receive two years at a lower annual value should his preference be for security over the upside of another large one-year deal next offseason. His departure from the free agent market weakens a strong crop of relievers that is headlined by David Robertson and Andrew Miller but also includes Sergio Romo, Pat Neshek, Luke Gregerson and a number of other solid arms.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Oooh, big news early on the first day of the offseason.
Good move too i would suspect, should if healthy provide good value on a $9m AAV.
The World Series ends and MLBTR goes new news crazy…dont you just love it!
Not bad. Much better than a QO in any case.
For sure. He is up there in age, but that is actually a pretty fair deal for the Sox compared to what he may have got on the market.
It is in the top five for AAV for a reliever I think, but there have been much worse deals.
Brian wilson.
He comes to mind. So does Joe Nathan. And Papelbon, not because he’s a bad closer, just because there is no way he could possibly earn that money.
Nice. File this under “good things that only teams with very high payrolls can do:” Pay $9m for a 40 year old relief pitcher who might not even be your closer.
Why does it matter if he is the closer? He is an elite pitcher.
From a $$ point of view … you’d expect to pay a closer well, so to have another high dollar relief pitcher is something only a few teams can do.
You expect to pay the closer well only because they usually are the best relievers.
Bit of an overpay but nonetheless good to see him back in a Boston uniform.
You gotta sweeten the deal to make a player sign on the first day without considering other offers.
I was expecting 1 year + option. I’m quite surprised they went 2 years.
Great move now good get some starters!
Maybe a Shane Victorino for Bartolo Colon. Red Six save 2 million
Why would Colon want to come to a team he quit on in 2008!!!
Colon is a different pitcher now. He was hurt and couldn’t find a routine during those years
Then why was he placed on the Restricted list and not the DL.
No thank you. There has to be a better option out there than a 42 year old. That’s like a ticking time-bomb.
For example a 40 year old ticking time-bomb?
Not quite the same when you consider body type, innings pitched and velocity. And that 42 is older than 40. And that Uehara makes less money that Colon. I could go on.
Hey, 40’s the new 30.
Not when it comes to baseball players. 40 was the new 30 in Baseball until PED tests came back.
No, please. Not more Bartolo Colon-to-Boston requests. Nobody wants Colon. Not Boston, not the Yankees, not Mrs. Colon……nobody.
Boston will have riots if Bartolo Colon returns. He QUIT on the Sox down the stretch in 2008. Nobody here wants him. Not even to clear out Victorino’s salary.
As shown in the series, lock down pitching in the late innings is the most important thing in the game right now. Team batting averages have gone down from .270 in 2000 to .250 this year in the MLB. This makes Uehara well worth the money, but like all pitchers health is a big issue.
If league offensive production has declined doesn’t that make Uerhara less valuable since pitchers in general are having more success?
This definitely something I have been thinking, with the way things are going in mlb. People ready to spend a fortune on pitching, but good offense much harder to replace.
Not at all, pitching is now a bigger part of the game, as seen this year relief pitching like the Royals can get you to the world series, now you only need your starters to go 5 innings.
Definitely not a bargain but it could be worse
Serious? That is a lot money for a potential “Nathan 2.0”. He did not look good down the stretch. Not many 40 year old dominant relievers out there.
I suppose the conundrum of a qualifying offer… got both sides together early to get to a “fair offer”.
Miller (as a closer) is a much bigger prize IMO.
What do we think of the 4/$32MM for Andrew Miller now (MLB TR Estimate). Over or Under?
I still think that could be very close to what he actually gets.
As long as he ends up back in the Olde English D i wouldnt begrudge him 4/40 quite frankly.
I would even trade Kinsler to free up money to be able to afford him. Suarez/Romine/Perez can hold down the 2nd base OK. Tigers actually now have too many middle infielders.
Nah i wouldnt go that far, Kinsler had a great first season and gave us the best second bagger we’ve had since Polanco.
I think we’ll be in on Miller heavily anyway, just as we were when we almost got him in July.
Even If they get a centerfielder in return?
Possibly…but it would have to be a more than viable one (not many good CF’s in free agency this year i have to admit), and would have to guarantee a Miller signing, impossible i know, but if it could be all achieved, possibly, its a big call.
Its unlikely the Tigers will get a 4+ WAR CF in exchange for Kinsler. Kinsler is more valuable on the field than he is on the trade market.
