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Red Sox Rumors

MLBTR Podcast: Previewing FA Starting Pitchers, TV Deals, And Potential Spending Teams

By Darragh McDonald | October 9, 2024 at 11:59pm CDT

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

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

  • MLBTR’s early discussions for the upcoming Top 50 Free Agents post and the starting pitchers at the top of this winter’s market (1:00)
  • The ongoing bankruptcy drama of Diamond Sports Group and how the upcoming offseason looks in terms of possible spending (11:45)
  • The Red Sox seem poised for an aggressive offseason (20:35)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Y’all have repeatedly talked about the Tigers being at the beginning a strong period and riding a youth movement to the ALDS (if not further). In addition to adding some talent from outside the organization this winter, can we expect to see some of the homegrown guys being extended? Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter seem like solid options beside the obvious Tarik Skubal. (24:30)
  • Did the reduction in time of the average baseball game negatively impact stadium concession sales? If a Dodger game goes from 3 hours to 2 1/2 hours, are they selling less beer? (28:05)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Buster Posey Takes Over In SF And The Cardinals’ Succession Plan – listen here
  • Final Days In Oakland, The Surging Tigers, And If The Nats Will Pursue Juan Soto – listen here
  • The Matt Chapman Negotiations, Dodgers’ Pitching Injuries, And Strengths And Weaknesses Of Playoff Contenders – listen here

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

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Red Sox Making Multiple Coaching Changes

By Anthony Franco | October 9, 2024 at 10:57pm CDT

The Red Sox are moving on from six coaches, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. According to Speier, the departures from Alex Cora’s staff include first base coach Andy Fox, bullpen coach Kevin Walker, assistant hitting coach Luis Ortiz, mental skills coach Rey Fuentes, trainer Ben Chadwick and bullpen catcher Mani Martinez.

Fox was promoted to first base coach this past season. He’d previously spent time as Boston’s field coordinator. Fox had been in the organization for more than a decade. He played parts of nine seasons in the big leagues as a utility infielder, spending the bulk of that time with the Diamondbacks and Marlins.

Ortiz, who briefly appeared in the majors with the Red Sox during the mid-1990s, had been an assistant hitting coach for the last three years. Ortiz held the lead hitting job on Chris Woodward’s staffs with the Rangers between 2018-21. Ben Rosenthal has overlapped with Ortiz as an assistant to primary hitting coach Peter Fatse in Boston.

The Sox tabbed Walker as bullpen coach during the 2020-21 offseason. He’d spent the shortened season as an assistant pitching coach. Boston’s bullpen has generally been middle-of-the-pack over the past four years. The relief group was a disappointment this season, finishing 24th with a 4.39 earned run average and 23rd in strikeout percentage (21.9%). The bullpen cratered down the stretch. Only the Nationals’ relievers had a lower strikeout rate in the second half. No team had a worse ERA after the All-Star Break than the Sox’s 5.45, while Boston relievers led MLB with 16 blown leads.

That’s not all on the coaching staff, of course. The front office’s deadline pickups of Lucas Sims and Luis García didn’t work. Kenley Jansen missed most of September, while Chris Martin was shelved for the bulk of July. Nevertheless, the bullpen was one of the biggest factors in the Sox falling out of the Wild Card race, so they’ll look for a new voice. Strengthening the group in front of Rule 5 success story Justin Slaten and a hopefully health Liam Hendriks should be an offseason priority for Craig Breslow and his staff.

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Luis Tiant Passes Away

By Leo Morgenstern | October 8, 2024 at 11:59pm CDT

Three-time All-Star pitcher Luis Tiant passed away this morning, the Red Sox confirmed. He was 83 years old. The right-hander played for seven organizations throughout his 19-year MLB career, though he is best remembered for the eight seasons he spent in Boston.

“Luis had a style of pitching that was as memorable as it was effective, but to me, the rarer gift was his ability to lift you up with just a smile,” said Red Sox president & CEO Sam Kennedy, as part of a statement issued by the team. “When you were with him, you were reminded of what really matters. Whether you were a teammate, a fan, or just someone fortunate enough to share a conversation, Luis had a way of making you feel special, like you were a close friend. His legacy on the mound is undeniable, but all of us today are mourning the man, the friend, the mentor who connected generations of fans and players. I am gutted by the news of his passing and will miss him more than words can express. Spring Training won’t be the same without Luis’s infectious energy spreading throughout camp.”

