While arbitration hearings can often be a contentious process, Red Sox president of baseball operations told reporters that the team’s relationship with Mookie Betts didn’t suffer as a result of this week’s hearing (link via MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey). “I called him and texted him back and forth,” said Dombrowski. “(Assistant general manager) Brian O’Halloran spoke to him. Mookie’s fine, he understands the process so we have a good relationship.” Dombrowski went on to say call Betts a player that the organization “loves” and hopes to keep for “years to come.” Betts was awarded a $10.5MM salary by an arbitration panel — the second-largest salary ever for a first-time arbitration player. (Kris Bryant set the record at $10.85MM last month.)
More from the AL East…
- Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com looks at Darren O’Day’s quietly dominant finish to the 2017 season for the Orioles, noting that his excellence over the final two months flew under the radar after injuries had plagued him for much of 2016-17. Indeed, O’Day logged a pristine 1.14 ERA with a 29-to-7 K/BB ratio and just two home runs allowed over his final 23 2/3 innings of the 2017 season, and the sidearmer tells Kubatko he’s healthy headed into 2018. ““Last year was encouraging in a lot of aspects,” said the 35-year-old O’Day. “I think previous seasons I had some issues that just fighting through and there’s times where you doubt yourself, there’s times where you wonder if you’re still good, so last year some of the months were very encouraging for me and I felt like I got back to myself.” O’Day will play a critical role to an Orioles bullpen that will be without closer Zach Britton for much of the season; Britton suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in December and figures to miss at least the first couple months of the season.
- With the Blue Jays seeking a starting pitcher and likely not having the funds to land a top free agent, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com lists potential options for the club. Given that the Jays have in the neighborhood of $10MM to spend, Chisholm explores Jason Vargas, Chris Tillman, Andrew Cashner and Jaime Garcia as possible fits. Other choices could include Brett Anderson (in whom the Jays do have interest), Jeremy Hellickson, Clay Buchholz and old friend Francisco Liriano.
- The Rays and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria will have their arbitration hearing Friday in Arizona, and an announcement on his 2018 salary will come Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The slick-fielding, offensively limited Hechavarria is seeking $5.9MM, while the Rays have offered a $5.35MM salary, as MLBTR’s Arb Tracker shows.
John Smoltz was just asked what he thought of the pitch framing statistic. John said it was meaningless and has nothing to do with anything..
Ok?
Well then it must be true
Cool, tell me why good hitting catchers who cant frame aren’t finding jobs while guys like Jeff Mathis and Jose Molina kept/keep finding MLB jobs with no offensive abilities?
Players opinions are different from those who work in front offices.
Derek Jeter was a shortstop his whole career despite being a poor fielder. What’re you getting at?
Didn’t he win a few GGs?
I’m amazed that the Yankees would have kept a “poor defender” at SS for 20 years. Through the George spending years, then Arod couldn’t unseat him from the position. Enjoy your declining Red Sox with DD driving them into the ground.
Declining lol We won the East past 2 years. Yankees whole team revolves around two guys lol
Judge, Sanchez, Bird, Serverino, Didi, Stanton, CC, Chapman, Betances, Robertson…..that’s 10 guys right there that the team revolves around. I could keep going if you’d like
do Shortstops have pitch framing
I think his two guys comment was ridiculous but don’t go putting bird and betances in with those guys bird wasn’t any good and they didn’t trust betances
In response to driftcat28:
Where is Ellsbury?
How about Tanaka and Gardner?
Because they’re cheap salaries! Get it!
Yeah, pitchers aren’t the best source, eh? Ask yourself how many managers are former pitchers, then how many are former catchers.
The Red Sox shot themselves in the foot by offering a ridiculously low arbitration salary to Betts. $10.5m was probably too high, but $7.5m was way too low, so the arbitrator chose the higher figure because it was closer to the right number. If Boston had offered $8.5m-$9m instead, they probably would have won and saved themselves $1.5m-$2m.
Agreed
I would have to disagree. Considering that the Cubs paid Bryant over $10m for 2018.
Yeesh just look at those pitchers. 10 million doesn’t get you much these days for FA pitching.
I’d like Anderson back and maybe Hellickson/Cashner but only as #5s or depth pieces.
Yeesh is right. Pretty fugly list there. I agree on Anderson but I think I’d rather take a shot on Garcia than Hellickson. Not as home run prone.
I don’t see why they won’t pony up the cash for at least Cobb or Lynn. With the market size of Canada they can afford it.
How about a trade between the Blue Jays and Braves with Julio Teheran and Mike Soroka going to Toronto for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette. Julio has three years of control on a team friendly deal having pitched 200 innings and 3 War for five years and Soroka is the highest ranking Canadian pitcher in Baseball America’s top 100 at #27 and ready to be a star. Braves need talent at second and third base.
Dave Stewart? Is that You?
When did Teheran turn into a cheap Scherzer? Because that deal only happens if Atlanta adds Inciarte and probably a couple of their other pitching prospects
This was the funniest thing I’ve seen all week. Thanks, backatit.
I don’t think they’d really care that he’s the highest rated Canadian pitcher lol
Well, Guerrero isn’t ready yet, so you should probably include Donaldson to hold down the fort, and since the Braves just took on a bunch of salary from the Dodgers, the Jays should also cover a majority of the 23M he’s making too.
what in the world that is so ridiculous I don’t even know where to start. that is ridiculously one sided. also I like how you bring up the baseball America ranking for Soroka but leave out that the two J’s guys are both in the top 10! nice touch. I personally wouldn’t give up one or the other for that package both is ridiculous
Everybody knows Guerrero and Bichette are #3 and #8 on the BA list. Did not think it needed to be stated.
Why do braves fans think tehran is so good? He is at best a #3 especially in AL east
The Jays have expressed interest in Archer and Teheran is better based on past performance.
For your education:
link to fangraphs.com
“Backatit”….more like “crackaddict”. You must be smoking crack if you think the jays would give up Guerrero and Bichete for Teheran and Soroka. Teheran is really not that good, and his numbers from last year are terrible. If he puts up numbers like that in the NL you think they’re not just going to get worse in the AL East? And as for your Soroka is best pitcher Canada has ever produced…let’s wait for him to actually pitch in the majors before you make that claim. Then after he does pitch in the majors come talk to me after he has more Saves than Gagné or more wins/Strikeouts than Fergie Jenkins.
PS- lay off the pipe.
Wouldn’t trade 1 of them for yelich. But let’s trade both for mediocrity. Umm hell no.id give hellickson or Tillman a shot.
So trade 2 of the top 10 prospects in baseball for an at best #3 starter who would get shelled at the Rogers centre and a prospect? Give your head a shake
exactly and see how he mentioned Sorokas ranking but not vlad’s or bichette’s
Both Bichette and Guerrero are marginally better prospects than Soroka who is likely the best pitcher Canada has ever produced and destined for greatness. Julio Teheran is better than any pitcher on the Jays staff who at 27 has accumulated over 15 WAR and 1000 innings. So, study up some and get back to me.
Study up? wouldn’t take Teheran over Stroman or Sanchez. Trading away two top 10 prospects for a marginal #3 pitcher and a prospect who is worse than the two being traded is laughable. Absolute garbage post.
Better than any Jays pitchers? I’d take both stroman and Sanchez over him. I’m sure a majority of fans not of the blue jays would too. I can’t tell if you are trolling or you are serious with this idea. Throw in that Teheran had a bad year as well and the fact that you even mentioned that Bichette and Guerrero are better (I’ll ignore the marginally part) and what do you the jays get out of it?