Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Red Sox Rumors

Red Sox Outright Rusney Castillo

By | at

JUNE 20: Castillo has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Pawtucket, tweets Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

JUNE 19, 1:21pm: The Red Sox hadn’t contacted Castillo as of an hour ago, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI. Castillo has three days before he’ll have to report to the team, Bradford adds.

10:57am: The Red Sox placed outfielder Rusney Castillo on outright waivers Saturday, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Castillo will clear waivers Monday if nobody claims him. Given that Castillo is on a $10.5MM salary this year and is set to rake in upward of $50MM through 2019, odds are strongly against a team claiming the Cuba native.

This obviously isn’t the outcome the Red Sox or Castillo anticipated when the two sides agreed to a seven-year, $72.5MM contract in 2014. Castillo came to the United States as a potential five-tool center field option for Boston, but he never lived up to that promise with the Red Sox after an excellent initial taste of the majors.

When he first joined the Red Sox late in the 2014 season, Castillo appeared in 10 games and collected 12 hits – including three home runs – three walks and three steals in 40 plate appearances. Over a much larger sample size last season, he batted a poor .253/.288/.359 with five homers and four steals across 289 trips to the plate. That lack of production has carried into this year, with Castillo having posted a .245/.304/.320 line in 161 PAs with Triple-A Pawtucket. Despite the Red Sox’s injury issues in left field, where Blake Swihart and Brock Holt are both on the shelf, the 28-year-old Castillo has collected just eight PAs in the majors this season.

Going forward, there’s a chance Castillo will remain with the Red Sox organization if he clears waivers, according to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. While Castillo would no longer be on the club’s 40-man roster, he’d still be able to suit up for Pawtucket.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/19/16

By | at

Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the page…

  • The Rockies acquired lefty Pat McCoy from the Blue Jays, according to the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate (Twitter link).  McCoy has pitched in four different organizations during a pro career that began in 2007, and his Major League experience consists of 14 relief innings with Detroit in 2014.  McCoy has a 4.43 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 2.63 K/BB rate over 491 2/3 career minor league frames, with 288 of his 312 games coming as a reliever.
  • The Pirates selected the contract of catcher Jacob Stallings from Triple-A and added him to both their Major League and 40-man rosters.  Jason Rogers was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Stallings will give the Bucs some depth behind the plate with Francisco Cervelli on the DL and Chris Stewart also battling an ankle injury.  A seventh-round pick in the 2012, Stallings has a .675 OPS over 1266 career minor league PA and wasn’t listed on Baseball America’s ranking of the Pirates’ top 30 prospects.
  • The Mariners have sent right-hander Steve Johnson outright to Triple-A Tacoma, the team announced. Johnson has been outrighted in the past, so he’ll have the option of declining in favor of free agency. The Mariners designated him for assignment Friday after he totaled a 4.32 ERA and 11 walks over 16 2/3 innings.
  • The Rays have outrighted lefty Dana Eveland to Triple-A Durham, according to the club. Eveland, like Johnson, has been outrighted previously. The 32-year-old has racked up 16 2/3 frames of 7.56 ERA ball at the major league level this season.
  • Minor league Red Sox reliever Anthony Varvaro has retired, per a club announcement. Varvaro, 31, concluded his career by recording a 2.83 ERA, 9.73 K/9 and 4.08 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket this year. Prior to tossing 11 frames at the major league level for the Red Sox in 2015, he was a member of the Braves, with whom he had a pair of standout seasons from 2013-14. Varvaro combined for 128 innings of 2.74 ERA pitching in that span, also posting a 6.54 K/9, 2.67 BB/9 and 48.2 percent ground-ball rate.  Over the course of 183 2/3 innings in the majors with the Mariners, Braves and Red Sox, Varvaro logged a 3.23 ERA, 7.35 K/9 and 3.43 BB/9.
  • The White Sox have signed first baseman K.J. Woods, whom the Marlins released, and outfielder Slade Heathcott to minor league deals, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). The Marlins used a fourth-round pick in 2013 on Woods, who hit .239/.326/.386 in 872 minor league plate appearances with their organization. Heathcott, the more notable player of the two, was the Yankees’ first-rounder (29th overall) in 2009. BA ranked him as baseball’s 63rd-best prospect entering the 2013 season, but injuries and disappointing production led the Yankees to release him last month. Heathcott did perform well during his first taste of major league action last year, though, collecting 10 hits – including two home runs and a pair of doubles – in 30 PAs.

