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Dombrowski On Rotation, Bullpen, Craig, Payroll, Hanley, Outfield

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Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the Boston media today and discussed a number of offseason-related topics. Some highlights from the session (all links to Twitter unless otherwise indicated)…

  • The team’s top priority this winter is finding a front-line starter, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. He adds that Dombrowski said the team needs to find a “horse” to front the rotation. The Herald’s Scott Lauber tweets that Dombrowski said sorting out the back of the rotation won’t be the difficult part of the team’s offseason pitching puzzle, with Dombrowski citing quality depth.
  • The Red Sox view Junichi Tazawa as a setup option, and while Koji Uehara is the current ninth-inning option, the team will look for additional closing options, tweets Mastrodonato.
  • Trading Allen Craig would be an “ideal” scenario, Dombrowski said (via the Providence Journal’s Tim Britton), but the president recognized that it’ll be difficult to find a taker for the first baseman/corner outfielder/DH. Craig is owed $21MM through the 2017 season (including the buyout on his 2018 club option).
  • Boston’s payroll will not go backwards in 2016, Dombrowski said (via Mastrodonato). As Mastrodonato points out, the team is shedding the contracts of Shane Victorino, Justin Masterson, Mike Napoli and others, giving the Sox a good deal of payroll flexibility this winter.
  • The Sox are still firmly committed to Hanley Ramirez playing first base in 2016, said Dombrowski (via MLB.com’s Ian Browne). Ramirez is owed $66MM over the next three seasons, and while the Sox will undoubtedly be open to moving him this winter, that would be a difficult task. Via Mastrodonato, Dombrowski said Travis Shaw and Sam Travis are both still valuable depth pieces at first base.
  • Regarding the outfield, Mastrodonato tweets that Dombrowski implied that the starters will be Jackie Bradley, Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo, although Britton adds that Dombrowski seemed to express more confidence in Bradley than Castillo. The Sox will be looking for bench options for the outfield, Mastrodonato adds. I’d imagine that Brock Holt will see some time out there, although that certainly doesn’t rule out further additions, of course.
  • John Tomase of WEEI.com has a full-length post recapping some comments from Dombrowski and GM Mike Hazen, including the announcement of some front office promotions. Eddie Romero has been promoted to VP of international scouting, and replay coordinator Adrian Lorenzo will step up to the position of international scouting director.

East Notes: Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees

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As the Braves remake their player personnel asset base, the team continues to make changes in other areas. Atlanta recently announced the hiring of Ted Simmons, Matt Kinzer, and Leon Wurth as MLB scouts. Simmons, an outstanding catcher in his playing days, recently served as a special assistant to the GM with the Mariners. Kinzer was an important Marlins scout, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes on Twitter, while Wurth recently finished a 13-year run with the Brewers. Also joining the Braves is former Fangraphs prospect analyst Kiley McDaniel, who’ll become the team’s assistant director of baseball operations.

Here are more notes from the eastern divisions:

  • The Phillies are working hard as they approach a key draft for the organization, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. Philly holds the top pick in next year’s draft, and amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz is continuing to canvas the crop of talent that will be making the leap to the professional ranks. Almaraz says that the team will be patient and allow players to develop before reaching a final decision. He added that the Phils will also look to be “creative” to take full advantage of their draft position and overall pool money.
  • The Red Sox announced a series of front office promotions today in the scouting arena. Most notably, perhaps, was the bump up of Eddie Romero to VP of international scouting. The team says that the 35-year-old Puerto Rican native has been with the Boston organization since 2006. Romero most recently played an important role in the team’s efforts to sign highly-regarded Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada. And as Ben Badler of Baseball America notes on Twitter, Romero has had a hand in adding several other key prospects as well.
  • While signing a second baseman is an obvious route for the Yankees to take in bolstering their chances in 2016, Chad Jennings of the Lohud Yankees Blog writes that it isn’t quite that simple. If the organization’s recent history is an indication, says Jennings, an in-house route could be more likely than a new signing, and the recently-acquired Dustin Ackley could pair with homegrown Rob Refsnyder, with Jose Pirela also on hand. “I think we have at least some comfort knowing that I have Ref [and] I maybe have Ackley if we get a better feel for what he can provide on the defensive standpoint,” explained GM Brian Cashman. “We have Pirela who had a hell of a year at Triple-A (but) has not really shown that yet at the Major League level. I think we have some candidates here that as we move forward, we can say we have something, unless something presents themselves as being better.”

