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Vesting Options Update: Giolito, Polanco, Strahm

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The upcoming free agent class doesn’t feature a ton of players whose contracts contain vesting options. Marcus Stroman’s deal with the Yankees would’ve contained an $18MM player option had he reached 140 innings, but an early-season knee injury made that impossible. The Yanks released him earlier this month anyhow.

While Stroman’s option was a non-factor, a trio of players are closing in on their own vesting provisions.

  • Lucas Giolito, Red Sox RHP ($14MM club option converts to $19MM mutual option at 140 innings; $1.5MM buyout in either case)

Giolito is up to 106 2/3 innings across 19 starts. He needs another 33 1/3 frames to convert next season’s $14MM team option into a $19MM mutual provision. That’d allow him to decline his end and retest free agency as he heads into his age-31 campaign. He’d very likely do so and could command a three-plus year contract.

The righty’s season numbers aren’t exceptional. Giolito carries a 3.63 earned run average with a 19.6% strikeout percentage that is his lowest since his terrible 2018 campaign. He had a trio of blowups in his first seven appearances after missing all of last season to an internal brace surgery. He has been locked in over the past two-plus months. In his last 12 starts, Giolito carries a 2.34 ERA while averaging over six innings per appearance. His 20.4% strikeout rate still isn’t great, and he has benefitted from a .229 opponents average on balls in play, but he at least looks the part of a durable mid-rotation arm again.

Giolito has a good shot to reach 140 innings. He’d need to average a little under six innings per start over his next six appearances. If he stays healthy, he should take the ball at least seven times — which would give him leeway in case he has one bad outing in which he’s knocked out after two or three frames. Even a minimal injured list stint would take it off the table, though.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said over the weekend that the Sox had no intention of changing Giolito’s workload to keep him from vesting the option. No front office executive would publicly admit otherwise, of course, but there’s no reason to doubt Breslow in this case. The Red Sox are trying to secure a postseason berth. Even if they were out of contention, limiting a player’s workload so they could exercise an option to keep that player at a below-market rate wouldn’t make for an especially good relationship. If he gets to free agency, Giolito could take aim at something like the three-year deals secured by Luis Severino ($67MM with an opt-out after the second season) and Sean Manaea ($75MM with deferrals).

  • Jorge Polanco, Mariners DH/2B ($8MM mutual option converts to $6MM player option at 450 plate appearances, escalates to $8MM player option at 550 plate appearances; $750K buyout in either case)*

Polanco re-signed with Seattle last offseason on a somewhat complicated deal that reflected his health uncertainty coming off left knee surgery. The deal contains an $8MM mutual option which would vest into a $6MM player provision if Polanco reaches 450 plate appearances. Polanco has taken 395 trips to the dish. He’s 55 plate appearances from reaching the vesting mark, and he’d escalate the player option price back to $8MM if he tallies another 155 trips before season’s end.

Initially, the Mariners looked to have struck gold with that surprise re-signing. Polanco blasted nine home runs while hitting .384 through the end of April. Even with knee and side discomfort limiting him to early-season DH work, he looked rejuvenated. Polanco’s production completely tanked over the next two months, however. He had a huge July but is back to a .213/.275/.298 showing in 14 games this month.

Polanco has hit .209/.283/.344 across 315 plate appearances since the beginning of May. His season batting line (.245/.310/.439) is still above-average, but there have been significant peaks and valleys. Cole Young has taken over at second base. While Eugenio Suárez’s impending free agency leaves an opening at third base, Polanco hasn’t shown he’s healthy enough to play there regularly. There’s a good chance the Mariners would buy out their end of the option if it remains a mutual provision. Polanco only needs to start another 13 or 14 games to give himself more security.

That shouldn’t be a problem with 36 games remaining on the schedule. The M’s have sat him in each of their past two games against left-handed opponents, but he continues to play regularly versus righties. He’s highly unlikely to get all the way to 550 PA’s to push the player option to $8MM, but he should easily unlock the $6MM player option that’ll give him the unilateral decision whether to return to free agency.

* The vesting provision also requires that Polanco hasn’t suffered a lower body injury that’d prevent him from being ready for Opening Day 2026.

  • Matt Strahm, Phillies LHP ($5.5MM team option becomes guaranteed at $7.5MM at 60 innings)*

Strahm’s extension with the Phillies contained a $4.5MM club option for the 2026 season. The southpaw has already pushed that to $5.5MM and will escalate it to $6.5MM when he records two more outs. He’s 10 2/3 innings away from hitting the 60-inning threshold, at which point the price jumps to $7.5MM and becomes guaranteed.

