Red Sox Speak To Bryan Price About Pitching Coach Opening
The Red Sox have made contact with former Reds manager Bryan Price about their vacant pitching coach position, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.
With Dana LeVangie transitioning to a role in the Boston scouting department, the next pitching coach will mark the fourth person to hold the post in the last six seasons. Certainly, the organization would like some stability in the position; we’ll see if Price is the man to do just that.
While Price’s track record as a manager is not especially inspiring, he’s generally well-regarded as a pitching coach. Prior to being hired by the Reds, he served as the pitching coach for the Mariners and Diamondbacks. All told, he has 13 years of experience as a pitching coach, so he seems to fit the qualifications for the Red Sox job. He was rumored to have attracted interest last offseason, but if hired, it would be his first MLB coaching job since the Reds fired him in April 2018.
Interestingly, the Red Sox are proceeding with the search for their next pitching coach while the organization’s general manager chair remains unfilled after the deposition of Dave Dombrowski. However, recent news from Boston indicates that the team may be leaning towards an internal candidate to succeed Dombrowski, so the front office may be in sync despite the lack a nominal GM.
Whoever the new pitching coach is, he will certainly have a number of intriguing weapons at his disposal. He’ll be tasked with getting Chris Sale, David Price, and Nathan Eovaldi back on track; all three have demonstrated their sky-high potential but stumbled through 2019, failing to live up to the hefty price tags to which they are attached. Of course, those costly starters aren’t going anywhere, and they’re undeniably instrumental to Boston’s future success, so Price’s approach to solving their issues will likely be a topic of discussion during the interview process.
Beyond that trio, Eduardo Rodriguez was perhaps the most dependable starter in the Red Sox 2019 rotation; at just 26, E-Rod may yet have his best years ahead of him. Much has been made of the barren bullpen mix, and it’s true that there’s considerable ground to be made up in that department; still, relief aces Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman comprise a fine pair of foundational relievers.
Quick Hits: Hicks, Didi, Bradley, Nats
As baseball takes a break until Tuesday night, we’ll touch on a few items pertaining to the upcoming offseason and looking back at how last offseason laid the foundation for where we stand.
- Aaron Hicks made a remarkable return to action in the ALCS after sitting out over two months with a flexor strain in his right elbow. We knew at the time that Tommy John Surgery was in consideration for the 30-year-old, and with the season now over, Hicks admits it was actually recommended by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter). Hicks reiterated last night he believes he’ll avert the operation given the progress he’s made with less drastic rehabilitation methods. Hicks, who signed a seven-year extension entering the season, is surely an integral part of the Bombers’ plans moving forward.
- It’s less clear if Didi Gregorius is part of the team’s future, but the five-year Yankee tells reporters, including James Wagner of the New York Times (Twitter link), he’d like to return to the Bronx. The 29-year-old is ticketed for free agency, where he profiles as the top shortstop option on the market. Gregorius didn’t play in the majors this season until June 7 owing to a Tommy John of his own, and he never got on track offensively, slashing .238/.276/.441 (84 wRC+) in 344 plate appearances. Nevertheless, Gregorius’ pre-2019 track record, age, and the scarcity of shortstops available in free agency make him a reasonable qualifying offer candidate. With a glut of infielders on hand, among them former shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, Brian Cashman’s front office will have some tough decisions sorting out the infield mix this winter.
- The Reds discussed Jackie Bradley, Jr. with the Red Sox last offseason, relays the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale. While there’s no indication talks progressed very far or have picked up since, it’s still noteworthy to hear Cincinnati’s front office liked the player not too long ago. Bradley’s one of the offseason’s most obvious trade candidates, as we’ve already heard rumblings Boston would shop him this winter to ameliorate payroll concerns. MLBTR’s Connor Byrne recently explored Bradley’s market in full and noted that the Reds have some uncertainty in center field if they believe Nick Senzel to be more valuable at second base. Bradley didn’t have a banner 2019 season and comes with a rather significant arbitration projection ($11MM), but the free agent market in center field isn’t particularly robust.
- The Nationals aren’t turning their attention to next spring just yet. As the team gears up for a World Series showdown with the Astros, the Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli looks back to the organization’s roster construction work last winter. General Manager Mike Rizzo was aggressive early in free agency, re-signing Kurt Suzuki and bringing aboard Patrick Corbin and Brian Dozier. A willingness to dangle a sixth year was perhaps the driving factor in getting Corbin (the Phillies and Yankees stopped at five), the prize of last offseason’s pitching market. That said, Rizzo’s forthrightness in negotiations certainly didn’t hurt, Corbin explains, and Dozier tells Ghiroli he declined more lucrative offers elsewhere out of a belief in what the Nats were building. It’s a worthwhile read for Nationals’ fans soaking up the enjoyment of the franchise’s first pennant.
Steven Wright To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
This hasn’t been a banner day of news for veteran knuckleballer Steven Wright. The Red Sox released Wright this afternoon in lieu of paying him a projected $1.5MM next season, and now it’s up in the air whether the right-hander will pitch again until 2021. Wright told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.
The need for a TJ procedure is the latest rough development for the 35-year-old Wright, whose stock has plummeted since an All-Star showing with the Red Sox in 2016. A litany of injuries and off-field issues have troubled Wright dating back to then, as he combined for just 84 innings of 4.71 ERA ball from 2017-19. He’s a two-time suspension recipient who sat for 15 games in 2018 after violating the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, and then missed 80 contests this year for a failed PED test.
After Wright came off the restricted list June 25, opposing batters tattooed him for six earned runs on 11 hits, three HRs and four walks in 6 1/3 innings. Wright then dealt with toe and elbow problems that prevented him from pitching past July 13, which will go down as his last appearance for a while. He’s now on the open market as someone who can only hope for a minor league contract, though it seems doubtful he’ll sign anytime soon.