Prospect Notes: AFL, Morejon, Moncada, Rankings

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The Arizona Fall League kicks off today, and as always there are a number of interesting players participating. Baseball America’s Bill Mitchell previews the action with a closer look at Dodgers righty Jharel Cotton and Astros third baseman J.D. Davis. For a full breakdown of the notable names, check out these videos from BA’s John Manuel and take a look at MLB.com’s Jim Callis preview of the top prospects to watch.

Here are the latest prospect notes from around the game:

  • Young Cuban lefty Adrian Morejon has left the island in search of a deal with a big league club, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports. The 16-year-old is better compared with traditional July 2 prospects from elsewhere in Latin America than he is to the generally older Cuban prospects we’ve seen in recent years, and Badler says that Morejon is a high-end talent by that measure. His market timing remains to be seen, but he has a chance to be deemed eligible to sign in the current July 2 period based on recent policy precedent, which would potentially make him available to teams that will otherwise begin serving $300K+ signing bans next summer. Morejon’s move could be the latest sign of a potentially growing exodus of younger Cuban talent, Badler notes.
  • The Cubs may have been closer to getting Yoan Moncada than has previously been known, despite the fact that the team was not eligible to sign him last winter. According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter links), Chicago asked the budding Cuban star to consider waiting until this July to sign, and even dispatched skipper Joe Maddon to spend a full day with him and his camp. That effort nearly worked, says Sanchez, though obviously Moncada ended up heading to the Red Sox in March. Chicago went on to make a big splash in the international market without Moncada, but somehow managing to land him would’ve been a true coup.
  • Baseball American has wrapped up its series of prospect rankings in each of the minor leagues. Most recently, it covered the best youngsters from the International League, many of whom have already ascended to the majors. You can find all of BA’s league-based rankings here.

AL Notes: Mariners, Rondon, Orioles, Hazen

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New Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto says that he believes the organization can win by building around its core, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. “Whether it be through the primary market of free-agent and trade acquisition or the secondary market of waivers, smaller trade [and] Minor League deals, you can come up with a very creative roster balance that will allow this team to contend now,” Dipoto said. “I believe that the quality of the core group screams for it. You’ve got too many good players to believe that you’re far away from winning.” Adding depth and athleticism while improving the pen are some of Dipoto’s priorities heading into the winter.

Here are some more notes out of the American League:

  • The Tigers haven’t given up on powerful 24-year-old Bruce Rondon despite the fact that he hasn’t yet evolved into a reliable MLB presence, James Schmehl of MLive.com writes. We’ve heard this news item before, of course, but Schmehl provides a host of quotes from Detroit GM Al Avila which are interesting not only in regard to Rondon, but more generally. “I’ve had many conversations with him. He’s trying to figure it out,” Avila said. “You have to understand that we all come from different backgrounds, and we all have different experiences, and everybody learns at a different pace.” The veteran baseball man continued: “If he returns a mature young man, he’s got all the ability in the world. The ability’s there. It’s a matter of all the other intangibles that every other player at some point goes through. Some easier than others.”
  • The Orioles’ relief corps could be in for a makeover this winter, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Righty Dylan Bundy is perhaps the most intriguing possible addition. His progression is still hardly a sure thing, but the early returns are promising. The two surest things, suggests Kubatko, are closer Zach Britton and righty Brad Brach. Youngster Mychal Givens also seems likely to earn a spot. Otherwise, there are plenty of options but little in the way of certainty. At a minimum, says Kubatko, the club will be in the market for a lefty reliever.
  • Just-promoted Red Sox GM Mike Hazen is humble and hard-working, the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato writes. And those attributes may just be the key to his success. The piece offers an interesting look at the 39-year-old executive and is well worth a read.

