Dombrowski On Red Sox’ Deadline Plans
As the summer trade period begins to take shape, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski discussed his team’s plans with Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. The full interview is essential reading for Boston fans, but we’ll discuss a few key elements here.
One major topic was the team’s potential need for infield help. There have been a variety of suggestions from outside the organization, mostly focused on the struggles of third baseman Rafael Devers and the injury issues clouding the picture at second base.
Regarding the hot corner, Dombrowski says that the organization is “not looking for a third baseman.” To the contrary, he indicated, the Sox are more than content with their existing situation. “We love him,” Dombrowski said of Devers, a still-youthful player who struggled out of the gates this year but has shown more pop thus far in the month of June.
Still, Devers has come up in a variety of outlets as a speculative trade piece. Of course, there’s no indication from any reports that he has specifically been discussed in any talks to this point. And it’s even less clear that the Sox would be willing to consider dealing him. Certainly, Dombrowski indicated that’s unlikely.
Perhaps the likelier route, if the Boston organization does seek to improve in the infield, is to look for a quality veteran that can contribute at second or third — much as the team did last year. While the hope was to avoid that necessity this time around, Eduardo Nunez has not performed and Dustin Pedroia‘s health is an ongoing question mark. It’s only fair to note, though, that Brock Holt has been hitting as well as ever.
For now, Dombrowski indicated, the team is planning to wait and see how things shake out with Pedroia. There’s still no clear expectation for when he’ll be ready to return, but certainly the Sox will want to give him every chance to do so before settling on an approach. Likewise, Dombrowski notes that there are a few potential “internal fixes” to any pitching needs currently residing on the DL.
The general viewpoint that Dombrowski expressed was one in which there’s still quite a lot to take in and assess. That’s a reflexive position to take for a MLB executive, perhaps, though it’s also a valid one in this case. As he notes, the club is playing quite well, and its problem areas may look somewhat different in five weeks than they do today.
All that being said, there’s a fascinating dynamic lurking in the background, as Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston writes. Contending teams are always looking to get better at the deadline, but the current AL East alignment could portend a veritable arms race between the Sox and rival Yankees. Taking the division is not only a prize in and of itself, but represents a major advantage in the postseason due to the Wild Card play-in format.
So, can the Boston organization keep pace with their familiar foes from New York, not only in the standings but in the deadline acquisition game? That remains to be seen, but Dombrowski says there’s little reason to fear that his club’s relatively under-stocked farm system will prove a hindrance to mid-season trades. While he tells Mastrodonato that he’s not yet committed to making “big additions,” Dombrowski adds that he has “no question that if we want to make a move, we have the type of players that can help us do that.”
Quick Hits: Kikuchi, Sugano, BoSox, JBJ, Rangers, D-backs
Japanese starting pitchers Yusei Kikuchi and Tomoyuki Sugano have been garnering attention from major league scouts, according to Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times. Several teams sent representatives to see the left-handed Kikuchi (Seibu Lions) and the right-handed Sugano (Yomiuri Giants) square off last Friday. The belief is that the 26-year-old Kikuchi will be the first of the pair to immigrate to the majors, perhaps as early as the upcoming offseason, per Coskrey. Notably, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported in March that Kikuchi could end up with a contract in the $100MM vicinity if he does head to North America. Kikuchi would be posted, whereas Sugano may have to wait until he becomes an international free agent in 2021 because Yomiuri doesn’t post players, Coskrey explains. By then, he’ll be 32.
Here’s more from around the game:
- In the event the Red Sox upgrade their offense this summer, it will probably come at center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.‘s expense, Chad Jennings of The Athletic writes (subscription required). For the most part, Boston’s offense is well positioned, Jennings observes, but Bradley hasn’t helped matters with a .184/.280/.301 line in 236 plate appearances. Barring a turnaround, then, he may be head to the bench or even another team via trade. Speculatively, the Red Sox could seek a solid-hitting corner outfielder on the market and have left fielder Andrew Benintendi take over for JBJ in center.
- The Rangers’ Jurickson Profar has easily outperformed teammate Rougned Odor this year. Despite that, the Rangers’ second base job will continue to belong to Odor, in part because of his contract, according to Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram. Odor still has four and a half years remaining on the six-year, $49.5MM guarantee he landed prior to 2017, and because of that, it seems Texas would rather have him try to figure things out as its starting second baseman than on its bench or in the minors. That’s not to suggest Odor will keep Profar off the diamond, though, as manager Jeff Banister said that the latter could see action five times a week at second, third and short. Profar may even emerge as the Rangers’ full-time shortstop in 2019 if Elvis Andrus opts out of his contract after this season and leaves as a free agent, Wilson points out.
