The Red Sox have claimed infielder Taylor Motter off waivers from the Rockies, per a club announcement. Colorado designated Motter for assignment earlier in the week.
Motter, 31, only got a brief look with the Rockies before being designated for assignment, going 3-for-20 in 13 games upon having his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. The well-traveled, journeyman utility player had been enjoying a monster season in Albuquerque, where he’d batted .335/.460/.759 with 24 home runs, 16 doubles and a triple in just 265 plate appearances. That type of pop has never previously been there for Motter, who entered the year with 44 career Triple-A home runs through 1410 plate appearances.
The Red Sox will be the fifth big league team for Motter, a career .189/.261/.304 hitter in parts of four seasons between the Rays, Mariners, Twins and Rockies. Motter has spent the bulk of time at second base and third base in 2021, but he has at least 300 professional innings at every position other than catcher and pitcher.
With the Red Sox currently being overrun by a Covid-19 outbreak that has sent eight players to the Covid-19-related injured list, there’s ample room for them to plug Motter directly onto the MLB roster. Boston is currently without Xander Bogaerts, Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo and Yairo Munoz, so adding an infielder who can play multiple positions and was enjoying a hugely productive Triple-A season is eminently logical. Whether Motter can stick on the club once the Sox get back to full strength (or close to it) will be dependent on his performance in the days to come. He’d be ineligible for the postseason roster, should the Red Sox hang onto a spot, by virtue of the fact that he was acquired after Aug. 31.
Why??? I know Boston is devastated with Covid right now but this guy has done absolutely nothing in the majors. There had to be better options for them in AAA than Motter. Does this require a 40 man roster spot? If so, this is a completely useless transaction unless they are just able to use him to temporarily replace someone on the Covid IL and don’t have to DFA another player to add him. Even still, it is a very strange move.
he has been tearing up Triple-A this year and only had a small sample size with Colorado. doesn’t hurt to spend a 40-man spot on him as a stopgap while Muñoz and Bogaerts
while Muñoz and Bogaerts recover**
I thought COVID emergency call ups didn’t require a 40 man spot. isn’t that how Munoz was promoted?
Motter was literally the best hitter in minor league baseball this season. I think his 20 PA or whatever he got with the Rockies shouldn’t weight heavily on a no-risk decision to give him a shot.
It’s a completely sensible move. Not sure if you’ve heard, but the Sox are missing a bunch of players right now. Lol
“…adding an infielder who can play multiple positions and was enjoying a hugely productive Triple-A season is eminently logical.”
Pretty much sums it up. He’ll just be a potential stopgap until some of the infielders return, unless he lights up while here.
The rest of the guys have done nothing too, but I think they just want someone to play his position
What’s-a-Motter with you? You are acting like a Yankees fan at a AAA depth signing.
They have pretty much already called up everything with a pulse since the 8-9 guys went down with covid.. Arauz, munoz about only 2 they have at AAA really worthy of playing at that level on the team who are there, rest are just bodies as far as am concerned. 1 who I’d like to see get a chance is Ryan Fitzgerald, the guy they plucked from indy ball few years back, but seems they prefer keeping useless retreads at AAA and him at AA most of the time, even tho he has shown ability to play all over infield and hit some. he’s not some superstar, even full time mlb’er, but believe he could be an up and down guy if they, or another team gave him the chance.
better than Arauz is my 2c.
I’d like to see them give Jeter Downs a shot in the majors. I know he’s struggled at AAA this year but he has good power numbers and his defense has improved a lot since the start of the season. Motter has been called up at least 4 separate times to MLB and has done nothing at the plate in all of those seasons. PCL stats have proven to mean very little in MLB success so far.
Jeter Downs! Why!!!! That guy has done absolutely nothing in the majors!
Downs has looked sick at the plate games have caught on milb tv, like he’s been on a cold streak all season long it seems. It’s got nothing to do with service time as another poster wrote here, but fact he hasn’t done anything with the bat at AAA this year, like hitting .150ish, which is awful and looking at the plate like he’s hitting that bad, not loud outs either.
The trade redo with getting him and Wong instead of Graterol may end up being a big mistake in the Betts deal.
Agree that once again, in games have seen his lack of hitting does not seem to have affected his glove any. That part has looked pretty decent at AAA from what have seen. Sox must be down on him tho with picking up retreads and calling up guys not on 40 man (munoz) rather than someone like Downs who already is.
Downs is currently out with a thumb injury.
Graterol has done little, though he has a live arm. And he is actually down to only 4 control years left, despite only 57 career innings. Downs has disappointed, but is still has more value, imho.
That said, his strikeouts this year make him unlikely to be of much service to the RS right now.
Motter might be something as simple as trying to figure out our best option for the next 3 games.
Service time. They don’t want to run up st for players and waste 40 man spots when they’re going to DFA him when everyone come back. That’s my opinion
Red Sox current job interview: “Do you have COVID? No? You’re hired.”
Solid defender that has a pulse fills a hole at the moment. Franchy crushes AAA too so I’m not expecting a hit out of this guy, but at least this guy can play defense.
Smart move. Bloom is undoubtedly familiar with Motter from his time with the Rays. His game reminds me of Ben Gamel, which isn’t a bad type of player to have.
Exactly. I hear from sources that James Shields and Ty Wiggington are next.
Chaim
word to your motter
Did you ever notice that Taylor Motter and Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters have never been seen at the same place in the same time? And they’re both Dudes Named Taylor? Hmmm….
Can anyone answer this? In my memory the Yanks had several games postponed when they had 3 or 4 players out with COVID, but the Sox are expected to play games on time with 8 men out? It does seem that there are different standards within MLB admin, for different teams.
Might have to do with the team being 85% vaccinated or not. Just a guess ob my part.
It’s about the money. You could cancel 10 games in April, and still make it up. If you miss games in September, it is a logistical nightmare to make them up. As a RS fan, I wouldn’t look forward to them flying into Cleveland for a makeup game, and then into TB to make up another.
And quite honestly, I want to play the games. I want the team to have to reach down a little, and win games when they aren’t at full strength. I think it will make us stronger down the stretch.
Spitball – Same rules apply to all teams. Cancellation of games is often an agreement between both teams who might be impacted by COVID. If there is a later open day that works for both teams then games get rescheduled. The Yankees are paying the price for their early agreements. September is loaded with games compared to other months.
Dude has a beer-league physique and an NHL-playoff beard. Love it!!