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Cubs Exercise Club Options On Kyle Hendricks, Yan Gomes

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The Cubs have exercised their $16.5MM club option on the services of veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Hendricks, the club’s longest-tenured player, is now set to return in 2024 for his 11th season with the major league team and his 13th season as a member of the Cubs organization as a whole. Rogers also reports that the club has picked up their $6MM club option on veteran catcher Yan Gomes, who will return for his third season in Chicago.

Chicago’s decision to retain Hendricks is hardly a surprise, given comments earlier this fall from both president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and club chairman Tom Ricketts that indicated Hendricks would return to the Cubs in 2024. The decision was likely made even simpler by veteran right-hander Marcus Stroman’s decision to opt out of the final year of his contract and return to the open market. By keeping Hendricks in the fold, the Cubs have a proven veteran starter to pair with Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon in the club’s rotation next season with youngsters like Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski, and perhaps even top pitching prospect Cade Horton all also in the mix for starts next season.

Of course, the most important factor in Hendricks’s option being picked up was the veteran righty’s strong bounceback campaign in 2023. The soft-tossing righty was among the most effective starters in all of baseball for the first seven seasons of his career with a sterling 3.12 ERA and 3.53 FIP across 175 games. Among the 68 pitchers who threw at least 700 total innings between 2014 and 2020, Hendricks’s ERA ranks 7th. Unfortunately, Hendricks’s performance took a turn for the worse over the next two seasons; he posted a 4.78 ERA and 4.87 FIP across 48 starts those two seasons before being shut down last summer due to a shoulder capsule injury.

Rehabbing from that shoulder injury left Hendricks unavailable to open the 2023 campaign, but he looked rejuvenated upon his return in late May. In 24 starts for the Cubs this season, Hendricks was able to provide a steady, veteran presence in the middle of the club’s rotation with a 3.74 ERA and 3.81 FIP in 137 innings of work. Though Hendricks struck out just 16.1% of batters faced- a low mark even by his soft-tossing standards- he made up for it by walking a microscopic 4.7% of batters faced while generating groundballs at a 46.3% clip. Altogether, Hendricks’s performance and the rising prices of pitching on the free agent market in recent years seems to have made picking up the 2024 option on his services a fairly easy decision for the Cubs.

As for Gomes, the 36-year-old veteran rebounded in a big way from a down year offensively in 2022. After slashing just .235/.260/.365 in 293 trips to the plate while serving as the club’s primary backup to Willson Contreras behind the plate last year, Gomes stepped into the role of Chicago’s primary catcher after Contreras departed for the Cardinals in free agency. Gomes took to the role quite well, slashing a respectable .267/.315/.408 in 419 trips to the plate, good for a 95 wRC+ that ranked 26th among the 69 catchers who had at least 100 trips to the plate in the majors this year.

In addition to his solid bat for the position, Gomes has generally been well-regarded as a catcher defensively throughout his career. Though his framing marks slipped somewhat in 2023 from where they had been in previous years, Gomes ranked in the 81st percentile for Blocks Above Average behind the plate and the 66th percentile for CS Above Average in 2023. Given his solid performance both at and behind the plate in 2023, it’s hardly a surprise that the Cubs would retain Gomes for a third season behind the plate, though it’s possible he’ll end up in more of a timeshare with youngster Miguel Amaya in 2024 after Amaya showed flashes of being a potential regular behind the plate in 53 games in the majors this year.

Braves Expected To Decline Club Option On Eddie Rosario

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The Braves are expected to decline their $9MM club option on the services of outfielder Eddie Rosario, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman notes that the decision is a “close call” and that nothing is officially yet, but that the expectation is that Atlanta will officially decline their option “by tomorrow”, the typical deadline for option decisions.

Rosario, 32, slashed .255/.305/.450 in 2023 for the Braves, a line that was exactly league average by measure of wRC+. Even combined with solid defensive metrics in left field this year (+3 by both OAA and DRS), that performance was only good for 1.4 fWAR across 142 games in 2023. Despite the meager production, 2023 actually represented a significant rebound for Rosario, who was nothing short of brutal in 2022 with a .212/.259/.328 (62 wRC+) slash line in 270 trips to the plate surrounding a procedure to correct vision issues in his right eye.

