The Red Sox have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Carson Smith, as per Zone Coverage’s Brandon Warne (Twitter link). Smith elected free agency after being outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster following the season, but will now return to the organization in the hopes of finally making a significant impact in the Sox bullpen.
Originally acquired by the Red Sox as part of a four-player trade with the Mariners in December 2015, Smith was tabbed as a potential closer of the future in Boston following his breakout rookie season. Smith posted a 2.31 ERA, 4.18 K/BB rate, 64.8% ground ball rate, and an 11.8 K/9 over 70 innings out of Seattle’s bullpen in 2015, looking like a star reliever in the making.
Unfortunately for Smith and the Red Sox, his tenure in Boston has thus far been marred by injuries. Smith pitched just 9 1/3 total innings in 2016-17 due to Tommy John surgery, and he then managed just 14 1/3 innings in 2018 before suffering a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. The latter injury was caused when Smith tossed his glove in the Boston dugout out of frustration over a rough outing, and it led to some controversy when Smith suggested that overuse might have contributed to his issues (unsurprisingly, manager Alex Cora didn’t agree with this assessment).
That difference of opinion notwithstanding, Smith will now look to get healthy and get his career back on track in Spring Training. From Boston’s perspective, there isn’t much risk in bringing Smith back, and he still some intriguing upside given his stuff and the fact that he is under team control (via arbitration) through the 2020 season. With Joe Kelly now a Dodger and Craig Kimbrel perhaps too expensive for Boston’s liking, the Red Sox have been on the hunt for bullpen help at an affordable price. Smith can hardly be considered a candidate to replace Kimbrel or Kelly at the end of games, of course, though he does give the Sox yet another depth option to consider as they look at augmenting their current bullpen corps (Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Heath Hembree and company) with a more established ninth-inning arm.
I’m surprised a rebuilding team wouldn’t give him a major league deal to try and allow him to try and retain his previous form. Could’ve been a nice diamond in the rough.
I totally agree with you; it’s possible that he preferred to redeem himself with Boston than head to somewhere that isn’t a contender.
The last three years are an indication that is not a good plan.
Wish him the best.
Hope he can control his emotions.
Will he be cleaning toilets in Pawtucket?
Actually the PawSox are moving to Worcester
Not for a few years. I used to live in Worcester. They need to make a lot of infrastructure improvements that will take some time. The stadium itself should be nice, it’s going to be the most expensive MiLB stadium ever built.
The only thing I’ve seen of Woosta was from I-290. Must be that stadium on the same side as Polar Soda & the inflatable bear?
That place just isn’t the same without the Aku Aku lounge sign.
That’s Holy Cross Stadium
Massachusetts is kicking in to build a smaller version of Patriots Place.
What could go wrong?
Not Pawtucket, now Worcester Sox.
Bullpen problems… solved
Same lifetime ERA as Mariano Rivera.
More World Series Rings than Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado combined
I was more sad about the Mariners trading Carson Smith than I am about them trading Diaz. I loved them both, but I guess I’ve learned not get attached to players anymore.
Interesting. He was upset at Cora for overuse after he got hurt, then this..
Not that am upset myself.. his velocity was still up there and plenty of run and sink after over coming TJ. his shoulder woes (self inflicted) may allow him to pitch some late in the season and he does have more upside overall than Thornburg.
May I also add that it shows class on his part to ask to return.
And it also shows class on the Red Sox part that they have given him a 2nd chance.
Putting aside his obvious God given abilities.
I expect he will appear back in Boston in 2019 and work his way back in some way.
I can only hope Cora was in on this and got some sort of apology, since he was the one Smith threw under the bus.
I’m sure he spoke with Cora.. Cora is a communicator and I bet Cora initiated it.. he was a hard nosed player and understands frustration..
Now Smith can show his appreciation and put his nose to the grindstone and be a good teammate.. every guy who’s had a season like this thinks they could be comeback player of the year.. and every year one of them is right.
With Boston’s current bullpen situation he has to feel he has an excellent chance to make the team out of spring training. When healthy he has wipeout stuff. I’m sure he has talked to Cora and things are good otherwise they wouldn’t of signed him.
Now I expect the Red Sox to sign probably Kelvin Herrera on a one year make good deal and that should be an offseason. Herrera is an experienced closer and shouldn’t cost much.
Think there pen will be done it won’t be the best but it will be serviceable with upside. Also expect Durbin Feltman to be given every chance to make the club out of spring training. The Bullpen will have a lot of upside but with high risk.
yeah the Red Sox bullpen is absolutely putrid
Could be but might really good too high bets on this bullpen.
“Beta”
This is going to be a shakeout BP in ST Bruin. Lots of guys could/could not be members and regardless, end of the season multiple rookies will make up slots with Feltman, lakins and possibly Hernandez.
It will be interesting if Smith IS healthy for ST and can take a slot, then either Lakins, or feltman another. That would go a long way deepening the pen as it currently sits.
I’m almost sure that Feltman is going to be in the Sox pen next year. Good call on Lakins he will spend time in the Sox bullpen. Feltman is the wildcard for me a guy that throws 95-99 with a wipeout slider.
I think I need to make my maiden voyage to Portland & get me some Seadog action finally.
You never know how a bullpen is going to turn out at the end of the year ..when the RS were in spring training if I asked anyone out there how many of you know who Ryan Brasier is ..and who thought that he would be considered a high-leverage go to guy on a 108 win team you would have laughed in my face..
Who cares? 2018 yielded the Red Sox fourth ring since 2004. That should hearten the souls of the fans. Conserve finances to try to retain your core talent.for another bum rush come 2020 or 2021. Snipe all you want…especially if it gives you a thrill up the leg.