Cafardo On Cherington, Indians, Lackey

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The game is getting younger, but we saw plenty of older players make a difference in 2015, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes.  The list of impact vets starts off with Red Sox slugger David Ortiz who posted a .273/.360/.553 slash line with 37 homers, earning Cafardo’s “Old Guy of the Year” award.  Twins outfielder Torii Hunter was another older player who made his mark this year, though he may have had a stronger impact on his team off the field rather than on it.  That type of veteran leadership can be valuable for a younger team, Cafardo argues, and he hears from people within the Astros that they’ll be seeking a “older, Raul Ibanez type” in the winter.

Here’s more from today’s column..

  • Despite some speculation to the contrary, former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says that he has not interviewed for the Phillies’ GM role.  Cafardo writes that he seems “content to sit out the year and regroup.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently noted that Cherington isn’t likely to try to get a GM job this offseason, but the Phillies job could be appealing to him, since he and Phillies owner John Middleton both went to Amherst.  If Cherington does take a GM job, he’ll want it to be with people that he trusts.
  • Cafardo hears that the Indians will continue to try and move a starting pitcher for a hitter this offseason.  Cleveland seemed more willing to move Danny Salazar than Carlos Carrasco later in the season, Cafardo says, and The Boston Globe scribe identifies the 25-year-old as a potential trade chip.
  • One major league source tells Cafardo that Cardinals pitcher John Lackey could be a fit for the Cubs next season as a free agent.  After all, Theo Epstein signed Lackey as a free agent in Boston and the veteran hurler is close with Jon Lester.  Lackey, who turns 37 in a few weeks, pitched to a 2.77 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 33 regular season starts.
  • Cafardo cautions us not to expect Xander Bogaerts and the Red Sox to work out an extension this winter.  Agent Scott Boras isn’t one to do team-friendly deals and Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tends to wait later in the arbitration process to discuss new deals.
  • D’Backs Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa offered up a strong endorsement of ex-Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, who is looking to repackage himself as a manager. “Ruben is a very smart baseball man,” La Russa said. “There’s no doubt in my mind he could be a very good major league manager. He’s an ex-player who understands the game.”
  • Tim Naehring, one of the Yankees’ top pro scouts, is a possibility to replace Billy Eppler as assistant GM in New York.  Brian Cashman adviser Jim Hendry and former big league outfielder Kevin Reese are other potential candidates for the role.

East Notes: Braves, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox

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The Braves have pulled the trigger on a number of painful trades in recent months, and David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that some hurt more than others. It’s still an open question whether dealing the controllable Evan Gattis made sense, and the timing of Craig Kimbrel’s departure was tough to bear for fans. But the swaps that still carry the most uncertainty in terms of their baseball wisdom, says O’Brien, are the two deadline deals. Parting with Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson for a relatively unexciting return left the club badly exposed down the stretch. And the risky swap that brought in Hector Olivera could end up looking really bad (or really good) in retrospect. But just-minted GM John Coppolella says that he likes the players that came over from the Mets quite a bit, and adds that the organization still believes Olivera delivers “really good value for what we think he will be.”

  • Meanwhile, Mets skipper Terry Collins says that he sees the team’s acquisition of Uribe and Johnson as a key spark to the season, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. “I believe that was the trade that set things where we started to go,” Collins said. “They provided two professional bats in that lineup and [experience] in that clubhouse. All of a sudden guys are looking at their jobs saying, ’Oh my gosh, I’ve got to step up here’, and they did. I think that to me is when we started turning things around.”
  • The Yankees were not able to add that kind of impact at the deadline, as it turned out, but the club doesn’t regret its summer trade activity, as MLB.com’s Barry Bloom writes. Manager Joe Girardi said that he feels “the organization made the right decision not giving up … your top prospects, your blue-chip prospects just for a two-month rental.” As he noted, the team got big contributions from young players who might theoretically have been trade chips: in particular, first baseman Greg Bird, starter Luis Severino, and second baseman Rob Refsnyder. GM Brian Cashman made clear that he feels the same way. “No, I don’t have any regrets.”
  • It remains to be seen how the Red Sox will attack the offseason under new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, but Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe explains that the club has plenty of trade chips if it opts to pursue that route. That creates a situation where we should expect the unexpected, in the estimation of the veteran scribe. He ticks through the trade value and status of many of the organization’s assets, focusing on those who reside on the 40-man.

