Red Sox Rumors

Poll: Boston’s Catcher Of The Future

By Steve Adams | December 30, 2016 at 10:49am CDT

Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart “has been told there will be no more experimenting with other positions” in 2017, writes WEEI’s Rob Bradford. His outfield experiment is seemingly over, meaning he’ll return to his original position of catcher and remain there exclusively for the foreseeable future.

Swihart, 25 in April, has long rated as one of the game’s best all-around prospects. However, questions surrounding his defensive prowess (and the presence of many other catchers on the Boston roster) led the Sox to try Swihart in left field last year. However, the experiment proved to be an ill-fated one, as Swihart suffered a severe ankle injury shortly into his first exposure to outfield work and wound up undergoing season-ending surgery to repair the matter.

That injury made the 2016 campaign an abbreviated and disappointing one for Swihart, who finished the year with a lackluster .258/.365/.355 batting line in just 79 Major League plate appearances to go along with a .243/.344/.311 slash in 122 PAs with Triple-A Pawtucket. Despite those offensive struggles and some apparent questions about his defensive capabilities, though, the Red Sox don’t appear to have soured on Swihart. On the contrary, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported again this week that the Diamondbacks inquired with Boston on both Swihart and Christian Vazquez and found president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski reluctant to deal either young backstop. That leaves the Red Sox with three catching options in 2017 and well beyond, creating for a somewhat uncertain outlook.

As Bradford writes, Sandy Leon will be given the first crack at regular playing time in 2017 as he looks to show that his 2016 breakout is sustainable. Leon finished the season with a sensational .310/.369/.476 batting line in 283 plate appearances, but his bat wilted in the season’s final month. In addition to that, Leon’s .392 average on balls in play appears entirely unsustainable, especially for a player that has such limited speed. Leon batted an incredible .366 on grounders putting him on par with burners like Billy Hamilton and Trea Turner. Meanwhile, the league as a whole batted just .239 on grounders, and one can reasonably expect a player with Leon’s lack of speed to check in below the mean over a larger sample of at-bats.

Nonetheless, Leon thwarted a stellar 41 percent of attempted stolen bases last season, and while he rated as a somewhat below-average pitch framer, per Baseball Prospectus, he has a strong track record in that regard when looking at his minor league career as a whole. At the very least, he could be a sound defensive option that hits from both sides of the plate, and he’s controllable through 2020. Certainly, there’s value in Leon, the question for Dombrowski & Co. is simply how much of his seemingly out-of-the-blue offensive gains in 2016 are sustainable.

Swihart figures to battle with Vazquez to see who will back up Leon to open the season, but if Leon sputters then either of the two promising young understudies could eventually find himself in a more prominent role with the Sox in 2017. Swihart does have a minor league option remaining, so he can be sent down without being exposed to waivers if the Sox wish to get him some more work both behind and at the plate in the wake of his truncated 2016 campaign.

As recently as the 2014-15 offseason, Swihart rated as the game’s No. 17 overall prospect, per Baseball America, who praised him as a potential two-way force behind the dish. Swihart didn’t begin switch-hitting or catching until he was about halfway through high school, and BA’s scouting report noted that the lack of lifetime experience in both regards always created the potential for some growing pains as he got to the upper levels of the minors and into the Major Leagues. “There’s a chance that his aggressive tendencies will be exploited by advanced pitching, which could result in a challenging transition to the big leagues after a lengthy apprenticeship in Pawtucket in 2015,” BA wrote at the time. But Swihart’s overall package of tools and athleticism undoubtedly remain appealing to both the Red Sox and to other organizations. It’s understandable, then, that Dombrowski and his staff aren’t exactly keen on trading him at all, let alone when his value is at a low point.

Vazquez, meanwhile, never generated the same level of prospect fanfare that Swihart did. However, he’s long been touted as one of the best defensive catchers in all of Minor League Baseball, and his superlative glovework gives him a high floor. He’s thrown out 44 percent of attempted base thieves at the Major League level and a similarly impressive 38 percent caught-stealing rate over the life of his minor league career. Vazquez has drawn consistently excellent framing marks throughout his minor league career and is a .273/.339/.379 hitter in 109 Triple-A games. He missed the 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery, but the procedure didn’t seem to have an adverse affect on his throwing in 2016, as he caught 19 of 47 runners between the Majors and Triple-A (40.4 percent).

