Red Sox Rumors

Latest On Christian Vazquez

By Connor Byrne | August 31, 2020 at 1:47pm CDT

1:47pm: The Mets-Vazquez talk “is overblown,” Rosenthal hears.

12:19pm: The Mets are showing interest in Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, per reports from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com) and Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

While the Mets have gotten off to a subpar 15-19 start, they’re nonetheless in the playoff race in a wide-open National League. And catcher is one of the areas they’re looking to upgrade, as Heyman reports that they’re hoping to at least add depth behind the plate. The club was previously in on Jason Castro before the Padres acquired him from the Angels on Sunday, according to Heyman.

Mets catchers have collectively logged middling offensive numbers this year, largely because starter Wilson Ramos is amid one of the worst offensive years of his career. On the other hand, the normally light-hitting Tomas Nido has posted impressive production, though his success has come over a paltry 26 trips to the plate.

With Ramos likely to become a free agent after the season (New York has a $10MM option or a $1.5MM buyout decision), the Mets could be in the market for a new No. 1 backstop during the winter. In acquiring Vazquez, though, they’d seemingly remove the need to pursue catchers in the offseason. Vazquez, after all, is controllable next season for $6MM and has a $7MM option (or a $250K buyout) for 2022. As such, there may not be any urgency for Boston to move Vazquez, but the out-of-contention club is at least open to it.

Vazquez, who turned 30 on Aug. 21, hasn’t hit much since his career began in 2014. He seemed to turn a corner in that regard last year with a .276/.320/.477 line and 23 home runs in 521 plate appearances, but he has slumped to a .252/.286/.411 mark with four homers in 112 PA this season. At the very least, though, Vazquez is an accomplished defender – one who has thrown out a whopping 40 percent of would-be base thieves this season and during his career.

Rangers, Red Sox Have Discussed Rougned Odor-Nathan Eovaldi Trade

By Connor Byrne | August 31, 2020 at 1:02pm CDT

The Rangers and Red Sox have discussed a trade that would send second baseman Rougned Odor to Boston for right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. It’s unclear whether the trade would include Texas taking on extra money or if prospects would be in the deal, according to Grant.

Odor, who’s making a prorated $9MM in 2020, is in the fourth season of a six-year, $49.5MM contract that includes a remaining $27MM. The deal also features a $13.5MM club option for 2023, but the way Odor’s career has gone, his employer’s sure to buy him out for $3MM. When Odor signed his pact in 2017, he was coming off back-to-back 2.5-fWAR seasons, but he has seldom revisited that form since then. In fact, going back to the first season of the contract, Odor has slashed a less-than-stellar .216/.281/.412 with 81 home runs, 38 stolen bases and 0.6 fWAR across 1,853 plate appearances. His 17 wRC+ this season over 86 trips to the plate ranks next to last among 224 hitters who have amassed 80-plus PA.

Eovaldi, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Rays in 2018, was one of their many standouts during their run to a World Series that year. He was on the cusp of free agency at the time, but his down-the-stretch success convinced Boston to hand him a four-year, $68MM contract during the ensuing offseason. Unfortunately for both sides, though, the move hasn’t gone well. Eovaldi, 30, missed a large portion of last season with injuries and, despite 97 mph velocity and 8.65 K/9 against 1.57 BB/9, hasn’t done well to keep runs off the board this year. Overall, he has pitched to a woeful 5.65 ERA/5.45 FIP in 102 innings since landing his big payday. He’ll be due another $34MM after this season, and his annual $17MM luxury tax bill is another negative for a Red Sox team trying to avoid the line, as Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe notes. Odor’s CBT bill comes in at a much more palatable $8.25MM.

Should this change-of-scenery swap go down, the Red Sox would be landing a potential second base starter who’s still just 26. The injury-plagued Dustin Pedroia has barely been a factor since 2018, and he may never play again because of knee issues. And his year’s primary second base options – Jose Peraza and Jonathan Arauz – have mustered weak production. Meanwhile, Eovaldi would at least give the Rangers another arm in a rotation that’s in flux. The Rangers just parted with Mike Minor in a trade with the Athletics on Monday, and it appears Lance Lynn could also move before the 3 p.m. CT deadline.

