Red Sox President Sam Kennedy On Slow Start, Trade Deadline
The Red Sox suffered their 13th loss in 19 games on Thursday, dropping an embarrassing 17-8 decision to the Rays. Before that, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy joined The Greg Hill Show on WEEI and expressed optimism that the team could still compete for a playoff spot, saying (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com) that “you can run off three or four wins and all of a sudden you’re two or three games back in the American League East and anything can happen.”
Kennedy isn’t wrong, but realistically, this is not going to be a playoff year for the Red Sox, who sit dead last in the AL and are dealing with health issues and various roster flaws. So, with the Aug. 31 trade deadline looming, the Chaim Bloom-led Red Sox could look to sell instead of buy over the next couple weeks.
In regards to the deadline, Kennedy said of Boston’s front office that “there are conversations going on given the condensed season.” As far as possible trade chips go, Kennedy unsurprisingly noted that you’d “never label anyone untouchable,” but he expressed a reluctance toward dealing those “who have grown up in the system.”
Superstar outfielder Mookie Betts grew up in Boston’s system, yet the club traded him to the Dodgers during the offseason. However, he was only a year from free agency then (he has since signed a mega-extension with the Dodgers). Boston doesn’t have those types of concerns with its two best players, shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers, whom the organization has developed into superb contributors. The Red Sox already inked Bogaerts to a six-year, $120MM contract before 2019, while Devers will enter arbitration for the first time during the offseason. Meanwhile, catcher Christian Vazquez – another homegrown product – has another two affordable seasons on his deal after this one.
Speculatively, designated hitter J.D. Martinez could make for a trade target for some teams, especially considering National League clubs are using the DH this season. Martinez is expensive, though, as he’s on a prorated $23.75MM salary this season and owed a combined $38.75MM from 2021-2022. And the fact that Martinez has an opt-out clause after this season could further complicate matters.
A Martinez trade doesn’t seem very likely, but the Red Sox have more obvious trade candidates in a couple pending free agents, reliever Brandon Workman and outfielder Kevin Pillar. One of Pillar’s fellow outfielders, Jackie Bradley Jr., could also wind up on the block, though he hasn’t done anything to boost his value during a miserable start to 2020.
Latest On Josh Taylor, Darwinzon Hernandez
The Red Sox have gotten off to a horrid start, but they do have a couple of potentially helpful pitching reinforcements on the way. Manager Ron Roenicke announced Thursday that the Red Sox could activate left-hander Josh Taylor this weekend, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. Another southpaw, Darwinzon Hernandez, is on a similar timeline. Neither reliever has pitched this year after testing positive for the coronavirus July 4.
Boston’s pitching staff entered Thursday’s action as one of the worst in the league, and that was before the Rays absolutely teed off on the Red Sox. Any help is welcome, then, and based on what they did last season, Taylor and Hernandez should be able to provide some.
The 27-year-old Taylor had an under-the-radar breakout campaign as a rookie in 2019, in which he logged a 3.04 ERA/3.11 FIP over 47 1/3 innings. Taylor also notched 11.79 K/9 and 3.04 BB/9.
Like Taylor, Hernandez debuted a season ago, tossing 30 1/3 frames. The former standout prospect only mustered a 4.45 ERA with an untenable walk rate of 7.71. At the same time, though, Hernandez averaged 95.5 mph on his fastball and struck out an incredible 16.91 hitters per nine. The 23-year-old ranked first in K/9 among all pitchers who amassed 30-plus innings in 2019.
Red Sox Claim Christian Arroyo
The Red Sox announced that they’ve claimed infielder Christian Arroyo off waivers from the Indians, who’d designated him for assignment last week. Boston’s 40-man roster and 60-man player pool are now full.
Still just 25 years of age, Arroyo was a 2013 first-round pick by the Giants who is now joining his fourth big league club. San Francisco initially traded him to Tampa Bay — when current chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was a senior VP of baseball ops with the Rays — in the Evan Longoria swap. Arroyo went to Cleveland alongside righty Hunter Wood in a 2019 deadline deal.
