The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Robert Stock off waivers from the Phillies, as per a team press release. Philadelphia designed Stock for assignment earlier this week.
Stock represents the latest new arm in Boston’s organization, as the Sox have also added the likes of Zack Godley, Dylan Covey, and Stephen Gonsalves in recent days in an attempt to shore up a pitching staff thinned by injuries, COVID-related absences (i.e. Eduardo Rodriguez) and opt-outs (Collin McHugh). The Red Sox have optioned Stock to their minor league training site, though it isn’t hard to imagine him getting a call to the MLB roster at some point, as the Sox continue to figure out their optimal bullpen mix.
The hard-throwing Stock has a 4.11 ERA over 50 1/3 career innings, all as a reliever, and all with the Padres from 2018-19. After posting a 2.50 ERA in 39 2/3 frames in 2018, Stock struggled to a 10.13 ERA over 10 2/3 innings last season as his walk rate and homer rate both ballooned, and he also hit the injured list with a biceps strain in September.
Stock was a second-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2009 draft, though he pitched for a few different organizations (as well as stints in Mexico and independent baseball) before finally reaching the Show in 2018. The 30-year-old has a 3.74 ERA, 1.54 K/BB rate, and 8.5 K/9 over 327 career minor league innings, working as a reliever in 210 of his 217 appearances.
His “stock” is rising
BBB # 22 signs by the wonderful Mr Bloom !!!
I like the line “optimal bullpen mix”. Thankfully it’s only 60 games as this is probably the worst collection of pitchers I’ve ever seen is a Sox uniform.
Ha I was watching unsolved mysteries when this alert popped up. Had to do a double take on the name
Robert Stack from the grave would make this staff if given a tryout.
Forgot to add that he could throw bullets.
Desperation!!
I loved this guy in the Airplane movie and on Unsolved Mysteries. Glad to see he has found another profession. Surely you can’t be serious?!? I am serious and don’t call me Shirley.
I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue
Looks like Pato just started sniffing it.
Some of us think in terms of Eliott Ness….not many of us tho
I only clicked to make the same joke (with a bonus Ultra Magnus reference).
Scouts say he’s the next DeGrom. Bloom got a steal.
Sir? SIR! Can you hear me? Can you understand what I am saying? Tell me, WHAT DID YOU TAKE?! HOW MANY TABS?
while i understand as a red sox fan we need to attempt a 60 game season, our teams seasons gonna be over by august 20th, we have NO PITCHING, while its great to get these no name scrapheap guys to save face and give websites something to write about, this seasons been over since they traded mookie and lost sale, period, so get your HOPEFULLY 30 wins and have a good winter and lets hope EVERYTHING gets back to normal next year, i will admit though its gonna be a painful 2 months watching this team loose 5-3 or 6-8 everynight.
Yeah I seriously doubt that the fans will even show up to Fenway this season.
+1 for that comment
Sox fans should feel very fortunate that they only have to endure a 3 month rebuild. The team’s hands were tied with all the salary they had on the payroll and the lack of prospects.
That’s assuming the regular season can last until August 31st and the Sox CBT gets reset. If the season ends before 8/31, 2020 will not count as a reset year and the Sox will enter 2021 as a 3 time ‘offender’ of the CBT which will really limit their ability to acquire quality free agent pitches (which they desperately need)!
30 wins would mean a playoff berth. I’m not even expecting 20 wins.
The key milestone for boston is just to have the season last through august. Finish august and the cbt resets, and something can be done with the rotation.
If they don’t get through august, no cbt reset, and the pursestrings stay tighter than scrooge’s.
30 wins ??? Try 20 if they are lucky
There’s not going to be one pitcher that gets by the Red Sox on waivers this year.
Jimmy Yacabonis?
He’s actually a guy I like for the Red Sox to grab.
Some of us think in terms of Eliott Ness….not many of us tho
underrated RP arm. should help the Sox.
He pitched for the Padres, I was not impressed
To be fair, he was great until he got injured. However, after that, he was never the same:
The Sox pitching staff this year makes me miss the likes of Eric Hetzel and John “Way Back” Wasdin.
Bob moving on.