Though the eye surgery sparked optimism that Rosario would be able to rebound in a more significant way, that did not come to pass in 2023. Rosario is now three seasons removed from a four-year stretch with the Twins where he hit 96 home runs in 483 games and slashed a strong .281/.317/.493 that was 12% better than league average by measure of wRC+. At the time, Rosario’s combination of 25-homer power and a strikeout rate that consistently hovered around 15% made him an attractive offensive option, even as he was limited to left field defensively.

Now, however, Rosario is coming off a brutal stretch of three seasons that’s seen him produce below average numbers offensively (91 wRC+) with a strikeout rate of 21% and just 40 home runs in 333 games. Given his recent production, Atlanta’s decision to move on from Rosario and reallocate his $9MM salary elsewhere is a perfectly understandable choice, even as he leaves behind a major hole in the club’s lineup in left field. Rosario still seems likely to find interest in his services from other clubs this offseason on the heels of a 21-homer campaign, though perhaps not at a $9MM guarantee.

Filling that hole in left field figures to be a major focus of the coming offseason for the Braves. While there’s been some discussion of youngster Vaughn Grissom as a potential option to get starts in left next year, his lack of experience at the position and unproven bat at the big league level seem likely to push the Braves to explore other options. Speculatively speaking, Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is a known trade candidate who MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projects for a salary of $9.2MM in his final trip through arbitration. That could make him a clean fit for the club’s roster and financial needs, but the coming free agent class is littered with potential options, headlined by Teoscar Hernandez but also features the likes of Michael Brantley and Tommy Pham as well as former Braves Adam Duvall and Jason Heyward.

Diamondbacks Decline Mutual Option On Mark Melancon

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The Diamondbacks have declined their side of a mutual option with veteran right-hander Mark Melancon, per a report from Steve Gilbert of MLB.com this morning. The option was valued at $5MM, but the Diamondbacks will instead opt to pay Melancon a $2MM buyout on the option. The decision hardly comes as a surprise, both because mutual options are very rarely picked up and also because the 38-year-old righty did not pitch in 2023 due to a shoulder strain.

This was Melancon’s second season in Arizona, as the veteran righty initially signed with the club on a two-year, $14MM deal prior to the 2022 season on the heels of a resurgent 2021 campaign that saw him post a 2.23 ERA in 64 2/3 innings of work while leading the majors with 39 saves as the primary closer in San Diego. Melancon figured to fill the closer role for Arizona in 2022, but struggled to find his footing with the club, ultimately posting a 4.66 ERA (13% below average by measure of ERA+) and 4.20 FIP with 18 saves as the club lost 88 games.

Perhaps even more concerning than the downturn in results was Melancon’s plummeting strikeout rate. While Melancon was never much of a strikeout artist throughout his career, posting strikeout rates above 25% just twice in his career, his 22.3% strikeout rate in 2021 was an almost perfect reflection of his 22.2% strikeout rate in his career to that point. Melancon’s punch outs plummeted in 2022, however, as he struck out just 14.2% of batters faced during his age-37 season, the lowest mark of his career outside of a 13-game cup of coffee he received with the Yankees as a rookie in 2009.

On the heels of a down season in 2022 and a lost season in 2023, it’s fair to wonder what’s next for Melancon. The veteran righty has had one of the strongest relief careers of his generation, with a career ERA of just 2.94 and 262 saves in 732 career games. At the same time, he’ll turn 39 on Opening Day 2024 and last pitched effectively when he was 36 years old. Given the constant need for bullpen depth around the majors, it seems likely that Melancon will be able to find a job this offseason should he wish to continue his career, but it seems likely he’ll be relegated to minor league deals given his lack of recent track record and uncertain health situation.

