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Red Sox Select Joely Rodriguez, Naoyuki Uwasawa

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The Red Sox announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contracts of left-hander Joely Rodriguez and right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa — the latter of whom was just acquired from the Rays yesterday. Rodriguez will head straight to the MLB roster, while Uwasawa has been optioned to extended spring training. Righty Liam Hendriks (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and southpaw Chris Murphy (UCL sprain) have been placed on the 60-day IL to create 40-man roster space. Boston also placed righty Bryan Mata (hamstring strain) on the 15-day IL and placed infielder Vaughn Grissom (hamstring strain) and utilityman Rob Refsnyder (broken toe) on the 10-day IL.

Rodriguez, 32, was with the Sox in 2023 but pitched just 11 innings due to oblique, shoulder and hip injuries that combined to result in three different stints on the injured list. He posted a 6.55 ERA in his short time on the mound, striking out 27.5% of his opponents against an 11.8% walk rate and 45.2% ground-ball rate. He re-signed with the Sox on a minor league deal and turned in a strong showing this spring, holding opponents to a pair of runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings of relief. He also recorded a massive 61.9% ground-ball rate.

Looking beyond last year’s struggles, Rodriguez has a decent track record in recent years. From 2020-22, Rodriguez pitched 109 1/3 frames between the Rangers, Yankees and Mets, working to a 4.28 ERA with even more encouraging secondary marks. Rodriguez fanned 25.5% of his opponents in that time and induced grounders at a huge 55.7% clip. His 10.3% walk rate was still a couple ticks north of the league average, but the lefty offered an enticing blend of missed bats and grounders while excelling at keeping the ball in the park (0.58 HR/9). Metrics like FIP (3.14) and SIERA (3.51) were rather bullish on his work.

Uwasawa, 30, has a long track record of success in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball but inked a minor league pact with the Rays over the winter. He most recently tossed 170 innings with a 2.96 ERA in NPB, though that strong mark was accompanied by a lackluster 17.8% strikeout rate and sub-par velocity. Last September, MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski noted that Uwasawa’s fastball velocity was averaging 90.8 mph during the 2023 NPB season. Uwasawa does boast a strong 7.5% walk rate, which dropped as low as 5.9% in 2023, but he’s generally viewed as a soft-tossing finesse pitcher.

It was a rocky spring for Uwasawa, who was torched for seven runs in two innings during his debut with the Rays. He had one more rough outing and a pair of solid appearances, and the Sox got a first-hand look at him as they were his opponent in two of his four official spring outings. Uwasawa finished up his Grapefruit League campaign with a grisly 13.03, thanks largely to that first meltdown, but his track record in Japan and low cost of acquisition make him a reasonable enough flier for a Red Sox club that is thin on pitching depth after trading Chris Sale and seeing Lucas Giolito and the aforementioned Murphy go down with UCL injuries.

Red Sox Have Reportedly Not Made An Offer To Mike Clevinger

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  • The Red Sox were also frequently tied to Montgomery as a potential suitor this winter, and were a frequently speculated destination for a number of starters in all tiers of free agency. Despite that wide-ranging reported interest, however, the club only came away with right-hander Lucas Giolito this winter. In the wake of Giolito undergoing an internal brace procedure on his UCL this spring the club also added righty Chase Anderson on a big league deal, though it appears they aren’t exploring further additions to their rotation mix at this point. WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported yesterday that the club has not made an offer to the lone remaining free agent starter of note, right-hander Mike Clevinger, who pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 24 starts with the White Sox last year. The club’s internal options of Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, and Garrett Whitlock will need to take a major step forward this season in order to improve upon the 4.68 ERA last year’s rotation mix posted despite losing veteran lefties Chris Sale and James Paxton.

Red Sox’ Noah Song To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Red Sox youngster Noah Song will begin the season on the injured list, with Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reporting that the right-hander is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. He’ll be joined on the shelf to open the season by southpaw Brandon Walter, who per Chris Cotillo of MassLive is nursing a strained rotator cuff in his left arm.

