The Reds rotation upgrades are the story of their winter, though impending free agency for Alex Wood and Tanner Roark means there’s not much time for this unit to gel. Their third big addition, Sonny Gray, is the most significant of the three if only because he immediately signed a three year, $30.5MM extension. Unfortunately, Reds fans will have to wait for Gray’s debut, as he was scratched from his start today with right elbow stiffness, per the Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay. Gray came to camp sore a couple days after throwing a bullpen session, but the hope is a little extra rest will get Gray right again. The team did not perform an MRI, and there’s no reason to suspect anything serious at this time. Time to check in on another couple of stories from around the league…
- Each January, the Rangers invite a select group of top pitching prospects for a week-long mini-camp with the major league staff in advance of Spring Training, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. This season, however, they sent an even smaller group of about ten pitchers to a “secret secondary-pitch intensive.” The camp takes place at Driveline Baseball, an increasingly ballyhooed research and development consultant founded by Kyle Boddy. Trevor Bauer is one noted client, as is a couple of potential feel-good stories of 2019, Kyle Zimmer of the Royals and the Cubs 37-year-old rookie Luke Hagerty. Among the Rangers sent to Driveline were bullpen hopefuls like C.D. Pelham, Brett Martin, Michael Matuella, Jason Bahr, Nick Snyder and Brady Feigl. The exact purpose of the camp remains unclear, and Jon Daniels and the Rangers have been none too keen to speak on the subject. Still, the Driveline story is one to track throughout the year, as we may be hearing more from the innovative research group.
- Rick Porcello is open to furthering his time with the Red Sox, but they have yet to approach him about an extension, per Rob Bradford of WEEI Sports Radio Network. Porcello excelled in 2016 when he was able to limit walks and home runs en route to winning 22 games and the AL Cy Young, despite a FIP of only 3.40. Now in the final year of the four year, $82.5MM deal signed before that season, Porcello’s market value is tricky to pinpoint. The Cy Young raises his profile, though he remains closer to a mid-rotation workhorse than a top-of-the-rotation ace. He has a career 4.02 FIP, but he’s also on a remarkable run of durability that makes him an outlier in this era – he has started between 27 and 33 games each season for ten years running. Porcello, 30, is likely not as high on the Red Sox priority list as Chris Sale, Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogaerts.
Porcello is a decent arm. But over 10 years, he has a 4.26 ERA and over a hit per inning pitched. He’s not worth $20m a year. A solid #3 pitcher who won a cy young. Weren’t my Saux looking to deal him earlier this winter??
Honest question: are you a parody account of MetsYankeesRedSox?
why does that matter?
Why does it not?
how does it so?
How so does it not?
What does it show?
When is the snot?
Right after the shot
baseball1600 keeping tabs on parody accs.
Mlbtr parody acc. master
ahhh the twin chimes in after he signed put of his other account.
@dragqueen
You don’t even make sense anymore.
Yeah draq is a head case. Don’t give him attention.
funny how you both followup each other just minutes after a post. 1 person + 2 accounts = lonely. Must be real cool around your parts. I teach my children to stay away from people like you.
Many of his/her posts are indiscernible.
Sad part, I know he/she is trying to troll me…
you trolled yourself in this thread.
If you troll yourself too much, I hear you’ll go blind.
And the reason Porcello’s W-L is so good is that he has been massively lucky with run support most of his career.
That and he puts up lots of quality starts and innings toput himself in position to win. While it is the new thing to say wins are meaningless, its amazing some guys are just so lucky at it.
Porcello has never played on a bad team. Had he pitched for the marlins or the Padres over that time span he’d have significantly less wins. So yes, that is why wins are devalued. But yes QS are certainly worth something. You don’t need to look at Wins to look at QS though do you?
Betts already said he’s testing the market and just recently said he needs to be a role model for player behind him after he signs a contract.
…Sox should just trade him the last year before he hits FA.
Yeah, trade the second best player in MLB, probable franchise player, why? I am 100% certain the Sox have a plan to keep him beyond 2020.
Your 100% certainty has 0% relevance.
Perfect.
they had a plan….they tried to extend him however he said no. Betts is testing the market and has said the repeatedly. so yes, its best to trade him during his last season instead of waiting it out and losing out. current example is john lester was moving on so sox traded him.
Trade him then resign him ala Aroldis Chapman.