BA’s most recent scouting report on Vazquez cites “sneaky” pop that could yield an annual home-run total in the low double digits, and he did hit 18 homers at Class-A back in 2011, though that’s the lone pro season in which he’s demonstrated significant power, and it’s quite a ways in the rear-view mirror at this point. Still, given his defensive ceiling, Vazquez doesn’t need to be a star at the plate to be a starter in the Majors.

To somewhat crudely sum things up, Leon has had the most success in the Majors, while Swihart has the highest offensive ceiling of the bunch and Vazquez has the best defensive skill-set. The Red Sox will devote countless hours of evaluation to answering this question (and likely have already been doing so for the past year), but let’s see what MLBTR readership thinks on the matter (link to poll for Trade Rumors app users)…

Who represents the best long-term catching option for the Red Sox?

Blake Swihart 49.99% (6,188 votes)

Christian Vazquez 34.87% (4,317 votes)

Sandy Leon 15.14% (1,874 votes)

Total Votes: 12,379

D-backs Notes: Wieters, Swihart, Vazquez, O’Brien Trade, Relievers

By Steve Adams | December 30, 2016 at 8:11am CDT

The latest column from the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro is packed with quotes from GM Mike Hazen and info pertaining to the team’s offseason plans and 2017 outlook, with a heavy focus on the catching situation. Some highlights from the column, which I’d recommend checking out in its entirety…

The D-backs have already non-tendered Welington Castillo, signed Jeff Mathis and claimed Juan Graterol off waivers this winter, but Hazen tells Piecoro they’re still keeping an eye on the catching market, including Matt Wieters. “Matt’s a really good player and a good leader,” said Hazen. “We’ve kept up on everybody on the catching market.” Per Hazen, the likely course of action for the D-backs is to add a third catcher-capable player to partner with Mathis and Chris Herrmann in a “three-way system,” but that does not appear set in stone. “If we found more of a long-term replacement for the position, it could morph into something different,” said Hazen, though he did note that a long-term option is likelier to surface on the trade market than in free agency.
To that end, Piecoro again reports that the D-backs spoke to the Red Sox about catchers Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez. However, he also reports that Boston is considered “unlikely” to move either young backstop. It’s not surprising to see a new-look D-backs front office that contains former Red Sox execs Hazen, Amiel Sawdaye and Jared Porter all show interest in two of their former top prospects — especially when the Diamondbacks lack a clear long-term option behind the plate. Piecoro has already reported on Arizona’s interest in Swihart and Vazquez once earlier this winter, and it doesn’t seem like anything has changed since that time. Vazquez, a defensive standout with a perhaps questionable bat, is controlled through the 2020 season. Swihart carries a much higher offensive upside but isn’t as proficient as Vazquez with the glove. He’s controlled through 2021.
Hazen also tells Piecoro that catcher-turned-outfielder Peter O’Brien, whom the club recently designated for assignment, has drawn trade interest from both American League and National League teams. Hazen cited a need “to improve our defensive versatility and flexibility” as the driving factor behind removing O’Brien from the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old O’Brien has in the past posted impressive power numbers in the minors, but he’s never hit in the Majors and is also strikeout prone (32 strikeouts in 79 MLB plate appearances). Beyond that, scouts have long suggested that he’s a man without a position on the diamond, and the old front office regime had already moved him off his original position of catcher. Nonetheless, O’Brien has 50 homers across his past two Triple-A seasons plus another six big flies in the Majors in that time (albeit all in hitter-friendly settings).
The D-backs are still on the hunt for another bullpen arm but would like to keep the commitment to one year, Piecoro writes. Hazen explained to Piecoro that there are enough (relatively) young arms already in the organization that have piqued the interest that the front office doesn’t want to potentially block someone down the road by committing to a multi-year deal.

Quick Hits: Rizzo, Red Sox, Marlins, Orioles

By Steve Adams | December 28, 2016 at 11:05pm CDT

Mike Piellucci of VICE Sports spoke to Cubs GM Jed Hoyer and former Padres GM Josh Byrnes (now a senior VP with the Dodgers) about the 2011 trade that sent Anthony Rizzo and minor league pitcher Zach Cates from San Diego in exchange for right-hander Andrew Cashner and minor league outfielder Kyung-Min Na. Hoyer explains to Piellucci that his immediate thought upon hearing that the Padres had acquired Yonder Alonso (then one of the game’s top overall prospects) from the Reds was that Rizzo could be available. Hoyer expected significant competition, but Byrnes tells Piellucci that there wasn’t an aggressive market for Rizzo following his 2011 debut, during which he batted just .141/.281/.242. Per Byrnes, the Padres felt that Rizzo’s best assets could be dampened by the pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Cashner was an appealing young arm himself at the time and pitched quite well in 2013-14 for San Diego (2.87 ERA in 298 1/3 innings), but his injuries and inconsistencies went on to make the swap one of the most lopsided-looking trades in recent history, even if one can see the reasoning behind it. As Piellucci notes, the potential for one team to come away looking especially bad is why prospect-for-prospect “challenge” trades of this nature happen so rarely. I’d highly recommend reading the column in its entirety, even for non-Cubs and non-Padres fans.