In his case, it’s probably immaterial. Even if Strahm suffers a minor injury that keeps him from getting to 60 frames, the Phillies would probably exercise the option. Strahm is having another impressive season, working to a 3.10 ERA with six saves and 14 holds. His velocity has dropped a tick and he has lost a few points on his strikeout rate, but he has still punched out an above-average 27.7% of opponents. Strahm is one of Rob Thomson’s more trusted setup arms.

* The vesting provision also requires that Strahm pass a postseason physical.

Red Sox Designate Ali Sánchez For Assignment

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1:57pm: The Sox have now officially signed Lowe and designated Sanchez for assignment. They also placed outfielder Rob Refsnyder on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 15th, due to a left oblique strain and recalled infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton.

1:26pm: The Red Sox will designate catcher Ali Sánchez for assignment today, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The team has yet to announce the move, but they’ll need roster space for their reported agreement with veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

Sánchez, 28, appeared in only one game with the Red Sox and was hitless in his lone plate appearance. He was 5-for-21 with a couple doubles as a member of the Blue Jays before landing in Boston via waivers after being designated for assignment. Sánchez has appeared in parts of four major league seasons and suited up for five teams but has just 132 plate appearances in 47 games overall. He’s a .185/.222/.235 hitter in that tiny sample of scattershot playing time.

Unsurprisingly, Sánchez’s work in the upper minors has been far better. He’s played in parts of six Triple-A seasons and carries a .269/.340/.399 slash in 1266 trips to the plate. He’s a better-than-average defender who excels at blocking balls in the dirt and boasts a superlative 39% caught-stealing rate in his 12-year professional career.

Sánchez is out of minor league options, so any team that claims him off waivers will have to plug him right onto the big league roster. Waivers are the Red Sox’ only possible course of action with Sánchez, now that the trade deadline has passed. He’ll be placed on outright or release waivers within the next five days (very likely the former). He’s been outrighted multiple times in his career, so if Sánchez clears waivers, he’d be able to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency

Red Sox Finalizing Deal With Nathaniel Lowe

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The Red Sox and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are in the final stages of a contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.  MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported earlier that Lowe and the Sox were in discussions and were “working on getting it done.”  Lowe is represented by SportsMeter.

The signing comes at little surprise, as reports linking the Sox to Lowe have been swirling since May, soon after Triston Casas was lost to what is likely to be a season-ending knee surgery.  Boston continued to show interest in Lowe prior to the trade deadline but no deal was reached with the Nationals.  After the Nats designated Lowe for assignment and placed him on waivers yesterday, Cotillo reported that the Sox were likely to make a play for the former Gold Glover, so it would appear that Lowe is now officially a free agent after clearing waivers.

Casas’ injury sparked quite a chain reaction in Boston’s season, as Rafael Devers’ subsequent refusal to play first base was one of the factors that led to Devers being traded to the Giants in June.  While the Sox looked around the market at Lowe and other trade options, the fill-in platoon of Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez performed respectably well, with Gonzalez in particular crushing left-handed pitching.  Since Lowe is a left-handed hitter, it stands to reason that Gonzalez will still get his share of at-bats when a southpaw is on the mound, and Toro could be the odd man out of the playing time equation.

The question now facing the Sox is what version of Lowe are they getting — the solid veteran who was a fixture as the Rangers’ first baseman from 2021-24, or the much-less productive Lowe who hit only .216/.292/.373 over 490 plate appearances with Washington.  These underwhelming numbers included a decent but uninspiring .235/.312/.421 slash line in 337 PA against right-handed pitching.

Even those splits represent an upgrade over Toro, plus there is more potential upside if the change of scenery returns Lowe to his past Rangers form.  The Red Sox are one of baseball’s better-hitting teams overall, though the club is more productive against left-handed pitching.  Boston’s collective 102 wRC+ against right-handers is tied for 15th among the 30 teams.

There is no financial risk for the Red Sox in adding Lowe since they’ll only be owing him the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.  That total will be subtracted from the roughly $2.33MM remaining on Lowe’s $10.3MM salary for the 2025 season, with the Nationals covering the remainder.  Lowe also has one final year of arbitration control remaining, but unless he goes on an absolute tear in Boston over the remainder of the season, the Sox are likely to non-tender him this winter rather than give him a raise on that $10.3MM figure.