The Yankees thought their season was done when they traded Chapman and Miller. Big market clubs don’t trade with the future in mind when they’re trying to win now.
Anxious to see the results from Braves SP prospect Kyle Muller after spending time at Driveline. Very interesting stuff.
Porcello and Price will be running out the string. The Red Sox are trying to free payroll to keep their young players.
they will not be able to afford Betts/bogey/jbj/benne. even if they could its not business to have all thoae dollars tied to only 4 players when you need to build a wininng team.
I don’t JBJ is nearly as much of a concern as the others, if at all
Benitendi is pre-arb still. Not really part of the current problem. The other 3 plus Sale/Porcello and a shit pen/farm is the problem.
The pen can work itself out. Everyone remembers how strong it was in Octobet, not how itt was their achilles heel starting the year and continuing until it gelled at the end of the year. Expect changes to the tax in the new CBA. Not sure of the effects and that’s another reason to limit long term deals. Trading Porcello if they are not re-signing him is still their best option to free up salary to then add a reliever. Balance saved should be kept for later needs be it another starter, reliever or injury replacement. A lot might depend on Pedroia.
With all the talent they graduated and traded it makes sense thry are down. Win the division 3 yearsin a row and a WS and you cant restock as quickly. Exact position a team wants to be in. All that said, Chavis and Dalbec look pretty good and close. Darwinzon Hernandez, Lakins and Feltman arent far off as options to bolster the pen.
Of the Mookie/Bogey/Sale/Cello quartet the one I think is likely the most reasonable extension target is Porcello – not just cost-wise, but he’s kind of a known quantity in terms of expected durability and performance.
I’d expect he knows/expects that his Cherington contract is an overpay, and I don’t think he should expect 20 mil AAV going forward. But at around 15-17 depending on years, say 4/60 with a vesting 5th based on IP in yr 4, or 3/51 it’s worth taking a flier on the extension.
I doubt he takes less than Eovaldi from the Red Sox, unless he has a bad season.
True, although eovaldi is on a 4/68 17aav without any type of option.
Arguably he brings greater flexability from what he showed during last season as well than cello has.
I wouldnt expect the sox to pay more than Nate got on any porcello extension,
Sox are going to be content to let Porcello and JBJ walk unless the price is too favorable to pass up and they can’t get any of the other 3 to re-sign
Porcello is important at the right price. The problem is Mookie is unlikely to extend early and they don’t know what that number will be. Porcello seems like 3 – 4 at $13m – $16m. I would trade him as I still believe a team will take on that contract for one year.
Too bad about Sonny Grey. Hopefully he will bounce back next year after the TJ surgery.
Link?
“Reds have their first Sonny Gray concern.”
Sonny Gray has stiffness in his right elbow and was scratched from his spring training opener Saturday
Gray experienced stiffness after a bullpen session on Monday. Gray is not being sent for an MRI.
“It is nothing I’m overly worried about. I’ve dealt with this in the past,” Gray said Friday.
“I’ll start throwing in a couple of days. I wanted to go out there and throw the first game of spring but it was everyone’s decision not to push it.”
nypost.com/2019/02/22/reds-have-their-first-sonny-…
x, the report is “just” stiffness. Nowheres it adds TJS. this is spring training amd why Pitchers report before everyone else. Pitchers require a lot more conditioning than lets say a hitter. Pitchers will get shutdown if needed…example Kershaw too needs more time.
WTF???
Couldn’t be too much of a secret if you’re reporting it.
shhhh
I think Iglesius will end up the Reds everyday SS with either Scooter or Peraza traded.. Most likely Peraza is the guy to go. Reds should move him before everyone realizes those HR he hit last year were a fluke. Plus he’s a poor SS.
It’ll be interesting what the Mets do with Wheeler, but I predict Rick in Queens next year. He’s a Jersey kid and if he stays consistent to the last couple years Mets will be looking for a good durable back end starter.
The rangers have some secret pitching camp they have had their pitchers participate in for some time? Looks like it’s doing the trick. What a joke.
Go back and reread. they have had a camp every January that is known. It is also known that since they got rid of Maddox they have not had good pitching coaches so more time spent with them would never do any good. This year they secretly sent them to Driveline as well. Driveline is getting a good reputation though of polishing up pitchers but only time will tell.
don’t be surprised cello gets another 4/82M from some else – either way he’s in a contract year 🙂