As for the Diamondbacks, the club has a fairly solid bullpen nucleus ahead of the 2024 campaign, with closer Paul Sewald backed up by the likes of Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, and Andrew Saalfrank. That being said, it’s certainly feasible the club could look to bolster its bullpen depth given their 4.22 bullpen ERA in 2022, which ranked just 18th in the majors last year. Plenty of right-handed relievers figure to be available this season if Arizona is interested in replacing Melancon on the depth chart, with the likes of Jordan Hicks and Reynaldo Lopez chief among them.

Managerial Notes: Counsell, Mets, Guardians, Astros, Padres

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The Mets are approaching a decision on who will take the reins from Buck Showalter as the club’s new manager, per SNY’s Andy Martino, with a decision from star manager Craig Counsell expected in the next few days. That, Martino notes, seems to set the Mets up to act quickly regarding their own managerial vacancy; if Counsell settles on the Mets, the Mets will of course hire him for the position, while Martino suggests that Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza is another “very strong” candidate for the role. Martino implies that Counsell and Mendoza are regarded as the two finalists for the role, noting that the “only scenario” that could hold up the manager search in Queens is both Counsell and Mendoza electing to take jobs elsewhere.

That’s not necessarily a completely far-fetched scenario, however. After all, Counsell seems likely to have his pick between the Mets, Guardians, and the incumbent Brewers, all of whom appear to be prioritizing Counsell as their top option to lead their club in the dugout next year. It’s unclear where Counsell will ultimately land, reports have indicated that Counsell will at least offer Milwaukee a chance to match whatever salary offer he receives from New York and Cleveland. If Counsell does wind up returning to Milwuakee, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com relayed recently that the favorites for the job with the Guardians would then be Mendoza and Mariners coach Stephen Vogt.

That creates at least the possibility of a situation where the Brewers retain Counsell while the Guardians land Mendoza, leaving the Mets unsure about who their next manager will be. Cubs bench coach and former Padres manager Andy Green as well as current A’s manager Mark Kotsay have both been noted as possible candidates for the manager job in New York in the past, and the Mets are known to be searching for an external candidate, specifically.

More managerial notes from around the game…

  • The Astros could be nearing the end of their search for a manager to replace veteran skipper Dusty Baker, who retired at the end of the 2023 season. Per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, GM Dana Brown is “pushing” for the organization to promote bench coach Joe Espada to take over for Baker in the role. That being said, even an endorsement from Brown doesn’t necessarily guarantee the job will go to Espada; after all, as recent reports have indicated that both owner Jim Crane and adviser Jeff Bagwell will have “immense say” over who takes the reins from Baker in the dugout when all is said and done. Former Tigers and Angels manager Brad Ausmus along with third base coach Omar Lopez are among the other rumored contenders for the managerial gig in Houston.
  • Before the Padres settled on Bob Melvin to manage the club during the 2021-22 offseason, Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune indicates that president of baseball operations met with former Padres and Giants manager Bruce Bochy regarding his interest in the position. Krasovic relays that per Bochy’s agent Tony Attanasio, Preller and Bochy met twice that offseason in Bochy’s home in Nashville, TN. Attanasio suggests that Bochy wasn’t especially interested in returning to San Diego, and of course the club wound up hiring Melvin for the role instead. For his part, Bochy would return to the game as skipper of the Rangers in 2023, leading the club to its first World Series championship in franchise history.

Central Notes: Votto, Canha, Montgomery

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The Reds declined their club option on franchise icon Joey Votto yesterday. In a statement from GM Nick Krall yesterday on the move, he emphasized that he didn’t believe that the necessary at-bats would be available to Votto in 2024 for him to remain with the team, seemingly indicating that the odds of the sides getting together on a smaller deal were remote. That being said, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, neither side is shutting the door on a potential reunion just yet.

“I’m not closing the door on anything,” Krall said (as relayed by Sheldon), “I just think with the players we have on our roster right now, there’s no playing time [for Votto]… It would be tough to have him as just a pinch-hitter bat off the bench with the way our roster is constructed right now.” Krall went on to acknowledge that it will be “tough to watch” if Votto winds up playing in another uniform next year after departing the Reds.