Tiant was born in Marianao, Cuba on November 23, 1940. His father, Luis Tiant Sr., was himself a star pitcher in the Negro Leagues, as well as the Cuban League, Dominican League, and Mexican League. It didn’t take long for the younger Luis Tiant to make a name for himself, pitching for the Mexico City Tigers of the Mexican League and Havana Sugar Kings in the International League as a teenager.

At 21 years old, Tiant made his debut in Cleveland’s minor league system. Two years later, he joined the major league team, making 19 appearances (16 starts) with a 10-4 record and a 2.83 ERA in 127 innings pitched. Across six seasons in Cleveland from 1964-69, he threw 1,200 innings with a 2.84 ERA and an 83 ERA- (17% better than the league average). His 1,041 strikeouts ranked 11th among all pitchers in that time. The highlight of Tiant’s tenure in Cleveland was the 1968 season, in which he went 21-9 and led the American League with a 1.60 ERA. He made his first career All-Star team that year and finished fifth in voting for AL MVP.

Following a disappointing 1969 season (for both Tiant and Cleveland), Cleveland traded Tiant and Stan Williams to Minnesota in exchange for Dean Chance, Bob Miller, Ted Uhlaender and Graig Nettles. However, his time with the Twins was brief. He pitched well when he was on the mound, going 7-3 with a 3.40 ERA (89 ERA-) over 92 2/3 innings, but a broken scapula derailed his season in May. At the time, that was considered a much more serious injury – possibly even career-threatening – and indeed, Tiant did not look nearly as sharp upon his return. The Twins released him the following spring.

After a brief and unsuccessful stint in the Braves minor league system, Tiant caught the attention of the Red Sox organization. It turned out to be a match made in baseball heaven. While he struggled in his first season with his new club, the righty turned things around the following year. He introduced his now-trademark deceptive delivery and went 15-6 with an MLB-leading 1.91 ERA. He finished sixth in Cy Young voting and earned some down-ballot support for AL MVP.

Over eight years in Boston, Tiant went 122-81 with a 3.36 ERA (85 ERA-) in 1,774 2/3 innings pitched. He was named to a couple of All-Star teams and earned Cy Young and MVP votes in three seasons (1972, ’74, ’76). He led the AL in WHIP in 1973 and tied for the major league lead with seven shutouts in 1974. In 1975, he played a pivotal role in the playoffs, pitching a complete game in Game 1 of the ALCS, and 25 innings over three starts in the World Series. The Red Sox won all four games he started, but they lost all four games he did not pitch in the World Series, losing to the Reds in seven games.

As he entered his mid-thirties, Tiant became more of a precision pitcher, getting fewer strikeouts but also giving up fewer walks. He was a valuable contributor to the Red Sox every season from 1972-78, even as he became less durable (by 1970s standards) in his final two years with the club. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Red Sox ended on slightly sour terms; Tiant believed the team didn’t take him seriously in negotiations when his contract was up after the 1978 campaign (per John Powers of the Boston Globe).

Thus, Tiant spent the final four years of his career with the Yankees (1979-80), Pirates (1981), and Angels (1982). He made 55 starts and threw 332 innings over his age-38 and 39 seasons in New York, but his major league career was winding down by the time he signed with the Pirates at age 40. Still, he appeared in nine games for the Pirates in 1981 and six for the Angel in 1982. He also prolonged his professional career by returning to the Mexican League in 1983, and later the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.

Following his playing career, Tiant worked as a scout for the Yankees in Mexico before landing coaching jobs in the minor leagues with the Dodgers (1992-95) and White Sox (1997). He also served as the pitching coach for the Nicaraguan national team in the 1996 Summer Olympics and later worked as the head coach for the Savannah College of Art and Design baseball team (1998-2001). In 2002, he returned to the Red Sox organization, working as a minor league coach (2002), Spanish language broadcaster (2002-03), and special assignment instructor (2004-24).

