The Red Sox have signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Hildenberger to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Major League camp, according to Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. Chris Cotillo of MassLive adds that Hildenberger will earn $700k if he cracks the big league roster. Hildenberger is a client of the Ballengee Group.
Hildenberger, 29, has spent his entire professional career with the Twins after they selected him in the 2014 draft. After establishing himself as a busy piece of the Minnesota bullpen in 2017 and 2018, he fell off dramatically last year, seeing his ERA balloon to an unsightly 10.47 (albeit in just 16 1/3 innings of work). Hildenberger comes at batters from an unorthodox arm slot, which in part allows him to overcome unspectacular velocity. He works primarily with a changeup/sinker combination that frequently induced ground balls until 2019, when his GB% plummeted to 38.1%. The changeup is certainly his most lethal offering, drawing a 38.2 whiff% that surely piqued Boston’s interest.
Of course, the bullpen-needy Red Sox would be remiss if they didn’t take flyers on players of Hildenberger’s ilk. He’s by no means a lock to crack the Opening Day roster, but he’s a nice depth option who can compete for innings if he impresses in Spring Training or if injuries strike the Boston bullpen.
With the way the bullpen was last year he may be our new setup man! Lol
Red Sox finally respond to the Cole signing
Oh Haha … I’m sure Chaim and the BoSox are worried about your perception of them “countering Cole” and not their luxury tax implications … glad they could finally appease you!!!
I bet you’re fun at parties.
I’m sure much more fun than you. Red Sox need to drop salary most likely they won’t compete this year
That’s just an uninformed opinion. The starting 8 and DH can compete with anyone. If Sale is OK, the starting 4 will be contention caliber. NOBODY can predict bullpens, but the Rays always managed to put one together–I’d give the new GM a chance..
Losing Porcello was addition by subtraction. The talent from 2018 is essentially intact, They may not go to the Series, but of course they’ll compete.
You heard it here Red Sox will not be in the playoffs in 2020. Astros twins Yankees a’s rays just like this last season
Of that list I vote yankees and rays are likely postseason entries.
Astros it’s hard to say because of impending punishments.
Twins lost a lot of guys, hard to say if the arms are there.
The a’s have talent, but, their division should be a little tougher this year, and other teams in the league are rising to where they may have more wild card competition… combined it’s enough I wouldn’t consider them a lock.
Every arm that’s available is better than what we had, excluding Workman. But I do think the bullpen was soooooo overused all yr they just tanked. I don’t like Hembre, but maybe he’ll surprise me someday.
Hey let’s face it our starters tanked last year and wore out the pen…. would love a closer thou
Last season’s failure was almost the sole responsibility of the starters…their inability to pitch past 5 innings was a stress no bullpen could withstand. They were exposed early and often.
That’s pure stupidity
I think this is a solid low-risk signing. He has a tremendous track record in the minors as a CL and with the exception of last year has been pretty effective throughout his career. Hopefully he can regain his success prior to 2019 and could potentially provide solid innings for a Boston bullpen that is definitely in need of finding some solid arms from somewhere!
Organizational depth he won’t be a factor on major league roster
Yeah, someone’s gotta fill out the rosters to help develop the talent. Any outlying performance from him is a bonus.
Low risk signing. With the funky delivery Hildy is either lights out or unusable. Last year with the Twinks he was the latter. if he can get it under control could be a top relived on any team
It’s funny because Workman was great last year. If he pitched for someone else and Sox acquired him to be a closer the fans would all be excited.
Do you really expect Workman to be lights out in 20? Sox history is full of one year bullpen wonders that only have later disappointed as inconsistent to far worse. Daniel Bard and yes Barnes on the current roster come immediately to mind. Even Joe Kelly was always tantalizing but horrendously disappointing until the end of 2018. That said, Kimbrel wasn’t much better despite his numbers. Anyone who watched him pitch, he was only lights out in one season as a Sox closer. All other times he made you bite your nails and pray to the man upstairs.
Mr Bloom is showing em how to dig through the the BBB bin as perJohn Henry’s direction. There will be more of these “ finds” to come.
This is the first RS signing this offseason that is a complete head scratcher to me. This is a soft tossing righty with a gimmicky release point and no real success to date at age 29. That means righties will be tattooing his fastball off the green monster if he makes it to the bigs. Depth signings are surely needed for this team, but I’d rather see them go after the guys who throw 95-99 (but need a little help with control) or try to reel in one of the injured guys like Walker on short money. I’m more than willing to give Chaim the benefit of the doubt but this one smells like a swing and a miss.
I’ll take a pitcher over a thrower any day of the week. Teaching control takes years. Tweaking control takes months.
At least he took a swing. The feeling has been he’s kept the bat on his shoulder. I realize patience is needed but this year despite what Henry recently stated feels like a summer of nothing. Hopefully I’ll be eating those words…
“Oh the humanity”.. Is what the Sox are gonna be saying when he catches fire and crashes to the ground. Lol Hildenburg