It is safe to assume that the Red Sox probably just view Lowe as a stopgap for 2025, with Casas on the horizon for a return in 2026 and perhaps more of Boston’s up-and-coming prospects (i.e. Kristian Campbell, Jhostynxon Garcia) perhaps being viewed as first base candidates down the road.  Signing Lowe addresses one of the few weak links on a roster that shares the top AL wild card slot with the Mariners, and sits five games back of the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East.

Red Sox Notes: Abreu, Eaton, Giolito

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The Red Sox held a 3-1 lead through seven innings against the Marlins today, but a bullpen meltdown resulted in a 5-3 loss.  Beyond the setback in the standings, the Sox also had an injury scare when Wilyer Abreu had to leave the game prior to the top of the eighth inning due to what the club described as right calf tightness.

Speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith and other reporters postgame, Abreu called his injury “a little cramp” that he picked up while running the bases in the bottom of the seventh.  He didn’t feel a trip to the injured list was necessary, though Abreu speculated that he might miss Boston’s upcoming two-game series with the Orioles before returning Wednesday for the start of a series with the Yankees.

In a related move, the Red Sox are calling Nate Eaton up from Triple-A, as initially reported by Nate Parker of Beyond The Monster.  Eaton is a third baseman/outfielder who has appeared in 14 games for the Red Sox this season, and he can fill in as a depth option in the outfield either in the short term for the Baltimore series or perhaps for a longer stint if Abreu ends up on the IL.

To include Eaton on the active roster immediately, the Sox are playing with three catchers on the active roster, so Ali Sanchez could be designated for assignment.  Boston’s seemingly impending contract with Nathaniel Lowe is another factor in roster decisions, as the Red Sox would then have to make space for both Lowe and Eaton if the signing is completed by Monday.  It is possible Eaton could just stick around on the taxi squad rather than being actually added to the 26-man roster, until the team knows more about Abreu’s status.

Abreu hit his 22nd homer today, and is batting .253/.325/.486 over 395 plate appearances this season.  The large majority of Abreu’s playing time has come against right-handed pitching, though his .721 OPS in 64 PA against southpaws this season is a big improvement over his numbers against lefties in his previous two big league seasons.  Boston’s outfield picture has been crowded enough that Abreu has almost been forced to the bench when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, yet it bodes well for his future as an everyday player if he can hit well against all pitchers and continue his elite glovework in right field.

In other Red Sox news, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow spoke with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other media on Saturday, and implied that after the season, “we’ll have those conversations” with Lucas Giolito about a potential contract extension.  Giolito has a 3.63 ERA over 106 2/3 innings in 2025, overcoming a hamstring injury and some early-season struggles to post a 2.34 ERA over his last 73 innings.

Perhaps the key stat is the 106 2/3 innings, as reaching the 140-inning threshold would give Giolito control over his status for 2026.  The righty signed a two-year, $38.5MM deal during the 2023-24 offseason that consisted of an $18MM salary in 2024, a $19MM player option for 2025 that Giolito exercised, and then a $14MM club option for 2026 that came into play when Giolito didn’t opt out last winter.  If Giolito pitches at least 140 innings this season, the club option becomes a $19MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout attached, and mutual options are virtually never exercised by both sides.

In theory, the Sox could maintain their club option by purposefully keeping Giolito under that 140-inning mark, whether by skipping a start or limiting his in-game workload.  However, Breslow stated that “all of the decisions that we’re going to make are going to be driven by what gives us the best chance of winning games, getting into the postseason and making a deep postseason run,” rather than worrying about contracts.

“You hope that these situations are clear.  When you’re pushing for a playoff spot, they are,” Breslow said.  “We’re all incentivized to do whatever we can to win games.  The most important thing after that is actually just making sure he’s healthy and recovering and that we’re monitoring the workload so that he’s in a position to help us every five days.”

Naturally, no executive would ever publicly admit to limiting a player’s playing time for contractual reasons, yet Breslow’s stance carries a lot of common sense.  Giolito has been one of the better pitchers in all of baseball over the last 10 weeks, so it only helps the Red Sox to have him on the mound as often as possible.  If Giolito did hit the 140-inning mark and take the obvious route to free agency, he has pitched well enough that a qualifying offer could be a possibility, which would allow the Sox to recoup a compensatory draft pick if Giolito signed elsewhere.

Marcelo Mayer To Undergo Season-Ending Wrist Surgery

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Marcelo Mayer’s rookie season is over. The youngster has been on the shelf due to a wrist sprain since late July, and now manager Alex Cora has told reporters (including Christopher Smith of MassLive) that the infielder will undergo season-ending surgery on his ailing wrist. The surgery comes with a three-month recovery period, so he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training 2026.