AL East Notes: Samardzija, Johnson, Kline

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The Yankees are likely to pursue righty Jeff Samardzija in free agency, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. He’s viewed by the organization as a competitor who could be had at a nice price given his forgettable 2015 campaign. Of course, the 30-year-old could see interest from a variety of other clubs for the same reasons. He’ll be one of the more interesting players to watch in free agency.

Here are few more AL East notes:

  • Red Sox lefty Brian Johnson made one big league start this year, but shortly after was shut down with elbow issues. But he’s back to throwing again, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports, and appears to be structurally sound. “They said my UCL [ulnar collateral ligament] was like I hadn’€™t even pitched,” Johnson said. “It was really, really good. It was nothing ligament-related.” The hope is that the 24-year-old will be ready for a normal spring. Given his strong results at Triple-A before the elbow difficulties arose, he remains an interesting near-future piece for a team that also has Eduardo Rodriguez and Henry Owens showing promise early in their big league careers.
  • Another Orioles right-handed pitching prospect is dealing with early-career injury woes, as Branden Kline had Tommy John surgery yesterday, according to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. A second-round draft pick in 2012, Kline missed much of the year as he attempted to avoid the procedure. He pitched to a 3.66 ERA over 39 1/3 Double-A innings on the year before being shut down.

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

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An initially disastrous season for the Red Sox provided some hope for the future as several young players stepped up during a late-season surge.  The new Dave Dombrowski/Mike Hazen-led front office will now have to add the final pieces around these emerging young stars to get the Sox back into contention in 2016.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Dustin Pedroia, 2B: $84MM through 2021
  • Rick Porcello, SP: $82MM through 2019
  • Pablo Sandoval, 3B: $75MM through 2019 ($17MM club option for 2020)
  • Hanley Ramirez, 1B/LF/DH: $66MM through 2018 ($22MM vesting option for 2019)
  • Rusney Castillo, OF: $56.5MM through 2020 (Castillo can opt out after 2019 season)
  • Allen Craig, 1B/OF: $21MM through 2017 ($13MM club option for 2018)
  • David Ortiz, DH: $16MM through 2016 (club/vesting option for 2017 worth at least $10MM)
  • Wade Miley, SP: $15.25MM through 2017 ($12MM club option for 2018 that could increase in value to $14MM)
  • Koji Uehara, RP: $9MM through 2016
  • Ryan Hanigan, C: $4.5MM through 2016 ($3.75MM club option for 2017)

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections by MLB Trade Rumors)

Contract Options

Free Agents

In 2014, rotation struggles and underachieving rookies were major reasons the Red Sox finished last in the AL East.  In 2015, rotation struggles and underachieving veterans were major reasons the Red Sox finished last in the AL East.  Boston has now suffered through three last-place finishes in four seasons (though the year outside the cellar resulted in the 2013 World Series title), and it seems like the first order of business is to upgrade the starting pitching.

Per the MLBTR Transaction Tracker, Dombrowski’s history indicates that he is more likely to acquire a big-name starter via trade rather than via free agency.  Though the 2015-16 free agent pitching market is deep with top-tier starters and includes one name (David Price) that Dombrowski has already gone out of his way to acquire before, it remains to be seen if Red Sox ownership has changed its stance about not giving expensive long-term contracts to pitchers in their 30s.  It was just a year ago, remember, that this stance ultimately led to Jon Lester leaving town.

