First baseman Mitch Moreland’s time with the Red Sox is on the verge of ending, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe suggests. The soon-to-be free agent is likely on his way out of Boston in favor of a “younger and cheaper” option, per Abraham, who lists Michael Chavis and prospect Bobby Dalbec as immediate possibilities. While Moreland’s position, age (34) and production won’t lead to a particularly lucrative trip to free agency, he’s not fretting about the open market right now. “It was bad the last two times I went into free agency and I came out of it with a job,” Moreland told Abraham. “I’m not really worried about it yet. I just want to enjoy this last week with these guys. It’s a great group. I’ll worry about the rest when I get there.” Moreland, who has earned $18.5MM on a pair of deals with the Red Sox since 2017, is finishing up an injury-limited year. He owns a .246/.325/.502 line with 18 home runs in 317 plate appearances thus far.
- Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is out for the rest of the year with appendicitis, manager Charlie Montoyo told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other reporters. While Gurriel struggled during a truncated second half (he just came back from a month-long absence because of a strained left quad), this will go down as an encouraging season for the 25-year-old. Gurriel slashed .277/.327/.541 line and swatted 20 homers in 343 PA, and he acquitted himself decently in his first experience as a major league outfielder (minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved, plus-0.3 Ultimate Zone Rating).
- Third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., yet another young Blue Jays building block, surprised over the weekend when he suggested via an interpreter he has never lifted weights. It turns out that isn’t the case, though. Guerrero clarified his prior remarks on Monday, telling Alexis Brudnicki of MLB.com and other media through an interpreter: “They wrote that I never lifted weights before. That sounds like ’before’ — never even in the Dominican, the States, with the team, and that wasn’t what I was saying. I was very clear, and I said that I never lifted weights in the offseason in Dominican Republic. I did a lot of other things, conditioning things, but weights at the gym, never did it before” (Sportsnet’s Arash Madani, whom Guerrero made his comments to last week, has the full transcript of their original conversation). Guerrero went on to state that he’ll add a weight program to his regimen this offseason in order to better prepare for the grind of a 162-game schedule. The 20-year-old has played in a professional-high 133 games between the majors and minors this season, including 120 with Toronto.
- After a couple injury-ravaged years, it appears outfield prospect Austin Hays is working his way into the Orioles’ season-opening plans for 2020. Hays has only played a couple weeks in the majors this year, but he has made the most of it, as Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com writes. Indeed, with a .314/.364/.627 line and four home runs in 55 PA since his Sept. 7 call-up, the 24-year-old is “making a really strong case that he can play here,” manager Brandon Hyde told Melewski. It’s not just Hays’ marvelous late-season offensive production that has turned heads, though, as Hyde noted “he’s shown us that he can play center field defense.”
Why is everyone saying Dalbec is coming up next year? He hit .234 in AA this year and has never even been to AAA.
Dalbec played at AAA this year
Thank you Johnny Superscout
I could definitely see Moreland going back to the Sox and playing Chavis at 2nd.
I don’t see Moreland coming back they want to lower the payroll and i doubt Chavis is at second long term
Chavis holding down with the glove a season-2 would probably be fine.. As long as he proves next season he can lay off the high FB, which he is going to have to do. The glove showed he was league average.. Maybe tad more at 2b, which was much better than most thought they would get.
Compound Holt hitting FA, Mostly utility players as other options in Lin, Hernandez otherwise, tho both could handle it on a part time basis and it’s fine to pencil him in as the so called regular, unless the Sox want to engage in a bidding war over Holt, who will probably get overpaid via FA to the tune of 8-10mAAV and multiple years.
I don’t think Holt is getting overpaid like that
Hope you’re wrong John on Holt who might be stuck in mid-quality status. While I love the guy and want him to get as good a deal as he can, he’s not DJL in the field nor with the pop and he only got 2 years (@$12m per). I’m thinking 3 x$5.5m to $6m per max and whether he stays will depend on the other moves the team makes. If they trade Mookie and JDM leaves, I can see one righty bat coming + resigning Holt for 3 or even Moreland for one more year. Don’t discount Moreland’s glove and the errors he saves others. That said, he needs to stay on the field and his injuries might be why the team moves on. That said, I do not want Chavis at first. The team should decide on his position and let him play winter ball and learn it.
If the price is right they have Mo. Mo wont go for a minor league pack ….so if 1 mm he will sign
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to “suggest” that Moreland isn’t coming back. He’s a good defensive player who has some pop in his bat when healthy, but he’s seemingly always either hurt or playing hurt. And the Sox have to save money wherever possible, so slotting in Chavis at 1B is a no-brainer. With either Marco, Holt, Pedroia (longshot) or Travis filling out the infield there’s no room for Moreland. I wish him and Pearce well, they helped bring us a championship.
Can’t wait for Abraham’s next “suggestion” that Pearce might not return. LOL
I hope not, I’d rather them use that money elsewhere and give sam travis or another guy a shot. It’s not going to be hard to replace that offense. I think it’s a matter of time before devers ends up at first anyway
Other than one recent game against NY, Devers has looked ok at third. Only move him if it strengthens the overall team. I’m not sold on Chavis but certainly love what he showed absent his strikeouts.
Dalbec had a pretty good year split between AA and AAA..
Boston might sign Justin Smoak for a discount and a rebound.
Keep Holt. He is a knucklehead.
Hays looks really good. Very clear why he was previously on so many top 100 lists. He scuffled in the minors but has looked tremendous so far. He’s obviously not a .1000 OPS guy like he is now. But it would be a huge boost for the rebuild if he’s even within shouting distance of the guy he is now.
Watched Hays again last night. He does look really good. Busts his hump in CF.
thanks for that
im a O’s fan for life and Hay’s is i hope our CF’er!!
If there had been any doubt, he put an exclamation point on things last night.