It’s easy to see what Krall means regarding the club’s crunch for roster space on the positional side. Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Noelvi Marte are all big-league ready infielders who ought to be in line for everyday at bats in 2024, meaning that group’s playing time will surely bleed into the outfield and DH slot, where the likes of TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, and Will Benson also figure to play on a regular basis, to say nothing of players like Stuart Fairchild and Nick Senzel who could also be in line for at-bats. Given the club’s excess of positional talent, it’s hard to see where Votto could fit in for Cincinnati barring a hypothetical trade that clears some of the club’s positional logjam.

For Votto’s part, he seems to hold no ill will against the Reds over the decision. “At 40 years old, a team that’s about to be a championship-caliber team didn’t pick up the option of a guy who hit .200 in back-to-back seasons,” Votto told reporters, including Goldsmith. Goldsmith added that Votto, like Krall, did not want to close the door on a potential return to Cincinnati next year despite becoming a free agent for the first time in his career.

More from around MLB’s Central divisions…

  • Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke to reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press and Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) yesterday regarding the club’s acquisition of veteran outfielder Mark Canha from the Brewers. During the conference, Harris noted that the addition of Canha checks the box of “adding a right-handed bat that helps [Detroit] on and off the field” in 2024. As Harris alluded to, Canha’s right-handed bat will serve as an excellent complement to an all-lefty outfield of Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Akil Baddoo, and Riley Greene while also affording fellow righty hitter Matt Vierling more opportunities to play at third base. Harris also praised the ability of Canha, 35 in February, to mentor the club’s young roster as a “high-character” player whose calling card is his superlative plate discipline, with strikeout and walk rates that are well above the league average. For Canha’s part, McCosky notes that the veteran praised the team’s young core, saying that “A team is never as far away from where they want to be as it feels like. All it takes is a little nudge.”
  • The White Sox parted ways with longtime shortstop Tim Anderson yesterday, adding shortstop to a list of positions that need to be filled this offseason that already includes right field, catcher, and second base. MLB.com’s Scott Merkin relays that shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery, who is expected to be the club’s long-term solution at short, has his sights set on making the club’s Opening Day roster in 2024. “I’m confident I could have that spot, but you never know,” Montgomery said regarding the Opening Day shortstop job, “As a competitor and as a baseball player, you want to push yourself… I’m going to chase for it.” Montgomery entered the 2023 season as a consensus top-40 prospect in the sport and .287/.456/.484 in 64 games this games this year while advancing to Double-A.

Ross Stripling Exercises Player Option With Giants

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Right-hander Ross Stripling has exercised his $12.5MM player option for next season, per Danny Emerman of KNBR.com. Stripling, 34 this month, will return to the Giants for the 2024 season rather than test the open market. The move is hardly a surprise, particularly given the fact that Stripling himself announced that he expected to exercise his player option back in September.

After signing with the Giants on a two-year, $25MM guarantee this past winter on the heels of a strong platform season in Toronto, Stripling struggled badly in San Francisco this year. The right-hander ultimately pitched just 89 innings with the Giants this year across 22 appearances, 11 of which were starts. In addition to posting his lowest full-season innings total since 2017, Stripling struggled to get results. His strikeout rate dipped from 20.7% in 2022 to just 18.4% this year, while his walk rate crept up from 3.7% to 4.2%.

While those rates both trended in the wrong direction, the marginal loss in K-BB doesn’t compare to the massive home run problem Stripling faced in 2023. Despite the fact that only Comerica Park in Detroit and PNC Park in San Francisco suppressed home runs at a higher clip than Stripling’s home stadium of Oracle Park, the right-hander saw a whopping 22% of his fly balls leave the yard for home runs this year. Not only was that figure a career high in a full season only matched by Stripling’s 22.8% figure in the shortened 2022 campaign, but it was the second highest rate in the majors this year, barely edged out by Phillies righty Christopher Sanchez’s 22.2% figure. With Stripling allowing more than two home runs per nine innings in 2023, it’s hardly a surprise that Stripling’s 5.36 ERA and 5.21 FIP were the worst figures of his career during a full season.