If the Sox aren’t willing to go beyond five or maybe even four years for an ace, it’s not going to help them land the likes of Price, Jordan Zimmermann or Johnny Cueto, all of whom could realistically find six-year deals on the open market.  Zack Greinke might be amenable to a five-year deal since he’s about to turn 32, though would Boston then spend over $125MM for a pitcher’s age 32-36 seasons, even an elite pitcher like Greinke?

In the September 23rd edition of the MLBTR Newsletter, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes made the case that one of Carlos Carrasco, Sonny Gray, Matt Harvey, Chris Sale or Stephen Strasburg could be dealt this offseason, even though there’s no current evidence that any are being shopped.  (Gray’s availability, in particular, has been emphatically denied.)  Carrasco stands out as an intriguing option since Boston discussed him in trade talks last summer, though Cleveland was said to be just gauging Carrasco’s value rather than actually trying to deal him.  If the Indians have a (sure to be high) price in mind for what it would take to obtain Carrasco, they could explore deals this winter.  One would certainly expect Boston to at least check in on Carrasco and any of the aforementioned starters should they be made available, plus any other front-of-the-rotation pitchers whose teams could be open to trades.

Dombrowski and Hazen have lots of options if they want to trade for an ace given the number of quality prospects within the Red Sox system.  Boston’s top six prospects are all ranked in MLB.com’s current listing of the top 100 minor leaguers in baseball, not to mention several other recent first-rounders that didn’t make the top-100 cut.  It’s also possible the Red Sox could deal one of their current starters in a trade for a top-of-the-rotation arm, since the Sox are in the somewhat curious position of both lacking in top-tier starters while also having a bit of a rotation logjam.

The Sox rotation was unquestionably one of the game’s poorest in the first few months of the 2015 season, yet for the year as a whole, Red Sox starters finished a respectable 13th in starter fWAR (11.9) among all 30 teams.  The rotation had a 4.75 ERA in the first half and a 3.99 ERA in the second half, though the peripheral numbers were mostly the same on both sides of the All-Star break.  It’s no surprise that the starters’ numbers began to look a lot better once Boston upgraded its defense, so it’s possible the Sox already have something close to a playoff-contender rotation already, especially if Clay Buchholz is healthy.  (His $13MM club option is seen as a virtual lock to be exercised.)

The 2016 rotation shapes up as Buchholz, impressive rookie Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello, whose $82MM extension kicks in next season.  Porcello is one of the arms who performed better in the second half, though it’s highly unlikely other teams will explore trades for him given his rough first half and that big pay bump.  That leaves Wade Miley, Joe Kelly and Henry Owens competing for two spots, and quite possibly just one spot should Boston indeed acquire an ace.  The highly-touted Owens would be a big trade chip, and while Kelly and Miley both had their share of struggles in 2015, Kelly is just entering his arbitration years while Miley is owed a not-exorbitant $15.25MM through 2017.  Pairing Kelly or Miley with a couple of blue chip prospects would certainly be enough to get the ball rolling on trade talks.  Rich Hill surprisingly exploded back onto the scene in MLB with four impressive late-season starts, so Boston could explore re-signing the veteran to add some more depth.

It’s also possible the Red Sox could use some of their surplus arms in the bullpen, with Kelly in particular having been mentioned by some pundits as perhaps better suited to relief work.  Sox relievers ranked 26th in ERA (4.25), 29th in xFIP (4.36) and dead last in both FIP (4.64) and fWAR (-1.5) last season, indicating some vast room for improvement.  Koji Uehara will return as closer after putting up more strong numbers in his age-40 season, though it remains to be seen if he’ll still be as effective after suffering a fractured wrist last August.

Lefties Robbie Ross and Tommy Layne and righties Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara are all slated to return, while veteran southpaw Craig Breslow could be let go in free agency.  Aside from Uehara’s injury-shortened season, though, there were no dominant campaigns in the Sox bullpen. Sub-par bullpens plagued Dombrowski’s tenure in Detroit, and now he’ll have to upgrade another flawed relief corps in his new job.