- Both Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza Jr. and right-hander Shelby Miller are progressing in their injury recoveries, according to Richard Morin of AZCentral.com. Souza, out since May 22 with a strained right pectoral, is close to embarking on a rehab assignment. And Miller, who’s working back from May 2017 Tommy John surgery, looked great in his fourth rehab appearance Saturday. Pitching at the Single-A level, Miller threw 81 pitches and struck out 10 (with just three hits allowed and no walks) over 6 1/3 innings. He also saw his fastball top out at 95 mph. It’s not yet clear whether Miller will make another rehab appearance, nor is it known if he’ll work as a starter or in relief upon his return to the majors, manager Torey Lovullo suggested. Regardless, the D-backs are “very encouraged” by his progress, Lovullo said.
Red Sox Return Eric Filia To Mariners
JUNE 15: The teams have announced that Filia will be returned to Seattle after failing his physical. Instead, Boston will receive cash considerations to complete the swap.
JUNE 12: The Red Sox announced that they’ve acquired minor league outfielder Eric Filia from the Mariners as the player to be named later in April’s Roenis Elias trade. FanRag’s Robert Murray was the first to reports that Filia was going to the Red Sox (Twitter link).
Filia, 25, was Seattle’s 20th-round pick back in 2016 and ranked as the No. 11 prospect in a thin Mariners farm system, per MLB.com, though he missed the early portion of the season while serving a 50-game suspension due to a second positive test for a drug of abuse. He was recently activated and has batted .426/.508/.537 with a home run, three doubles and more walks (nine) than strikeouts (four) in 63 Double-A plate appearances.
Of course, Filia is older than the average competition he’s facing in Double-A, as was the case in 2017 when he batted .326/.407/.434 with five homers in 564 plate appearances as a 24-year-old in Class-A Advanced. Filia has punched out in just 7.3 percent of his professional plate appearances, and while that’s in part a testament to the younger competition he’s faced, it’s also an undeniable testament to his above-average bat-to-ball skills. He’s also walked at a 12.3 percent clip in the minors.
Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com laud those on-base and bat-to-ball skills, though their report also indicates that he’s limited to the outfield corners on the defensive spectrum and has “average-at-best tools” in other facets of the game. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen called him a potential bench bat in running through the Mariners’ system this offseason, noting past injury issues and recreational drug usage have slowed his path to the Majors.
Injury Notes: Richards, Cozart, Bleier, Pomeranz, Padres
The Angels announced tonight that right-hander Garrett Richards exited the game due to tightness in his left hamstring, while Zack Cozart departed early due to a strained left shoulder. As Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes, Richards’ fastball velocity was down nearly three miles per hour from its usual levels before he exited the game following a two-run second inning for the Mariners. Richards is slated for an MRI tomorrow. Cozart, meanwhile, incurred his injury while making a diving attempt at shortstop and said after the game that his shoulder “separated or popped out a little bit” upon hitting the ground. It’s not the first time he’s had that type of issue happen, he adds, and he’ll be examined further tomorrow.
Some more injury news from around the game…
- Orioles lefty Richard Bleier suffered an arm injury in Wednesday night’s game, which manager Buck Showalter suggested could be related to his left lat muscle (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). The injury was immediately apparent, as Bleier winced on his follow-through, dropped his glove and immediately began clutching at his shoulder (video link). Bleier already had an x-ray taken Wednesday night, and he’s headed for an MRI on Thursday. While there won’t be an update until that test is complete and the results have been viewed by doctors, but Bleier said that there was “no question” that he was unable to make another pitch, calling the pain “severe” and adding that he’s never experienced that type of injury. While the 31-year-old lefty is hardly a household name, he has a superlative 1.93 ERA on the season and, in fact, has a sub-2.00 ERA for his entire career — a span of 119 innings dating back to his 2016 debut with the Yankees.