The right-handed-hitting Arroyo has appeared in 71 big league games and tallied 251 plate appearances, though he has only a .215/.280/.342 slash to show for it. Arroyo, however, is a career .298/.359/.487 hitter in 418 Triple-A plate appearances, and he comes to the BoSox with experience at shortstop (2574 innings), third base (1257 innings) and second base (519 innings).
At his prospect peak, Arroyo was known as a hit-over-power player at the plate with a strong throwing arm but questionable range at shortstop. That’s not an issue for the Red Sox, who have Xander Bogaerts entrenched at short with Rafael Devers similarly locked in at third base.
The outlook at second base is far murkier, though, given Dustin Pedroia‘s now years-long knee troubles. Jose Peraza was signed to a cheap one-year deal this winter and has paired with Rule 5 pick Jonathan Arauz and Tzu-Wei Lin to handle the workload at second base. That trio, though, has combined for a disastrous .224/.235/.299 slash. Arroyo adds another option to the pile, and it’s hard to imagine he’d offer much of a downgrade from that collective output. He’s out of minor league options, so he’ll need to remain on Boston’s active roster or else be designated for assignment once again.
Red Sox Place Andrew Benintendi On Injured List
9:45pm: Benintendi will probably miss more than 10 days, manager Ron Roenicke told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and other reporters.
6:56pm: The Red Sox have placed left fielder Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list with a right rib cage strain, per a team announcement. The club recalled right-hander Ryan Weber from its alternate training site in a corresponding move.
Benintendi’s IL placement continues what has been an abysmal start to 2020 for the typically sturdy producer. A former star prospect, the 25-year-old Benintendi combined for a line of .277/.354/.442 (109 wRC+) with 51 home runs, 52 steals and 9.0 fWAR in 2,052 plate appearances. So far this season, though, Benintendi has failed to hit a homer and batted an unsightly .103/.314/.128 (47 wRC+) across 52 PA, owing in part to a 32.4 percent strikeout rate that sits 13-plus percent above his lifetime figure. Benintendi has also seen his hard-contact rate plummet, and while he has never been a major power threat, his paltry .026 ISO represents a sharp decline and ranks third to last among 169 hitters who have racked up at least 50 trips to the plate.
Thanks in part to Benintendi’s drop-off, the Red Sox have opened 2020 at 6-11 – good for last in the AL East. They figure to go with a regular outfield alignment of Kevin Pillar, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Alex Verdugo while Benintendi’s unavailable. Pillar and Verdugo have been fairly productive so far, though Bradley has joined Benintendi in coming out of the gates slowly.
Red Sox Release Brian Johnson
The Red Sox have released lefty Brian Johnson, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com (via Twitter). He did not have a place on the team’s 40-man roster but was in the 60-man player pool.
Johnson, 29, was a useful swingman for the Boston club back in 2018. He threw 99 1/3 frames that year, working to a 4.17 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. Things turned south last year, however, as Johnson saw his walk rate (5.1 BB/9) and ERA (6.02) skyrocket.
It sounds as if the decision was driven by Johnson himself. Though the organization has been scrambling a bit for innings, he hasn’t drawn another chance. It seems the southpaw will now go out looking for a new opportunity with another organization.
Red Sox Option Ryan Weber, Call Up Dylan Covey
The Red Sox have optioned right-hander Ryan Weber to their alternate training site, as per a team announcement. Recently-acquired righty Dylan Covey has been called up to take Weber’s spot on the MLB roster.
The 2020 season has been a struggle for Weber, who has a 9.90 ERA over three starts and only 10 innings pitched. Weber has allowed five home runs over that brief sample size, as well as nine walks and only three strikeouts. Clearly the Sox had been enough to continue with Weber as a starting pitcher, as strapped as Boston is for arms.