Around the diamond, the Red Sox are more or less set at every position thanks to a wealth of young players who emerged last season.  Beyond stalwarts David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia, shortstop Xander Bogaerts and center fielder Mookie Betts stepped up as very productive everyday Major Leaguers and could be future superstars.  Injuries opened the door for Blake Swihart to make his big league debut a bit earlier than expected and the catcher fared respectably well in his rookie season.  Jackie Bradley enjoyed an absolutely torrid month (1.361 OPS in 102 PA from August 6 to September 7) after regaining an everyday outfield job, so if he can find a middle ground between that unsustainable production and his below-replacement numbers in 2014, he can easily keep a starting job thanks to his outstanding glove.  Rusney Castillo is still a work in progress at the plate, though the Cuban outfielder also possesses a tremendous glove and should at least see part-time duty, possibly in a platoon with Brock Holt.

While these young players all contributed, however, it was most of Boston’s veteran core that let the club down last season.  Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli were both traded, while Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez remain the two biggest scapegoats for the 2015 season.  Sandoval has rebounded from poor seasons before (he had a 1.2 fWAR season in 2010 sandwiched in between 5.2 fWAR and 5.3 fWAR, respectively) though that was five years ago and his 2010 campaign wasn’t nearly as rough as his sub-replacement performance in 2015.

Sandoval, at least, has a set position at third base.  Ramirez doesn’t even have that luxury, as the Sox removed him from the left field job after one of the worst defensive seasons in recent memory.  With Ortiz locked in at DH, Ramirez has been working out at first base in an effort to find a spot to play, though it’s an open question whether he’ll be able to handle the position (and if Ramirez plays first, that blocks 25-year-old Travis Shaw, who delivered a strong rookie season).  There is hope that Sandoval and Ramirez could rebound with better fitness, though there have also been whispers that Boston coaches aren’t pleased with Ramirez’s overall effort level.

Could Sandoval or Ramirez be traded this offseason?  I’m sure Dombrowski and Hazen will put feelers out, though both players’ stock could hardly be lower.  Ramirez’s defense will further limit his market, since it’s hard to imagine an NL club would be comfortable putting him anywhere in the field without the DH spot as a fallback.  Unless there’s something to these rumors of enmity between Ramirez and the coaching staff, it’s probably unlikely that Boston would outright release Ramirez or make a salary-eating trade to get him off the roster just yet.  The Sox could try him at first base in 2016 and if that still doesn’t work, slide him into the DH role in 2017 if Ortiz retires.

Holt is almost a one-man bench by himself, giving the Sox lots of flexibility as they look for backups.  They’ll probably be in the market for at least one bench player to go with Holt, Shaw, Deven Marrero as a utility infielder and the backup catcher.  Christian Vazquez should be recovered from Tommy John surgery and veteran Ryan Hanigan is still under contract, so there could be a Spring Training battle to see who will be Swihart’s understudy, or a trade could be in the works.  Vazquez himself was a highly-touted prospect before his injury, particularly on defense; if he proves himself as healthy in the spring, he would draw attention from several teams looking for a long-term answer behind the plate.

One of the club’s biggest questions for 2016 was answered when the Red Sox announced that John Farrell would indeed return as manager.  Interim skipper Torey Lovullo signed a two-year contract to return to his bench coach role (and forgo any manager offers from other teams this winter), so the Sox have a trusted option in place should Farrell have a setback in his recovery from lymphoma.  Another update about Farrell’s health will come later this month, and hopefully Farrell will have a clear path to a return on Opening Day.

Dombrowski faces an interesting challenge in taking over a Red Sox team that clearly has a lot of talent on the Major and minor league levels, yet has greatly underachieved over the last two seasons.  Hiring Hazen is an acknowledgement of that player development and (partial) player acquisition success, though getting sustained results on the field has been a challenge in the post-Theo Epstein era.  Dombrowski’s history as a front office executive has been filled with creative transactions that worked swimmingly well for his teams, and since he’s armed with both a loaded farm system and a luxury tax-level payroll to play with, the first Red Sox offseason under the new regime could be a busy one.