When you loose 2 to Baltimore who legite, may not win 15 games this year YOU KNOW your in trouble, And again, Andrew benintendi has done nothing, he sat in today’s game after a nice hit-less first 2, i really dont see this teams obsession with keeping this guy, from the middle of 2018 till now he has been the most below average hitter to mediocre fielder i have ever seen for this team, granted its not all his fault being the new lead off hitter, that was a guy named mookie… but oh ya! I just hope they trade him and Jbj most likely to the same team and start restocking the rotation and depth, we need pitching in BOTH our major team and the minors, not 2 light hitting outfielders that shouldnt even still be on the roster.
OPS+ has Benintendi average in 2019 (100) and above average in 2018 (123)
Outside of 2018 Benny has done nothing
Benintendi isn’t necessarily a star, but he gives enough offensively to offset what he gives back defensively. The focus on a slow start probably has much to do with the season being 102 games shorter.
Even if this season is a wash, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t back to form come 2021; if that season isn’t delayed w/o shortened.
I guess the 1 thing that actually works in boston’s favor are expectations, nobody is expecting anything from them this year, im actually truly excited who they will get in the off season, having cleared away money they can finally get an ‘ace’ or atleast a very good starting pitcher to go along with much other needed pieces, glad to be optimistic about this teams future.
I have no expectations either… other than you may NEVER lose a series to the lowly O’s
bingo. i think they did the right thing. the tax gets crazy after a bit. its best to duck under every few years to avoid the large toll it can take on draft, international FA, and team finances. and yes, just because they make lot of money, doesnt mean losing a lot to a tax is a good business decision.
Again, the season has to last until August 31 for their CBT to be reset. Given the Marlins fiasco, that’s not looking too good right now. They’ll be forced to trade JDM if their tax doesn’t end up resetting just to get one decent pitcher. They were well over the $208M tax threshold in 2019 and that’s what will carry forward into 2021 if this season gets cancelled before the trade deadline.
I have been saying for at LEAST FIVE years now that the Sox need to develop some HOMEGROWN pitching. Spending in the FA market has not worked out for them and is the big reason they are in the $$$ mess { Price, Sale, Eovaldi} they are in right now. They had 2 opportunities to add a top pitching prospect { Mookie trade, high 1st rd pick} and BLEW both of them. Mr Bloom does NOT have a clue what he is doing !!!
First off it is unlikely IMO that the season gets completed the way things are going right now but also next offseason is a weak fA crop. For the MILLIONITH time the Sox need to develop THEIR OWN SP depth.
He certainly is dedicated to being a professional ballplayer. I remember reading about him using biomedical methods to try and get to throwing 105 MPH+.
In any case, his persistence is interest in. As is his willingness to use unconventional methods to gain an edge over the hitters he faces.
He can serve as their ’emergency catcher’ too… he was actually drafted as a C out of high school and spent his first 3 professional seasons as one… actually had a solid 1st year then dropped off the face of the earth offensively after that… I do like the pickup though… they Sox need someone with a big fastball out of their bullpen. Right now they are being way too “cute” with RPs who throw in the low 90s. I feel like Bloom is trying too hard to “outsmart” everyone with advance metrics on spin-rates and such… some of that is good… but sometimes you need a guy who just genuinely has the raw talent to blow hitters away and Stock is someone capable of that… if he can stay healthy and pitch like he did in 2018.
Yep. That is the advance metric way. These guys are all the same. The difference between the haves and have nots is money and what they do with it. Also helps if the baseball man before them drafts well.
With 8 teams getting in, Boston just has to hit well to reach the bottom side. Maybe they grab a pitcher in August, maybe not. I wouldn’t want to face them in a very short series if their bats are clicking.
Never will happen and all teams have three catchers. Two on 40 and one on taxi squad
Stock throws hard. He doesn’t get outs. He was available for a reason. Maybe if you are a team who has a way to fix him you have a chance. The Red Sox do not fix pitchers. They do not develop pitchers. If his past teams were unable to fix him the Sox have no chance.
Good post. Could not agree more
The revolving door of mediocre pitching.
I am really worried that we might not get 60 games in this year.
Thank god it’s a shortened season. Red Sox pitching is atrocious as expected. So sad to see
That is IF the season gets completed. That is in serious jeporday right now.
The way this “season” is headed, Hopeful for a and a higher draft pick
Why? So Mr Bloom can waste it on another 2nd baseman that wasn’t even rated in the top 100. No way will he actually draft a pitching prospect in the first round. He loves hunting the bargain bins too much