Boston Red Sox – MLB Trade Rumors

Red Sox Trade Travis Lakins To Cubs, Outright Bobby Poyner

2020-01-21T21:27:48Z

The Red Sox traded right-hander Travis Lakins to the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, both teams announced Tuesday afternoon. The Sox added that left-hander Bobby Poyner went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket. Both teams now have full 40-man rosters.

Lakins, 25, was designated for assignment last week. Although he’d consistently ranked in the No. 15-25 range of a thin Boston farm system, the Ohio State product has yet to put together a particularly strong showing in the Majors or in the upper minors. Lakins made his big league debut this past season, yielding a 3.86 ERA with a lackluster 18-to-10 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 innings for Boston. His work in Triple-A has been rather similar, as he’s compiled a 3.82 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and slightly below-average grounder rates in parts of two seasons there.

Scouting reports on Lakins praise his curveball as a potential above-average offering, and he did average 93.8 mph on his heater in his brief MLB work. Clearly, the new Chaim Bloom-led front office isn’t enthralled with the right-hander, but the Cubs and their ongoing quest to stockpile ’pen depth without actually adding to the payroll in a meaningful way saw enough upside to take a flier.

Poyner, meanwhile, limped to a 6.94 ERA in just 11 2/3 innings last year. He posted solid numbers for the BoSox in his debut campaign (2018) and has averaged nearly 10 punchouts per nine innings pitched over the life of his minor league career. Having gone unclaimed, Poyner will remain in the organization without requiring a 40-man roster spot, so the Sox could take another look at him down the line in 2020.

Dustin Pedroia Suffers “Significant Setback”

2020-01-21T15:46:12Z

It’s unpleasant to read about even if it isn’t entirely surprising: veteran Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has suffered a “significant setback” in his efforts to return to the field of play, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Details are scarce as yet, but it seems that Pedroia’s oft-repaired left knee is again to blame.

According to Abraham, Pedroia is now considered “questionable” at best to participate in Spring Training. That seems like a mild summation if indeed there’s a truly significant new problem with Pedroia’s long-problematic joint. He’s said to be weighing his future at the moment.

It’s not as if the Red Sox were relying heavily upon Pedroia in 2020. He was never expected to be ready until the middle of the season, if at all, in his latest attempt at a comeback after two lost seasons and multiple surgeries.

But it wasn’t hard to root for the gritty 36-year-old, a hard-nosed player beloved by Boston fans. And the team surely would’ve welcomed a contribution, given that it still owes Pedroia $25MM over the next two campaigns.

It seems the door is still cracked for a return. But even if this latest setback doesn’t completely sideline Pedroia on its own, it adds to the already heavy cumulative effect — both physically and psychologically — and raises the bar yet again for him to return to anything approaching his former glory on the ballfield.

Latest On Red Sox’ Asking Price For Mookie Betts

2020-01-21T15:12:47Z

We missed this recent item, but it bears highlighting. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney recently provided some details (Insider link) on the asking price the Red Sox have placed on star outfielder Mookie Betts.

It goes without saying that the Boston organization is requesting quite a bit in return for an opportunity to rent one of the game’s best players. Otherwise, we might already have seen a swap. And chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom may not have been quite so forthright in recently announcing his “expectation” that Betts will remain with the club for 2020.

Olney’s report is most interesting for its indications of the sort of structure the Red Sox would be willing to consider. He writes that the Sox would look to package Betts (and his big upcoming arbitration salary) with veteran hurler David Price (including “most or all” of his remaining $96MM in guaranteed earnings). To acquire those quality but highly compensated veterans, a rival organization would have to part with “two high-end prospects to front the deal.”

Even allowing a wide degree of latitude for interpretation regarding the quality of the talent requested in return, that feels like a steep ask. It’s also an understandable one. Betts may be costly, but he’s also a 27-year-old with a recent 10-WAR season under his belt. The well-rounded, high-end performer might conceivably take a team from plausible contender to division favorite.