A few more notes from around the league…

The Red Sox lack sufficient depth to safeguard them from injuries to their position players, opines WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. While jack of all trades Brock Holt can serve as a safety net at a number of positions, he’s not exactly an offensive force. Beyond him, the top outfield alternative following an injury would be Bryce Brentz, who hasn’t excelled at Triple-A or in the Majors. Sam Travis represents an option for some power at first base/DH if needed, but he’s coming off a torn ACL. Elsewhere in the infield, Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero both represent largely unproven options. Beyond those names, Boston’s top alternatives might be Rusney Castillo and Allen Craig, neither of whom has had any recent success, even in the minor leagues. Bradford notes that the Red Sox are still monitoring the free-agent market and adds Adam Rosales’ name to the previously reported Trevor Plouffe as depth options. Certainly, Boston has options in Brentz, Hernandez, Marrero, etc., but I’d agree with Bradford’s general assessment that some additional depth to beef up the bench would be in the club’s best interest.
Though Marlins president of baseball ops Michael Hill recently suggested that adding a right-handed platoon option for Justin Bour at first base isn’t a priority, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the team is still likely to add such a player. Miami isn’t closed off to the idea of re-signing Chris Johnson despite the veteran’s struggles in 2016, he notes. They’ve also checked in on some bigger fish (terrible pun intended — my apologies) like Mike Napoli, but that type of move isn’t considered likely, and Miami is not pursuing Napoli at this time. (Napoli is instead reportedly working on a two-year deal with the Rangers.) Bour will get some more looks against lefties this year, but he hasn’t hit them at all in his brief MLB chances (110 plate appearances, .221/.273/.291 slash, zero homers). Jackson notes that J.T. Realmuto will see some time at first base in 2017 on days when A.J. Ellis starts behind the plate (presumably against lefties). From my vantage point, both Adam Rosales and Trevor Plouffe make quite a bit of sense for the Marlins in that capacity.
The Orioles are maintaining interest in free agent outfielders Michael Saunders, Rajai Davis, Angel Pagan and Michael Bourn, writes MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Among internal candidates, Dariel Alvarez is a candidate to get one last chance to convince the O’s he can be a productive Major Leaguer, but he’s also a candidate to come off the 40-man roster should the Orioles sign someone from outside the organization, Kubatko adds. Alvarez hit .288/.324/.384 with four homers in 560 plate appearances as a 27-year-old at Triple-A this past season but has had a strong showing in the Venezuelan Winter League. Signed out of Cuba back in 2013, Alvarez has an underwhelming .725 OPS in parts of three Triple-A seasons, though Kubatko notes that the Orioles continue to be intrigued by his “plus-plus arm.”

East Notes: ERod, Mallex, Wieters, Barrett, Marlins

By Jeff Todd | December 28, 2016 at 1:15pm CDT

Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez suffered a seemingly minor right knee injury during his winter ball appearance last night, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says that Rodriguez merely “tweaked” the joint, explaining that “it doesn’t appear to be anything serious.” Still, it’s of greater concern in this case given that the young hurler missed significant time with an injury to the same knee last year, which delayed his start to the 2016 season. Rodriguez ultimately settled in and performed well for much of the season, but certainly the organization will hope to avoid any such complications this time around. The 23-year-old is expected to be an important part of Boston’s rotation plans, likely competing for a starting role in camp with Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright.