That brings the Red Sox payroll to about $111MM for 10 players. They still need to address their starting pitching situation big time and their 3rd base situation.
Well the Red Sox 2014 opening day payroll was 162.8 MM so its safe to say they still have some money to spend.
Of course they do. Keep in mind an Ace which they need as a starter will cost them at least $24MM plus. A #3 starter in addition to an ace will cost them about $12MM +/-. That’s $35MM +/-. If the rumors are right about them looking at Sandoval he’s probably going to cost $15MM plus. That would bring their total payroll going on those assumptions to $161MM for just 13 players. Then there are still 12 players to finish the 25 man active roster. Now most of those will be filled via arbitration and pre-arb players. But keep in mind the number they have to stay within is about $172MM +/- for their active 25 man roster to avoid MLB’s luxury tax.
The Red Sox have one really big advantage over team like the Yankees and Angels, they have prospects and a glut of MLB outfielders to trade from. This gives them the option to acquire a quality starter on the trade market
If you say so. Please don’t take this the wrong way as for the prospects other than Betts none of the “rookies” last year seemed very impressive. As for the kids in the minors they are ALL unproven and I don’t see a club parting with someone like Sale or Hamels for one or a combination of them But that’s just my opinion. As for the “glut” of outfielders. That’s exactly it a “glut” but other than Cepsedes none of them are going to land the Sox much via a trade.
Cespedes would be the one to go anyways. Think a deal to SEA involving Cespedes + for Paxton. That gives the Sox even more flexibility and a decent number 3. Cespedes is a huge bargaining chip because of the power RH bat
You really expect the Mariners to give up Paxton who is under team control for 5 more years for Cespedes who is a FA at the end of the year. Especially when there are FA like Melky Cabrera and Nelson Cruz just to name 2 available that won’t cost them anything other than possibly an unproven draft pick.
I know Cespedes alone is not enough for Paxton, hence the (+). Cespedes provides that power bat they need on a reasonable 1 year pact that can be paired with a pitching prospect or 2 for the number 3 we are looking for. That provides cost control for the Sox, and gives them room to attack the upper tier of the pitching market more aggressively. This is purely my speculation as well
Uncontrite, why do you seem to insist the Red Sox really don’t need a TRUE ace. Even in one of your previous posts you played down the idea of the Sox signing a true ace. According to all reports as of right now the ONLY Red Sox starters assured of a spot are: Buchholz and Kelly.and neither one of them remotely comes close to an ace. I don’t think I’m telling you anything you don’t already know but last year the Red Sox starting rotation was terrible. They need an ACE. whether it’s signing Lester or Scherzer or making a trade for Hamels any one of the 3 will cost big dollars but it’s a necessary expense.
Are you only reading half my posts? “That provides cost control for the Sox, and gives them more room to attack the upper tier of the pitching market more aggressively.”
I guess I’m confused by your various posts about an ace. Help me out here and now. Do you believe the Red Sox need to sign a true ace? And by true ace I mean someone like: Lester, Scherzer or trade for someone like Hamels? Just for reference I don’t consider Shields a true ace. in my book he’s more of a step below a true ace and a step above say McCarthy. Shields is kinda a “tweener”.
It depends on what other moves they do. If they attack the trade market and FA market and bring in enough solid arms that can fill out 1-3 (say, Shields, McCarthy, and a trade for a Samardzija/Latos/Leake type) and make Buccholz and Kelly the number 4 and 5, then not necessarily. But I have been one of the biggest advocates of finding that ace. I do not agree with Hamels because of RAJ, but Lester/Scherzer or Cueto would get my vote.
Why would Seattle swap prospects for Cespedes?
Paxton is not a prospect, and if they did give prospects instead it would be due to the fact that they have no offense and plan on competing next year
Paxton is a young, cost controlled player with a ton of upside but not much MLB experience.
Why swap somebody like that in exchange for even more uncertain versions of that, all so you can get a guy with a mid 7-something OPS for a year that you can’t give a QO to?
Because the M’s have enough starting pitching to carry them through the playoffs. They are held back by their offense and if they can land a B+ prospect with Cespedes for Paxton, It would really not be that bad of a deal
It is a bad trade.
