BoSox Owner John Henry: “We’re Not Going To Be Looking To Add A Lot Of Payroll” This Season
“If we play up to our capabilities we will easily make the playoffs. That’s how I see it,” Red Sox principal owner John Henry told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford in London this weekend before Boston’s two-game series with the Yankees. The Sox dropped both of those games to fall 11 games behind New York in the AL East standings, and two games out of an AL wild card slot.
At just 44-40 on the season, the Sox are far behind the pace set by their 2018 World Series team, which won 108 games in the regular season and then went 11-3 in the playoffs to capture the franchise’s fourth Commissioner’s Trophy since 2004. The Red Sox haven’t won back-to-back titles, however, and Henry noted that following up a championship run has been a challenge.
While this year’s Red Sox seem decidedly better than the 2014 team that finished in the AL East basement, Henry noted that in both 2014 and 2019, the club didn’t make many roster alternations over the winter.
“My take is that maybe it isn’t the best thing in the world to bring back the same team in its entirety every time,” Henry said. “You don’t want to break a team down. But maybe a few changes wouldn’t hurt. But the feeling is always different after you win, apparently.”
On paper, there wasn’t really too much for the Sox to address over their quiet offseason, though their lack of bullpen depth was seen as a problem in March and has blossomed into a full-blown concern as we enter July. While Boston’s bullpen and starting pitchers still rank in the top half of the league in most statistical categories (Sox relievers lead the league in K/9), both have been prone to breakdowns at inopportune times. The rotation has been largely carried by David Price and Chris Sale, the latter of whom has looked like his traditionally dominant self after a subpar April. But Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez haven’t pitched well, while the fifth starter’s spot has been a revolving door of shaky performances since Nathan Eovaldi has spent much of the year on the injured list.
A possible answer to these problems, of course, is a big addition or two at the trade deadline, though the Red Sox won’t have much room to maneuver if they are to stay under the $246MM threshold for the maximum luxury tax penalty. The Sox passed this threshold last season, costing the team a little under $12MM in tax payments and a 10-spot drop for their first selection in the 2019 draft.
Between Porcello, Rodriguez, Eovaldi, the injured Dustin Pedroia, underperforming veterans Steve Pearce and Eduardo Nunez, and the $30MM+ in dead money still on the books for Rusney Castillo and Pablo Sandoval, the Sox have roughly $100MM committed to players who have combined for only +0.6 fWAR in 2019.
It should be noted that as per the calculations from Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez, the Sox are again in position to surpass the $246MM threshold, with an estimated luxury tax number of roughly $251.4MM. If the team is indeed over the line with little hope of getting under the $246MM, one could argue that the Red Sox might as well go ahead and spend more in an all-out push for another World Series. MLBTR’s Steve Adams outlined Boston’s financial restraints back in February, and while the Red Sox would face an even stiffer penalty for passing the $246MM limit in consecutive years, a big-market team like Boston is more suited to handling such extra expenses.
This doesn’t appear likely, however, as Henry doesn’t see spending (or a perceived lack of spending) as the problem.
“It’s not a luxury tax issue, it’s a question of how much money do we want to lose,” Henry said. “We’re already over budget and we were substantially over our budget last year and this year. We’re not going to be looking to add a lot of payroll. And it’s hard to imagine fielding a better team. If we play up to our capabilities we’ll be fine. That’s the question: Will we? We’re halfway through and we haven’t….It’s a worthy team because we invested. Two years in a row we have the highest payroll. It’s not a matter of investment, it’s a matter of playing well.“
Red Sox Reportedly “Surveying” Bullpen Market
Saturday was not one to remember for Boston’s bullpen, which surrendered 11 earned runs in a 17-13 video game loss to the Yankees. Red Sox relievers still rank between seventh and 11th in the majors in FIP, K/BB ratio, win probability added and ERA, though it appears president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will try to upgrade the improve before the July 31 trade deadline. The team’s Dombrowski-led front office has been “quietly surveying the market” for bullpen upgrades, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Fortunately for Boston, there should be no shortage of relievers available over the next month. Tigers closer Shane Greene, whom Dombrowski acquired a few years ago as Detroit’s general manager, figures to be one of them. Three Giants relievers – Will Smith, Tony Watson and Sam Dyson – as well as White Sox closer Alex Colome are a few more who could be attainable. The Pirates (Felipe Vazquez), Padres (Kirby Yates) and Indians (Brad Hand) could make their closers available, but given the weakness of Boston’s farm system, it might not have the prospect ammunition to win a bidding war for any of those coveted arms.