The involvement of Price is notable both for what it says of the Red Sox’ valuation of the lefty — it remains rather high — and for what it means for the potential universe of Betts pursuers. All MLB teams could fit Betts into a payroll, even if it meant shuffling the deck to meet their internal targets. But adding that salary and most of the money owed Price in one fell swoop is another thing entirely. Some clubs that might theoretically match up on Betts could be taken out of the picture if Price must indeed be bundled.

It remains to be seen whether there’ll be further talks involving this Betts-Price scenario. Olney notes that the Red Sox could simply carry their young star into the season in hopes that he and others will spur a rebound performance after a laggard 2019 showing. If so, it’ll easily be worth the foregone trade return. If not, there’s always the trade deadline to reconsider, with Betts potentially featuring as a pennant-race-altering figure.

Latest On Red Sox Managerial Search

2020-01-20T04:17:02Z

10:15 pm: The Red Sox have considered Mets’ bench coach Hensley Meulens for the position, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s unclear if the sides have yet arranged for a formal interview. As Heyman points out, Meulens might find himself in consideration for the top job in New York as well.

8:45 pm: The Red Sox are one of three teams surprisingly on the hunt for a manager in January. Unlike the Astros and Mets, to whom some early names have been tied, Boston’s search for a skipper has been quiet the past few days.

It seems Boston may not name a replacement for Alex Cora any time soon. Speaking to reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive), Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy allowed that Boston could enter spring training without a manger in place. The Sox “would like” to have the position settled by then, Kennedy said, but it’s not a mandate. Indeed, as of Friday, the Red Sox had yet to reach out to other clubs to seek permission to interview external candidates (via Cotillo). Boston is vetting its internal candidates first, Kennedy explained (Twitter link), but the club plans to cast a wide net in its search.

If the Red Sox were to hire from within, bench coach Ron Roenicke seems a logical option. The former Brewers’ skipper has been Cora’s bench coach the past two seasons. He’s no doubt familiar with much of Boston’s current roster. (The 2018 Red Sox are themselves under investigation related to sign stealing allegations, of course, but there’s no reason to believe at this point that Roenicke will be implicated). Red Sox coaches, in fact, seem to believe Roenicke would be the frontrunner if Boston stays internal, notes Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).

Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell would have interest in the position, he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI, but only under a unique circumstance. Lowell’s interest would be conditional on his serving as a bridge to a Cora return in 2021. “I would love to (manage) if I knew it was just for a year and Cora was guaranteed to come back,” Lowell told Bradford. Of course, such a scenario seems far-fetched at the moment. Cora hasn’t yet been disciplined by Major League Baseball for his role in the respective sign stealing scandals, but a suspension is almost certainly forthcoming. Further, there’s no indication the organization would have interest in exploring such an arrangement.

The situation is no doubt a difficult and unexpected one for first-year chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. The next steps for the Red Sox (and the Astros and Mets, as well) will be fascinating to follow. It seems Bloom and the rest of Boston’s front office are prepared to take their time sorting things out.

Latest On Dusty Baker

2020-01-20T02:00:10Z

JANUARY 19: To this point, neither the Mets nor the Red Sox have reached out to Baker to discuss their respective positions, he tells reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (Twitter link). Baker will interview for the Astros’ managerial job tomorrow.

JANUARY 17: The Mets find themselves in need of a new manager after first-timer Carlos Beltran stepped down this week. Now in their second offseason search for a skipper, the Mets are considering veteran Dusty Baker for the role, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The interest in Baker represents a change in direction for the Mets, as he wasn’t among their candidates before they hired Beltran in November. However, as Puma notes, Baker could act as “a calming influence” for an organization sailing through tempestuous waters in the wake of Beltran’s sudden exit over the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal. And although a World Series has eluded him, Baker would still be one of the most accomplished Mets hires ever, having managed the Giants, Cubs, Reds and Nationals to a combined 1,863-1,636 record with nine playoff berths from 1993-2017.