NL East Notes: Marlins, Givens, Acuna, Mets, Red Sox

By Mark Polishuk | August 30, 2020 at 7:46pm CDT

Mychal Givens was a popular figure in trade speculation before the Rockies acquired him from the Orioles earlier today, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) reports that the Marlins were one of the clubs who also had an interest in Givens’ services. With Givens now off the board, the Fish will continue to pursue relief pitching help, and Rosenthal notes that, unsurprisingly, Miami’s “young starting pitchers are popular with other clubs.” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (Twitter links) reports that the Marlins have thus far been asked about the likes of Elieser Hernandez, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and Trevor Rogers, but the Fish have thus far been resistent to such demands.

Caleb Smith could potentially be a different story, as Frisaro tweets that Miami is at least “exploring his market” with potential suitors. It remains to be seen if the Marlins will actually send any of these young arms elsewhere, though it’s worth remembering that last year’s trade deadline saw Miami send a young starter in Trevor Richards (as well as a very notable young reliever in Nick Anderson) to the Rays for a reliever in Ryne Stanek and an outfield prospect in Jesus Sanchez. One would imagine the Marlins would only move any of Hernandez, Cabrera, etc. if they could land a similarly controllable piece back, rather than a rental player.

Padres Acquire Mitch Moreland

By Anthony Franco | August 30, 2020 at 10:24am CDT

The Padres have acquired first baseman Mitch Moreland from the Red Sox. Prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario are headed to Boston in return.

Moreland, 34, has been in Boston since the start of 2017. On the whole, he’s been a little better than average at the plate, combining for a .251/.332/.471 line (108 wRC+). He has been on an absolute tear this season, though, blasting eight home runs in 79 plate appearances en route to a .328/.430/.746 slash. Moreland has always hit the ball hard, generally avoided strikeouts and drawn his fair share of walks.

Like incumbent Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer, Moreland’s a left-handed bat, but he could complement right-handed hitting DH Ty France. Thanks in part to strong contributions from Hosmer and France, San Diego’s lineup has been among the best in baseball this season. Moreland is owed the balance of his $925K prorated salary and comes with an affordable $3MM club option for 2021.

In exchange, Boston picks up a pair of well-regarded prospects. Both Potts and Rosario were included among Baseball America’s top 30 Padre farmhands midseason. Potts, a 21-year-old third baseman, draws praise for his big-time raw power and comes with a first-round pedigree, but some scouts question his bat-to-ball skills. He performed well in the low minors, but scuffled a bit last season, when he hit .227/.290/.406 with a 28.6% strikeout rate in Double-A. In fairness, Potts was very young for that level, and the Texas League’s an extremely pitcher-friendly environment regardless.

Rosario, 20, was a high-priced international signee from the Pads’ vaunted 2016 J2 class. He draws ample praise for his athleticism and center field defense, although it’s up in the air how much impact he’ll make offensively despite seemingly exceptional plate discipline. Rosario has topped out at the High-A level, where he hit .242/.372/.314 with three home runs in 525 plate appearances.

All told, it’s a pretty strong haul for Boston, especially since Moreland’s fantastic start hadn’t helped propel them past an 11-22 record. That said, roster rules help explain why the Padres were willing to part with both players. Each needs to be added to the 40-man this offseason or else be exposed to the Rule V draft. The Pads, who continue to progress their swath of strong prospects to the high minors and above, have a seeming roster crunch incoming. The Red Sox, on the other hand, don’t have a particularly well-regarded farm system and can more easily find roster space for Potts and Rosario this offseason.

To clear immediate space for the prospects in their 60-man player pool, Boston released infielder Marco Hernández. The 27-year-old amassed a .265/.300/.342 line in parts of three seasons in Boston.

Robert Murray first reported that Moreland had been traded to San Diego (Twitter link). Dennis Lin of the Athletic first reported the return (via Twitter).

Red Sox Unlikely To Trade Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez

By Anthony Franco | August 30, 2020 at 7:58am CDT

At 11-22, the Red Sox are one of the league’s few clear sellers. In recent days, teams have been connected to each of Matt Barnes, Christian Vázquez, Kevin Pillar and Jackie Bradley, Jr. While those players all look like strong trade candidates, star shortstop Xander Bogaerts and designated hitter J.D. Martinez are unlikely to be traded before Monday’s deadline, hears Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).

That’s not particularly surprising, as Bogaerts and Martinez were always something of longshots to move because of their contractual situations. The former signed a six year, $120MM extension last April that’ll pay him around $3.5MM the rest of this season and guarantee him $20MM every year from 2021-25. For a player of Bogaerts’ caliber, that’s a more than reasonable rate in a vacuum. But teams are often reluctant to take on hefty financial commitments mid-season, and that’s all the more true in a year when every team is facing massive, pandemic-driven revenue losses.