Neither Song nor Walter were expected to open the season in the majors, but the twin injury updates are nonetheless a brutal blow for the club’s pitching depth at the upper levels of the minor leagues. Song, 26, is perhaps the more well known of the pair despite not yet having made his major league debut. The right-hander was one of the more well-regarded hurlers in the 2019 draft but fell to the Red Sox in the fourth round due to his military commitments as a Naval Academy cadet. He made just seven starts in the Red Sox organization before missing the next three seasons while fulfilling his military duties, though he was moved to the naval reserve prior to the 2023 season, allowing him to return to professional baseball.

The Phillies took the opportunity to select Song in the Rule 5 draft that offseason and remained in the organization for the first several months of the 2023 campaign, though he made no appearances at the big league level after beginning the season on the injured list due to a low back strain. Song made his return to a minor league mound in late June and struggled badly with Philadelphia, posting a 7.36 ERA in 11 innings of work across three levels of the minors before the club decided to designate him for assignment in late July.

Song was promptly returned to the Red Sox, and he finished the season strong with a solid 4.15 ERA in 21 2/3 frames at the High-A level down the stretch. Song appeared likely to open the season at the Double-A level for Boston this season, which could’ve potentially put him back on the big league radar at some point this year. That won’t come to pass now, however, as he figures to miss the entire 2024 campaign and perhaps some of the 2025 season as well while rehabbing from surgery.

Walter, 27, was a 26th-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2019 draft and made his big league debut with the club last season. The lefty struggled badly through nine appearances in Boston, pitching to a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings of work. His peripheral numbers indicated that his performance was better than the results indicated, as he posted a 4.60 FIP that was closer to league average. Walter’s numbers at the Triple-A level were similarly mediocre, as he threw 94 innings of 4.60 ERA ball while striking out 21.3% of batters faced.

Despite those uninspiring results, the lefty figured to provide the Red Sox with upper-level pitching depth capable of pitching out of the rotation and the bullpen behind fellow lefties Joely Rodriguez and Brennan Bernardino, though now he’ll be out of action for the foreseeable future. The club still has not only Bernardino but also arms such as Cooper Criswell and Zack Kelly available as depth options on the 40-man roster who can be called upon to supplement the big league club as needed, however.

Red Sox To Acquire Naoyuki Uwasawa From Rays

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The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa from the Rays, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times had relayed earlier that the righty triggered an assignment clause and the Rays were close to making a trade. The Rays will receive cash considerations, per Topkin.

Uwasawa, 30, has a long track record of success in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball but inked a minor league pact with the Rays over the winter. He most recently tossed 170 innings with a 2.96 ERA in NPB, though that strong mark was accompanied by a lackluster 17.8% strikeout rate and sub-par velocity. Last September, MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski noted that Uwasawa’s fastball velocity was averaging 90.8 mph during the 2023 NPB season. Uwasawa does boast a strong 7.5% walk rate, which dropped as low as 5.9% in 2023, but he’s generally viewed as a soft-tossing finesse pitcher.

It’s been a tough spring for Uwasawa, though the bulk of the damage against him came in his debut effort with the Rays. The Braves tattooed the right-hander for seven runs on eight hits in just two innings of work. Uwasawa has had two sharp outings (one against the Red Sox) and another rough one (also against Boston) in the weeks since that time. His spring ERA sits at a dismal 13.03, owing largely to that first meltdown of an outing.

For a Red Sox club in need of rotation depth, however, there’s little harm in adding Uwasawa to the fold — particularly since he’ll only cost them cash considerations. In parts of nine NPB seasons, Uwasawa has amassed 1118 1/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball with a 19.7% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate. He’s been particularly effective in recent years, compiling a 3.08 ERA over his past six NPB seasons. He made the NPB All-Star team in both 2021 and 2023. Uwasawa also tossed two shutouts and averaged better than seven innings per start during the 2023 season.

The Red Sox will open the season with a rotation including Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Kutter Crawford. They recently signed veteran righty Chase Anderson to a big league deal, giving them some additional depth, though he could begin the season as a long man in the bullpen. There’s plenty of talent in the group but also some injury risk and plenty of short MLB track records. Boston tried to address some of its rotation deficiency this offseason by signing Lucas Giolito to a two-year contract, but he suffered a UCL tear earlier this spring and will miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure. Depth starter Chris Murphy, too, will miss the season due to his own UCL surgery.