AL East Notes: Yanks, Sox, Beltran, Miller, ERod

By | at

The Red Sox have inquired about high-end starting pitchers like the Marlins’ Jose Fernandez and the Pirates’ Gerrit Cole this season, but Boston has unsurprisingly balked at sending back shortstop Xander Bogaerts or right fielder Mookie Betts, a source told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. With a rotation whose ERA (4.66) and K/BB ratio (2.4) are both below average, the Red Sox are looking for starters who can help them “in the present or the future,” a source informed Silverman.

More on both Boston and its archenemy:

  • In the event the Yankees are deadline sellers, right fielder Carlos Beltran could draw significant interest, an AL scout told John Perrotto of FanRag Sports. “He would help a lot of teams. He’s swinging the bat as well as I’ve ever seen him. He still plays a passable enough right field to help a National League team and American League teams can use him as a designated hitter,” said the scout. In his age-39 season, the switch-hitting Beltran is slashing .283/.316/.567 with an impressive 18 home runs in 256 plate appearances.
  • Yankees reliever Andrew Miller’s name seems to surface in trade rumors on a daily basis, but the lefty told NJ.com (via Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that it doesn’t bother him. “I have zero control on it. I have zero leverage,” he said. “I don’t have any no-trade (clause). It comes with the territory I’m in. … I’m not immune to checking trade rumors because I want to see.” The 31-year-old Miller has already been dealt three times in his career, having gone from the Tigers to the Marlins to the Red Sox to the Orioles via the trade route.
  • One potential reason the Red Sox are looking for rotation reinforcements is the struggles of southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez, whom Baltimore traded to Boston for Miller in 2014. Rodriguez has surrendered 16 earned runs while striking out 12 and walking nine in four starts (20 2/3 innings), though he’ll keep his rotation spot, per Chris Mason of the Boston Herald. Prior to his next start, which is Wednesday against the White Sox, Rodriguez will work on returning to the delivery he used during a successful rookie campaign a year ago. In 121 2/3 major league innings last season, Rodriguez compiled a 3.85 ERA, 7.25 K/9, 2.74 BB/9 and 43 percent ground-ball rate.
  • First baseman Mark Teixeira could reenter the Yankees’ lineup as early as Saturday if all goes well in a rehab stint during the upcoming week, manager Joe Girardi said (via Randy Miller of NJ.com). That would represent a relatively quick comeback for Teixeira, who was a possibility for surgery after a cartilage tear in his right knee forced him to the disabled list June 4. Surgery still isn’t off the table in the event of a setback, though, and Girardi acknowledged that the injury could prevent Teixeira from serving as an everyday option. In his absence, the Yankees have turned to a platoon of Rob Refsnyder and the recently acquired Ike Davis at first.

Red Sox Could Have Interest In Jon Jay

By | at

  • The Red Sox, Royals and Blue Jays are potential landing spots for Padres center fielder Jon Jay, who’s batting a solid .299/.345/.410 through his first 287 PAs of a contract year. Jay, 31, is earning $6.23MM this season.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Red Sox Move Clay Buchholz Back To Rotation

By | at

  • Righty Clay Buchholz is moving back into the Red Sox’ rotation, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal notes. Buchholz takes the place of lefty Roenis Elias, who was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket today. Buchholz himself was bumped from the rotation in late May after posting a 6.35 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings as a starter. He’s only allowed three earned runs in 9 1/3 innings in the bullpen, although his six walks in that period don’t necessarily inspire confidence. The Sox continue to struggle to fill out their rotation behind David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello, with six other starters, including Buchholz, having taken the mound this season.