Tiant is arguably one of the greatest players excluded from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Over 15 years on the BBWAA ballot, he never received close to enough support to reach the 75% threshold necessary for election. He has since fallen short on several committee ballots. While he never won any major awards and only earned three All-Star selections throughout his career, modern statistics make it clear that Tiant was underappreciated in his time. With 66.1 career Baseball Reference WAR and 44.1 bWAR during his seven-year peak, he falls slightly below the 73.0 career bWAR and 44.9 peak bWAR of the average Hall of Fame starting pitcher. However, his 55.1 JAWS is higher than that of more than 40 Hall of Fame pitchers. His 229 wins, 2416 strikeouts, and 66.1 career bWAR also rank first among all Cuban-born pitchers. Tiant could be up for Hall of Fame consideration again this winter on the Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot, though it is important to keep his wishes in mind. Speaking to ESPN Deportes in 2008, he said, “If you don’t take me in life, don’t try to elect me after I die, please.”

Thankfully, Tiant’s phenomenal career did not go unrecognized in his retirement. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009 (he spent seven seasons playing winter ball in the Venezuelan League during his major league career).

Known to fans as El Tiante, Luis Tiant will be remembered for his captivating windup, captivating performances, and equally captivating personality. His 49 shutouts are tied for 21st all-time, while his 2416 strikeouts are 48th-most in major league history. His sense of humor, however, was second to none; Red Sox teammate Dwight Evans claims Tiant could “turn a bus ride into something out of Saturday Night Live” (per Powers). We at MLB Trade Rumors send our heartfelt condolences to Tiant’s family, friends, and fans.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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Boston Red Sox Cleveland Guardians Newsstand Obituaries

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Craig Breslow, Sam Kennedy Discuss Red Sox’ Offseason

By Darragh McDonald | October 7, 2024 at 4:08pm CDT

The Red Sox flirted with playoff contention at times in 2024 but ultimately fell short, finishing five games back of a Wild Card spot at 81-81. That puts their focus on the offseason and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe published a column today, trying to read the tea leaves on some recent comments from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow as well as president and CEO Sam Kennedy.

Notably, the comments suggest the club plans to enter the winter with more of a win-now mentality. “It’s time to take that next step. It really is time,” said Kennedy. “You really need to build a roster and have a team that is built to win that division. That’s where we want to get to. We just have to go and do the right things that put us in that position to push towards 90-95 wins.” Kennedy has also stated that the club feels they have “building blocks” in place that they can construct a club around.

Of course, many fans will be quick to point to chairman Tom Werner’s “full throttle” comments from a year ago as a reason to be skeptical, since the club didn’t really follow through on that promise. Generally speaking, the Sox had a relatively future-focused offseason going into 2024, with the most notable move being the trade that sent Chris Sale to Atlanta for infielder Vaughn Grissom. That deal has gone very poorly so far for the Sox, as Sale went on to have an excellent season for his new club while Grissom struggled immensely after that deal.

But as Speier points out, most of the comments made by the Boston brass around this time a year ago were far more measured, with the “full throttle” quote being the exception that received the most attention. Breslow has recently suggested that a deal like the Sale-Grissom swap will get less consideration this offseason.

“That was a decision that was made with a longer-term focus in mind as much as 2024,” said Breslow on NESN’s 310 to Left podcast, as relayed by Speier. “Exclusively looking at the future is not something that we should be prepared to do as we embark on this offseason heading into 2025. Otherwise, fans would be rightfully frustrated with this continued push-off into the future of the window of contention. We can no longer ask our fans to look to the future, to think about a Red Sox team that’s capable of winning the division and capable of making a deep postseason run. We have to talk to decisive actions that we’re taking right now to put a better team on the field in 2025.”

Breslow echoed Kennedy’s comments that the club is setting a high target for next year. “It’s time to deliver the team that’s capable of winning the AL East and making a deep playoff run,” said Breslow. “If that means that guys who haven’t yet made their big-league debut need to be on the team to help us do that, then we have to be prepared for that. And if it means we have to be aggressive in bringing players in who aren’t currently in the organization to complement those who are, we have to be open to doing that as well.”

If the Red Sox are planning to be more aggressive, that could come in many forms. One of them would be financially, as the club could decide to return to being a top spender. Per the calculations of Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Sox had one of the top five payrolls in the league from 2004 to 2020, including being first overall a few times, but they have dipped since. They were eighth in 2021, sixth the year after that and then 12th in the two most recent seasons.

Per RosterResource, the Sox have about $105MM committed to the 2025 roster, well shy of this year’s $183MM. That doesn’t include the club’s arbitration-eligible players, but they have a fairly modest class this winter. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects salaries just under $5MM for Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Jarren Duran, the entirety of the club’s arb group. Even if Boston were only to carry the same payroll forward from 2024 to 2025, they would have a lot of powder dry, while they would naturally have even more to work with if they decide to push payroll up.

