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Red Sox Acquire Addison Reed

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The Red Sox found a bullpen upgrade on deadline day, adding righty Addison Reed from the Mets. Young righties Gerson Bautista, Jamie Callahan, and Stephen Nogosek will head to New York in return. Boston transferred infielder Josh Rutledge to the 60-day DL to create roster space.

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If the move is finalized, Boston would add perhaps the top rental reliever on this year’s market. Reed, who is earning $7.75MM before hitting free agency, would surely become the Sox’ top setup man for closer Craig Kimbrel. Boston will take on all of the remaining $2.6MM or so in salary, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter).

Of course, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had hoped that it wouldn’t be necessary to acquire such a pitcher during the season. Two recent trade acquisitions — Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg — were expected to be back in action by this point. At this stage, though, Boston won’t be counting on a contribution from either.

Reed came to New York in a mid-season trade back in 2015, but that one took place at the end of August — reflecting his standing at the time. He became a pleasant surprise that blossomed into quite a bit more for the Mets, who tendered him contracts for the ensuing two campaigns.

All told, the 28-year-old has provided the Mets with 142 innings of 2.09 ERA ball, backed by 9.9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9. Though he hasn’t run up quite as many strikeouts this year as last, Reed is actually generating swinging strikes at a better clip (12.6%). And the former White Sox and D-Backs closer slid into that role again when Jeurys Familia went down, providing New York with 19 saves.

For the Mets, the deal offered a chance to get three fresh arms into a system that has graduated or traded away quite a bit of pitching in recent years. All three of the newly added hurlers rated among Boston’s top thirty prospects in MLB.com’s most recent ranking, though all profile as future relievers. Among them, Callahan is the most advanced: he’s pitching at Triple-A Pawtucket while the others are still in A ball. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets that Nogosek, last year’s sixth-round pick, could be something of a quick riser through the system given his experience as a closer in college.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the deal (Twitter links), with Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) saying it was for three prospects and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (Twitter links) and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) naming them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Midday Market Chatter: Nats, Dodgers, Lynn, Panik

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The Nationals have been linked to a variety of relievers even after adding two veterans earlier this month, and Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweets that the pursuit continues in earnest today. While it seems a variety of hurlers could be of interest, adding a pitcher capable of taking on closing duties remains a “priority,” per the report. Washington has been connected to Brandon Kintzler of the Twins today, along with a long list of other pitchers.

Here’s some more midday chatter as the non-waiver deadline looms:

  • Some Dodgers front office folks would like to see the club come away with a “wipeout left-handed reliever” today, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. That has been noted as a strong priority over recent weeks, of course, though the club has also been said to be eyeing top-tier starting pitching as well. At this point, it would seem, Zach Britton of the Orioles is the likeliest target among lefty pen pieces, though it’s still unclear whether he’ll end up being moved.
  • There’s industry chatter linking the Indians to Cardinals righty Lance Lynn, Olney tweets — a connection that was made a few days ago as well. And Cleveland also has some interest in discussing some of the excess young outfielders on the St. Louis roster, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds on Twitter. The Cards are said to be willing to listen on some such position players — in particular, Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk. It’s not immediately clear, though, whether the sides are engaged in earnest today.
  • The Angels have been rumored to be looking at second basemen of late, and recently spoke with the Giants about Joe Panik, per Olney (via Twitter). But those talks evidently did not materialize into anything the sides found worthy of further pursuit, and there’s no indication that Panik is in play today.
  • Both the Cubs and Red Sox appear to have made their moves at this point, per reports from Olney (via Twitter) and Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal (Twitter link). Chicago is, however, still keeping an eye out for controllable pitching depth, while Boston will also “monitor [the] market” up until the deadline.

Red Sox “Moving Closer” To Deal For Addison Reed

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Mets righty Addison Reed was never supposed to end up on the block; he was supposed to be setting up Jeurys Familia while helping the team back to the postseason. Obviously, that hasn’t worked out as hoped, though Familia’s injury has opened the door for Reed to take on a yet-more prominent role in New York. While his most recent run as a closer doesn’t move the needle on his value all that much, Reed’s successes in the ninth make for icing on the cake of a successful run with the Mets. On the year, he has posted a 2.57 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and just 1.1 BB/9 while earning a reasonable $7.75MM.