That being said, there’s reason for optimism that Stripling could improve upon his 2023 campaign next year. After all, he missed two months this year across two separate IL stints due to back issues, suggesting it’s possible he wasn’t fully healthy for much of the season. Better health alongside better fortune regarding the number of his fly balls that leave the yard for home runs in 2024 could drastically improve Stripling’s effectiveness next year; after all, even in this brutal season some advanced metrics looked upon Stripling favorably as demonstrated by his 3.98 xFIP (9% better than league average) and 4.13 SIERA.

The Giants are still waiting on option decisions from left-hander Sean Manaea and Michael Conforto, both of whom can also return to the open market rather than playing out the final year of two-year deals they inked with the club last winter. Meanwhile, San Francisco faces a decision of its own regard veteran right-hander Alex Cobb. Manaea and Conforto are both reportedly undecided on whether or not they’ll return to free agency this offseason, while Cobb’s option, once an obvious choice for San Francisco to exercise, could be muddied by a recent hip surgery that figures to keep him out of action through Opening Day 2024.

NPB’s Orix Buffaloes Approve Posting Of Yoshinobu Yamamoto

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Shortly after losing Game 7 of the Japan Series to the Hanshin Tigers, the Orix Buffaloes announced this morning that they have approved the posting of ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to MLB. As noted by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the next step in the process is the formal declaration of a posting window, which will last 45 days upon being announced. Morosi suggests that the announcement could occur in the coming days. Yamamoto has long been expected to enter MLB free agency via the posting system this offseason, though today’s news marks the first official confirmation from the Buffaloes that Yamamoto will be posted.

Yamamoto, 25, has established himself as the clear best pitcher in Japan in recent years. Since making his NPB debut as an 18-year-old in 2017, Yamamoto has posted a career ERA of just 1.72 with a 26.4% strikeout rate. Incredible as those career numbers are, Yamamoto has been even more impressive over the last three seasons: from 2021-23, Yamamoto has posted an eye-popping 1.42 ERA with a 27.4% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 5.1% across 557 2/3 innings of work. His most recent performance saw him record 14 strikeouts while allowing one run on nine hits and zero walks in a complete game for the Buffaloes in Game 6 of the Japan Series.

Scouts have widely regarded Yamamoto as a starter with top-of-the-rotation potential in MLB. Prior to the 2023 season, scouts suggested to Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Yamamoto could be considered a “full grade” ahead of right-hander Kodai Senga, who landed with the Mets on a five-year, $75MM pact last offseason in his first foray into stateside ball. Senga’s age-30 rookie season in MLB proved to be an excellent one, as he posted a 2.98 ERA and 3.63 FIP while striking out 202 batters in 166 1/3 innings of work. Needless to say, the idea of an ace nearly six years Senga’s junior widely regarded as the better pitcher of the two being available via free agency this offseason has to be nothing short of tantalizing for MLB clubs.

MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski took a look at Yamamoto in the latest installment of his NPB Players To Watch series back in September, shortly after Yamamoto threw the second no-hitter of his career in front of several MLB scouts. Yamamoto’s unusual youth for a free agent and incredible upside figure to make him one of the most coveted free agents of the 2023-24 offseason. In MLBTR’s most recent Free Agent Power Rankings back in August, we had Yamamoto as the third ranked free agent to be on the board, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger. The market for Yamamoto is expected to be among the most competitive of the offseason, with the Giants, Mets, and Cardinals among the reported suitors in addition to the Phillies, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Dodgers, Tigers, and Diamondbacks, all of whom he’s been publicly connected to on some level or other throughout his final season before moving stateside.

Tigers Acquire Mark Canha From Brewers

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The Tigers announced that first baseman/outfielder Mark Canha has been acquired in a trade with the Brewers.  Minor league reliever Blake Holub heads back to Milwaukee in return.