Another possibility would be to be active on the trade front, with Breslow acknowledging that they might have to make some tough decisions about which players stay and which ones go. “There are going to be a lot of really good major league players who aren’t going to realize their value in Red Sox uniforms because only one guy can do that at a time at second base or shortstop or center field,” said Breslow.

The Sox have promoted a number of young prospects to the big leagues in recent years, with those players having varying degrees of major league success. Duran had a huge step forward defensively this year, which made him a hugely valuable piece when combined with his offense and baserunning. He’s only just reaching arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player and can be retained for four more seasons. Triston Casas has a great combination of power and on-base ability, with four years of club control beyond this one. Connor Wong and Wilyer Abreu also had some encouraging results in 2024 and will still be pre-arb in 2025.

On top of those players, the Sox also have long-term deals for Rafael Devers, Trevor Story, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida. They could pick up a cheap 2025 option on Rob Refsnyder for $2.1MM. There’s also the club’s emerging group of position player prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder/outfielder Kristian Campbell, shortstop Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony are all considered top 100 guys and each has now reached the Triple-A level, so they will be pushing for major league jobs next year. (Mayer technically hasn’t played in a Triple-A game yet as he landed on the injured list shortly after being promoted to that level.)

With Danny Jansen heading to free agency, there could be an easy path for Teel to eventually share time behind the plate with Wong. If Mayer eventually takes over the club’s shortstop job, Story could perhaps move to second, squeezing out other guys on the roster. Rafaela has played both the middle infield and the outfield, but Boston’s options on the grass already include Duran, Abreu and Refsnyder with Anthony on the way. Campbell, like Rafaela, can play both the middle infield and the outfield and will be a factor somewhere at some point.

As Breslow suggested, the club likely can’t find jobs for everyone here, which will naturally lead to some interesting trade discussions this winter. With all these players and only so many spots, perhaps Breslow could acquire some pitching from another club. Boston had a collective 4.05 earned run average in 2024, 16th among the 30 major league clubs. They are now slated to lose Nick Pivetta, Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin to free agency.

Between the trade market and the club’s financial situation, Breslow should have all kinds of options to consider this winter as he tries to push the Sox forward in a crowded American League East for 2025. The Yankees and Orioles just wrapped up strong seasons. The Rays and Blue Jays disappointed in 2024 but have been in good form in prior years and will be looking to bounce back in 2025.

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AL East Notes: Bichette, Yoshida, Cortes

By Mark Polishuk | October 6, 2024 at 4:46pm CDT

The Blue Jays had some largely “exploratory” trade talks involving Bo Bichette early last offseason, TSN’s Scott Mitchell writes.  This isn’t exactly new news, as multiple reports last November indicated that the shortstop’s name indeed come up in trade discussions, though those talks were portrayed as other teams checking on Bichette’s availability.  Mitchell, however, specifies that “the Jays did indeed shop Bichette.”

As always, there’s plenty of gray area when parsing hot-stove terminology, as the distinction between actively trying to move Bichette and listening on Bichette trade offers could be pretty thin.  Executives routinely discuss scores of players in trade talks with other clubs, just as a matter of due diligence in gauging interest.  For instance, if Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins had learned that a rival club had a particular interest in Bichette and had a player or players that the Jays liked, Atkins might have been more inclined to “shop” Bichette in that particular direction in order to swing a favorable trade for Toronto.  In any case, as Mitchell observes, revisiting any trade talks involving Bichette this winter could be difficult because the shortstop is coming off an injury-plagued down year, so the Blue Jays aren’t likely to land a premium return even if they did look to move Bichette.

More from around the AL East….