Here’s more from the east coast:

Braves outfielder Mallex Smith has also suffered what’s hoped to be a minor injury in winter-ball action, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The 23-year-old had previously been limited by an oblique injury, and aggravated that problem while playing in Puerto Rico. Atlanta decided to pull him out of action, cutting short his offseason work for the time being. Smith appears likely to open the 2017 season in the upper minors after making his MLB debut in 2016. He ended the year with a .238/.316/.365 batting line and 16 steals (against eight times being caught) over 215 plate appearances. Smith is largely blocked at the major-league level in the near term, and the organization is said to be interested in ensuring that he continues to develop by receiving plenty of plate appearances after a thumb injury limited him in 2016. (Aside from the above-noted MLB time, Smith played in just eight games.)
While some still believe there’s a possibility the Nationals will pursue free-agent catcher Matt Wieters, Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com argues that it’s not a sensible fit. In particular, the Nats have shown a predilection for high-quality pitch framers of late, and Wieters doesn’t rate well in that area. With at least three viable options already on hand, says Kerzel, the Nats likely won’t tie up payroll to add the veteran.
One player that the Nationals do have ongoing interest in is right-handed reliever, Aaron Barrett, Kerzel further writes. That dovetails with other recent reports, and certainly makes sense given the organization’s ongoing need to bolster its depth in the bullpen. Kerzel says that the Nats “have always liked Barrett’s power arm and competitive nature,” and surely also appreciate the fact that he’d remain controllable into the future via arbitration if he’s able to return to health after successive elbow surgeries.
The Marlins have given signals that they believe the bulk of their offseason work is already complete, as Tim Healey of the Miami Sun-Sentinel recently reported. Miami doesn’t feel that it must have a southpaw in its bullpen, as the organization believes its existing righties can succeed against opposing lefties, and already feels that there’s plenty of pen competition in the existing mix. While it seemingly makes sense for the team to pursue a righty bench bat to pair with Justin Bour at first, meanwhile, president of baseball operations Mike Hill says that’s “not a priority.” It seems that the organization is interested in giving Bour greater opportunity against left-handed pitching in 2017. He has taken just 110 plate appearances against southpaws in his career, producing an anemic .223/.273/.291 batting line. With catcher J.T. Realmuto potentially available to spend some time at first, presumably reducing his wear and tear while opening some chances for reserve backstop A.J. Ellis, the Marlins do not appear inclined to dedicate a roster spot to a defensively limited hitter, though Hill said the team will continue to “monitor” the market.

Red Sox Interested In Trevor Plouffe

By Steve Adams | December 26, 2016 at 11:38pm CDT

The Red Sox have interest in free agent corner infielder Trevor Plouffe, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald, though their interest is contingent on Plouffe’s asking price. It’s not clear exactly what the career-long Twin is seeking at this time, but Drellich hears the BoSox are interested if Plouffe is willing to take a one-year deal worth $2-3MM.

[Related: Boston Red Sox Depth Chart]

The 30-year-old Plouffe, Minnesota’s first-round pick back in 2004 (20th overall), was outrighted following an injury-riddled 2016 campaign that saw him endure three DL stints for an intercostal strain, a broken rib and an oblique strain. Projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn a hefty $8.2MM via his final trip through arbitration, Plouffe didn’t perform well for most of the season, though he did bat .277/.345/.465 with five homers and four doubles across his final 113 plate appearances. However, the aforementioned oblique injury landed Plouffe on the shelf for the final three weeks of the year. His injuries, projected price tag and a crowded Twins corner infield/DH picture led new Minnesota execs Derek Falvey and Thad Levine to move on from Plouffe rather than tender him a contract.

Plouffe didn’t develop into a regular for the Twins until his age-26 season, as he struggled as a shortstop (the position he played in high school prior to being drafted), second baseman and corner outfielder before settling in as Minnesota’s everyday third baseman from 2012-16. In his first four seasons as a regular, he proved to be a roughly league-average bat, hitting .248/.312/.426 and averaging 23 homers per 162 games played. A right-handed hitter, Plouffe has been significantly more productive against lefties. His defense at third base was never exceptional, but he grew from a poor defender to a somewhat above-average defender in the eyes of both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved. (He posted poor numbers in both fields in 2016, though injuries may have impacted his maneuverability in the field.) He also saw more than 100 innings at first base in each of the past two seasons.

Drellich notes that the Sox “fully intend” to give Pablo Sandoval a chance to handle the lion’s share of work at third base, Plouffe would give the team a right-handed complement to first baseman Mitch Moreland and to Sandoval at third base. The switch-hitting Sandoval has long fared better as a left-handed bat in his career, and Moreland has never had much success against southpaws himself. And, in the event that Sandoval isn’t able to recapture his form, Plouffe would provide somewhat of an alternative at third base.