Mayer, 22, entered the season as a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport. Selected fourth-overall by the Red Sox back in 2021, Mayer’s climb up the minor league ladder was stymied by injuries at times but he made both his Triple-A and big league debuts this year in spite of those obstacles. He hit a solid .271/.247/.472 in 43 games with Worcester this year but scuffled a bit in the majors, with a below-average .228/.272/.402 (79 wRC+) slash line and a 30.1% strikeout rate. He posted those numbers while splitting time between second and third base as well as shortstop at the big league level, with most of his work coming at the hot corner while Alex Bregman was on the injured list earlier this year.

Now that Mayer’s own 2025 campaign has come to an abrupt close due to his ailing wrist, it’s safe to say that the youngster didn’t have the rookie campaign he and the Red Sox were surely hoping for. That’s hardly a surprise, of course. While some top talents (such as teammate Roman Anthony) immediately take to the big leagues, it’s become increasingly common for even the very best prospects in the game to struggle mightily early in their careers due to the growing skill gap between Triple-A and the majors. For Mayer, getting some of those growing pains out of the way this year can only be a good thing, and will hopefully leave him better equipped to impact the big league club in 2026.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, they’ve been able to do just fine without Mayer producing at a high level. Bregman (156 wRC+) earned his third career All-Star nod and has been a game changer for Boston’s lineup at third base, while Trevor Story has bounced back from years of injury-marred campaigns to be a roughly average (98 wRC+) everyday shortstop. That’s solidified the left side of the club’s infield, and while the struggles of both Mayer and Kristian Campbell have made second base into a bit of a question mark, super utility man Ceddanne Rafaela has settled in at the keystone admirably amid a decent offensive season of his own (97 wRC+). Fellow youngster Kristian Campbell is also available to help chip in at second base, though he’s struggled after a hot start to the year and is currently getting regular reps at Triple-A.

Looking ahead to next year, the Red Sox figure to have an embarrassment of riches on the positional side of things. Bregman seems increasingly likely to opt out of his contract and return to free agency, but even setting him aside the returns of Mayer and Triston Casas should give the team a full lineup on paper with both Campbell and Rafaela capable of moving between the infield and outfield as needed. Should Bregman opt into his deal or wind up getting re-signed or replaced in free agency, the Red Sox figure to have more players than positions to play them at between their solid regulars and unproven young players like Mayer and Campbell. Players like Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida have frequently been the subject of trade rumors over the years due to this impending logjam, and while no deals have come together to this point that figures to remain a storyline surrounding the club headed into the offseason.

Red Sox Expected To Show Interest In Nathaniel Lowe

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Nathaniel Lowe’s tenure with the Nationals has come to an end. Washington placed him on unconditional release waivers this afternoon, the anticipated outcome after they designated him for assignment on Thursday. Waivers are a 48-hour process; those will be resolved no later than Monday.

Another team could claim him and assume the remaining $2.33MM of his $10.3MM salary, but that’s difficult to envision. In the likelier event that he goes unclaimed, the Nationals would remain on the hook for virtually all that money. At that point, Lowe would be free to sign anywhere. A new team would pay him the prorated $760K league minimum for the final few weeks of the season.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive writes that the Red Sox are likely to show interest once the veteran first baseman officially reaches free agency.  (To be clear, Cotillo is not reporting that Boston has any plans to claim Lowe off waivers and take on the remaining salary.) Money won’t be a factor, as every team would be offering the league minimum — which comes off the Nats’ remaining obligations. Assuming multiple teams are willing to offer Lowe a major league contract, he’ll make his decision based on how many at-bats are available, the potential to contribute to a playoff run, and possibly geographical preferences.

The Sox have used an Abraham Toro/Romy Gonzalez split at first base since Triston Casas’ knee injury. They were expected to pursue first base help before the trade deadline but didn’t come away with any offensive additions. Gonzalez, a right-handed hitter, has more than held up his end. He’s mashing lefty pitching at a .357/.407/.673 clip with six homers in 108 plate appearances.

Gonzalez has a near-.900 OPS against southpaws in his career. He’s a .220/.239/.342 hitter versus right-handers. He’s only reaching base at a .270 clip against righties this season. Gonzalez has started four of the past six games (all of which have been against righties), but he shouldn’t be playing regularly unless he holds the platoon advantage. That leaves a decent amount of playing time for the switch-hitting Toro. An offseason minor league signee, Toro is hitting .238/.293/.387 in 198 plate appearances from the left side of the plate. He’d hit well in the immediate aftermath of the Casas injury but has slashed .194/.252/.287 over 32 games since July 1.