It can be assumed that Detroit will exercised the $11.5MM club option on Canha’s services for the 2024 season, which is essentially a $9.5MM decision since that option came with a $2MM buyout.  The trade saves the Brewers from at least that $2MM payout, while also bringing a 25-year-old reliever into the farm system.

Canha’s contract was initially established with the Mets, when the veteran inked a two-year, $26.5MM free agent deal during the 2021-22 offseason.  Canha’s 2022 season in New York was solid, though his performance dipped to a .245/.343/.381 slash line over 303 plate appearances in 2023 before the Mets dealt Canha to Milwaukee at the trade deadline.  The change of scenery sparked Canha’s bat, and he hit .287/.373/.427 over 204 PA for the Brew Crew to help Milwaukee capture the NL Central title.

It is fair to guess that the Brewers only viewed Canha as a rental piece, yet his performance probably gave the front office some second thoughts about whether or not to retain the nine-year veteran via the club option.  The $11.5MM price tag might’ve been simply a bit too high for the Brewers’ liking, plus Canha turns 35 in February and Milwaukee also has a bit of an outfielder surplus.  With those outfielders needing time in the corners and at DH, Canha might’ve been considered a luxury, even though the Brewers are still in clear need of some first base help heading into 2024.

Milwaukee fans may bristle at the idea of moving Canha for payroll purposes or for “just” a minor league reliever, yet Holub might be the type of under-the-radar bullpen arm the Brewers have had a knack for discovering in recent years.  A 15th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2021 draft, Holub posted a 6.23 ERA over 52 innings at the A-ball/high-A levels in 2022, but took a nice step forward this past season.  Over 65 1/3 combined innings at high-A and Double-A, Holub had a 3.03 ERA, 29.34% strikeout rate, and 6.56% walk rate.  The improved control is particularly noteworthy, considering how Holub struggled to avoid free passes in 2022.

Today’s trade marks one of the biggest moves made by Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris in his year-plus tenure, and the first sign that the Tigers could be planning to contend next year.  Granted, one year of Canha isn’t a huge expenditure, and Canha might very well find himself on the move again at the deadline if Detroit isn’t in the AL Central or wild card race.  However, Canha does add some veteran reinforcement to a young Tigers team, and his skillset is a fit in many ways for Detroit’s roster.

Spencer Torkelson has first base spoken for in the Motor City, but Canha can act as a right-handed hitting complement at DH or in the corner outfield for any of Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, or Akil Baddoo (who all swing from the left side).  Canha projects as the regular left fielder for the moment, with Carpenter at DH and Greene probably targeted for right field, depending on how the Tigers deploy Greene and Meadows between center and right field.  Matt Vierling, Andy Ibanez, and Zach McKinstry are also in the mix for corner outfield work, and with so many unproven commodities competing for jobs, Canha adds some stability to Detroit’s lineup.

In a related move, the Tigers yesterday also declined their $30MM club option on Miguel Cabrera for 2024, paying the future Hall-of-Famer $8MM in a buyout.  Cabrera had already announced his retirement and is now moving into a special assistant role with the team, so the buyout was just a formality.  It does officially end Cabrera’s 16-year run as a player in Detroit, while also ending the team’s financial commitment to the slugger.  With Cabrera’s eight-year, $248MM contract now off the books, it could allow Harris a bit more flexibility to spend, such as this trade to add Canha’s deal to the Tigers’ payroll.

Dick Drago Passes Away

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Former starting pitcher Dick Drago has passed away on Thursday at the age of 78, as noted by Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Drago pitched for the Royals, Red Sox, Angels, Orioles, and Mariners throughout his big league career, which spanned 13 seasons from 1969 to 1981. The Royals and Red Sox both mourned the loss on X this morning, extending sympathies to Drago’s friends and family.

Drago’s big league career began as a member of the inaugural Royals team in 1969, a team for which he quickly emerged as one of the better starting options. Drago posted a 3.77 ERA with a 3.67 FIP across 200 2/3 innings of work during his rookie campaign, throwing 10 complete games and appearing in 41 with 26 starts. He largely repeated those results during the 1970 season with even more volume, pitching to a 3.75 ERA and 3.65 FIP across 240 innings of work.