That very same success is almost certainly going to land Reed elsewhere by the end of the day, as he’s the top rental reliever available. We’ll track developments in his market in this post:

  • Nothing is done yet, but the Red Sox are “moving closer” to striking a deal to acquire Reed, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates

  • The Indians are at least dabbling in the market for Reed, according to Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter). Cleveland seems to be angling for ways to add impactful pieces rather than just filling needs, per the report; of course, that also makes it fair to wonder whether the organization will really drive the bidding on any particular players. Clearly, the Indians don’t need to upgrade the back of their bullpen, but evidently see the merit in considering that possibility — perhaps as an alternative to adding a starter.
  • As of last night, the Red Sox were in talks involving Reed. While that connection seemed to be gaining some momentum at one point, it became apparent that there were still other organizations involved.

Red Sox, Mets Discussing Addison Reed Trade

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5:32pm: Boston has also “kicked the tires” on Twins righty Brandon Kintzler, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter). The interest in Kintzler was noted recently, though it’s notable that the sides are evidently still in touch to some degree with the deadline drawing near. Still, it seems he and others are not the top priority for the Sox.

2:47pm: There’s one other team that is also a “serious suitor” for Reed at this time, tweets Newsday’s Marc Carig. Still, though, nothing is close at present, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford notes on Twitter.

2:01pm: Earlier this morning, MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Mets closer Addison Reed was a “focus” for the Red Sox, and there’s increasing talk about Reed potentially heading to Boston in a deal. Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports that talks between the two sides have begun to heat up, though a deal isn’t yet close to finalization. ESPN’s Buster Olney adds that there are “about five” teams left in the running for Reed, though the Red Sox are the only one he specifies by name.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, meanwhile, reports that the Sox are focused solely on late-inning relief help at this point. According to Speier, Reed is “at or near the top” of Boston’s wishlist, while deals for left-handers Justin Wilson (Tigers) and Brad Hand (Padres) are unlikely.

The 28-year-old Reed has dominated opposing hitters since donning a Mets jersey in 2015, working to a pristine 2.09 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9 in 142 innings. He’s spent much of the season closing for the Mets with Jeurys Familia unavailable (first due to a suspension, then an injury), but he’d shift into a setup role for Craig Kimbrel were the Sox and Mets to complete a deal. Reed would be complemented by righties Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly (who is nearing a return from the disabled list) as well as left-handers Fernando Abad and Robby Scott. A free agent at season’s end, Reed is earning $7.75MM in 2017 and is still owed roughly $2.7MM of that sum through the end of the regular season.

Red Sox Strongly Interested In Addison Reed

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  • Mets righty Addison Reed is “a focus” for the Red Sox as Boston look to bolster its relief corps in advance of tomorrow’s non-waiver deadline, tweets MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal. However, there are multiple clubs with interest in Reed, and there’s no trade close at this time, he adds. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, meanwhile, tweets that while Boston’s interest is strong, they’re still one of as many as 10 clubs with some level of interest.

Dodgers Acquire Luis Ysla From Red Sox

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The Dodgers have acquired left-hander Luis Ysla from the Red Sox for cash considerations, per announcements from both teams. Ysla will report to Double-A Tulsa.

The 25-year-old Ysla’s time with the Red Sox all but ended when they acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Giants on Wednesday. The Red Sox subsequently designated Ysla for assignment to open up a spot for Nunez, leading to their trade with the Dodgers. Ysla pitched himself out of the Boston organization’s plans by logging a 5.05 ERA, 8.5 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings with its Double-A affiliate this season.

The Dodgers created 40-man roster room for Ysla by moving first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to June 12, with a lumbar disc herniation. Thanks to his ailing back, the 35-year-old Gonzalez has appeared in just 49 games this season and hit an uncharacteristically weak .255/.304/.339 in 182 plate appearances.

Padres’ Anderson Espinoza To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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7:30pm: The Padres have now announced that Espinoza will undergo Tommy John surgery.

7:20pm: Padres prospect Anderson Espinoza has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). The right-hander was acquired in a straight-up swap for left-hander Drew Pomeranz last summer — a trade that spawned its share of controversy after the Red Sox were reportedly unhappy with the state of Pomeranz’s health and a lack of medical information disclosure from the Padres.

The 19-year-old Espinoza was one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball at the time of the swap and entered the 2017 season ranked as a consensus top 25 prospect in baseball. Though he posted just a 4.49 ERA in a combined 108 1/3 innings of Class-A ball in 2016, Espinoza was also one of the youngest players in that league and managed an impressive 100-to-35 K/BB ratio in that time.

However, Espinoza hasn’t pitched at all in 2017 after experiencing forearm tightness back in early April (as Lin reported earlier this month). He progressed to a throwing program recently, according to Lin, but didn’t feel right after his most recent bullpen session, thus prompting further examination.