Lowe is a lefty bat with a better big league track record. His stint in Washington was a disappointment, as he hit .216/.292/.373 across 490 trips to the dish. That’s essentially a match for Toro’s season. Between 2021-24, Lowe posted an impressive .265/.352/.435 showing in more than 2000 plate appearances against righty pitching. It’s easy to see why the Sox would look to add him as a platoon partner with Gonzalez.

Toro is out of minor league options. The Sox are carrying three catchers on the active roster after claiming Ali Sánchez off waivers from Toronto this week. If the Red Sox were to sign Lowe, one of Toro or Sánchez would almost certainly be designated for assignment as a corresponding move. While Boston makes the most sense as an on-paper fit, teams like the Reds or Royals could also look for a first baseman or DH. A team that signs Lowe (or claims him off waivers) could theoretically retain him in 2026 via arbitration, but no club is likely to tender him the eight-figure contract that’d require.

Red Sox Outright Nick Burdi

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Today: The Red Sox have sent Burdi outright to Triple-A Worcester, according to his MLB.com transaction tracker. Burdi can choose to reject the outright assignment and elect free agency instead, but it is not yet clear if he plans to do so.

August 11, 6:58PM: Burdi’s DFA and Moran’s selection were officially announced.  The Red Sox also added recently-claimed catcher Ali Sanchez to the active roster, and optioned infielder David Hamilton and left-hander Chris Murphy to Triple-A.

August 11, 11:20AM: The Red Sox have designated right-hander Nick Burdi for assignment, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. In a corresponding move, Boston is set to select the contract of left-handed reliever Jovani Moran from Triple-A Worcester, Cotillo adds.

Burdi himself indirectly indicated on social media that a move had been made, tweeting: “Thank you Red Sox for letting me put on a big league uniform again. Will see what the next chapter brings!”

The 32-year-old Burdi pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings for the Sox earlier this season before heading to the injured list due to a foot injury that ultimately moved him to the 60-day IL. He was reinstated earlier this month but optioned to Worcester rather than added back to the active roster. Burdi has been excellent in Triple-A, logging a 1.88 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate in 24 innings.

Despite that success both in limited MLB action and in the upper minors, he’ll now head to waivers within the next five days. That’s the only course of action for Boston now that the trade deadline has passed. Every other club will have the chance to claim Burdi, with waiver priority based on the reverse order of MLB-wide standings.

A former second-round pick (No. 46 overall by the Twins in 2014), Burdi was a standout closer at Louisville whose triple-digit heat made him a potential impact reliever in the majors. Injuries have repeatedly derailed his career, however. He’s had a pair of Tommy John surgeries and also undergone thoracic outlet surgery.

Burdi has made brief appearances in parts of six major league seasons but has only 30 1/3 MLB frames under his belt, during which he’s posted a 5.34 ERA. With so many injuries under his belt — plus the lost minor league season in 2020 — Burdi has only pitched 207 1/3 professional innings (majors/minors combined) since being drafted back in ’14. His fastball, which used to average better than 98 mph, is sitting 95.7 mph in Triple-A this season.

Burdi’s spot on the roster will go to another former Twin. Moran, 28, was acquired from Minnesota in the December swap that sent catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper to the Twin Cities. He missed the first two-plus months of the season while finishing off the rehab from Tommy John surgery but has pitched well since returning to the mound in June. Moran has pitched 18 1/3 Triple-A innings and delivered a solid 3.44 earned run average. More encouraging is a massive 35.1% strikeout rate against a tiny 4.1% walk rate.

Moran was excellent for the 2022 Twins, turning in a 2.21 ERA with a 32.9% strikeout rate in 40 2/3 innings — albeit with an ugly 11% walk rate. His numbers tanked in 2023, however, as Moran posted an ERA north of 5.00 and walked nearly 15% of his opponents in a nearly identical sample of innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery after the season.

At his best, Moran has regularly missed bats at high levels but also issued walks too frequently. He’s primarily a two-pitch reliever who sits 93-94 mph with his four-seamer and couples it with a changeup he throws nearly as often as the heater. If the Sox can get Moran back on track, he’d be controllable for another five seasons, though there’s a ways to go before that’s any sort of real consideration. He has one minor league option year remaining, and that option hasn’t been used so far in 2025, as Moran hasn’t been on the 40-man roster yet. If he’s sent back down for 20 or more days at any point from here on, he’d be out of options next season.

