Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez seems to be ahead of schedule in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, writes WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. Vazquez tells Bradford that he had a scare last week when he felt some discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow, but the doctors informed him that it stemmed from muscle pain and scar tissue as opposed to any sort of notable setback in his recovery. Vazquez is already throwing to bases from behind the plate, though Bradford notes that it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for game action when games kick off on Feb. 29. Here’s some more from around the AL East…
- Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the Rays’ focus on adding bats this winter will not only help the offense, but also help the pitching staff and bullpen by theoretically sparing them from so many close games. “When we’re playing in one-run games every night, it’s tough. It’s tough to piece together the innings and make sure that we keep everyone fresh,” president of baseball operations Matt Silverman said.
- There’s no reason to worry about Yovani Gallardo passing his physical with the Orioles, based on what Eduardo Encina of The Baltimore Sun hears. Encina also points out that though Gallardo turns 30 later this month, the righty has a strong track record of durability. Gallardo’s physical is said to have taken place around noon today, so the deal could potentially be finalized and formally announced by the team at some point this afternoon.
- The Orioles have been heavily connected to Dexter Fowler, though they’re also looking at other position player options, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets. Pedro Alvarez, who was rumored as a Baltimore target earlier this offseason, is still being considered by the team.
- The Red Sox believe that Carlos Marmol can be a relief force again after correcting a flaw in his delivery, WEEI.com’s John Tomase writes. Marmol’s already-shaky control was worsened by a high arm slot over the last two years, as observed by Boston director of pitching analysis and development Brian Bannister. If this theory is correct and Marmol can get back on track, the Sox may have landed a big strikeout reliever at the cost of just a minor league deal.
- The Yankees’ big three bullpen aces have drawn much of the attention this winter, though the rest of New York’s relief corps will also play an important role in the team’s success. To this end, Chasen Shreve will be a big figure for the Yankees, though his late-season fade is a concern, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Fatigue or over-thinking may have played a role in Shreve’s late-season struggles, though Brian McCann feels that Shreve was tipping his pitches.
I hope Marmol get his game turned around what should’ve been a hall of fame career end because he was rush and couldn’t deal with adjustable situation. But when he was on OMG he was good
I really hope Vazquez succeeds this year. My only wonder is what happens if both him and Swihart start to have success. Who goes, and for what?
A luxurious problem to have. They can both do stints at first base and DH (where, rumor has it you might have a vacancy at some point in the future.)
HanRam will slot into the DH when Papi retires. Travis Shaw is likely to succeed HanRam at 1st after this year. It is a great problem to have though, so long as the players stay productive.
Thats the problem. Both deserve daily play. I believe the obvious solution is to trade one for a pitching upgrade once Vazquez is proven healthy. Hannigan is a fine backup.
Travis Shaw could also slot into 3rd if Panda still cannot field or bat for average
My guess is that neither goes. Keep in mind that they both have options left, so don’t be surprised to see either Vasquez get sent down (rust) or Swihart (defensive work) if one of them emerges above the other.
Also this will bide the Sox’ time until next year (not saying that either would spend the entire year in the minors).
With Papi retiring, it opens up options for the Sox to move people around. My guess would be Hanley to DH, Panda to first and Swihart to third (he has the athleticism and arm for just about any position on the field) and Vasquez behind the plate.
Also, Travis isn’t going to be starting anywhere, IMO. His stats in the minors don’t back up his MLB success last year. Maybe it’s because of the Middlebrooks thing being recent, but I can see something similar happening here now that there will be more thorough scouting reports and subsequent adjustments by other teams with him.
Again, just my two pennies.