Red Sox bullpen isn’t built. Judging it in December, when there are several high-end options still available, is absurd.
Even if Feltman appears with the Sox in ST, he will not be on the club at the start of the season. Maybe Lakins, but not Feldman. He needs more work in the minors–some Portland, some Paw. Then maybe a September call-up.
I think your wrong about that if Feltman pitches well spring training he starts with the Sox. His stuff plays and he was drafted as a relief only guy. He is max effort guy too so who knows how long his arm holds out. I think there is 50/50 chance chance he starts in the Red Sox bullpen right out of spring training. I also expect that he will become more and more trusted as the season goes along. If he doesn’t start with the Red Sox he will be up in short order but I believe his mid 90’s fastball with wipeout slider will play in the bigs.
Agreed Bruin. Good comment. Herrara is a former WS winner, a solid clutch pitcher and just the kind of guy that the BoSox could use for veteran experience/confidence in the BP moving forward. Only issue with Kelvin are the numerous injuries, which have been frequent over the last few years on account of overuse, especially during his time with the Royals. Losing Kelly sucks, even with the inconsistency, but do expect D.D. to NOT screw up with the BP this time around by signing a couple MORE BP guys that can immediately contribute. Kimbrel wouldn’t be horrible, but think Ottavino would be a solid option even if he’s been a NL pitcher exclusively. Robertson and Britton have struggled in past years, but BOTH of those guys have also been dominant at times too, as has Kimbrel obviously.
Nice cheap add for depth. RP Xavier Cedeno would be a good addition also. Red Sox need to add a lefty and Britton would be an expensive gamble.
Britton is over the hill. While regression was expected following his 2016 season, he proceeded to get worse in 2018 and was pretty average in a set up role for the yankees down the stretch. Would I take Britton? Yes. But for the right price only
I mean was regression expected after he posted a .54 ERA and didn’t blow a save, sure. But his peripherals suggested he was an elite pitcher that year as well. The problem is he got hurt. He hasn’t been the same since his injury.
Not bad. He can eat at least 6 innings before getting injured like he does for us every year. It’s a tradition.
Whining about being over worked, injuring himself while throwing a tantrum… I’m surprised Cora wanted him back!
Well he’s the best player in the Red Sox bullpen now soooo…..
You, ma’am, are full of beans.
im optimistic about Carson Smith and believe this was an outstanding decision by the Sawx
At 30 yrs old he’s had a low impact three years so potentially lots of bullets remain.
Every pitcher has risk; Smith is Low Risk and very High Reward.
Sitting out nearly two seasons because of injury doesn’t sound low impact to me. I hope you’re right though.
Not every trade with Seattle can work out like the Heathcliff Slocumb trade did.
seamed like a prime tgt for billy bean or padres
Boston going cheap with the bullpen
We are way over the penalty cap – Nothing left in the budget for guys like Kelly who received a hell of a deal from the Dogers.
Sawx will do fine – we still have an awsome core.
Hmm…didn’t he bad mouth Alex Cora and the Red Sox when he went on IR last year?
Yes he did, try reading the article.
Gosh I hope he didn’t. After all he hit a ring too.
$10 million arm with a 10 cent head. Anger issues. When he was with the Generals in AA he came off the field after getting smoked by the Braves for 4 hits and 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning and he punched the wall. It was April and this kid was punching the wall.
Red Sox bullpen talk is laughable. There are lots of high-end options still on the market. Meaning the players aren’t getting what they want money wise. No reason Red Sox should rush to sign one, just to make internet haters happy.
Better to sit back and let market set itself. Which means waiting for Kimbrel to fall, then pounce on one or two of the 4 or 5 very good options still out there.
I agree 100%. At this point the Sox are stocking up on some low risk, low cost pitchers who have the potential to have a good year and hoping they get lucky. Meanwhile, they are waiting for the price to fall on some of the higher end relievers on the market. Its a good strategy. Eventually they’ll sign one or two of the better relievers for a fraction of what it would have cost them if they hadn’t been patient.
I wouldn’t be happy with this if I were Cora. Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised if no one else would touch him based on his “disagreement” with him.
BoSox would be smart to fix him up and send him out in a package deal for “stay calm & pitch on” talent. He doesn’t really contribute to earning a ring. It’s not ‘class’, his asking to come back to Boston, and it’s desperation on his part.
Can anyone confirm Smith’s contract status? The article states he team-controlled under arbitration through 2020, but a friend mentioned this cannot be true since he was released and re-signed as a Free Agent; he seems to believe he’s a FA again after this season. Is Smith indeed a FA after 2019, or is he under team control for a couple more seasons?
Thanks,
Nearly positive that just because a player was released doesn’t automatically end his pre arb and arb years. It just means that he can sign with any team but his arb status stays the same.
Yup – I attempted to research this question on line – I concur with Bruins assessment.
Perhaps they have moved on from Kimbrel. The fact that he is only a Save guy and maybe not a guy willing to come in ,like Miller and Britton , to put out a ‘fire’ in the 7 th or 8th against
Stanton & Judge with runners on and the game truly on the line..
Feltman has proven in college and the minors he can save games; he will get that chance in Beantown.
Kimbrel did a good job for the Sox but I believe they are looking for a stopper to pay for one or two years until they figure out what their kids, coming through the system, can do..
The degree of blame Smith got for throwing his glove was unfair and ridiculous. E-Rod threw his glove mid-game in the Series—that’s OK because he didn’t get a freak injury? I saw many pitchers throw their gloves in the dugout, and none of them were fined, released or even criticized.
The Sox pen needs to replace Kimbrel. That should not be hard. His control was putrid last year, and he was lousy in the post season: they’d be foolish to sign him to a long or exorbitant contract.. I wouldn’t be sorry to see them go with Brasier as closer.