It’s not clear if there’s a team out there that would afford Plouffe a better path to playing time, though the corner market isn’t exactly robust at this time, and there aren’t too many clubs looking for an everyday option at third base. Plouffe could potentially be a fit with teams like the Brewers (platooning with Travis Shaw and Eric Thames at the infield corners), the White Sox (if they trade Todd Frazier), the Braves (pushing Adonis Garcia for playing time at third base) or the Marlins (platooning at first base with Justin Bour), but that’s just speculation on my behalf, and none of those teams necessarily has a clear everyday role.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/26/16

By Mark Polishuk | December 26, 2016 at 8:24am CDT

Here are some recent minor league moves from around the game, as chronicled by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise credited. The newest transactions are at the top of the post…

The Giants inked catcher Josmil Pinto to a minor league deal. Pinto appeared in six games with Milwaukee last season, his first MLB exposure since 2014. The backstop has 84 games and 286 plate appearances to his record with the Brewers and Twins, as well as a .274/.349/.442 slash line over 3242 minor league PA.
The Mariners signed outfielder Kyle Waldrop to a minors contract. The longtime Reds farmhand became a free agent after a 2016 season that saw him outrighted off Cincinnati’s 40-man roster. Waldrop (a different player than the former Twins right-hander of the same name, for the record) appeared in 15 games for the Reds last season, mostly as a pinch-hitter or late-game sub. He has a .274/.320/.429 slash over 2698 PA in the Reds’ minor league system.
The White Sox signed righty Jorge Rondon to a minor league pact earlier this month. Rondon has a 13.26 ERA over 19 career innings pitched in the majors, making brief appearances in each of the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Rockies, Orioles and Pirates. A pro since 2006, Rondon has a 4.24 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 1.54 K/BB rate over 647 1/3 career frames in the minors, appearing as a reliever in 346 over his 387 career games.
The Red Sox re-signed catcher Dan Butler on a minor league deal. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Butler has spent his entire pro career in Boston’s organization, save for a season with the Nationals in 2015. Butler has a .256/.348/.405 slash line over 2441 career PA in the minors, and he appeared in seven games in the bigs in 2014.
The Tigers signed righties Jake Brigham and outfielder Jim Adduci to minor league deals. As Eddy notes, Detroit has been active in signing players from international leagues as minor league depth, including these two former big leaguers. Brigham spent 2016 with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles after nine pro seasons in North America, receiving his first taste of the majors in the form of 16 2/3 innings with the Braves in 2015. Adduci, 31, played 11 seasons in the minors and parts of two seasons (148 PA with the Rangers in 2013-14) in the majors before spending the last two years with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants.

Quick Hits: Stottlemyre, Rockies, Wieters, Rangers, Suspensions

By Connor Byrne | December 24, 2016 at 10:14pm CDT

Longtime Yankees right-hander and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre was “fighting for his life” earlier Saturday, but the 75-year-old is now “doing much better,” his wife, Jean, told John Harper of the New York Daily News. “We saw a big turnaround with Mel over the last 24 hours. He’s not in a life-threatening situation right now,” she continued. “It’s not the cancer. It was that he got sick from the chemo medicine. He was given anti-biotics to fight infection and he’s responded well.” Stottlemyre was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1999, which he fought off before it returned in 2011. We at MLBTR will continue to hope for the best for the five-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion.

AL East Notes: Stottlemyre, Yankees, Red Sox, Encarnacion

By charliewilmoth | December 24, 2016 at 1:09pm CDT

Former Yankees pitcher and Mets, Astros, Yankees and Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Sr. is “fighting for his life,” one of his sons, former big-league pitcher Todd Stottlemyre, writes on Facebook (via ESPN). Mel Stottlemyre, 75, announced in 2000 that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Stottlemyre was the Mets’ pitching coach for their World Series win in 1986, and the Yankees’ pitching coach for four World Series champion teams. He also won five All-Star berths in 11 seasons in the big leagues. We at MLBTR wish the best to the Stottlemyre family in this difficult time.

Here’s more from the AL East.