  • “Some clear discord” developed between the Red Sox and Masataka Yoshida last April, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo writes, when Yoshida was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain.  Yoshida chose to seek out second and third opinions on his sprain, which apparently didn’t sit well with the team, who felt the initial assessment (that Yoshida wouldn’t need surgery) was enough.  Yoshida ended up not needing surgery, and spent a little more than six weeks on the IL before returning in mid-June.  Between this situation and Yoshida’s displeasure at being a DH-only player who mostly faced only right-handed pitching, Cotillo wonders if both sides would benefit from a trade this winter.  Such a move is easier said than done, of course, as Yoshida is owed $54MM over the 2025-27 seasons, and has been good (112 wRC+ in 1001 plate appearances) but not great over his two Major League seasons.  Yoshida was also playing through a shoulder problem for much of 2024, which could represent another red flag for any interested trade suitors.
  • Nestor Cortes is slated to throw between 20-30 times during a game of catch today, the Yankees left-hander told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty.  This represents the first time Cortes has thrown since suffering a flexor strain in late September.  Cortes said he was “feeling good” in his recovery to date, and “if my body responds and if my arm responds, we’ll try to be as quick as possible” in charting out a potential return to the mound.  The Yankees would naturally need to advance to at least the ALCS in order to give Cortes any chance of pitching again in 2024, and even if New York does get deeper into October, it remains to be seen if Cortes will be able to be healthy enough to merit a roster spot.
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Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Notes Toronto Blue Jays Bo Bichette Masataka Yoshida Nestor Cortes

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34 Players Elect Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | October 1, 2024 at 9:55pm CDT

As the offseason nears, a number of players elect minor league free agency each week. These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. These transactions are all reflected on the MiLB.com log.

Catchers

  • Alex Jackson (Rays)
  • Andrew Knapp (Giants)
  • Andrew Knizner (D-Backs)
  • Reese McGuire (Red Sox)
  • Jakson Reetz (Giants)
  • Ali Sánchez (Marlins)
  • Brian Serven (Blue Jays)

Infielders

  • Diego Castillo (Twins)
  • José Devers (Marlins)
  • Thairo Estrada (Giants)
  • Danny Mendick (White Sox)
  • Cole Tucker (Angels)
  • Jason Vosler (Mariners)

Outfielders

  • Billy McKinney (Pirates)
  • Cristian Pache (Marlins)

Designated Hitter

  • Willie Calhoun (Angels)

Pitchers

  • Phil Bickford (Yankees)
  • Ty Blach (Rockies)
  • Nick Burdi (Yankees)
  • John Curtiss (Rockies)
  • Kent Emanuel (Marlins)
  • Cole Irvin (Twins)
  • Casey Kelly (Reds)
  • Matt Koch (Rockies)
  • Steven Okert (Twins)
  • Yohan Ramírez (Red Sox)
  • Gerardo Reyes (A’s)
  • Trevor Richards (Twins)
  • Ryder Ryan (Pirates)
  • Kirby Snead (Mariners)
  • Touki Toussaint (White Sox)
  • Tanner Tully (Yankees)
  • Jordan Weems (Nationals)
  • Mitch White (Brewers)
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Arizona Diamondbacks Boston Red Sox Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Pittsburgh Pirates San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Alex Jackson Ali Sanchez Andrew Knapp Andrew Knizner Billy McKinney Brian Serven Casey Kelly Cole Irvin Cole Tucker Cristian​ Pache Danny Mendick Diego Castillo (b. 1997) Gerardo Reyes Jakson Reetz Jason Vosler John Curtiss Jordan Weems Jose Devers Kent Emanuel Kirby Snead Matt Koch Mitch White Nick Burdi Phil Bickford Reese McGuire Ryder Ryan Steven Okert Tanner Tully Thairo Estrada Touki Toussaint Trevor Richards Ty Blach Willie Calhoun Yohan Ramirez

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Red Sox Notes: Yoshida, O’Neill, Castiglione

By Mark Polishuk | September 29, 2024 at 6:25pm CDT

Masataka Yoshida is set to undergo an MRI on his right shoulder, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) after today’s game.  Earlier today, Carlos Yamazaki of Tokyo Sports reported (via X) that Yoshida was considering having surgery, as Yoshida said he has been bothered by shoulder soreness for much of the season.

The 31-year-old Yoshida didn’t play in Boston’s season-ending 3-1 win over the Rays today, thus ending his second MLB season with a .280/.349/.415 slash line and 10 home runs over 421 plate appearances.  That translates to a 115 wRC+ in 2024, and after he had relatively similar numbers in 580 PA in 2023, Yoshida now has a 112 wRC+ over his 248 games and 1001 trips to the plate as a big leaguer.