It’s possible the Sox could explore a Bogaerts trade this offseason, although getting a deal done would hardly be much easier. His extension comes with a potential full no-trade clause that will kick in September 6, meaning Bogaerts could block any offseason move. He also has an opt-out clause after 2022, further complicating matters. If Boagerts continues to perform at an elite level, he’d very likely exercise that opt-out and hit free agency two-plus years from now. If he were to underperform or get bogged down by injury, any acquiring team would be on the hook for the entirety of the deal at fairly significant rates.

Those logistical challenges cast doubt on the likelihood of a trade, but Bogaerts continues to offer fantastic production. He’s been the seventh most valuable position player by fWAR since the start of 2018, hitting a robust .299/.372/.541 (137 wRC+) with solid defense at shortstop. Disappointing 2020 aside, Boston doesn’t seem ticketed for any sort of large-scale rebuild. They’d certainly be happy to continue slotting Bogaerts into the middle of the lineup if they’re not bowled over by a great offer.

While Bogaerts has continued to perform up to his lofty standards, Martinez has not. The 33-year-old would’ve been an obvious trade candidate had he been hitting anywhere near his 2018-19 levels, when he combined for a .317/.392/.593 line (154 wRC+) with 79 home runs in 1306 plate appearances. He’s off to a miserable start in 2020, though, mustering just a .207/.295/.371 mark through 31 games. More worrisome, Martinez’s average exit velocity is down over two miles per hour from last season (and over four MPH from his 2018 peak).

One poor month doesn’t negate Martinez’s elite track record, but it makes him a risky buy for potential contenders. He’s due a little over $4MM for the rest of this season and is guaranteed $38.75MM over the next two years. Martinez can opt out at the end of this season or next; while he once seemed a strong candidate to test free agency after 2020, it’s unlikely he’d do so unless he turns things around quickly. With ownership groups across the league hesitant to absorb much money, it seems Martinez will try to recapture his old form down the stretch at Fenway.

Jackie Bradley Jr. Drawing Trade Interest

By TC Zencka | August 29, 2020 at 9:38pm CDT

Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Boston Red Sox is eliciting trade interest from teams around the league ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. There’s no clear indication whether the Red Sox are offering their centerfielder up in trade discussions, but both the Giants and Indians are curious, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

Bradley has long been considered a standout defensive outfielder. He’s lost a step in the outfield by metrics like Defensive Runs Saved (2 DRS this season, -2.0 UZR), but he nonetheless remains a viable option to man the middle of the grass. Just last season, Bradley Jr. was worth 6 Outs Above Average by the Statcast metric, ranking as the very best in majors in reaction time. On his defensive prowess alone, Bradley Jr. could easily carve out a role on any number of contenders.

The offensive end tells a different tale. He’s long been a confounding presence at the plate, and this season hasn’t been Bradley’s finest with the stick. A triple slash of .253/.317/.363 still holds value when paired with his glove, however. It would be a little surprising for the Red Sox to hold onto him given that Bradley is a free agent at year’s end, and they’re one of the few teams in the majors all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs. Still, the Red Sox might see value in having his veteran voice in the clubhouse. Before prorating for the shortened season, JBJ was owed $11MM for the season, his last before free agency.

The Indians probably have enough bodies to man the corners of the outfield, but they’re thin in the middle after Oscar Mercado’s somewhat shocking sophomore season (-29 wRC+). Delino DeShields (84 wRC+) is their primary option in center with Greg Allen (48 wRC+) backing him up. The need is clear, but frankly, Bradley Jr. (82 WRC+) fits the mold of the players already on the roster. The Giants, meanwhile, would be surprising buyers, but their offense has kept them within striking distance of the wild card. Mike Yastrzemski has done an admirable job in center, but the Giants must prefer to keep him in a corner if possible. Steven Duggar has returned to the roster, but he’s struggled in limited action thus far (-7 wRC+).

Speculatively speaking, the Cubs or Brewers would be another pair of contenders that could potentially seek outfield help. The Brewers have been forced to play Avisail Garcia in center after Lorenzo Cain opted out for the season. The Brewers have been a disappointment this season on the whole, but they’re a perfect fit should Boston decide to deal Bradley. The Cubs are fairly well stocked in the outfield, and Albert Almora Jr. offers a similar option in terms of skillset, but they still have room for another outfielder on the roster and will definitely look for ways to upgrade. Team President Theo Epstein obviously has a history with Boston and should have no trouble getting his former club on the line, should they have interest.