AL East Notes: Rays, Hanley, Red Sox, Matusz

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The Yankees’ postseason didn’t last long, as the team fell, 3-0, to the Astros in tonight’s American League Wild Card game. Their focus will now shift to the offseason, but here are some notes on the other teams in the AL East that have already been plotting out their winter game plans…

  • The Rays are having conversations about payroll constraints, general manager Matthew Silverman told reporters, including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). As Silverman points out, the top 10 teams in the league averaged a payroll that was $100MM greater than the Rays’ 2015 mark of $75MM. Payroll restrictions typically prevent the Rays from significant free-agent expenditures, and they also prevent Tampa Bay from being able to hang onto many of their homegrown stars. A look at MLBTR’s arbitration projections shows that the Rays could have some tough calls on their hands this winter, as their 11 arb-eligible players project to earn a combined $28.9MM.
  • The Red Sox are asking Hanley Ramirez to drop 15 to 20 pounds this offseason, interim manager Torey Lovullo told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. The organization feels that as an infielder, it’ll pay off to be more agile than was required in left field. Ramirez was listed at 225 pounds this season, though Lauber notes that he reported at 240 pounds — 10 pounds heavier than he was in 2014. While the Sox will likely make an effort to trade Ramirez his offseason, he’ll be penciled in at first base if he returns to the club in 2016.
  • Lauber’s colleague, Jason Mastrodonato, asks five critical questions for the Red Sox as they head into the offseason. Among them are whether or not Christian Vazquez will be able to throw right away next season (the young catcher had Tommy John surgery earlier this year), if Rusney Castillo’s bat will merit regular playing time and if the team can effectively develop starting pitching or if changes are needed.
  • Arthroscopic surgery on the right (non-throwing) shoulder of Orioles lefty Brian Matusz went as planned today, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Matusz said that the recovery process should take about a month, which should give him time to recover and have a typical offseason. Matusz is arbitration eligible for the final time this offseason and will be a free agent next winter.

Red Sox Notes: Dombrowski, Farrell, Lovullo, Baird

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Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s career in the game began with an independent study project in college, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. Dombrowski’s project was about general managers in baseball, and he sent big-league GMs questionnaires, receiving replies from around half. That led to a meeting with then-White Sox GM Roland Hemond, who later hired Dombrowski. After several years with the White Sox, Dombrowski headed from Chicago to Montreal, where he ultimately became general manager at the young age of 31. Here’s more out of Boston.

  • As the Sox announced this morning, John Farrell will return to his post as manager of the Red Sox in 2016. Torey Lovullo, who managed the Red Sox to a 28-20 record while Farrell went through chemotherapy, will also return as bench coach and will not pursue other managerial possibilities. Dombrowski says (via Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe on Twitter) that Lovullo’s compensation will be above average for a bench coach. Via Alex Speier of the Globe (Twitter links), Farrell’s next three to six months could be difficult as he recovers. By retaining Lovullo, the Red Sox have given themselves a backup plan for Farrell while also limiting his stress as he gets healthy.
  • Dombrowski will keep vice president of player personnel Allard Baird, a holdover from Ben Cherington’s staff, on board, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. One of the former Royals general manager’s key duties with the Red Sox has been helping with international signings. Baird joins Farrell, Mike Hazen, pro scouting director Gus Quattlebaum, and director of amateur scouting Jared Banner, all of whom Dombrowski has elected to retain.
  • Of course, many of the players will be back too, and Nick Cafardo of the Globe writes that one key to the Sox’ 2016 season will be getting better performances from disappointing, highly paid players like Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Rick Porcello and perhaps Allen Craig and Rusney Castillo. For Ramirez and Sandoval, that will begin with maintaining appropriate body weights. “You can’t discard somebody who’s making a guaranteed contact that’s worth a lot of money, so you have to be more patient and let them play,” says Lovullo.
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