Between these solid numbers and the fact that he is one of the league’s toughest players to strike out, Yoshida’s first two Major League seasons have been quite respectable overall.  However, more than “respectable” was expected when the Sox signed him to a five-year, $90MM deal during the 2022-23 offseason.  Seen as an overpay of a contract from former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, Yoshida seemed to answer his critics with some very strong numbers in 2023 before fading down the stretch.

His 2024 was limited in another sense, as Yoshida was almost exclusively a designated hitter.  While Cora reiterated today that Yoshida’s usage was more due to Boston’s outfield surplus than due to concerns about Yoshida’s defense, the fact remains that Yoshida played in just one game as an outfielder this season.  The left-handed hitting Yoshida was also largely used only against right-handed pitching, further limiting his playing time.

More will be known about Yoshida’s shoulder once the MRI is complete, but if surgery is necessary, that further complicates his status heading into 2025.  With three years and $54MM remaining on his contract, Yoshida is a tough player to move in any trade talks, and his trade value will dip further if any health uncertainty is attached.  Some room in Boston’s outfield could open up if Tyler O’Neill departs in free agency, but two star Red Sox outfield prospects (Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell) are expected to be part of the big league roster at some point in 2025, further crowding the picture.

There’s also a chance O’Neill is re-signed, as he told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford and other reporters that he spoke with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow today, and the two both expressed “mutual interest” in a reunion.  Breslow also spoke publicly earlier this week about the club’s keenness in possibly bringing the Canadian slugger back for 2025 and beyond.

Injuries have continued to plague O’Neill, as he was limited to 113 games and 473 PA this season due to three relatively brief stints on the 10-day IL.  The good news is that when O’Neill was able to play, he delivered to the tune of 31 homers and a .241/.336/.511 slash line, and a 131 wRC+.  O’Neill had an elite barrel rate and excellent walk and hard-hit ball rates, even if he also posted one of the baseball’s worst strikeout rates (33.6%).  The right-handed hitting O’Neill also had some drastic splits, as he had only a .693 OPS in 317 PA against righty pitching but a whopping 1.180 OPS in 156 PA against southpaws.

The splits are perhaps less of an issue for the Red Sox than other teams, as having a powerful right-handed bat is particularly helpful on a Sox roster that is overloaded with lefty swingers.  That said, Boston’s future outfield prospects perhaps cloud the chances of O’Neill’s return, and his injury history does add an extra element of risk for the Sox or any team that signs him to a multi-year contract.  It’s not out of the question that O’Neill could accept a one-year qualifying offer to take a $21MM-ish payday and stay in Boston in 2025, but there seems to be a greater chance that O’Neill would reject a QO and seek a heftier contract on the heels of his strong season.

Finally, today’s game marked the final broadcast for longtime radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione, who is retiring from regular announcing duty after 42 years of calling Red Sox games.  He was recognized by the Hall of Fame as this year’s winner of the Ford Frick Award, and several Sox legends took part in a pregame ceremony today honoring Castiglione’s tenure as the voice of Red Sox Nation.  We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Castiglione on his incredible career.

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Boston Red Sox Notes Masataka Yoshida Tyler O'Neill

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Red Sox Notes: Refsnyder, Whitlock, Pivetta

By Nick Deeds | September 28, 2024 at 10:15pm CDT

Back in August, Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder seemed uncertain about whether he wanted to continue his playing career in 2025 or begin working towards his post-playing goal of moving into a front office role somewhere in the sport. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported this evening, however, that Refsnyder now appears to have made up his mind to continue playing in 2025.

“I’ll be 34 in spring training. I could see myself playing for a couple more years honestly, if the situation is right,” Refsnyder said, as relayed by Cotillo. “Especially if I’m here.”

Refsnyder has made his desire to remain in Boston abundantly clear, and it seems all but certain his wish will be granted at least for next season. The Red Sox hold a $2MM club option of the 33-year-old for next year, a bargain price considering his excellent production with the club this season. In 307 trips to the plate across 93 games played this year, Refsnyder has slashed an excellent .283/.359/.471 (130 wRC+) in his part time role as a backup outfielder and platoon bat against left-handed pitching. Overall, Refsnyder has posted a solid .278/.367/.427 slash line (121 wRC+) with 18 homers and 10 steals in 727 plate appearances since he first donned a Red Sox uniform back in 2022.