Having lost closer Craig Kimbrel to free agency, the Red Sox have been operating with a ninth-inning committee this season. Ryan Brasier, Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman have combined for 14 saves, though their success rate has been low, evidenced by 12 failed conversions. As for their individual performances, Brasier has managed a 3.24 ERA despite worrisome peripherals. Barnes has been the opposite, someone whose secondary numbers vastly outshine his ERA. Workman has been good all around, though he has walked upward of six batters per nine. Fellow late-game option Marcus Walden – who leads Red Sox relievers in innings (44) – has also enjoyed an effective season, as has Heath Hembree.
While Hembree has been down since June 14 with a sprained elbow, indications are he isn’t too far from a comeback. Hembree’s return will be a welcome one for the Red Sox, but it doesn’t seem he’ll be the only reinforcement their bullpen lands in the coming weeks.
Red Sox Activate Hector Velazquez, Place Brian Johnson On IL
9:45 am: Johnson is suffering from an intestinal issue, tweets Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. The injury is not expected to be serious.
8:21 am: Brian Johnson was placed on the 10-day injured list prior to this weekend’s London Series, the Red Sox announced.
Johnson has stayed back in Boston because of a “non-baseball related medical matter that was discovered during routine testing.” Though there’s no given timetable for Johnson’s return, he is expected to pitch again this season. The lefty has a 6.43 ERA on the season across only 14 innings.
Hector Velazquez was reinstated from the IL to take Johnson’s roster spot. Valazquez, like Johnson, has been used as a swingman this season, making 7 starts and appearing 12 times out of the pen. Combined he’s 1-3 with a 5.59 ERA (4.52 FIP).
Sam Travis was also added to the roster as the 26th man for the London Series, while catcher Oscar Hernandez is also traveling with the team to serve as an emergency option. Travis has been effective in Triple-A, slashing .270/.367/.432, but that production has yet to translate in 24 big league at-bats.
Red Sox Release Brian Ellington
The Red Sox have released hard-throwing righty Brian Ellington from his minor league contract, per an announcement from the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket.
The 28-year-old Ellington spent parts of the 2015-17 seasons with the Marlins — during which time Aroldis Chapman was the only pitcher in baseball whose average fastball topped Ellington’s 97.9 mph. In 102 2/3 innings at the big league level, Ellington has a 4.65 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 5.6 BB/9, 0.88 HR/9 and a 34.4 percent ground-ball rate.
Ellington hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since the 2017 campaign. While he inked a minor league pact with the Diamondbacks in 2018, a biceps injury limited him to just 11 1/3 innings. This year, he’s notched a 3.32 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 19 innings between Boston’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, but he’s also issued 20 walks and hit five batters.
At his best, Ellington paired his premium velocity with a swinging-strike rate near 13 percent and an opponents’ chase rate near 33 percent. Control troubles have been a longstanding issue and have clearly hindered him this year, but Ellington does boast a career 13.6 K/9 mark in Triple-A. His next stop figures to be on another minor league pact.
Red Sox Reinstate Steven Wright
The Red Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Steven Wright from the restricted list. Wright had been serving an 80-game suspension following a failed PED test, but he’ll now join the Boston bullpen in place of righty Josh Smith, who has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Sox transferred Nathan Eovaldi from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot for Wright on the 40-man roster.
Wright, 34, was afforded a brief minor league tuneup in accordance with the suspension rules set forth in the JDA, and he pitched 9 2/3 innings with two runs allowed in Triple-A during that unpaid stint. He’ll return to the Sox in hopes of approximating the 2.68 ERA he posted in 53 2/3 innings last season. The knuckleballer’s averages of 7.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 weren’t nearly as impressive as that ERA, however, and Wright has been rather inconsistent on a year-to-year basis, making it tough to know what to expect from him moving forward.
Despite a lack of offseason additions, Boston relievers rank eighth in the Majors in ERA (3.96). seventh in FIP (4.07) and seventh in xFIP (4.17). The Boston ‘pen currently paces the Majors in K/9 (10.7) and overall strikeout percentage (27.5 percent), and while Wright won’t help in that regard, he’ll be expected to strengthen the overall unit by deepening the mix and perhaps providing some stability in a long relief capacity.
Wright won’t be eligible for postseason play, should the Red Sox return to October baseball. He’ll turn 35 in August and is under team control through the 2020 season via the arbitration process. His 80-game ban ultimately cost him roughly $651K of this season’s $1.375MM salary.
Steven Wright Nearing Activation
It’s “expected” the Red Sox will activate right-handed knuckleballer Steven Wright on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. Wright’s at the end of an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. The Red Sox will need to clear a 40-man roster spot for Wright upon his return.
The 34-year-old Wright, a one-time All-Star, has mostly worked as a starter dating back to his 2013 debut. He has logged a 4.00 ERA/4.45 FIP with 6.91 K/9 and 3.18 BB/9 in 263 innings out of Boston’s rotation. Although the Red Sox may now need a starter after Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez, it won’t be Wright. They’ll likely use him as a reliever, per Cotillo, as Wright’s also coming back from 2018 left knee surgery.