Since Beltran stepped down Thursday, Baker’s the second reported possibility to arise for the Mets, who are also considering Luis Rojas, their quality control coach. Rojas was among several candidates the Mets interviewed before hiring Beltran, so it stands to reason those who haven’t gotten managerial jobs since then could also be in the mix.

Red Sox Designate Travis Lakins

2020-01-18T00:36:15Z

The Red Sox have designated right-hander Travis Lakins for assignment, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com tweets. His designation clears roster space for newly acquired southpaw Matt Hall.

This could bring an end to a Boston tenure that began when the team chose Lakins in the sixth round of the 2015 draft. Injuries have been a problem since then for Lakins, once a solid Red Sox prospect who suffered elbow fractures in both the 2016 and ’17 seasons. But Lakins persevered through those issues to make his major league debut last season, when he posted a solid 3.86 ERA/3.64 FIP with a strong 47.2 percent groundball rate across 16 appearances (three starts) and 23 1/3 innings. Lakins didn’t put up particularly impressive strikeout or walk rates, though, as he fanned just under seven batters per nine while recording a 3.86 BB/9.

Lakins spent the majority of last season as a member of Triple-A Pawtucket, with which he struggled to prevent runs after a successful (albeit brief) debut at the minors’ highest level in the previous campaign. The 25-year-old pitched to a 4.60 ERA/4.58 FIP with 8.4 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 over 45 Triple-A frames in 2019.

Red Sox Acquire Matt Hall

2020-01-17T21:17:32Z

The Red Sox have acquired left-hander Matt Hall from the Tigers, per a team announcement from Detroit. Minor league catcher Jhon Nuñez is headed to Detroit in return. Hall had been designated for assignment when the Tigers signed Iván Nova. Boston’s 40-man roster was already full, so another move is forthcoming.

Hall, 26, has a 9.48 ERA in 31.1 MLB innings. That belies the swing-and-miss stuff he’s demonstrated, both in the majors and high minors. In a pair of Triple-A seasons, working mostly as a starter, Hall has racked up 10.3 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. Hall’s 23.9% career MLB strikeout rate isn’t quite at that level, but it is still slightly better than average. Most encouragingly, the 26-year-old has 96th percentile curveball spin, per Statcast. He comes with two option years, so he’ll give Boston some flexible left-handed depth, both for the rotation and the bullpen.

Nuñez, 25, re-signed with Boston on a minor-league deal in November. He’s spent all seven of his pro seasons in their farm since signing as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2012. Nuñez had a career-best showing at Double-A Portland in 2019, hitting .280/.333/.412 in 233 plate appearances. That dwarfs his cumulative .254/.325/.345 line in the minors. He’ll be with the Tigers as a non-roster invitee in MLB spring training, the team announced.

Michael Chavis Preparing For Utility Role In 2020

2020-01-17T19:08:04Z

Michael Chavis logged starts at first, second, and third base as a rookie for the Red Sox in 2019. He’s preparing for more of the same in 2020, with some outfield time also potentially on the table, he tells Chris Cotillo of MassLive. That versatility should come in handy for the Sox, who face particularly uncertain mixes at first and second base. There are myriad low-cost options available in free agency who could be brought in as insurance, but no slam dunk everyday players remain on the open market at those positions. Chavis hit .254/.322/.444 (96 wRC+) with 18 home runs in a decent debut season.

Chaim Bloom On Mookie Betts, CBT

2020-01-18T01:42:47Z

As of late December, the Red Sox reportedly weren’t “actively shopping” right fielder Mookie Betts, even though the superstar has frequented trade rumors this winter. Two weeks later, it seems the team does indeed plan to retain Betts, at least for now. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said this week the Red Sox expect to open 2020 with Betts on their roster, as Rob Bradford of WEEI relays.