Red Sox Select Ryan LaMarre's Contract

By | at

  • The Red Sox announced that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Ryan LaMarre. They also recalled infielder Deven Marrero and optioned outfielder Rusney Castillo and lefty Roenis Elias to Triple-A Pawtucket. The 27-year-old LaMarre was hitting a solid .313/.383/.475 for Pawtucket. He also stole 11 bases and played mostly center field, so a number of facets of his game could prove useful to the Sox. He made his big-league debut with the Reds last season, then headed to the Red Sox last winter on a minor league deal.
  • The Mariners have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Adrian Sampson and optioned lefty David Rollins to Triple-A Tacoma. Sampson will make his big-league debut this afternoon against the Red Sox, starting in place of the injured Wade Miley. The Mariners acquired Sampson last July in the trade that sent J.A. Happ to the Pirates. The 24-year-old Sampson has exhibited characteristically strong control this season at Tacoma, posting a 3.25 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 80 1/3 innings.

Red Sox Sign Cody Decker

By | at

  • The Red Sox have signed first baseman Cody Decker, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Decker is still looking for his first major league hit after a brief stint last year with the Padres — he did, at least, record an RBI — but he’s got little to prove as a Triple-A hitter. In nearly 1,500 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors, the 29-year-old owns a .255/.333/.501 batting line with 74 home runs.

Red Sox Notes: Rotation, Swihart

By | at

  • The Blue Jays could find themselves competing against the majority of their own division for pitching help on the summer trade market, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. The Red Sox and Orioles, in particular, need rotation help and could challenge the Jays as they look to fortify their own collection of starters. The fact that right-hander Aaron Sanchez will inevitably move to the bullpen to limit his innings looms large over the Blue Jays, Nicholson-Smith notes, and while that move (plus the return of Brett Cecil) could eliminate a separate need for relief help, the Blue Jays are light on depth in the rotation. Right-hander Drew Hutchison is throwing well at Triple-A and is expected to return to the rotation later this summer, but as Nicholson-Smith points out, any injury to a starter after Hutchison’s return would severely compromise the team’s depth. Veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc is probably the next line of defense, and while he’s throwing brilliantly in Triple-A (1.51 ERA in 83 2/3 innings), his track record in the Majors is fairly limited.
  • Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should be fully invested in the 2016 season, even if it means parting with a prized prospect such as outfielder Andrew Benintendi or Rafael Devers in order to bolster the rotation, opines the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. With David Ortiz’s impending retirement and the brilliant performances from other members of the offense (Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Dustin Pedroia), it’s unlikely that the Sox will receive this level of across-the-board domination from their offense again, and the core of their team is controlled long enough that parting with someone such as Benintendi or Devers is manageable, Abraham writes. In addition to seeking an impact rotation arm and a quality setup piece, Abraham feels that a platoon-mate for Chris Young in left field would be a prudent investment. He suggests Jon Jay as a logical target (though clearly not in connection with Benintendi or Devers), and the fit does indeed make sense for Boston.
  • Catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart could return to the Red Sox in August, writes the Boston Herald’s Evan Drellich. Dombrowski said that the team’s initial timeline on Swihart was six to eight weeks, and early August would be on the further end of that spectrum. Swihart will be reevaluated in the near future, per Dombrowski, but he didn’t seem to think there was any reason to expect a lengthier absence. Dombrowski played it cool when asked about his left field situation, praising Young’s work at the position and adding that he’s confident the team will have Swihart and Brock Holt back in the mix eventually.