It was due to this pitching shortage that Weber found himself in the rotation in the first place, after working as a reliever for 31 of his 42 Major League appearances prior to this season. Weber had only a 5.04 ERA and 5.7 K/9 through 114 1/3 innings from 2015-19, though his strong ability to generate grounders and limit hard contact gave the Red Sox some hope that he could at least tread water as a regular starter. Weber’s grounder rate is down to only 40% this season, however, and opposing batters are teeing off to the tune of a 54.8% hard-hit ball rate.
Covey might step right into Weber’s rotation spot, though while the 28-year-old righty brings more experience as a starting pitcher, he also has a rather shaky track record. Covey posted a 6.54 ERA, 6.2 K/9, and 1.52 K/BB rate over 250 1/3 innings with the White Sox from 2017-2019, also posting some solid ground-ball rates and exhibiting some problems with the long ball (1.6 HR/9). Over 63 appearances for Chicago, Covey started 45 of those games.
The Red Sox acquired Covey from the Rays just a few days prior to their July opener, and he made one relief appearance for Boston before being sent to the alternate training site. That one outing didn’t go particularly well, as Covey gave up two earned runs over two innings in Boston’s 7-2 loss to the Orioles on July 25.
Red Sox Release John Andreoli, Add Seth Blair To Player Pool
The Red Sox have released outfielder John Andreoli in order to open a spot in their 60-man player pool for right-hander Seth Blair, per a team announcement. Blair will join the club’s alternate training site.
Andreoli, 30, is a Worcester native with 26 games and 67 plate appearance of big league experience under his belt. That all came back in 2018, when he hit .230/.284/.262 in a small sample with the Mariners and Orioles. Lack of big league experience aside, Andreoli is a solid depth piece for big league clubs given a career .262/.375/.416 slash in nearly 2500 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s also logged more than 2000 minor league innings at all three outfield positions and racked up 259 minor league stolen bases. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him latch on with a club hurting for outfield depth.
Blair, meanwhile, is something of a remarkable story. The 31-year-old was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 46 overall pick of the 2010 draft and looked to have washed out of baseball after an ugly season in 2014. Blair didn’t throw a professional pitch from 2015-18 but was given a chance at a comeback by the Padres organization in 2019. He spent the year with San Diego’s Class-A Advanced affiliate, and while his 4.11 ERA doesn’t stand out as a particularly impressive mark, Blair also notched an impressive 47-to-14 K/BB ratio in 35 frames. Now that he’s in Boston’s player pool, he’s closer to an improbable big league debut than he was at any point in 2019.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/1/20
It’s been a busy sports day with the NBA and NHL back in action, not to mention the many MLB games still underway. As the action rolls along, we’ll use this post to review some minor moves you may have missed…
- Catcher Jonathan Lucroy has been assigned to the Red Sox alternate training site in Pawtucket after clearing waivers, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He’ll stay in their 60-player pool after catching a total of two innings behind the plate for the big-league team. Lucroy, 34, has enjoyed a long and productive career, but a steep dropoff in production following his second All-Star appearance in 2016 has led to a meandering period for the veteran receiver. In addition to the Red Sox, Lucroy has dressed for the Cubs, Angels, Athletics, Rockies, and Rangers since coming to semi-stardom with the Brewers.
- The Cubs signed pitcher Matt Dermody out of the Independent League, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). Everyone is in need of extra pitching depth these days it seems, though the Cubs have a particularly unsettled situation in their bullpen. Dermody is a 30-year-old southpaw who last appeared in the majors in 2017 for the Blue Jays. He made 23 appearances that season, going 2-0 with a 4.43 ERA/6.25 FIP across 22 1/3 innings. Cubs relievers have been the worst such group in the game so far this season. Prior to Saturday’s action, they pitched to a combined 9.55 ERA/9.51 FIP across 21 2/3 innings.