Refsnyder’s likely return will place him in the midst of what is sure to be a very crowded outfield mix next season. While Tyler O’Neill figures to become a free agent this winter, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu both appear poised to return to the club. Meanwhile, Ceddanne Rafaela has split time between the outfield and infield this year but is best suited to playing center field, where he excels defensively. That leaves the club with a full outfield before even considering the fact that top prospect Roman Anthony is banging on the door to the majors and figures to be ready for big league action as soon as early 2025, and it’s even possible that the club could look to re-sign O’Neill or a similarly capable right-handed slugger this winter. The DH offers little help in breaking up the logjam in Boston either due to the presence of Masataka Yoshida, who remains under contract through the end of the 2027 season.

Given the glut of outfield talent available to the Red Sox for the moment, it would hardly be a shock to see the club pursue a trade this winter, perhaps leveraging that outfield depth in order to bolster the club’s pitching staff. The rotation in Boston has been quite good with a 3.77 ERA that ranks top five in the majors this year, but a bullpen that posted a lackluster 4.44 ERA this year and figures to lose both Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin in free agency is an obvious place for potential improvement. With that being said, it’s also possible the bullpen could get some internal reinforcements headed into next year.

Right-hander Garrett Whitlock underwent an internal brace surgery on his right elbow back in May and has been working his way back to the mound ever since, with Cotillo among those to note that he threw a baseball for the first time since going under the knife recently. As Whitlock works his way back in hopes of a healthier 2025 season, Cotillo notes that after years of both the righty and the Red Sox believing he was a long-term rotation piece for the club, Whitlock is now more focused on staying healthy.

“Honestly, I’ve told them, whatever can keep me healthy (is the best role),” Whitlock said yesterday, as relayed by Cotillo. “That’s where I’m at. We’re going to dive in with medical and see where that goes.”

If Boston brass and Whitlock believe that a move to the bullpen could help keep the righty healthier going forward, that would add a potential high-leverage arm to the club’s mix that could help them to make up for the impending losses of Jansen and Martin. The right-hander sports a strong 3.39 ERA overall for his career, but that figure plummets to a sparkling 2.65 when looking only at his 132 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen. Combined with his 28.1% career strikeout rate out of the bullpen, it’s easy to imagine Whitlock becoming one of the game’s most fearsome relievers if he fully committed to the role.

A move to the bullpen for Whitlock would leave the club with a hole in the rotation, however, and that would only be further exacerbated by the impending departure of veteran righty Nick Pivetta. It’s been a solid year for the 31-year-old hurler, as he’s posted a 4.14 ERA with a 4.06 FIP in 145 2/3 innings of work that should make him an attractive option for clubs in need of help towards the back of their rotation this winter. That’s a description that fits the Red Sox, who currently have only Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello penciled into their rotation. Lucas Giolito figures to return from elbow surgery at some point next year, and the club has solid depth options like Quinn Priester, Richard Fitts, and Cooper Criswell available as well, but there’s plenty of room in the club’s starting mix another addition.

Even so, it’s unclear if a return to Boston is in the cards for Pivetta next year. The right-hander told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe recently that there have been no talks between he and the front office about extending their relationship beyond this season, though he did express an openness to returning to Boston next year. With that being said, after a disappointing season that’s seen the club finish in the vicinity of .500, it’s possible that the club could look to improve its rotation by signing a more impactful free agent than Pivetta. Former Red Sox hurler Nathan Eovaldi and left-hander Sean Manaea are among the mid-rotation arms that figure to be available this winter who would likely represent an upgrade over Pivetta for Boston.

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Boston Red Sox Notes Garrett Whitlock Nick Pivetta Rob Refsnyder

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Quinn Priester Likely To Make Red Sox Debut Tomorrow

By Nick Deeds | September 28, 2024 at 5:06pm CDT

Right-hander Quinn Priester is expected to make his debut with the big league Red Sox tomorrow, according to a report from MassLive’s Christopher Smith. Smith notes that Priester is currently with the club’s taxi squad and could be promoted to the majors to start tomorrow’s season finale against the Rays.

Priester, 24, was acquired from the Pirates ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for infield prospect Nick Yorke. The pair of youngsters were in similar places in their careers as former top-100 prospects whose stars had lost a bit of shine in recent years but were knocking on the door of the big leagues. Priester already had 94 2/3 innings of work under his belt with Pittsburgh in the majors, while Yorke had not yet made his big league debut but had raked in 38 games at the Triple-A level with a promotion appearing to be imminent.