Uwasawa will join a group of depth options including not only Anderson but also lefty Brandon Walter and righty Cooper Criswell. The Red Sox still have far more questions than sure things on the starting staff, but Uwasawa will at least give them another wild card option at a negligible cost of acquisition.

Red Sox To Select Joely Rodriguez; C.J. Cron Granted Release

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TODAY: The Red Sox released Cron and informed Rodriguez that he made the roster, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (X link).

MARCH 22: First baseman C.J. Cron and left-hander Joely Rodriguez have both exercised the uniform opt-out provision in their minor league contracts with the Red Sox, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Both players were Article XX(B) free agents — six-plus years of service time, finished the season on a major league roster or injured list — who signed minor league contracts and were thus granted a trio of mandatory opt-out opportunities: five days prior to Opening Day (today), May 1 and June 1. The Red Sox will now have 48 hours to either put Cron and/or Rodriguez on the 40-man roster. They’ll have to release either player if they decide against carrying him on the Opening Day roster.

Cron, 34, has four seasons of 25-plus homers under his belt and was consistently an above-average hitter from 2014-22. Back and neck injuries tanked his 2023 season, limiting him to 278 plate appearances with a .248/.295/.434 slash, but he has a strong track record of hitting for power — with largely even platoon splits. From 2018-22, Cron piled up 2290 plate appearances and hit .260/.331/.490 with 116 home runs. He’s only had 15 plate appearances this spring, during which he’s 2-for-11 with three walks and two strikeouts. The Red Sox are set at first base and DH with Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida, but Cron could serve as a right-handed complement/insurance to either or perhaps some right-handed pop off the bench.

Rodriguez, 32, was with the Sox in 2023 but pitched just 11 innings due to oblique, shoulder and hip injuries that combined to result in three different stints on the injured list. He posted a 6.55 ERA in his short time on the mound, striking out 27.5% of his opponents against an 11.8% walk rate and 45.2% ground-ball rate.

It wasn’t a strong year overall for Rodriguez, but the lefty has posted far better numbers over the three preceding seasons in his return from an excellent two-year stint in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. From 2020-22, Rodriguez pitched 109 1/3 frames between the Rangers, Yankees and Mets, working to a 4.28 ERA with even more encouraging secondary marks. Rodriguez fanned 25.5% of his opponents in that time and induced grounders at a huge 55.7% clip. His 10.3% walk rate was still a couple ticks north of the league average, but the lefty offered an enticing blend of missed bats and grounders while excelling at keeping the ball in the park (0.58 HR/9). Metrics like FIP (3.14) and SIERA (3.51) were rather bullish on his work.

Rodriguez has had a strong showing this spring, holding opponents to a pair of runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings of relief. He’s also recorded a massive 61.9% ground-ball rate. He seems like he has a decent shot to make the roster, and even if the Sox don’t add him, the left-hander should command interest elsewhere.

Red Sox Sign Chase Anderson

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March 24, 1:13pm: MassLive’s Christopher Smith reports that Anderson’s deal with the Red Sox guarantees him $1.25MM and comes with an additional $500k in potential performance bonuses.

March 24, 9:38am: The Red Sox have made their deal with Anderson official, per a club announcement. Right-hander Lucas Giolito was transferred to the 60-day injured list in the corresponding move. Giolito’s placement on the IL is hardly a surprise, given he’s expected to miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his right elbow.

March 23: The Red Sox have signed right-hander Chase Anderson to a Major League deal, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (X link).  It was a very short stint in free agency for Anderson, who was only officially released from his minors deal with the Pirates earlier today.

Yesterday was the deadline for Anderson and other Article XX(B) free agents to decide whether or not to exercise the opt-out clauses in their minor league contracts, unless their teams had already agreed to include them on the 26-man active roster.  Since it seems like the Pirates preferred other options for their starting rotation, Anderson was prepared to opt out, and then quickly landed with Boston after he returned to the open market.

Assuming Anderson appears in a big league game, the Red Sox will be the eighth different team Anderson has pitched for during his 10 MLB seasons.  The right-hander posted some solid numbers with the Diamondbacks and Brewers from 2014-19, but he has struggled mightily ever since, with a 6.19 ERA over 192 innings since the start of the 2020 season.