- Drew Pomeranz has been on the shelf for nearly two weeks, but the Red Sox lefty doesn’t sound especially close to returning. WEEI’s Rob Bradford tweets that Pomeranz says the pain in his arm has mostly dissipated, but he has limited mobility in his neck, which is still preventing him from even throwing. Pomeranz, 29, originally hit the DL due to tendinitis in his left biceps, though it would appear that he’s experiencing additional discomfort at this point. Knuckleballer Steven Wright has stepped into Pomeranz’s spot in the rotation and tossed 13 2/3 shutout innings in two starts.
- The Padres announced tonight that outfielders Wil Myers and Franchy Cordero and left-hander Joey Lucchesi are all set to begin minor league rehab assignments tomorrow. San Diego has been without Myers since April 29 due to a left oblique strain, while Cordero has been out since late May due to a forearm strain. In the absence of both corner outfielders, the Friars have been utilizing a mix of Travis Jankowski, rookie Franmil Reyes, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Matt Szczur in the outfield, though the impending return of both Myers and Cordero will shuffle that arrangement. Myers has taken just 40 plate appearances with the big league club this season, hitting .300/.300/.450, while Cordero hit .237/.307/.439 through 154 PAs and began to draw some notoriety for his prodigious home run distances and exit velocities on Statcast. As for Lucchesi, he was among the most impressive rookie pitchers in all of baseball through his first nine starts, pitching to a 3.23 ERA with a 48-to-15 K/BB ratio and a 43.8 percent ground-ball rate in 47 1/3 innings. He’s been out since May 15 due to a hip strain.
Carson Smith To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Red Sox reliever Carson Smith is set to undergo shoulder surgery tomorrow, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via Rob Bradford of WEEI.com). The operation will likely put an end to the 28-year-old’s season.
It’s the latest setback in what is becoming an increasingly injury-plagued career for Smith, who missed the majority of the 2016 and 2017 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Tomorrow’s surgery will repair a subluxation in his throwing shoulder, which the right-hander reportedly incurred after angrily tossing his glove out of frustration following a poor outing last month. However, there’s additional damage in his shoulder, it seems, as head athletic trainer Brad Pearson tells reporters that Smith also has some tearing in the labrum (Twitter link via the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier).
Originally acquired by the Red Sox in the Dec. 2015 trade that sent Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro to the Mariners, Smith has spent three seasons in the organization but pitched just 20 innings at the Major League level. Obviously, the Sox had higher hopes when trading for him, as he was coming off a dominant rookie campaign in Seattle that saw him pitch 70 innings of 2.31 ERA ball with 11.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a hefty 64.8 percent ground-ball rate.
Smith drew some ire from Boston skipper Alex Cora last month after suggesting that heavy usage may have contributed to the wear and tear on his shoulder. Cora bluntly said that he “doesn’t agree” with Smith’s comments and spoke at length about the frequency with which the Red Sox staff checks in on its relievers to see who is and isn’t available to take the hill on a given night.
Given Smith’s ongoing injury woes and the fact that he’s arbitration-eligible for a second time this offseason, it’s possible that the Sox could move on from Smith via non-tender this offseason. But, he won’t be in line for much of a raise on this season’s $850K salary after pitching just 14 1/3 innings, so they may also opt to hang onto the affordable depth even with the health concerns.
Red Sox To Sign First-Rounder Triston Casas
The Red Sox are set to sign first-round corner infielder Triston Casas to a $2,552,800 bonus, which is full slot value for his pick (26th overall), Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports. The deal is pending a physical.
The 18-year-old Casas, a high school star from Florida, was anywhere from the 20th- to 48th-best prospect in the draft, according to MLB.com, Baseball America, ESPN’s Keith Law and FanGraphs. MLB.com, the outlet with the highest opinion of Casas, noted entering the draft that the lefty-swinger’s “all about his bat and the power he can produce with it.” Casas packs a wallop when he puts the bat on the ball, though there are some questions about his ability to make contact. Defensively, while Casas currently plays third base and has an impressive arm, he’s likely headed for first, per MLB.com.
The fact that Casas will sign with the Red Sox means he won’t attend the University of Miami, where he had committed. Boston left quite an impression on him during a pre-draft visit, Drellich relays.
“It was a great experience going to Boston,” Casas said. “It was my first time in Boston and in Massachusetts, so I really enjoyed my time there, I really loved the city and I love the build of it and I love the way that Fenway fit right in the middle of it, just like another building. I’m really excited and I can’t be more happy with the way [the draft] turned out. I feel like the park suits my swing well, and hopefully I get up to the big-league club soon and make an impact.”