Since then, Yorke has made that debut with the Pirates and gone 7-for-31 with a home run, two steals, and two walks in his first nine-games as a big league hitter. Now Priester appears poised to make his own first appearance with his new club in the majors, with Alex Cora suggesting to reporters today that there’s “a good chance” he’ll make tomorrow’s start. In debuting with the Red Sox, Priester figures to flash improved velocity relative to his time with the Pirates as Smith notes he averaged a full tick higher on his fastball in his start at Triple-A last week as compared to his velocity with the Pirates earlier this year.

The Red Sox are surely hoping that the mechanical fixes coaches have made to Priester’s delivery that resulted in that jump in velocity will also show in his results at the big league level heading into 2025. After all, the righty struggled to a 5.04 ERA (84 ERA+) with a 4.82 ERA in his 44 2/3 innings of work with Pittsburgh this year after putting up even worse numbers in the majors back in 2023. Fortunately, Priester has seemingly settled in with the Red Sox organization after a disastrous first start with the club’s Triple-A affiliate to the point where he’s putting up solid results, as evidenced by his 3.75 ERA and 26.2% strikeout rate in his last eight starts.

It would be an exciting development for Boston if Priester were to work his way into the club’s 2025 rotation plans. The club’s 3.77 ERA in the rotation is a top-5 figure in the majors this year thanks in larger part to a breakout year for right-hander Tanner Houck, but veteran hurler Nick Pivetta is slated to reach free agency this offseason and leave the Red Sox with just Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello in the rotation headed into next year. Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock are both expected back from the injured list in 2025 after lost seasons in 2024, but it’s not yet clear whether either hurler will be ready for Opening Day, leaving the Red Sox to potentially lean on depth options like Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, and Priester early in the season if they don’t bolster the rotation in free agency.

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Boston Red Sox Transactions Quinn Priester

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AL West Notes: Astros, Pivetta, Jung, Mariners, Martinez

By Mark Polishuk | September 28, 2024 at 8:37am CDT

The Astros had a “very high” amount of interest in Nick Pivetta prior to the trade deadline, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports.  No deal was worked out between Houston and Boston, naturally, as the Red Sox were still in contention and opted against moving Pivetta or any other impending free agents.  The Astros instead pivoted to landing Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays in what was arguably the most impactful trade of deadline season, as Kikuchi’s dominance dominance since coming to Houston has been a key factor in the Astros’ run to the AL West crown.

Pivetta made his final start of the 2024 campaign yesterday, and the right-hander finishes his eighth MLB season with a 4.14 ERA over 145 2/3 innings, as well as very strong strikeout (28.9%) and walk (6.1) rates.  Pivetta’s success was limited by a propensity for allowing hard contact and a lot of home runs, but all in all, he has made a solid case for himself as he enters free agency in advance of his age-32 season.  On paper, the Astros’ mix of younger arms and veteran starters returning from injury should help the team make up for the possible departures of Kikuchi and Justin Verlander in free agency, yet the “you can never have enough pitching” cliche is a persuasive counter-argument.  Bolstering the group with a mid-tier option like Pivetta could be an attractive option to the Astros this winter.

Some other items from the AL West…

  • A CT scan on Josh Jung’s surgically-repaired right wrist revealed no structural damage, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News).  Jung missed most of the season after undergoing the surgery in early April, and was still bothered by some discomfort in his wrist after returning to the field in late July.  The Rangers ended Jung’s season with an IL placement earlier this week, and Bochy said that the third baseman’s shutdown period will involve “complete rest for a couple of weeks and then we’ll test it and see where he’s at.”  Jung hit only .248/.278/.367 in 169 plate appearances following his surgery.
  • The Mariners’ offense has been one of the best in baseball since Edgar Martinez assumed hitting coach duties on August 23, yet it isn’t clear if Martinez will be back in the job next season.  The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude writes that the club has already started looking for a new hitting coach, though the M’s would seemingly love having Martinez return, if he is willing to take on the daily grind of a coaching role over a full season.  The possibility exists that the Mariners could both hire a new top hitting coach and still retain Martinez, as Jude suggests that Martinez could stay on as a coach for just home games, in order to cut down on the travel.
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Boston Red Sox Houston Astros Notes Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers Edgar Martinez Josh Jung Nick Pivetta

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