The Mariners are getting a poor man’s version of Paxton in your trade scenario. A person with maybe as much potential as him, but hasn’t yet progressed to the level of Paxton where you are thinking he is more of sure thing than a prospect. Paxton has at least dominated the minors and shown you something at the MLB level, where you can project what his ceiling and floor is based on his major league performance. A minor league player you couldn’t. He would be an unknown. The Mariners are taken that downgrade so they can obtain one year of a player who isn’t a difference maker. A .750 OPS. That doesn’t make any sense from Seattle’s perspective, except that they could use more offense. And you’re right, but why make a trade like that to get it?
How is this not a fair trade? Cespedes is a proven ML commodity that puts up about 3 WAR annually, paxton has been successful for all of 74 innings and has an injury history.. adding on a prospect on the red sox end with a comparable minor league track record and no injury history is more than enough for paxton
You’re overvaluing Cespedes. He hasn’t come close to putting up an .800 OPS since his first year in the league. There is a reason why Beane was so willing to get rid of him, and the Red Sox seem to be also. He’s a good player. That’s about it. And you’re only getting him for one year. And you can’t give him a QO. And you have to pay 10 million for him.
$10 million is reasonable for a 3 WAR player, per fangraphs… that is not over valuing a power hitting corner outfielder with his arm and presence in a lineup
Sox don’t want another pitching prospect anyway, making this argument irrelevant. They already have a dozen kids that they need to see if they’ll sink or swim as MLB pitchers. Sox are looking for MLB-ready and MLB-proven talent this offseason.
Paxton is MLB ready, and he is a potential return in a deal for one of our biggest trade assets, so tell me again how this is irrelevant?
This is irrelevant because Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman, Henry Owens, Matt Barnes, Anthony Ranaudo, Allen Webster, Alex Wilson, Steven Wright, Drake Britton, Heath Hembree, Edwin Escobar, and Eduardo Rodriguez are all “MLB ready” and vying for 2-4 rotation and bullpen spots. I’m honestly probably missing a few names, and the Red Sox will fill most of their openings via free agency with MLB-proven commodities (like usual) as well.
10 million is fine.
But I’m giving up a guy who looks like an MLB player and I have under team control for a long time. Paxton has a really high floor. In return I’m getting a prospect who maybe has as much potential as Paxton, maybe not. But hasn’t shown me anything at the MLB level. So that is a clear and definitive downgrade if I’m Seattle. So the other piece better be really good, and it’s not. The 10 million, while fine in of itself, isn’t that great when you throw in everything else. No QO. A mid 7-something OPS. One year of team control. AND I’m paying 10 million.
Paxton still has a floor of an injury prone swingman, with a ceiling of a number 3. Obviously there is less certainty with a prospect, but a 3 WAR player for 1 season when you are supposedly going all in for a ring and a prospect with a comparable ceiling is a very good return for Paxton
Wow, that beats the Yankees 172 million for 11 players. Amirite? Since there are four days until they can even negotiate with free agents, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt before I call the off season a failure.
Sure it does. But this isn’t about the Yankees or the Dodgers or any other team. It’a about the Red Sox and their reluctance to go over MLB’s luxury tax.
Your concern is touching. They’ve been over the luxury tax before, they’ll go over again if they need to. They were over in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011. But I think they can build a successful team without going over the luxury tax. They have plenty of pieces they can move, and many different options. If it’s about the luxury tax that leaves them with about 78 million to sign a pair of pitchers and a third baseman and pay their league minimums and arbitration cases. Seems doable to me.
Sorry but it does NOT leave them $78MM. That $189MM luxury tax threshold is for the 40 man roster as well as the $12 to $13MM MLB charges ALL MLB teams for incentives and benefits. The Red Sox need to be at about $172MM for their 25 man active roster to avoid going over the tax threshold.
Okay 66 million then. And that’s if they decide not to go over the luxury tax, and if they decide not to deal anyone already on the roster between now and opening day. There is only one team who has been over the luxury tax more times than the Red Sox and that’s the Yankees. I wouldn’t rule out them spending more this year than they did last year or any of the years prior. 25 million for a starter, 12 million for a second starter, 15 million for a third baseman. That leaves 14 million for the other 11 players on the 25 man. Sounds pretty doable to me.