Anderson has subsequently bounced around to seven different teams (including two stints with the Rays) in the last four-plus years, seeing action at the big league level with the Blue Jays, Phillies, Reds, Rays, and Rockies.  Anderson had a 5.75 ERA over 17 starts and 81 1/3 innings last season for a Rockies team that was desperate to fill innings within an injury-riddled rotation.  Boston’s pitching situation isn’t in quite such a dire state, though there is some definite uncertainty within the projected starting five of Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck.

Lucas Giolito’s season-ending elbow surgery thinned out a rotation that was already lacking in depth, so Anderson can now fill a swingman role who can step in for a spot start if necessary.  The fact that Anderson landed a guaranteed big league deal might speak to how urgently the Red Sox wanted to add pitching help prior to Opening Day, though it is safe to assume that Anderson’s deal isn’t overly pricey.

Ceddanne Rafaela To Make Opening Day Roster, Roberto Perez Will Not Opt Out Of Minors Deal

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  • Center field prospect Ceddanne Rafaela will break camp with the Red Sox to open the season, Alex Cora told reporters (including Alex Speier of the Boston Globe) this afternoon. Rafaela has appeared likely to make the club in the aftermath of injuries suffered by both second baseman Vaughn Grissom and outfielder Rob Refsnyder this spring. The 23-year-old has experience both on the infield dirt and in the outfield, though he figures to see the bulk of his playing time in center field as part of an outfield mix that also contains Tyler O’Neill, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida. Rafaela made his big league debut last season with a 28-game cup of coffee that saw him hit just .241/.281/.386 in 89 plate appearances, though he slashed a far more impressive .312/.370/.618 in 60 games at the Triple-A level last year.
  • Sticking with the Red Sox, veteran catcher Roberto Perez won’t be opting out of his minor league deal with the club according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Perez, 35, has spent the majority of his career in Cleveland and is regarded as one of the finest defensive catchers in the game, though he’s slashed just .169/.268/.288 since the start of the 2020 season and was limited to just 5 games in the majors last year before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Should the club stick with its current catching tandem of Reese McGuire and Connor Wong, that would leave Perez likely ticketed for Triple-A to open the season, where he’d serve as an excellent non-roster depth option for the Red Sox in the early part of the season. As an Article XX(B) free agent, Perez will have additional opportunities to opt-out of his deal with the club on May 1 and June 1 should he decide to test the open market later this season.

31 Veterans With Opt-Out Opportunities Looming This Week

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One of the provisions in that 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement is uniform opt-out opportunities for Article XX(B) free agents on minor league deals. An Article XX(B) free agent is one with at least six years of service time who finished the previous season on a major league roster or injured list. Any such player who signs a minor league deal more than ten days prior to Opening Day can opt out of that deal at three points if they haven’t been added to the 40-man roster: five days before Opening Day, May 1 and June 1.

The first uniform opt-out date on this year’s calendar falls Friday at 1pm CT. Any player can trigger his out clause at that point, and the team will subsequently be given a 48-hour window to either add him to the roster or release him. With many clubs around the league dealing with spring injuries, some of these players should be able to find opportunities elsewhere if they can’t find it with their current organization. Their current clubs can prevent them from opting out by giving them a roster spot, but that may involve cutting someone else.

Angels: OF Jake Marisnick, LHP Drew Pomeranz

Marisnick, 33 this month, is a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder with a plus glove and questionable bat. He can hold his own against right-handed pitching (career .237/.293/.417, 93 wRC+) but is typically overmatched by righties (.223/.274/.365, 74 wRC+). He’s having a huge spring, but the Angels already have Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Mickey Moniak, Aaron Hicks and Jo Adell on the 40-man roster.

The 35-year-old Pomeranz was a good starter from 2016-17 and a dominant reliever from 2019-21, but he didn’t pitch in 2022-23 due to arm injuries. He’s pitched 6 2/3 innings with the Angels this spring with middling results.