The Yankees and Red Sox could play one another in London as soon as 2018, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes. What seems even more likely at this time is that the Red Sox, Yankees and possibly Mets could all play in London at some point over the course of the new five-year CBA. It’s unclear whether a Yankees/Red Sox matchup in particular will occur, and there are significant issues that must be ironed out first, including the problem of lost gate receipts, as well as how to continue to sell Major League Baseball to Europe after such a marquee matchup has already occurred. But presidents of both teams express enthusiasm for the idea. “We would really like to do it,” says Red Sox president Sam Kennedy. “The Yankees have been at the forefront of suggesting that we bring the great game of baseball to London,” writes Yankees president Randy Levine in an email. “Playing the Red Sox in London would be a special and unique event.”
Edwin Encarnacion’s departure to Cleveland has many Blue Jays fans upset, with some blaming the team for not finding a way to re-sign Encarnacion and others blaming Encarnacion for seeking too much money early in the process, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi writes in a fascinating timeline of the negotiations between Encarnacion and the Blue Jays. As had been previously reported, the Jays offered Encarnacion a four-year, $80MM deal in early November; Davidi notes that deal also included a vesting option that would have increased the value of the deal to $100MM. Encarnacion, though, didn’t want to take a deal on the doorstep of free agency (as his agent, Paul Kinzer, admitted earlier this week). As free agency opened, the Jays believed Encarnacion was seeking $100MM and judged from his lack of urgency to move on the Jays’ initial offer that he had another suitor in the $80MM-$100MM range, which wasn’t the case. The Jays thus moved quickly to sign Kendrys Morales, and took their $80MM offer off the table. The two sides remained in touch, but with Morales and Steve Pearce in the fold, the Jays weren’t as strongly motivated to sign Encarnacion, and he ended up with Cleveland.

AL East Notes: Logan, Alvarez, Pineda, Blue Jays, Tobias

By Mark Polishuk | December 22, 2016 at 10:49am CDT

Here’s the latest from around the American League East…

The Orioles “have long coveted” Boone Logan, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes. Signing Logan would give Baltimore a more reliable lefty specialist-type of a relief option beyond Donnie Hart and T.J. McFarland, though Kubatko isn’t sure if the O’s would be able to afford Logan’s services. The Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and Mariners have all been linked to Logan this winter, though the Mariners may have addressed with left-handed bullpen needs by signing Marc Rzepczynski.
Pedro Alvarez may be the Orioles free agent most likely to re-sign with the team, though as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun notes, Alvarez’s return could create some roster complications. With Alvarez and Trey Mancini, the O’s would have two players best suited for DH duty, giving them less bench flexibility. Alvarez has indicated a willingness to learn to play outfield, though Encina isn’t sure if Alvarez will be able to defensively handle even a part-time outfield role. On the flip side, Alvarez does bring a lot of power from the left side and bringing him back could cost Baltimore much less than it would to re-sign Mark Trumbo.
The Yankees have fielded several buy-low offers for Michael Pineda this winter, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand reports. Pineda posted a 4.82 ERA last season, a number somewhat inflated by a .339 BABIP and a 17% home run rate Pineda’s advanced metrics (3.80 FIP, 3.30 xFIP, 3.40 SIERA, 10.61 K/9, 3.91 K/BB rate) presented his season in a much better light, and his 175 2/3 innings pitched was a new career high for the injury-prone righty. Pineda will be a free agent after 2017, though rather than trade him, the Yankees are counting on Pineda to put it all together and help stabilize a rotation with several question marks.
The Blue Jays seem to be looking to solve their position player needs before returning to their search for left-handed relief, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Logan, Jerry Blevins and Travis Wood are the most prominent southpaw relievers linked to the Jays this winter, though the team also isn’t settled in either corner outfield spot.
The Red Sox freed up some salary by dealing Clay Buchholz to the Phillies, but Boston also likes the prospect (Josh Tobias) they got in return, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes. Tobias, a 10th-round pick for the Phillies in 2015, was one of 10 names targeted by the Sox as they looked through Philadelphia’s system. Red Sox director of pro scouting Gus Quattlebaum describes Tobias as “having potential as a versatile, switch-hitting guy with make-up and a feel to hit. Whenever you can find someone who can hit, that guy is going to standout.“

East Notes: Red Sox, Nationals, Yankees, Braves

By Connor Byrne | December 20, 2016 at 8:59pm CDT

At least one team has shown interest in left-hander Drew Pomeranz this offseason, but the Red Sox haven’t made him available, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI (Twitter link). Boston subtracted from its starting depth by trading Clay Buchholz to the Phillies on Tuesday, though it still has six quality options in Chris Sale, David Price, AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, Pomeranz, Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright. It’s unclear which member of the Pomeranz-Rodriguez-Wright trio will be the odd man out of the rotation to begin next season. While Pomeranz has plenty of relief experience, he was also among the majors’ top starters as a member of the Padres during the first half of 2016. That led the Red Sox to send highly regarded pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza to San Diego in July, but the deal hasn’t yet gone as planned for Boston. Pomeranz wasn’t healthy down the stretch, which caused plenty of controversy, and logged a 4.59 ERA despite a 9.36 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings with the Sox.

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