Victoria, please forgive me but your math doesn’t work out. With the Uehara signing they are at $111MM for 10 players. Adding in your $25MM, $12MM and $15MM above for 3 more players that comes to $163MM for 13 players. Based on my estimate of needing to be at or near $172MM for their 25 man roster that leaves them $9MM for 12 players. Yes, it is doable since many of those remaining players will be arbitration or pre-arb players making between $500K and $2MM +/-. And yes they certainly can go over the tax threshold which I think they have to to be competitive in 2015.
I don’t think they will. You’re math is probably better than mine, but it doesn’t take into consideration trading players that are currently on the active roster. Victorino is owed 13 million next season. They can easily move half of his money if they trade him. Or they could trade Cespedes without having to eat any of his contract. There are many possibilities to cut payroll from the Red Sox. They could trade Napoli and play Craig at first base. That would save them 16 million. If they just intended to sign free agents that would be one thing, but they have plenty of other options.
Victoria, yes they can do all of those things. But let me address them one at a time.
Victorino as you mention is owed $13MM. The problem with Victorino is he hasn’t been healthy enough to stay on the field in over a season. He’s not worth much to a team at this point.
Trading Napoil and playing Craig. Again they could except Craig stinks, and trading Napoli eliminates one of their offensive players. In what is already a weak offense.
Trading Cepedes presents the same problem as trading Napoli. There goes another offensive threat in an already weak offense.
So while they might save some money their already weak offense would take a big hit. And even adding Sandoval won’t make up for losing Napoli and Cespedes.
Great, let me address your objections one at a time. Whether Victorino is worth much is inconsequential. It doesn’t matter what he is worth, only that a team is willing to pay half of his salary. I think they could easily find a team willing to pay 6.5 million for Victorino. He’d only have to we worth one fWAR and change to be worth that. Craig had a bad season last year. There is no guarantee that he will also have a bad season this year. If anything his three seasons of hitting over .300 say more about his abilities as a player than one season coming back from an injury. As for Cespedes, you can’t QO him so you may as well trade him. He isn’t going to resign. As for replacing his offense, he’s an RBI machine, but other than that had a pretty average year last season. 109 WRC+. 9% better than an average hitter. Between Betts and whomever they sign to play third base (I would never assume they would sign a specific free agent) they could easily replace the production they got from either Napoli, or Cespedes or Victorino.
Just so you know they can make Cespedes a QO next winter. The only requirement for a QO is that the player start the season with the team. Since Cespedes is under contract for 2015 and baring a trade this winter the Red Sox can make him a QO next winter when he would become a FA after the 2015 season.
I didnt say they couldn’t replace the production of Napoli and Cespedes. What I said was they couldn’t replace it with the alternatives you mentioned: Craig for Napoli and who knows for Cespedes. And I stand by that.
In any case we will know in the next 30 to 90 days what route the Sox will take.
There is a clause in Cespedes contract stating he cannot be QO’d….he should be traded
@ Victoria and Uncontrite, I wasn’t aware that he had that inserted into his initial deal with the A’s. OK so he gets traded at some point. It still doesn’t change the basic premise of my comment. You don’t trade away 2/3 or 1/2 of your offense (Napoli and Cespedes) without replacing it with equal or better. Keep in mind Ortiz is getting older and while he hit his HR’s and RBI’s his other numbers across the board were down, OBP, SLG% and OPS all down significantly. And he’s not getting any younger. Also, Pedroia is starting to show signs of slowing down
So for those counting on Betts to make the team better there is always the flip side of that coin.
Pedroia was also playing hurt for a portion of the year and is a rebound candidate, there is no real talk about trading Napoli, that was just an example by Victoria for salary relief. Also, a platoon between Craig/Nava or a healthy Victorino should be able to suffice on one OF spot. I am not saying it is ideal, but Cespedes is not as irreplaceable as you are making him out to be. Signing Sandoval can replace that production while an OF platoon would upgrade the horrific 3B production from last year. All in all, the offense will be better with health and a 3B upgrade
Don’t misunderstand me. NO ONE is irreplaceable including Cespedes. My point was and apparently I wasn’t very clear is that trading him without a clear idea of who will replace him both in the field and in the line up only makes the team weaker NOT stronger.
Uncontrite look at most of your comments here. they are peppered with IF this player can do this or IF that player can stay healthy (when they haven’t been). Then the offense will be better….That’s true of virtually every team in the ML’s. I don’t think GM’s can operate on those premises. That’s just my opinion.