Blue Jays: 3B/2B Eduardo Escobar, 1B Joey Votto

A poor season between the Mets and Angels last year set the stage for the 35-year-old Escobar to take a minor league deal. He’s long been a productive MLB hitter and even topped 30 homers back in 2019, but Escobar’s now in his mid-30s and struggling through an ugly spring while trying to win a spot in a crowded infield mix also featuring Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio, Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider.

Votto, 40, has been connected the Blue Jays seemingly forever due to his Canadian roots. He finally suited up for the Jays after agreeing to a minor league deal and homered in his first at-bat of camp. He’s had a lackluster showing at the plate in each of the past two MLB seasons, however.

Cubs: 1B/OF Garrett Cooper, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., OF David Peralta

An underrated hitter for years in Miami, Cooper slashed .274/.350/.444 in nearly 1300 plate appearances from 2019-22 before a poorly timed down showing in 2023’s walk year. He’s hitting quite well in spring training, and the Cubs don’t have a proven option at first base — though they’re understandably high on 26-year-old trade acquisition Michael Busch.

Edwards had a nice 2022 season with the Nats and posted a solid ERA in 2023 but did so with dismal K-BB numbers. He’s competing for a spot in an uncharacteristically crowded Cubs bullpen and could be squeezed out. The 32-year-old pitched for the Cubs from 2015-19, so Chicago brass knows him well. From 2022-23 in D.C., he posted a 3.07 ERA but a middling 20% strikeout rate against a 10.5% walk rate.

Peralta, 36, has a trio of hits and a walk in ten plate appearances this spring. He was an above-average hitter with the D-backs every season from 2017-20 but has been less consistent of late. He’s a left-handed hitter who’s long had glaring platoon splits and is limited to the outfield corners.

Diamondbacks: SS Elvis Andrus

Andrus is 35 but can still pick it at shortstop or second base. His once above-average speed has faded to the 30th percentile of MLB players, per Statcast, but his range at short remains excellent. Andrus hit .251/.304/.358 (81 wRC+) for the White Sox in 2023 and only has one year of above-average offense (2022) in the past six seasons.

Guardians: RHP Carlos Carrasco

Old friend Cookie Carrasco is fighting for the fifth spot in the Guardians’ rotation, and news of Gavin Williams’ season-opening stint on the injured list could further open the door for the 36-year-old (37 on Thursday) to make the team. Carrasco was torched for a 6.80 ERA with the 2023 Mets. He allowed 1.80 homers per nine frames through 90 innings, with alarming batted-ball metrics (91.5 mph average exit velocity, 48.2% hard-hit rate, 10.7% barrel rate). He was a solid mid-rotation arm as recently as 2022, when he tossed 152 innings of 3.97 ERA ball with sharp strikeout and walk rates.

Marlins: C Curt Casali

The veteran Casali has batted .201/.311/.315 over the past three big league seasons — a 78 wRC+ in 503 plate appearances. The 35-year-old is off to a rough start in camp and is a long shot to unseat defensive-minded Nick Fortes or Christian Bethancourt, both of whom are already on the 40-man roster.

Mets: 1B/DH Ji Man Choi

From 2017-22, Choi hit .254/.363/.465 (130 wRC+) against right-handed pitching. He walked at a 14.4% clip when holding the platoon advantage and fanned at a higher-than-average but still-manageable 24.1% rate. Lefties have always had Choi’s number, however, and his overall production cratered in 2023 while he dealt with Achilles and ribcage injuries. He’s fighting for a bench spot in New York alongside DJ Stewart and others.

Nationals: RHP Matt Barnes, OF Eddie Rosario, OF Jesse Winker

Barnes was an All-Star closer with the Red Sox in 2021 and briefly one of the game’s most dominant relievers, fanning more than 40% of his opponents for the bulk of that season. He wore down beginning in August and hasn’t been the same since a hip injury. Barnes’ velocity and strikeouts were way down in 2023 before he underwent season-ending surgery. He should have a good chance to win a spot in a Nationals bullpen that has little established talent.

Rosario and Winker are both left-handed-hitting outfielders who are best deployed in left field — with Winker having a particularly shaky defensive reputation. Winker is the younger of the two at 30 years old (to Rosario’s 32). Winker was quietly one of the most productive hitters in baseball against right-handed pitching for much of his time in Cincinnati, but knee and neck surgery in October 2022 look to have taken their toll on him. Rosario was the far more productive hitter in 2023. There may not be room for both veterans on the Washington roster. Winker has been in camp longer and been more productive in their small samples.