“That’s really been my expectation all along,” said Bloom. “I think big picture, and this applies to everything, we’re not doing our jobs if we’re not open to anything that improves our chances to compete as successfully and as often as possible over the course of the next decade. That has kind of been our guiding principle as we have accessed interest in any of our players. But you do that with the expectation that they will be here. And that will certainly be the case with Mookie.”

Even if Betts does stick with Boston into the season, this year’s Opening Day could go down as his last with the franchise. The 27-year-old former MVP is entering his final season of team control, and he’ll likely reel in one of the richest free-agent contracts in baseball history if he gets to the market next winter. Betts has, of course, made it known on multiple occasions that he’s interested in shopping his services around the majors.

For now, despite the turmoil surrounding the organization – which just fired manager Alex Cora – Boston’s roster does look talented enough to push for a playoff spot in 2020. The Red Sox seem intent on doing just that after a down 2019, though it would be exceedingly difficult without their best player, Betts, on the roster. At the same time, trading Betts would presumably restock their pool of young talent to some degree. It may also be the most realistic path for the club to shave off a significant amount of money from its payroll – if that’s part of the plan.

Betts is due to rake in an arbitration-record $27MM this year, while the Red Sox are projected to begin the season with a $237MM competitive balance tax payroll. Losing Betts’ salary would obviously make it far more realistic for Boston to get under the $208MM threshold – a number it’s on track to surpass for the third straight season. Surpassing the mark for a third consecutive year would subject the Red Sox to a 50 percent tax on overages next winter, but it’s highly debatable whether that should be a major concern for deep-pocketed owner John Henry.

Team brass did indicate in September that they’d like to get under the line, though Henry insisted last week that the club’s more focused on competing than slashing payroll. Bloom, meanwhile, said Wednesday that “the goal to get under the CBT is not an end in itself,” adding, “We will attempt to do it in a way that’s consistent with that larger goal.”

Whether Betts will wind up as part of Boston’s long-term picture remains to be seen. If we’re to believe Bloom, though, it appears Betts will stay put for at least the time being.

What Is The Next Step For The Red Sox?

2020-01-17T02:30:52Z

The Astros’ sign-stealing scandal has sent shockwaves around the baseball world, including the sudden creation of three managerial vacancies in less than four days. With A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora, and now Carlos Beltran out of work, the Astros, Red Sox, and Mets are all looking for new managers less than a month before the start of Spring Training. Here’s the latest on the three openings…

Cora’s firing leaves the Red Sox with what as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe simply describes as “a devastating mess,” as a managerial vacancy adds yet another layer of complication to what has already been a challenging offseason for newly-hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. If an outside hire is indeed explored, it will take time away from Bloom when he could be focusing on a trade market that could be opening up, as many of the top free agents have now been signed. Promoting from within carries its own set of difficulty, however, since the Red Sox organization that is facing its own league investigation over alleged use of electronic sign-stealing. It already seemed like the Red Sox were somewhat stuck in limbo waiting for the fallout of this investigation, as well as waiting for the trade market to blossom so that some larger salaries could be moved off the payroll (though both Bloom and principal owner John Henry have denied that avoiding the Competitive Balance Tax is a chief offseason priority).

Red Sox Acquire Austin Brice, Outright Marco Hernandez

2020-01-16T22:23:01Z

TODAY: Hernandez has been outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket after clearing waivers, the Red Sox announced.

JANUARY 10: The Red Sox have acquired righty Austin Brice from the Marlins, per club announcements. Minor-league infielder Angeudis Santos is headed to Miami in return. The Boston organization designate infielder Marco Hernandez for assignment to create roster space.

Brice was recently designated by the Marlins, making him the latest Miami relief arm to be cut loose. With today’s news, he becomes the latest to land on his feet. On occasion, a rebuilding team cuts loose a pre-arb player that ends up on another 40-man roster. But it’s notable that it has happened four times this winter for the Marlins.