Should Trevor Story Trigger His Opt-Out?

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Shortstop Trevor Story can opt out of his deal with the Red Sox after this season. For much of his Boston tenure, that opt-out has been an afterthought. Lately, he has been on fire and made it seem like a legitimate possibility once again.

Rob Bradford of the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast asked Story about his upcoming decision. Story spoke of his love of playing in Boston, which sort of points against him opting out, but he also acknowledged that there's a "business side of it" as well.

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MLBTR Podcast: Walk-Year Performances, Roman Anthony’s Extension, And More!

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Should Tigers fans be nervous? Is the club worse off going into next year? Should they trade Tarik Skubal this winter? (38:55)
  • The Mets didn’t trade Mark Vientos at the deadline and Pete Alonso is trending towards opting out. Will the Mets move on from Alonso this time? (51:05)
  • The teams that are considering six-man rotations, should they piggyback two of them in one game? (57:20)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline, Imagn Images

Red Sox Notes: Anthony, Garcia, Sandlin

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The Red Sox and Roman Anthony agreed to an eight-year extension worth at least $130MM in guaranteed money earlier this week, fully cementing the young star as a key part of the team’s future.  The two sides had somewhat lightly discussed an extension prior to the season, as The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes that a “true back-and-forth about a framework” never happened, even after three different offers from the Sox shortened what started as “a considerable gap” in asking prices.

It seemed like the negotiations were going to be put on hold until after the season until chief baseball officer Craig Breslow contacted both Anthony and agent Mark Rodgers with a new offer on August 3.  As Breslow explained to Speier and other reporters, the team felt free to revisit talks with the chaos of the trade deadline now in the past, with the caveat that they obviously wanted Anthony’s focus to remain on the field.

“The balance that we needed to strike was trying to aggressively extend Rome and recognizing how important he is to our 2025 team and also our future with not presenting or creating a distraction when this team is playing so well…[We were] very clear with Mark and Roman’s camp that we had no interest in allowing this to become a distraction, and that if we could work through this quickly, that would be great, and if not, that was also OK,” Breslow said.

The talks were restarted between the team, Rodgers, and two other Frontline Athlete Management agents.  A couple of smaller details almost held up the proceedings entirely, but a deal was eventually reached.  The end result was the eight-year commitment that might be worth another $70MM, depending on whether or not Anthony hits any of the many escalator clauses attached within his contract.

Anthony is the fifth different Red Sox player to sign an extension since Breslow took over the front office in October 2023, as the executive has made a point of locking up cornerstone players.  Garrett Crochet was signed to a six-year, $170MM deal after being acquired from the White Sox this past offseason, and Boston has also signed homegrown youngsters Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Kristian Campbell, and Brayan Bello to long-term deals.

These contracts are a testament to both upper management’s belief in this young talent and the depth of the Red Sox farm system.  The pipeline isn’t even dry yet, as another intriguing prospect could still be called up to address the team’s need at first base.  Jhostynxon Garcia has been a career outfielder in the minors but he is working out at the position at Triple-A.  Worcester manager Chad Tracy said Garcia could potentially see some game action at first base within the next week.

“If that’s the only way we can speed him up, then we might have to do it,” Tracy told Speier.  “We take into consideration, ultimately, if he makes a mistake and it’s costly, oh well, at least it’s not at Fenway….At the same time, you also don’t want to throw a player out there to the wolves who you feel like is not ready and have him standing out there with his shoulders down feeling like he’s costing the team.”

Hitting-wise, Garcia seems very ready for the Show, as he has batted .303/.370/.581 with 16 home runs over his first 262 Triple-A plate appearances.  Given the crowded Red Sox outfield, a move to first base would allow “the Password” a much smoother path to the bigs before 2025 is over.  The presence of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro (Boston’s current first base platoon) would provide cover to help alleviate any pressure on Garcia, and his bat could be an intriguing x-factor for the Red Sox in the playoff race.

Along these same lines, starter prospect David Sandlin has been pitching out of the Worcester bullpen with an eye towards a possible relief role on the MLB roster.  Sandlin has made only four appearances total at the Triple-A level, but if he looks good in his new assignment, the hard-throwing righty could be in line for another quick promotion up to the Show.  Speier reports that Sandlin was a popular trade ask for rival teams heading into the deadline, speaking to how much interest the right-hander has generated due to both his pitching arsenal and his results in Double-A in 2025.

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