Orioles: 2B Kolten Wong

The Orioles seem to bring in a veteran infielder coming off a down season almost every year. It’s Wong’s turn in 2023. The 33-year-old was one of the game’s worst hitters in ’23, slashing just .183/.256/.263 in 250 plate appearances between the Mariners and Dodgers. That was beyond out of character for Wong, who’d been an average or better hitter in five of the past six seasons. If the O’s don’t want to rush Jackson Holliday or Coby Mayo, Wong could win a spot on the roster — but he hasn’t hit that well in camp so far.

Pirates: RHP Chase Anderson

It’s been five years since Anderson’s last solid season in a big league rotation, but the well-liked veteran continues to get work each season. From 2020-23, he’s pitched to a 6.19 ERA in 192 MLB frames — including a 5.42 mark in 86 1/3 innings last year (mostly with the Rockies). Anderson doesn’t miss many bats, but he has good command and is having a nice spring with the Pirates. He’s competing with Luis Ortiz, Jared Jones, Roansy Contreras, Domingo German and others for one of two generally open rotation spots in Pittsburgh.

Rangers: INF Matt Duffy, RHP Shane Greene, RHP Jose Urena

A contact-oriented hitter who can play all over the infield, the 33-year-old Duffy faces an uphill battle with Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue all on the 40-man roster ahead of him. Nathaniel Lowe will open the season on the injured list, but that’ll likely work to Jared Walsh’s benefit more than Duffy.

Greene, 35, is a former All-Star closer/setup man who peaked with the Tigers and Braves from 2017-20. He’s thrown just three innings in each of the past two MLB seasons but also turned in strong numbers with the Cubs in Triple-A last year.

The 32-year-old Urena made five dismal starts for the Rockies early in the 2023 season and five solid ones for the White Sox late in the season. He also pitched well for Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate. A solid arm for the Marlins in 2017-18, Urena has a 5.50 ERA in 350 1/3 MLB frames dating back to 2019. He’s had a nice spring and could be a depth piece for an injury-plagued Rangers rotation.

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi

Odorizzi signed last week and will look to get back on track after a shoulder injury cost him the 2023 season. With the exception of an injury-wrecked 2020 season, he’s been a dependable five-inning starter dating back to 2014 (3.98 ERA in 1216 innings). The Rays’ pitching staff is dealing with plenty of injuries, and Odorizzi should be an option for the Rays early in the season.

Red Sox: 1B C.J. Cron, RHP Michael Fulmer, C Roberto Perez, LHP Joely Rodriguez

Cron has four seasons of 25-plus homers under his belt and was consistently an above-average hitter from 2014-22. Injuries tanked his 2023 season, but he has a strong track record of hitting for power — with largely even platoon splits. He’d make a nice right-handed complement to Triston Casas and/or Masataka Yoshida at first base and designated hitter, providing some insurance against an injury to either.

Perez is an all-glove backup who’s never hit much outside the juiced ball season in 2019, when he popped 24 of his 55 career homers. The Sox figure to go with Reese McGuire and Connor Wong behind the plate, making him a long shot to land a roster spot.

Rodriguez signed a big league deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2023 season but only pitched 11 innings due to injury. He’s having a decent spring training — two runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in seven innings — and has a good chance to win a spot in a patchwork Red Sox bullpen. If not, his ability to miss bats and pile up grounders would likely draw interest elsewhere.

Fulmer won’t pitch in 2024 after undergoing surgery last summer. His minor league deal is a two-year contract that stretches into 2025. The two sides knew this going into the arrangement and there’s no reason to expect he’ll opt out.

Royals: RHP Tyler Duffey

Duffey was a mainstay in the division-rival Twins’ bullpen and was a high-end setup option at his peak in 2019-21, posting a 2.89 ERA across 144 frames while fanning 29.8% of his opponents. His results slipped in 2022 as he lost some life on his fastball, and he pitched just two MLB frames with the Cubs in 2023. Duffey recently had a procedure to remove a cancerous mole from his shoulder that understandably halted his baseball activity for a bit. He’s hopeful he’ll pitch again this spring, and while the larger takeaway is relief that the melanoma was discovered and quickly treated, his track record could also give him a shot to crack the Royals’ bullpen early in the season.