The 27-year-old righty did end his 2019 season with some arm woes. And he wasn’t exactly a dominant hurler by measure of his peripheral numbers. But he was able to contribute 44 2/3 frames of 3.43 ERA pitching on the year. He has multiple serviceable pitches that he has tinkered with over the years; perhaps the Red Sox feel they can extract something with a slightly different mix.

Bruce Bochy Not Planning To Pursue Managerial Opportunities At This Time

2020-01-16T19:00:24Z

The 2019 season marked the end of a legendary managerial run with the Giants for Bruce Bochy, but the future Hall of Famer has publicly voiced an interest in continuing his managerial career in the future. FOX 26’s Mark Berman reported just yesterday that Bochy was of interest to Astros owner Jim Crane as he seeks a new skipper following A.J. Hinch’s firing, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that Bochy does not plan to pursue any managerial openings at this time.

At the time he indicated a desire to continue his managerial career, the 64-year-old Bochy termed the 2020 season as something of a “sabbatical” for him as he “hit the pause button.” But while a return in 2021 or beyond is seemingly plausible, it doesn’t appear as though Houston’s reported interest in him is reciprocated at this time.

The Astros have already interviewed Buck Showalter and are set to meet with John Gibbons, too, as they look for a new dugout leader. At this juncture of the offseason, interviewing coaches with other clubs could be more difficult than it would’ve been earlier in the winter when teams had yet to set their staffs and had more time to find suitable replacements for departing coaches. That said, Rosenthal tweets that the Cubs would be willing to let third base coach Will Venable interview for the Astros’ vacancy. Venable, like Bochy, was on Berman’s reported list of potential targets for the Houston organization.

Chaim Bloom On Red Sox Managerial Search

2020-01-16T07:20:59Z

Thanks to scandal-besieged Alex Cora’s firing on Tuesday, the Red Sox are in the unfortunate position of having to find a new manager as spring training nears. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom spoke about the situation Wednesday, telling Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and other reporters that the Red Sox don’t yet have an idea where they’ll turn for Cora’s replacement. Unsurprisingly, the Red Sox seem prepared to consider in-house and external candidates for the position. Bloom praised Boston’s current assistant coaches, calling them “an impressive group” and adding, “No reason to think that a number of them wouldn’t deserve consideration for this.” Meanwhile, the Red Sox haven’t yet asked other teams for permission to speak with their assistants. Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro – whom Bloom knows from Tampa Bay – has come up in speculation since Cora’s ouster. However, it’s “unlikely” he’ll be a candidate because the division-rival Rays may not permit Bloom to pilfer other members of their staff, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets.

Red Sox, Rangers Swap Sam Travis For Jeffrey Springs

2020-01-15T22:21:37Z

The Rangers have acquired first baseman Sam Travis from the Red Sox in exchange for left-hander Jeffrey Springs, the teams announced. Boston has designated left-hander Bobby Poyner to make room on the 40-man roster.

Both Travis and Springs were recently designated for assignment, though Travis had already cleared waivers and been outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster. Springs, meanwhile, was only designated earlier this afternoon. The Rangers will now pick up Travis’ rights without needing to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to the former prospect. The Red Sox, meanwhile, clearly feel they’re upgrading their left-handed bullpen depth in going with Springs over Poyner.

Travis, 26, was a second-round pick back in 2014 and frequented Red Sox prospect rankings as he rapidly ascended through the lower minors. However, while he hit well up through the Double-A level, Travis saw his bat stall in Triple-A and, despite a series of looks in the Majors, never made good at the game’s top level, either. In all, he’s a .267/.339/.392 hitter in nearly 1200 Triple-A plate appearances and just a .230/.288/.371 hitter in 278 MLB trips to the plate.