Red Sox Place Nathan Eovaldi On 10-Day IL

By TC Zencka | August 29, 2020 at 7:34pm CDT

The Boston Red Sox placed starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the 10-day injured list with a mild calf strain, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne (via Twitter).

Though this injury is not expected to shelve Eovaldi for long, the hulking right-hander has been continually beset by injuries throughout his career. After missing all of the 2017 season, Eovaldi’s redemption story is well-known. The Red Sox got him via trade from the Rays midway through 2018, and he proved a vital addition en route to winning the 2018 World Series. Eovaldi’s gutsy extra-inning relief appearance in that World Series seems lifetimes away, however, as both he and the Red Sox have fallen on hard times. His output in 2019 was well within Boston’s expectations, but injuries limited the Houston native to just 12 starts.

He’s been healthy thus far this season, making his first six starts, going 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA, 8.7 K/9, and 1.6 BB/9. While he’s limited free passes at a career-best rate, he has been bit by the long ball 7 times in just 34 1/3 innings. Still, 1.83 HR/9 and 21.2 HR/FB% would actually be improvements on last year’s numbers. Eovaldi’s bugaboo continues to be health, though again, this particular IL stint is not expected to be overlong. When healthy, he’s the only active remaining member of Boston’s championship rotation from 2018: Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez are out for the season, David Price was traded to the Dodgers, and Rick Porcello left to join the Mets as a free agent.

In a related roster move, 30-year-old Chris Mazza has been recalled. Eovaldi was scheduled to pitch on Sunday against Washington, but Zack Godley will get the nod for his sixth start of the season instead. Mazza stepped right into the rotation to face the Nationals tonight, but he lasted just 3 1/3 innings while struggling with his command. Mazza has a 5.73 ERA across 22 innings for the Red Sox and Mets between this year and last.

Astros Interested In Robbie Ray, Matt Barnes

By Mark Polishuk | August 29, 2020 at 9:35am CDT

With a pitching staff ravaged by injuries, it isn’t any surprise that the Astros are exploring adding some hurlers at the deadline. Brittany Ghiroli and Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required) report that two of Houston’s targets include Diamondbacks southpaw Robbie Ray and Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes.

Ray has been a popular figure in trade rumors for a couple of years, and the most recent round of speculation has had some teams interested in acquiring him as a relief pitcher due to his rough performance in 2020. Over seven starts, Ray has a 7.84 ERA in 31 innings, due in large part to a 2.6 HR/9 and a major loss of control — Ray has a league-leading 31 walks and six wild pitches. It’s possible Houston could be one of the teams eyeing Ray as a reliever, perhaps the team feels it can fix his control problems and again turn him into a solid starter.

Barnes has also had a tough go of it this season, and for some of the same reasons as Ray. Barnes has a 6.00 ERA over 12 IP out of Boston’s pen, with a 2.3 HR/9 and a career-worst 6.8 BB/9. As per Fangraphs, only 3.2% of Barnes’ offerings have resulted in soft contact this season, as he has a 45.2% hard-hit ball rate and 51.6% medium-hit rate.

The common element between the two pitchers is a lot of missed bats. Ray has a 12.5 K/9 this season and a 12.1 K/9 since the start of the 2017 season; in that same timeframe, Barnes has a 13.2 K/9, which includes an 11.3 K/9 in 2020. After ranking at or near the top of the league in strikeouts from 2017-19, Astros pitchers have combined for an 8.64 K/9 this season, ranked 21st of 30 teams.

Ray is a free agent after the season, while Barnes has one more year of arbitration eligibility before hitting the open market himself in the 2021-22 offseason. This extra year of control might mean Barnes could actually have a higher trade value than Ray at this point, despite Ray’s ability to start games. Astros GM James Click knows Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom well from their time together in the Rays front office, while Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen swung a very notable deal (the Zack Greinke blockbuster) with the Astros at least year’s deadline.

Rays Interested In Christian Vazquez

By Mark Polishuk | August 29, 2020 at 7:12am CDT

Looking to upgrade behind the plate in both 2020 and beyond, the Rays have shown interest in Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, according to The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Eno Sarris (subscription required). “Early discussions” between the two clubs have seen the Sox look at adding young pitching in return.

