JULY 15: Godley’s in Boston, likely to get a physical, per Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. A deal looks “imminent,” Bradford adds.
JULY 14: The Red Sox are nearing a deal with free-agent right-hander Zack Godley, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. It’s unclear whether it will be a major league contract for Godley, whom the Tigers released from a minors pact Monday.
Godley will get an opportunity to win a starting spot in Boston, whose rotation looks shaky after taking multiple hits in recent months. They’ll go the whole season without ace and recent Tommy John recipient Chris Sale. Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez has been down since last week because of a positive COVID-19 test. It seems unlikely he’ll be good to go for Opening Day, while Collin McHugh definitely won’t be ready as he continues his recovery from elbow troubles.
As things stand, the Red Sox are down to Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez as their most experienced starters who are actually healthy. Matt Hall, Brian Johnson, Jeffrey Springs and Chris Mazza are among in-house options competing for roles after Eovaldi and Perez.
The 30-year-old Godley, like Eovaldi and Perez, brings a somewhat lengthy but inconsistent track record to the table. Godley seemed to break out in 2017 as a Diamondback with 155 innings of 3.37 ERA/3.41 FIP pitching. While he was less effective at preventing runs the next season (4.74 ERA/3.82 FIP), he still amassed 178 1/3 frames and struck out more than a batter per inning for the second straight campaign.
Unfortunately, Godley continued to fall off last season. He performed so badly in Arizona that the team designated him for assignment in August, and while Toronto did end up adding him on waivers, he didn’t last long there. All told, Godley made 33 appearances (only nine starts) and registered a 5.97 ERA/5.20 FIP over 92 innings. His K/9 took a major turn for the worse along the way, plummeting to 6.85.
Despite his 2019 downturn, Godley would seem to represent a worthwhile buy-low arm who may have some multiyear upside. If he actually sticks with his next team, he won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season.
looked pretty bad in ST, but hey, beggars cant be choosers
This will be a difficult adjustment for him. His habit is to spit before and after every pitch.
One good thing is the spitting rule. HD TV is horrible to have to watch Cora or Devers spit these last couple of years.
Matt Garza was the WORST !!
Lol
Seriously? You’re freaking out about spitting in baseball?
Mercy.
I mean…I just…I mean…
(gestures wildly around)
An isolated spit is one thing but Devers between every pitch? Cora every shot in the dugout was spitting out seeds. Only thing worse was renting a horse and being stuck in a line behind the family member who was on the horse in front of me…
Man, you and I have differing views on equestrianism. And baseball.
That’s all just part of it.
LOL
Red Sox finishing 4th in the AL East at best this year.
Yanks
Jays
Rays
Red Sox
Os
Where do you slot the Braves? Ants?
Rays over Jays
Jays over Rays? Probably not.
Rays
Yanks
Sox
Jays
O’s
He can’t be any worse than last year, right?
DD wouldn’t sign him.
Sox pitching rotation when healthy:
Erod
Evoldi
Perez
Maybe this guy or McHugh?
Weber or opener (or both)
Definitely more options, not great, but more. Combine this with strong bats and relievers and hey, you might have a ball game.
I assumed this is one of the worst rotations in the league, but looking around at other teams like the O’s, Mariners, Tigers, and Royals, they might be somewhat respectable, but there really is a stark contrast between the good rotations and the bad ones.
That is why I am against expansion……huge difference between good and bad teams or you could say there is not enough talent to go around……
Nah, I’m all for expansion. With (hopefully) changes to the CBA, force teams to stop holding down young talent for service time in order to compete.
Expand to 32, lift the mound height from 10 inches to 15 like it was until 1968. Balance the scales a little.
I like the new approach that Bloom is taking by signing a bunch of under the radar guys that haven’t really performed but I’m still concerned on the rotation. Hope it turns out well, or maybe Chaim has a card up his sleeve he hasn’t revealed yet?
This year is a practice run for next year when the team hopefully has money to spend.
Under normal conditions, the Sox losing 50 games would be cause for celebration…This year, not so much so….
This is a really good low-risk signing for the Red Sox. As there is obvious upside with Godley if he can pitch anywhere near the levels he did just a few years ago. And given the injuries and general lack of rotation depth for the Red Sox right now… there’s really no harm in trying him out and seeing if he’s got anything left in the tank to offer. I also believe (unless he works out a deal similar to his last one) he would also still be arbitration eligible next season if he were to sign for one year with the Sox. Which would be a nice bonus if indeed he can return to form, then the Sox could wind up with a controllable arm for another couple years instead of just the one.
The Red Sox can hope for big things from him, but the truth is that they are signing pitchers out of the rubbish bin. A pitcher that another team, a BAD team, already cut. From a minor league contract no less.
A warm body during a “bridge year” until Houck and Mata are ready. Two thirds of the MLB operate this way every year. What….the Red Sox aren’t allowed to have a year where they do not spend the most money in the MLB?
Idk about Houck and Mata being legitimate Frontline SPs… I suppose both (maybe Mata more so) have a chance to be back end of the rotation type guys but I do agree with your point otherwise… he’s a solid enough option for their “bridge year” and luckily by having this season happen their luxury tax penalties will reset going into next off season. That will allow them to hopefully restock their roster with better options this off-season and then with Sale coming back they will hopefully have a much better rotation come the start of next season.
My team used to sign these kinds of reclamation projects pitchers quite often. We used to hear all kinds of crap from Yankees and Red Sox fans telling us how terrible our rotation was. I think turnabout is fair play, don’t you? When the Sox had an amazing rotation, their fans talked down to others. Now it’s your turn. Your rotation is terrible. You also have no premium arms on the way in your system.
This is a lame duck year for us to avoid the repeater tax escalations. Red Sox do it one year, with a definite purpose, your team whoever that was probably does it every year. Hopefully you had ownership change or GM change to help compete.
As a side note, it seems like the Yankees NEVER have to do it. They’re always good. Every time the Sox are great so are the Yankees LOL.. tip of the cap in respect.
Javia – Many Yankee and Red Sox fans act like they are on the “their” team’s payroll and have something to do with those teams winning. They DON’T! I am a baseball fan first! I hate that people make fun of fans of bad teams. It is great that you are a Padres fan! Hopefully they get enough support so that the team can compete with the Dodgers! I hope they crush them personally.
Every team goes through bad time (Red Sox last place 2012, 2014, 2015), and that makes the WS wins even more sweet 2013, 2018. I am personally looking forward to this “bad” year for the Red Sox to see some new faces as the roster turns over.
I don’t hate theYankees, but I do their fans (but I dislike arrogant Red Sox fans too).
where were you angels?? already down 2 pitchers lol
He can eat up innings why not
I’d have rather the Red Sox sign Seth Frankoff than Zack Godley.
Wow…RedSox must be desperate for pitching
Great! Another oft-released journeyman who will be of no help. Living off of 1 decent season won’t cut it.
If he can get some Innings behind him he serves a purpose. Just trying to get through this season is all we’re doing.
Don’t understand this move at all….. What do they see in him….