That said, the Rangers aren’t exactly teeming with quality first base options. Former top prospect Ronald Guzman hasn’t distinguished himself in his own MLB tryouts to date, and the club is intent on playing Joey Gallo in the outfield. Newly signed Todd Frazier could certainly handle first base if the Texas organization adds a more prominent option at third base, but there’s little harm in stashing Travis as a depth piece in hopes that a change of scenery brings out some of his yet-untapped potential.

The 27-year-old Springs, meanwhile, struggled to a 6.40 ERA with 32 strikeouts against 23 walks in 32 1/3 innings with Texas in 2019. He’s posted huge strikeout numbers in the upper minors and enjoyed better success with the Rangers in 2018 than in 2019, but he’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher with below-average velocity who saw his opponents’ hard-hit rate soar in 2019. Springs does have three minor league option years remaining, so he’ll be an optionable piece of depth for the Sox for the foreseeable future — assuming he sticks on the roster.

Poyner, meanwhile, has a minor league option of his own remaining. Like Springs, he’s a 27-year-old who posted solid numbers in 2018 but struggled in 2019. The similarities don’t stop there, as Poyner saw his hard-hit rate and opponents’ exit velocity both jump in 2019. However, he doesn’t have Springs’ gaudy strikeout totals and averages just 89.8 mph on his heater to Springs’ 91.7 mph. Boston will have a week to trade, outright or release Poyner.

Red Sox Fire Alex Cora

2020-01-15T18:47:46Z

The Red Sox announced Tuesday evening that manager Alex Cora will not return as their manager in 2020. The news comes one day after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the results of his investigation into the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, wherein Cora was revealed to be one of the architects of Houston’s trash-can system. The Red Sox organization issued the following statement:

Today we met to discuss the Commissioner’s report related to the Houston Astros investigation. Given the findings and the Commissioner’s ruling, we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we mutually agreed to part ways.

The Red Sox’ usage of “mutually agreed to part ways” notwithstanding, there’s no way that Cora would’ve been ousted as manager were it not for his role in the sign-stealing scandal. It’s been extraordinarily difficult to fathom a scenario in which Cora would’ve stayed on as manager after Houston GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were fired by the Astros yesterday, given his involvement in the Astros’ scandal as well as the current investigation of the Red Sox’ 2018 . The now-former manager issued a statement of his own:

“I want to thank John, Tom, Sam, the players, our coaching staff and the entire Red Sox organization. I especially want to thank my family for their love and support. We agreed today that parting ways was the best thing for the organization. I do not want to be a distraction to the Red Sox as they move forward. My two years as manager were the best years of my life. It was an honor to manage these teams and help bring a World Series Championship back to Boston. I will forever be indebted to the organization and the fans who supported me as a player, a manager and in my efforts to help Puerto Rico. This is a special place. There is nothing like it in all of baseball, and I will miss it dearly.”

As was the case when Houston let go of its GM-manager tandem, this represents a stunning turn of mid-winter events for Boston. In terms of wins and losses, the two-year Cora era was especially fruitful for the Red Sox. As Cora mentioned, he helped the club to a championship in 2018 – his first year on the job and one in which it piled up a whopping 108 regular-season victories before steamrolling the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers in the playoffs. Of course, now that the league’s investigating Cora, there are perhaps questions about the legitimacy of that title.

Last season was far less successful for Cora and the Red Sox, though they were still an above-average team that won 84 games. Now, depending on how MLB disciplines Cora, that could go down as his final season as a manager in the league. Cora’s reportedly facing “harsh” punishment for his misdeeds, so the end of his Red Sox tenure seems likely to serve as a forerunner to a significant suspension.

The Boston organization, like Houston, now finds itself in the once-unimaginable position of suddenly having to find a new manager just weeks before pitchers and catchers report to camp. The responsibility rests with new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who inherited Cora from ousted president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

This post was originally published on 1-14-20.

Check out our new video below (app users click here), as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd lays out the implications of Cora’s dismissal as well as the Twins’ signing of Josh Donaldson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.