With the Rays holding World Series aspirations, the Red Sox in seller mode, and former Rays VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom now running Boston’s front office, the two AL East rivals make a lot of sense on paper as natural trade partners. Vazquez in particular would fill a major need for Tampa Bay, given that catcher has been a longstanding problem position for the team.

The catching combo of Mike Zunino and Michael Perez have produced sub-replacement level numbers in 2020, as the duo (and Kevan Smith, who made two plate appearances) have combined for a collective .160/.241/.340 slash line in 112 PA. While Vazquez himself hasn’t had an exceptional year at the plate, his .260/.294/.423 line over 109 still represents a marked improvement over the Rays’ current catching mix. Plus, Vazquez’s highly-regarded defensive and game-calling abilities would also provide a boost.

After hitting .276/.320/.477 with 23 homers last season, Vazquez’s production has taken a step backwards. The catcher’s 27.5% strikeout rate and 4.6% walk rate are both career lows, his hard-hit ball rate is down considerably from 2019, and his .253 xwOBA is in the bottom fifth percentile of any player in baseball. Now in his sixth MLB season, Vazquez’s offensive numbers have been somewhat all over the board, as he preceded his career-best 2019 with a dreadful 2018 campaign. Evaluating Vazquez’s bat through only 112 PA, of course, is a difficult task — in a normal season, Vazquez could just be off to a slow start.

As with any Rays trade target, money is a factor, though Vazquez’s contract is reasonable for even a low-spending team like Tampa Bay. He is owed approximately $780K for the remainder of this season, $6.25MM in 2021, and there is a $7MM club option his services for 2022 that can be bought out for $250K. Since the Rays were willing to commit $4.5MM to Zunino this season, it stands to reason that they would be open to spending a bit more in 2021 for what they hope would be considerably better production both offensively and defensively.

Vazquez’s modest contract and extra year (or years) of control make him a particularly interesting trade chip for a Red Sox team that seems to be more or less open to moving almost anyone prior to Monday’s trade deadline. While the Rays can technically only trade players currently on their 60-man player pool, they could work around that restriction simply by making a handshake deal to trade any prospect now and then reveal that prospect as a “player to be named later” within a few months’ time. Bloom’s familiarity with Tampa Bay’s highly-rated farm system could put any number of minor league arms in play for a potential deal.

Seven Games Postponed On Thursday

By Steve Adams | August 27, 2020 at 6:23pm CDT

6:23PM: Tonight’s game between the Marlins and Mets will not be played. As relayed by several reporters, players on both teams took part in a powerful symbolic moment, with Mets players taking their usual positions in the field and the other Mets and Marlins players standing outside their dugouts. After a 42-second moment of silence in honor of Jackie Robinson, all players tipped and waved their caps at one another before departing the field, with a Black Lives Matter t-shirt left atop home plate.

5:41PM: The game between the Orioles and Rays will also not be played. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter site) was among those to note the lack of normal pregame activity between the two clubs, and equipment being packed up from both dugouts.

5:06PM: Tonight’s game between the Rockies and Diamondbacks has also been postponed, as per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).

3:51PM: Players on the Nationals and Phillies collectively decided to postpone tonight’s game, as per a Phillies media release.

3:21PM: The Red Sox have decided not to play their game against the Blue Jays tonight, Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe reports (via Twitter).

3:04PM: Tonight’s game between the Twins and Tigers will also be postponed, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Twins and Tigers players each voted against playing the game, as respectively reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and MLB.com’s Jason Beck.

1:42PM: Phillies players have voted against playing their scheduled game versus the Nationals tonight, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (via Twitter). ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Rangers/Athletics game will also be postponed tonight. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted shortly prior that the A’s were giving strong consideration to opting not to play. Passan tweeted earlier that Red Sox players were also considering a decision not to play against the Blue Jays.

Today’s decisions follow several clubs who declined to play yesterday in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In total, three MLB games — Brewers/Reds, Mariners/Padres and Dodgers/Giants were postponed yesterday. All three are expected to be made up in doubleheaders today.

Last night, Major League Baseball issued the following statement in response to teams’ decisions to protest:

“Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight. MLB remains united for change in our society & we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”

Similar protests were made in the NBA, where the scheduled postseason games Wednesday and Thursday were all postponed. The current expectation is for the NBA to resume play Saturday (link via HoopsRumors).

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