It’s a tough blow for the Padres’ farm system, as Espinoza now won’t throw a competitive inning at all in 2017 and figures to miss the majority of the 2018 campaign. Certainly, he’s young enough that there’s plenty of time for him to reach his potential as a front-line starter, but beyond the disappointment of pushing back his timeline to the Majors, the injury will also cost Espinoza two or more years of development time .

Red Sox Place David Price On DL, Aren’t Currently Planning To Pursue Starters

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3:30pm: President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the Boston media today and definitively stated that he’s not in the market for rotation help (Twitter link via the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). “We’re not going to go out and make a big trade for a starting pitcher,” said Dombrowski, adding that Doug Fister is slated to step back into the Boston rotation.

Evan Drellich of CSN New England tweets that Dombrowski was confident that Price will return this season, though he was again non-specific about the nature of Price’s injury. Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal adds that the injury was described as inflammation in Price’s elbow, not his forearm. His timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain.

11:18am: At present, Boston doesn’t intend to enter the market for starters, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter).

10:04am: Price will go on the DL, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter).

9:13am: It has been an eventful season for Red Sox lefty David Price, who opened the year on the DL and has since become embroiled in a running spat with the Boston media. Now, with the trade deadline just days away, Price is again dealing with elbow issues, according to Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

The full severity of the problem isn’t yet apparent, but Price underwent an MRI yesterday, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Notably, it’s the “same forearm issue” that the southpaw dealt with earlier this year, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), and it’s likely that he’ll be scratched from his scheduled start this evening.

It’s too soon to guess at the implications of this news. But it’s obviously troubling to hear of new elbow questions for a Red Sox club that was hoping to count on Price as a key member of the staff down the stretch and into the postseason. And that’s all before considering the massive future obligations still owed under the contract that drew Price to Boston before the 2016 season.

If the Red Sox feel there’s enough concern to warrant a look at the trade market, they’ll find a long list of possible targets. But the few impact hurlers that may be available figure to draw high prices. Unless there’s a clear indication that Price could be looking at an extended absence, then, the club may prefer to simply go with what it has and hope for the best. It’s important to remember that the August revocable waiver period could also offer some possible solutions.

Red Sox Among Teams With Interest In Brandon Kintzler

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  • The Red Sox and Diamondbacks are among the teams with interest in Twins righty Brandon Kintzler, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). Kintzler, 32, represents an interesting potential addition to the trade market as Minnesota ponders a change in plans. The sinkerballer owns a 2.84 ERA with 27 saves on the year. As regards the interest from Boston, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Red Sox had looked into Pat Neshek before he was dealt to the Rockies, due in part to their desire to add a “different look” to their setup mix. With the side-armer now off the market, Boston isn’t a lock to move onto other targets such as the Mets’ Addison Reed or the Marlins’ AJ Ramos, Crasnick notes.

Justin Wilson Trade Rumors: Thursday

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Justin Wilson has been among the most talked-about assets on the trade market, and the sheer volume of updates on the expansive market for his services is enough to warrant its own dedicated post with the deadline looming. Here’s the latest on the Tigers southpaw, who currently boasts a 2.75 ERA with 12.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 36.1 percent ground-ball rate…

  • It seems the list of possible suitors isn’t getting any shorter just yet. To the contrary, the Indians have also asked about Wilson’s price tag, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Cleveland is down a lefty after losing Boone Logan.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yankees have joined the pursuit of Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, reports Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. It was New York that traded Wilson to the Tigers in the first place (for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa), and while the Yanks have already beefed up their ’pen with the additions of David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, they appear further interested in adding a shutdown lefty. The Tigers, though, are aiming extremely high in talks for Wilson, with Fenech suggesting that they’re seeking an Aroldis Chapman -esque return for Wilson. While the 29-year-old Wilson is earning a bargain $2.7MM salary and can be controlled through 2018 via arbitration, that’s still a sky-high ask. The Cubs sent Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford to New York in exchange for Chapman last summer.
  • The Astros could be the most focused team on Tigers southpaw Justin Wilson, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Wilson has leapfrogged Orioles closer Zach Britton on the Astros’ list of targets, though all indications are that the ask on Wilson is extremely high. Houston is hardly alone in its pursuit of Wilson and has yet to definitively separate itself from the pack, however, per Crasnick (Twitter links). There are at least six teams still in on Wilson, with the Nationals “strongly” in the mix. Lastly, Crasnick tweets that the odds of a package deal sending Wilson and Justin Verlander to a team “are not good” due to the complex nature of such negotiations.
  • FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes that the Brewers, Astros and Red Sox were recently considered to be the leaders in the Wilson sweepstakes, though others are in on him as well. Heyman lists the Cubs, Rockies, D-backs, Dodgers and Nationals as other potential landing spots in a trade.
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