The Red Sox’s bullpen ranks an impressive fourth in the majors in ERA, fifth in FIP and ninth in K/BB ratio, but Wright still may be able to help the unit. Neither left-handed hitters nor righties have enjoyed a ton of success at Wright’s expense. Lefties have hit .237/.316/.359 off Wright, while righties have posted a .252/.321/.407 line against him.
MLB Draft Signings: 6/19/19
Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post. Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500, Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….
- The Red Sox announced the signing of second-round pick Matthew Lugo on Tuesday. The high school shortstop from Puerto Rico will receive $1.1MM, a fair amount more than the $929,800 slot value accompanying the 69th pick, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen ranked the 18-year-old Lugo as the 26th-best player available entering the draft, writing he has “50 or 55 tools across the board.”
- The Marlins have agreed to sign fifth-round right-hander Evan Fitterer to a deal worth far more than slot value, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Fitterer will earn $1.5MM, even though his pick (No. 141) called for a bonus in the $390K range. Callis and Jonathan Mayo write that the 18-year-old high schooler from California “reminds some of a young Kyle Hendricks, perhaps with a bigger fastball, but with a similar feel to pitch.”
Red Sox Place Hector Velazquez On 10-Day IL
The Red Sox announced that they have placed right-hander Hector Velazquez on the 10-day injured list. He’s dealing with a back strain after throwing four innings of relief last night’s marathon contest.
Righty Josh Smith is coming up to take the open roster spot. That’ll provide the Boston org with a fresh relief arm after burning through some pen pieces.
Velazquez had just been activated from a prior IL stint that cost him nearly three weeks of action. He currently carries a 5.59 ERA through 38 2/3 innings on the season.
Red Sox Release Carson Smith
The Red Sox have released reliever Carson Smith, according to Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com (Twitter link). Smith had been working through a rehab program after re-signing with the organization on a minors deal.
Smith owns a shiny 2.21 career ERA over 102 MLB innings, but he hasn’t thrown even 25 of those frames since the start of the 2016 season. Elbow and shoulder woes put a halt to his promising career; he was outrighted off of the Boston 40-man at the end of the ’18 campaign.
When the Sox brought back Smith, the hope was that he’d be able to get back on track on the mound after building up to full health. Given that he has not yet been activated for competitive duties, it seems the first step is not yet completed.
East Notes: Syndergaard, Giles, Eovaldi, Herrera, Marlins
The Mets are optimistic the right hamstring strain that sent starter Noah Syndergaard to the 10-day injured list Sunday isn’t serious, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com relays. Syndergaard said Monday he’s in “tip-top” shape, while manager Mickey Callaway announced the right-hander’s dealing with a “low-grade” strain. Additionally, Callaway suggested righty Wilmer Font could take Syndergaard’s next turn in New York’s rotation. The 29-year-old Font has managed a 4.43 ERA/5.25 FIP with 5.31 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9 in 20 1/3 innings since the Mets acquired him from the Rays on May 6.
Here’s more from the East Coast…
- Blue Jays closer Ken Giles went to the IL on June 12 with right elbow inflammation, an ominous-sounding injury for a pitcher. However, the Blue Jays don’t expect him to stay on the IL past the 10-day mark, manager Charlie Montoyo said Monday (via Scott Mitchell of TSN). That’s especially good news for Toronto considering Giles could be one of the game’s top trade chips leading up to the July 31 deadline. The hard-throwing 28-year-old has upped his stock this season with a brilliant 1.08 ERA/1.18 FIP, 15.12 K/9 against 2.52 BB/9, and 11 saves on 12 chances across 25 innings.
- Injured Red Sox righty Nathan Eovaldi played catch for the first time since June 4 on Monday, but there’s still no timetable for his return, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Eovaldi underwent right elbow surgery April 21. The hope then was that Eovaldi would only miss four to six weeks, but the bicep soreness he has dealt with this month has delayed a comeback.
- Major League Baseball announced Monday it has extended Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera‘s administrative leave through July 1. This is the second time MLB has taken this action since it originally placed him on leave May 28, a day after Herrera was arrested on a simple assault charge relating to a domestic violence incident. MLB previously extended Herrera’s leave through today back on June 3.
- Marlins southpaw Caleb Smith could return from the IL as early as this weekend, Craig Mish of FNTSY Sports Radio tweets. Smith went to the IL with left hip inflammation June 7. He was a much-needed bright spot for the club before then, evidenced by a 3.41 ERA/4.21 FIP with 11.18 K/9 and 2.73 BB/9 over 66 frames.