- The Giants assigned catcher Rob Brantly to their alternate training site, per The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly (via Twitter). The 31-year-old catcher cleared waivers after appearing in one game for the Giants, going hitless in three at-bats. Tyler Heineman and Chadwick Tromp are the catchers that remain on San Francisco’s active roster.
Eduardo Rodriguez Out For Season
Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez has been shut down for the 2020 season as a result of the myocarditis he has experienced following a bout with COVID-19, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. While the Red Sox are confident that Rodriguez will make a full recovery in the long term, his heart issues have persisted and will prevent him from pitching this season.
Since going on the injured list in early July due to COVID-19, Rodriguez has dealt with mild heart inflammation that developed as a result of the illness. Thankfully, the condition hasn’t negatively affected the function of Rodriguez’s heart, though it has not subsided to the point where he’s expected to recover in time to pitch this year.
Needless to say, the outlook for the Red Sox rotation sans Rodriguez is a rather bleak one. Even with the 27-year-old southpaw in the mix, the rotation looked like a thin unit, but it was certainly a bit more inspiring than the patchwork unit Ron Roenicke will henceforth have to count on. With Chris Sale on the shelf for the year, Rodriguez was expected to shoulder a bigger load atop the Red Sox rotation, which currently consists of Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez, Ryan Weber, and Zack Godley.
Rodriguez emerged as one of the hottest pitchers in baseball late last year, authoring a career-best season on virtually every measurable front. He posted his best marks yet in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, and ERA. And if that wasn’t enough reason to be excited for another year of progress, he was at his best in the final month of the season, averaging 12.7 K/9 over his last six starts—his highest rate in a single month of his five-year career (minimum three starts).
Of course, the focus right now shouldn’t be on the on-field consequences of Rodriguez’s absence, but on his long-term health and recovery. We hope to see E-Rod make a swift return to full health and back on the mound in 2021. For now, his situation is a reminder that even young, world-class athletes are not immune to complications from COVID-19.
AL Notes: Anderson, Giles, Red Sox, Indians
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson left the team’s win over the Royals on Friday with right hip soreness, the club announced. The reigning AL batting champion is day-to-day, and the White Sox will re-evaluate him Saturday, manager Rick Renteria told James Fegan of The Athletic and other reporters. Anderson had a multi-hit game Friday, continuing a terrific start in which he has slashed .333/.355/.567 over 31 plate appearances. Chicago replaced him with utilityman Leury Garcia.
- Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles went on the injured list July 27 with a right forearm strain, but the team is “very optimistic” he’ll return this season, according to general manager Ross Atkins (via Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic). After getting a second opinion on the injury, Giles underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection. Not only would his return boost the Blue Jays’ of pushing for a playoff spot, but it would be a positive for Giles as he prepares for a trip to free agency in a few months. The 29-year-old was absolutely dominant when he was healthy enough to pitch in 2019, but arm problems have troubled him since last summer.
- Pitching has been a problem for the Red Sox early this season, but a couple of their hurlers are on the way back from the COVID-19 injured list. Left-handers Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor could join the Red Sox sometime within the next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. The 23-year-old Hernandez reached the majors for the first time last season and struck out a ridiculous 16.91 hitters per nine across 30 1/3 innings, though a horrid 7.71 BB/9 helped lead to a below-average 4.45 ERA. Taylor, 27, somewhat quietly notched a 3.04 ERA/3.11 FIP with 11.79 K/9 and 3.04 BB/9 in 47 1/3 frames as a rookie.
- Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com relayed updates on a trio of injured Indians on Friday. Catcher Roberto Perez, whom the Indians placed on the IL this week with a right shoulder issue, has experienced improvement. The club will re-evaluate him Tuesday. Outfielder Tyler Naquin, on the IL since last weekend with a fractured toe, has started sprinting. And fellow outfielder Delino DeShields, an offseason acquisition who still hasn’t made his Cleveland debut on account of a positive COVID-19 test, played 4 1/2 rehab innings Friday. There’s no word on when any of them will be ready to rejoin the Indians, though.