Draft Signings: 6/16/2016

By | at

There are a lot of notable draft deals to work through from the last two days. Among them:

  • Blue Jays second-rounder Bo Bichette announced that he’s signed a deal, which Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets is for a $1.1MM bonus. A son of long-time big leaguer Dante Bichette, the high-school shortstop landed above the $978,600 value at the 66th overall pick. Fellow second-rounder J.B. Woodman inked for $975K, Callis adds on Twitter. An outfielder from Mississippi, he also will deliver some savings to Toronto. The 57th selection came with a $1.124MM slot value. The Jays also added third-round pick Zach Jackson, Callis tweets. The Arkansas righty signed for $540K, leaving the team with $45,100 in savings.
  • Another second-round pick who’s ready for a minor league assignment is C.J. Chatham, who goes to the Red Sox for $1.1MM, per MLB.com (via Twitter). Chosen 51st overall, the Florida Atlantic shortstop rated just outside the top 100 per Baseball America. His signing saves the club $132,800 against the slot value.
  • The Brewers agreed with second-rounder Lucas Erceg for $1.15MM, Callis reports on Twitter. The Menlo College third baseman rated 47th on the draft board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. He was taken 46th overall, which came with an allocation of $1,386,900.
  • The Twins are in agreement with second-rounder Ben Rortvedt on a $900K bonus, per another Callis tweet. Minnesota saves $241,600 against the slot value while adding the Wisconsin high school backstop. Cotillo tweets that Twins third-rounder Griffin Jax, a righty from the Air Force Academy, has agreed to an at-slot, $645.6K bonus.
  • The Dodgers agreed to a $590,800 bonus with second-round pick Mitch White, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Santa Clara righty ended up going for over $400K less than the 65th pick’s pool allocation, so Los Angeles can put that money to work in other areas.
  • Rays third-round choice Austin Franklin signed for a $600K bonus that falls a bit shy of the $676,200 slot value, Callis tweets. Franklin is a high-school righty out of Florida.
  • The Royals have an above-slot deal with third-rounder Khalil Lee, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, though the exact bonus isn’t known. Taken with the 103rd selection, the Virginia high school outfielder rated 121st on BA’s board.
  • The Athletics have locked up third-rounder Sean Murphy for an at-slot, $753,100 bonus, Callis tweets. Baseball America had rated him 63rd among draft-eligible prospects, but Oakland got him with the 83rd pick.
  • Bryson Brigman appears to be in agreement with the Mariners for $700K, just under the $708,200 slot value, per a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A shortstop from the University of San Diego, Brigman went 87th overall.
  • The Giants have given an at-slot, $625,900 bonus to Heath Quinn, Callis tweets. The power-hitting Samford outfielder was taken with the team’s third-round selection.
  • The Cardinals signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from the University of Southern California, for $600K, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That lands over the $421,600 allocation that came with the 136th selection in the draft.
  • Brewers fourth-round selection Corbin Burnessigned for a slot bonus of $536,400, Callis tweets. A righty from St. Mary’s, Burnes took the 57th slot on the Baseball America draft chart on the basis of improving velocity and the possibility of sticking as a starter.

Red Sox To Sign Casey Janssen

By | at

The Red Sox have signed veteran reliever Casey Janssen to a minor league deal, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He is expected to pitch at the Triple-A level after a preliminary trip through the low minors.

Janssen spent spring training with the Padres, but San Diego released him in late March when it became apparent he wouldn’t crack the roster. He had yet to sign with another organization since.

The 34-year-old pitched at the major league level most recently with the Nationals in 2015. He was unable to make up for a decline in fastball velocity that has worsened over the years. Despite minimizing baserunners (38 hits and eight walks in 40 frames), he was touched for five long balls and suffered from sequencing misfortune. The result was a 4.95 ERA.

Before that, Janssen had compiled an impressive eight-year run with the Blue Jays. Over 493 frames, he worked to a 3.52 ERA with 6.7 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. At his best, though, from 2011 through 2013, Janssen struck out about one batter per inning with around two walks per nine while carrying a 2.46 ERA.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top