I conceded that point to you, as in a 3B upgrade (Panda or Hanley-less likely) could offset what Cespedes would produce, and trading him for pitching MAKES THE TEAM BETTER. The Sox already have the in-house options for a productive OF, that is why Cespedes is expendable. The sox do not have productive in house 3B options and that is where the most significant upgrade is. and I say “IF” a lot because nothing is a formality. Truth be told, Victorino probably won’t be healthy for a full season, but it would be hard for him to miss more time than he did this past season
If you trade Cespedes, Betts will replace him on the field, and fill the leadoff spot which is also a need on this team. He’s not the same type of hitter, but he will be a productive one. It’s tough to consider Cespedes such an important part of the lineup when he played less than three months for the team. Any third baseman will improve our offensive production at third. Having Castillo in center will be an offensive upgrade over JBJ. There is no need to select one single player to replace offense that would be lost. The team that take the field on opening day next year will be vastly different than the one that took the field on opening day this year. Just because you lose some at one position doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade several others and get better production overall.
That is all absolutely true, and that is not even including the potential upgrades we could land in a trade involving Cespedes
I have very mixed feelings about trading Cespedes. On one hand an outfielder has to go, and he has the most value, on the other hand I’d like to have his bat in the lineup. I think if he was resignable for an reasonable amount, they would have done it already. And they really don’t want to see him walk for nothing. In order to get anything for him you’d have to trade him to a team that was on the cusp and just needed one more bat. Mariners or Brewers maybe? Mariners already have a connection with his agent, so they may be willing to try and resign him. It’s a mess really.
At the deadline, I loved the approach because I thought he would be signed long term. Now I wish we had gone a different route. I don’t see the Brewers because their OF is filled. Possible landing spots could be SEA, TEX, or NYM. I really don’t mind trading him if the reports about him have any validity and if we can get pitching in return. What do you think is a reasonable return from those particular teams for him in the event he is traded?
It’s only one season. Maybe what we got for Miller? A former top prospect that has fallen out of favor with his present team. Or maybe a top five prospect in the low minors. No one top of the line unless it’s the day before the season starts and someone gets desperate. Maybe a number three starter on the last year of his deal? Unless there were additional parts on our end, I don’t think he’d net us much unfortunately.
Hmm. I get that side of it, but I also think he is the only power bat that could be available short of Cruz and Melky. I think an organizational top 5 is completely reasonable, and that is, like you said if we do not add to the deal
Why do you insist I said trade all of them when I clearly repeatedly stated Napoli, or Cespedes or Victorino? Trade Victorino, you’ll likely at least 6 million and lose absolutely no offense from last season.
It is part of his contract. They cannot QO him. Just so you know.
I honestly disagree with you. If Betts can takeover the leadoff spot like he did toward the end of last season, that already makes us a much better offense at the league minimum. Just by having him there, Castillo batting in the second half of the lineup, and anyone that can produce better production from 3B, we have one of the better offenses in the game again. Assume that 3B upgrade has been the usual assumption of Panda, and that’s probably $18 mil. $25 mil for an ace is high unless we get Scherzer or Lester, so I see a trade for the ace being more likely. by adding two starters that’s $35ish mil, just those 3 additions put us at about $163 mil. The luxury tax probably won’t even be an issue barring a Lester signing
Victoria, BTW, I never said their 2015 would be a failure. I only pointed out where they are payroll wise as of right now. I’m sorry that you couldn’t see my comment for what it was.
I would have been more comfortable paying him a higher annual salary than having that second year on there, but all in all a necessary deal the Red Sox made.
How can they sign a closer before we know if the starting pitching will ever hand over a lead?
This is a fair deal for both parties.
I love Koji and am glad to see him back. He was amazing in 2013 and I hope to see him back in that form. 17 walks and 181 strikeouts in his 2 years with the Sox, amazing.
This is a decent start to the offseason. One can only hope for a couple trades that bring pitching back the Red Sox way. Maybe Cespedes to Seattle and inquiring on one of the Red’s starters?
When they said they were interested in retaining him, they weren’t kidding. Good to get it out of the way
Wow. FWIW, when an Orioles beat writer asked around about a return to Baltimore for Koji (he still has a house here), he was told by a few sources that the team believed that when Koji’s performance decline inevitably happened, it would be swift and crushingly awful and that his September sure looked like it had started.