Red Sox Select Contract Of Justin Haley
The Red Sox announced Friday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Justin Haley from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned lefty Jalen Beeks back to Pawtucket in his place. Boston’s 40-man roster is now up to 39 players.
While this will mark the Red Sox debut for Haley, whom the club selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, it won’t be his MLB debut. Haley was selected by the Twins in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft and broke camp in Minnesota last year, but he was ultimately designated for assignment and returned to the Sox after posting a 6.00 ERA over 18 innings as a seldom-used long reliever.
Things have gone much better for the now-26-year-old Haley in Triple-A, where he owns a career 3.28 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 in 203 1/3 innings. That production is right in line with his marks so far in 2018: a 3.18 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 44 percent ground-ball rate in 56 2/3 innings out of the Pawtucket rotation.
The 24-year-old Beeks, meanwhile, will head back to Triple-A for continued development. He was called upon to make a spot start last night against the Tigers and was ambushed for five runs in his first Major League inning, though he settled down and allowed just one run over the next three innings. While it wasn’t a great debut, Beeks should still have ample opportunity to factor into Boston’s long-term plans. The former 12th-rounder owns a 3.38 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 152 Triple-A innings.
Quick Hits: Hanley, Trumbo, Bellinger, Peavy, Red Sox, Draft
Hanley Ramirez is getting interest from “multiple teams” since officially becoming a free agent, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo tweets. It isn’t any surprise that the veteran slugger is drawing some attention, particularly since he’d be available at a prorated minimum salary while the Red Sox cover the approximately $14.5MM remaining on Ramirez’s contract. Considering the low price tag, any number of teams could have interest — consider that the Orioles, who are already loaded with first base/DH candidates, have already been linked to Ramirez. It was only weeks ago that Ramirez was one of the league’s hottest hitters (posting a .330/.400/.474 slash line over 110 plate appearances in March and April) before he fell into a deep slump that led to his release from the Sox.
Some more from around the baseball world…
- Last winter, the Orioles “checked on” any trade interest in Mark Trumbo, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports. It isn’t stated how much interest existed, though one can imagine it was a pretty thin market, given that Trumbo was coming off a rough 2017 season and is owed $26MM in 2018-19. Trumbo has a decent .292/.320/.427 slash line over 100 PA, though he has only two homers and missed all of April recovering from a quad strain. The O’s seem primed to be deadline sellers, though they’d likely have to eat some money to facilitate a Trumbo deal. (Incidentally, he also has a seven-team no-trade clause.)
- The slumping Cody Bellinger hasn’t started two of the Dodgers‘ last three games, as manager Dave Roberts talked to reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) about how the reigning NL Rookie Of The Year is trying to adjust to being pitched differently as well as some bad breaks at the plate. “He’s doing everything right as far as the preparation. The results just haven’t been there,” Roberts said. “So as a young player, he’s constantly trying to make adjustments. You get to a point where you wonder if you’re ever going to get a hit. All players go through that at some point in time.” Roberts wasn’t ready to say that a brief minor league stint might eventually be in the cards for Bellinger, who is hitting only .225/.298/.413 with eight homers over his first 238 plate appearances.
- In the latest on Jake Peavy‘s comeback attempt, the veteran righty will hold a private workout for teams sometime in June, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. After sitting out the 2017 season to deal with personal issues, Peavy had been working out and planning to have a showcase in early May, though he said a few weeks ago that he wanted to consult with his children before deciding on a comeback.
- Also from Cafardo’s piece, he notes that tomorrow’s amateur draft carries particular import for a Red Sox farm system that has been thinned out by trades in recent years. Between those losses, Jay Groome‘s Tommy John surgery and Michael Chavis‘ PED suspension, Boston doesn’t seem to have enough young trade chips to make a splash at the deadline. “Let me put it this way, there isn’t anyone in their farm system that a team would say, ‘I have to have that guy.’ Not saying they don’t have anything to make a deal, but they don’t have enough to make a major deal,” one AL scout tells Cafardo. Of course, it remains to see if the Sox will necessarily be looking for a blockbuster upgrade given that the roster is already in very good shape and cruising towards a postseason berth.