White Sox: RHP Jesse Chavez, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Dominic Leone, 3B/1B Mike Moustakas, OF Kevin Pillar, RHP Bryan Shaw

Chavez, 40, has been excellent with the Braves in each of the past three seasons but struggled in stints with the Cubs and Angels. He’s having a tough spring with the White Sox but carries a 2.81 ERA in his past 137 2/3 MLB frames, spanning the 2021-23 seasons.

Keller has spent his entire big league career with the Royals but saw his time in Kansas City come to a rough ending. After a three-year run as a solid starter, Keller struggled in three subsequent seasons, culminating in an IL stint for symptoms indicative of thoracic outlet syndrome. He hasn’t pitched in an official spring game for the White Sox.

Leone struggled late in the 2023 season but has a cumulative 3.38 ERA in 157 innings over the past three seasons. He’s having a solid spring training, has late-inning experience, and seems like a decent bet to win a spot in a White Sox bullpen that’s been completely torn down since last summer.

Moustakas has turned in three straight below-average seasons at the plate and is struggling again with the White Sox in camp (.167/.268/.278 in 41 plate appearances). The Sox have Yoan Moncada and Andrew Vaughn at the corners, plus Gavin Sheets as a lefty-swinging first base option (and corner outfielder) off the bench. Moose seems like a long shot to make the club.

Pillar would give the Sox a right-handed complement to lefty-hitting corner outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Dominic Fletcher. He’s 35 and no longer the plus-plus defensive center fielder he once was but could give them some insurance for Luis Robert Jr. in center as well. He hit .228/.248/.416 with nine homers in 206 plate appearances for the Braves last year.

Shaw pitched 45 2/3 innings for the Sox last year and delivered a respectable 4.14 ERA in that time. His production has tailed off substantially since his days as a consistent setup presence in the Cleveland bullpen — evidenced by a 5.07 ERA over his past six seasons. He’s been tagged for a dozen earned runs in 7 1/3 spring frames but does have 10 strikeouts.

Red Sox’ Chris Murphy Diagnosed With Ligament Damage In Elbow

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11:50am: The Red Sox fear a “high grade tear” in Murphy’s ulnar collateral ligament, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. He’s receiving additional testing and opinions.

8:51am: Red Sox left-hander Chris Murphy underwent an MRI yesterday after experiencing recent elbow discomfort, and that imaging revealed ligament damage in his pitching elbow, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox haven’t yet determined whether surgery will be the next step, though that’s the typical outcome for injuries of this nature. A treatment plan will be finalized in the coming days, per Speier.

The 25-year-old Murphy was slated to enter the season as one of the Sox’ top depth options in the rotation. He made his big league debut last season, tossing 47 2/3 frames with an unsightly 4.91 ERA but much better secondary marks. Murphy fanned a solid 23.1% of his opponents against an 8% walk rate and kept the ball on the ground at a 44.7% clip. All of those stats were right in line with or even slightly better than the league average. Metrics like FIP (3.70) and SIERA (3.88) painted a much more favorable picture of the rookie’s work than his base earned run average.

Boston is set to open the season with Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Kutter Crawford in a rotation that’s already lost top offseason signee Lucas Giolito for the season. Murphy, fellow lefty Brandon Walter and right-hander Cooper Criswell are all on the 40-man roster and were expected to be among the first names up should further injuries compromise the projected rotation. While it’s not yet clear he’ll miss the season, Murphy will at the very least no longer be an option in the early portion of the season.

Whether the injuries to Giolito and Murphy prompt the Red Sox to look for additional depth in the rotation remains to be seen, but it’s a rough development for any club to lose its No. 1 and No. 6 or 7 starters before the season even gets underway. The Sox have long been connected to lingering free agent lefty Jordan Montgomery, and others still on the market include Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger. There’ll also surely be some names returning to the market in the coming days as veterans on minor league deals with other teams are informed that they’ve not made the cut with their current organization.