The righty’s star shined brightest during the 1971 campaign, however. Across 35 appearances (34 starts) for Kansas City that year, Drago posted a 2.98 ERA with a nearly matching 2.99 FIP. He did that across 241 1/3 innings of work, recording 15 complete games with four shutouts among them. Drago’s performance led the Royals to the club’s first season above .500 in the young franchise’s history and earned him a fifth-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting that year while the trophy ultimately went to Vida Blue.

Drago ultimately spent two more seasons in Kansas City, pitching to a 3.58 ERA and 3.47 FIP across a combined 452 innings of work those seasons. In 1974, Drago began his first stint in Boston, which would only last two seasons. That included, of course, the club’s 1975 World Series run that saw them lose the World Series in seven games against the Reds. While Drago pitched just 72 2/3 innings of 3.84 ERA baseball with the Red Sox during the regular season that year, his contributions in four appearances out of the Boston bullpen during the playoffs were far more impressive: Drago allowed just one run in 8 2/3 innings of work across four appearances that postseason against the A’s and Reds.

After converting to relief work in the 1975 season Drago spent two seasons pitching out of the bullpen for the Angels (for whom he gave up the final home run of Hank Aaron’s career in 1976) and the Orioles, with a 3.99 ERA and 3.86 FIP in 140 innings of work across those two seasons, before returning to Boston in 1978. His second stint with the club lasted three seasons, and saw him do some of his best work as a reliever: he posted identical 3.03 ERAs in back-to-back campaigns in ’78 and ’79 before reaching 100 innings pitched in a season for the first time since 1974, his first season with the Red Sox, during the 1980 campaign, his final in Boston.

Drago’s career then came to a close in 1981, after 39 appearances with the Mariners. Over his 13-season big league career, Drago posted a 3.62 ERA and 3.58 FIP with an above-average ERA+ of 103 across 1875 innings of work. He appeared in 519 games, struck out 987 batters, and accrued 108 wins throughout his career. We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Drago’s family, friends, fans and former teammates.

Red Sox Decline Club Option On Joely Rodriguez

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The Red Sox announced earlier this evening that the club has declined its club option on the services of left-hander Joely Rodriguez for the 2024 season. In lieu of exercising the $4.25MM option, the team will instead pay Rodriguez a $500K buyout to return to the open market.

The decision is hardly a surprising one, even though Rodriguez looked like an interesting pickup for Boston when he was signed to a $2MM guarantee last offseason. At the time of the signing, Rodriguez had spent the prior three seasons with the Rangers, Yankees, and Mets, pitching to a combined 4.28 ERA in 119 games with a sterling 3.14 FIP and a solid 25.5% strikeout rate. While those numbers indicated that the 31-year-old Rodriguez could be at least a solid middle reliever from the left side with perhaps even potential for a higher leverage role, that did not come to pass in 2023.

Instead of reaching the potential he has flashed in the past, Rodriguez suffered through an injury-marred season with the Red Sox this year. After starting the year on the injured list due to an oblique issue, Rodriguez then missed time with a shoulder strain and a recurring hip problem that eventually ended his season. All told, Rodriguez pitched just 11 innings for the Red Sox this year during which he allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and six walks while striking out 14.

As Rodriguez returns to the open market, it’s certainly feasible that the lefty could be a quality bullpen arm for a club in 2024 if he manages to get healthy. That being said, between his lost 2023 campaign and past results that trended closer to average than the above-average production his underlying metrics might indicate, it seems likely that Rodriguez will be forced to settle for a minor league deal ahead of his age-32 campaign.

Looking toward the Red Sox, the bullpen in Boston is fairly well set up with Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin both returning for the late innings, not to mention the likes of Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski. That said, with both Rodriguez and Richard Bleier headed to the open market this winter, it’s certainly reasonable to wonder if the club could look for another left-handed relief option to pair with Brennan Bernardino in the bullpen. The free agent market has plenty of options available in the regard, including veteran set-up arms like Matt Moore and Will Smith.

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