- With the first round of the draft less than 24 hours away, Baseball America has released its latest mock draft of the first 35 picks. Auburn right-hander Casey Mize is still seen as the favorite to go to the Tigers with the first overall pick, with Mize unlikely to fall beyond the Giants (at the No. 2 pick) if Detroit goes go in another direction. Interestingly, Baseball America’s executive editor JJ Cooper (Twitter link) hears from multiple sources that “it is more likely now than it was any time up to now” that the top three picks will be Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart (Tigers), California high schooler Cole Winn (Giants) and then Mize to the Phillies third overall. Still, there is “only a small chance” of this scenario playing out, and the likeliest scenario is still Mize going to the Tigers.
Red Sox Links: Pedroia, Swihart, Hanley
Some news and notes out of Boston…
- Dustin Pedroia‘s return from left knee surgery lasted just three games before the Red Sox second baseman returned to the disabled list with inflammation in that same knee. Speaking with reporters (including the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato) about the latest injury, Pedroia noted that he was feeling discomfort in a different part of the knee than the area that was operated on back in October. He is scheduled to meet with the doctor who performed the original surgery on Tuesday “and see what he has to say. It could be just normal or scar tissue or something, but that’s it.” Pedroia didn’t feel he came back from his first DL stint too quickly, or that he or the team did “anything wrong” during his rehab process to incur this new issue. The current absence is somewhat being viewed as part of the overall recovery from last fall’s surgery and the knee problems that had bothered Pedroia for some time. “It just might take a little time,” Pedroia said. “Last year, if I didn’t have surgery, it wasn’t going to get any better. It’s going to get better. So, just stinks going through it.”
- Blake Swihart‘s first start at catcher this season is likely to come this week, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo and other media. Swihart has been behind the plate twice this season as a sub, though he has yet to actually start at catcher since April 2016 due to injuries and trials at different positions, due to concerns about Swihart’s defensive capability as a backstop. Opposing scouts are greatly interested in whether Swihart can handle catching, Cafardo writes, and showcasing Swihart behind the plate would help the Sox in their efforts to trade the former top prospect. There’s even a possibility that Swihart could stick in Boston in regular catching duty, as Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon have provided little offense this season.
- The Red Sox have already been quite public with their reasons for releasing Hanley Ramirez, though in a video report for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal adds that the some with the club felt that Ramirez’s departure would allow for new voices to take a leadership role in the clubhouse. Rosenthal mentioned J.D. Martinez as a potential veteran leader, particularly as he is the most experienced member of the position player roster with Pedroia out of action.
AL News & Rumors: Shields, Herrera, Red Sox, O’s, Rangers
White Sox right-hander James Shields is drawing interest from playoff contenders as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline creeps closer, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports. The 36-year-old turned in his fourth straight quality start Saturday and has pitched to a 4.48 ERA/4.28 FIP with 6.01 K/9, 3.66 BB/9 and a 38.1 percent groundball rate in 76 1/3 innings this season. Shields is on a $21MM salary – though his previous team, San Diego, is paying $11MM of that – and has a $16MM club option for 2019. His employer is sure to decline that in favor of a $2MM buyout, as Levine notes.
More from around the American League…
- Boston’s among the teams keeping an eye on Royals closer Kelvin Herrera, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. If acquired, the 28-year-old would return to a setup role with the Red Sox, thanks to the presence of closer Craig Kimbrel, and would further bolster a late-game mix that also includes Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes. Herrera, who’s in his last year of team control and making $7.94MM, has allowed just two earned runs and hasn’t issued a walk in 22 2/3 innings this season.
- Left-hander Zach Britton could return to the Orioles’ bullpen by June 15, manager Buck Showalter told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com and other reporters Saturday. For now, Britton – who’s working back from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in December – will continue with his Triple-A rehab assignment. When he does get back to the majors, it seems Britton will be auditioning for other teams leading up to the deadline. Not only are the Orioles already well out of contention, but Britton’s not under contract past this season.
- The Rangers activated outfielder Carlos Tocci from the DL and optioned infielder Hanser Alberto to Triple-A on Saturday. Given that Tocci was a Rule 5 pick last winter, Texas had to decide whether to add him to its 25-man roster upon his activation or designate him for assignment. The 22-year-old will stick with the Rangers for the time being, even though his tenure with the team began poorly before he went to the DL on April 22 with a hip issue. The rookie has hit .080/.148/.080 over a small sample size of 28 PAs.