If Murphy ultimately requires surgery, he’ll be eligible to spend the season on the major league 60-day injured list, as he suffered the injury while in big league camp. He’d accrue a full year of service time and pay while undergoing surgery and rehabbing. He currently has just 81 days of MLB service time, giving the Sox six full seasons of control over him. Murphy won’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2026 season and isn’t on track for free agency until the 2029-30 offseason.

Red Sox Notes: Grissom, Winckowski, Rotation, Booser

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Vaughn Grissom was already questionable for Opening Day, but Alex Cora offered an update this morning on the timeline for his second baseman’s return. “We’re talking mid-April probably, [or] late April,” the Red Sox manager told members of the media, including Ian Browne of MLB.com. Grissom has not yet appeared in a Grapefruit League game; he has been nursing a groin strain all spring.

Boston traded for Grissom in December, sending Chris Sale (and $17MM) to Atlanta to complete the exchange. The Red Sox were counting on the 23-year-old to be their everyday second baseman in 2024. Barring a significant setback, he can still fill that role, and if he returns in mid-April, he might only miss 15-20 games.

When news of Grissom’s injury first broke, Cora told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe that Enmanuel Valdez would fill in at second base. Valdez started 44 games at the keystone for the Red Sox last season. He slashed a perfectly respectable .266/.311/.453 in 149 plate appearances, with eight doubles and six home runs. However, he took nearly 90% of his plate appearances with the platoon advantage and went 2-for-14 against left-handed pitching. Thus, Pablo Reyes is likely to grab some starts at second with a southpaw on the mound.

In pitching news from Red Sox camp, Cora told reporters (including Sean McAdam of MassLive) that Josh Winckowski is no longer in the running for the Opening Day rotation, and he will likely move to the bullpen to begin the season. As Browne points out, that leaves Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, and Cooper Criswell competing for the final two jobs on Boston’s starting staff. Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, and Kutter Crawford will hold down the top three spots.

Winckowski pitched well out of the bullpen last season, posting a 2.88 ERA in 84 1/3 innings of work. His 3.84 SIERA and 3.82 xERA were more good than great, but there is no denying he was an effective reliever, especially against left-handed opponents. The same cannot be said for his time as a starting pitcher the year before. Over 70 1/3 innings, Winckowski pitched to a 5.89 ERA, 4.84 xERA, and 4.82 SIERA, striking out a mere 44 batters while walking 27. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old told Rob Bradford of WEEI that he still considers himself a starting pitcher.

While Cora suggested Winckowski would likely fill a multi-inning role at the MLB level, he didn’t completely shut down the possibility that the righty could begin the season as a starter at Triple-A (per McAdam). “We still have got decisions to make,” said the skipper. “We’ll transition him now to the bullpen… and we’ll make decisions after that.”

Out of Houck, Whitlock, and Criswell, a trio of tall, 27-year-old right-handers, it seems like the former two have the edge over the latter. Houck and Whitlock have significantly more big league experience, and both were serviceable out of the rotation for Boston in 2023. Houck has a career 3.86 ERA in 252 innings, while Whitlock has a career 3.51 in 223 1/3 frames. Criswell has pitched well this spring, but it would be hard to argue he has done enough to edge out either of his more proven teammates.

Turning back to the bullpen, Cora mentioned an interesting name to Christopher Smith of MassLive: Cam Booser. Booser will turn 32 in May. He has spent time in the Twins, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox organizationx. He has never been selected to a 40-man roster, let alone pitched in the major leagues. Yet Booser was the first name the manager mentioned,  pointing out his upper-90s fastball velocity and the way he has landed “offspeed pitches for strikes.”

That said, Cora was also clear to emphasize the value of experience. Brennan Bernardino, who already has a spot on the 40-man roster, made 55 appearances last year with a 3.20 ERA. Joely Rodríguez, a non-roster invitee, has pitched in 168 games over six big league seasons. Chris Murphy, another 40-man arm, found moderate success as a multi-inning reliever last season, tossing 47 2/3 frames over 20 appearances with the Red Sox. Cora brought up all three of their names in the same discussion, and it’s hard to imagine Booser beating out any of them for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Still, it’s becoming clear that Booser is a name to keep an eye on this season. He has given up just two runs in eight innings this spring, striking out eight and walking none.

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