Red Sox Outright Gorkys Hernandez, Josh A. Smith
Outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and right-hander Josh A. Smith both were both sent outright to Triple-A Pawtucket after clearing waivers Friday, per the International League transactions log. Both 32-year-olds have been previously outrighted, thus allowing them to elect free agency. There’s been no formal declaration that they’ll do so, although it’s largely a formality a this point.
Hernandez appeared in 20 games with the Sox, hitting .143/.218/.245 in 57 plate appearances. The fleet-footed center fielder had spent the prior three seasons with the Giants and has played in parts of six seasons at the MLB level. In 1091 plate appearances between the Red Sox, Giants, Pirates and Marlins, he’s a .230/.292/.351 hitter who’s drawn above-average defensive ratings in the outfield corners but below-average marks in center field. Hernandez would’ve been eligible for arbitration this winter and was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $1MM in 2020. Instead, he’ll likely hit the open market in search of a new minor league contract.
Smith, meanwhile, has spent time in the Majors in four of the past five seasons. He was hit hard with the Sox in ’19, posting a 5.81 ERA with 10 home runs allowed in just 31 innings (albeit with a more impressive 29-to-8 K/BB ratio). He’s tallied 158 1/3 innings of 5.40 ERA ball between the Reds, A’s and Red Sox since making his debut in 2015. A former 21st-round pick, Smith has also pitched in parts of six Triple-A seasons and logged a 4.41 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 483 1/3 innings.
Looking For A Match In A Jackie Bradley Jr. Trade
Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has been popular in trade rumors in the past, though no club has come up with a compelling enough offer to pry him out of Boston yet. Now, however, Bradley is approaching his last year of team control – in which he’ll make a projected $11MM – and the Red Sox may be on the verge of reducing payroll. With those factors in mind, Bradley may be heading into the offseason as one of the majors’ strongest trade candidates. Bradley, with his combination of defensive adeptness, passable offense and quality base running, remains valuable enough on the field for the Red Sox to tender him a contract at a fairly high cost. But if the Red Sox decide it would be wise to move on via trade in the coming weeks, there would surely be interest from elsewhere. Bradley probably isn’t going to require a sizable return in a trade, after all, and free agency isn’t exactly rife with appealing center fielders teams could count on as starters.
Here’s a look at several clubs that could inquire about Bradley…
- Braves: Center field isn’t a pressing need for the Braves, as they could continue to go with superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. as their man pick there (at least until hyped prospects Cristian Pache and Drew Waters show up). The Braves also have two other viable outfield starters in Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis, though they’re facing a decision on the latter’s $6MM club option/$2MM buyout. If the Braves part with Markakis, would they send Acuna to a corner? Even if Markakis stays, MLBTR’s Steve Adams raised an interesting question when the two of us were discussing Bradley: Would Atlanta and Boston consider a swap around Bradley and Inciarte? Both teams would come out with capable center fielders, with the Red Sox cutting some of their payroll for 2020. They’d get two years’ control over Inciarte, who’s due a guaranteed $16.025MM through 2021 (including a $1.025MM buyout for 2022).
- Cubs: Center field was a sore spot during a bitterly disappointing 2019 for the Cubs, whose top choice, Albert Almora, posted horrific numbers. The Cubs had to consistently turn to Jason Heyward amid Almora’s struggles, so they could simply keep the former in center next next year. But if Chicago wants to shift Heyward back to right field on a full-time basis in favor of a more traditional center fielder, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team at least check in on Bradley. Who selected Bradley in the first round of the 2011 draft? Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, then Boston’s general manager.
- Diamondbacks: Arizona may have its center fielder in breakout star Ketel Marte, though if the club would rather put him at second, a Bradley pursuit would make sense. Like Epstein, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen happened to be in the Red Sox’s front office when they drafted Bradley.
- Giants: The Giants already have a pricey veteran center fielder in Kevin Pillar, who’s projected to make $9.7MM in 2020. Whether they’ll keep or non-tender Pillar is up in the air, though, considering the 30-year-old’s offensive limitations. Although Bradley isn’t a world-beater at the plate in his own right, his .317 career on-base percentage is an improvement over Pillar’s .296 mark. That said, even if the Giants were to cut the cord on Pillar, it’s possible they’d just hand center to Steven Duggar to evaluate whether he’s fit for the role.
- Mets: Center field is a question for the Mets, who would likely be better off playing Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto in the corners instead of forcing them into the outfield’s most challenging position. The problem, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted Friday, is the club’s lack of financial flexibility. Fitting Bradley into their payroll would be tough without shedding a similar salary or salaries (Jed Lowrie, for example).
- Phillies: The Phillies figure to have Bryce Harper and the returning Andrew McCutchen in the corners next season, though it’s unclear what they’ll do in center. While the team does have some in-house options in Odubel Herrera, Scott Kingery, Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn, it’s highly debatable whether any would be preferable to Bradley. Herrera might not even play for the Phillies again after missing most of this year because of a violation of the MLB-MLBPA joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
- Rangers: This would partly hinge on whether the Rangers want to deploy slugger Joey Gallo as a full-time center fielder next year. If so, Bradley to Texas would be all the more improbable. Gallo aside, the Rangers have seen Delino DeShields struggle mightily as their primary center field choice over the past couple seasons.
- Reds: Not only does Cincinnati seem to be preparing for an aggressive, payroll-increasing offseason, but center field stands out as an area it could plausibly upgrade. However, that depends on whether the team wants to line up Nick Senzel in center, where he played as a rookie in 2019, or move him to second base.
- White Sox: A change of Sox for Bradley looks like a possibility, as Chicago is in obvious need of outfield help. The unit may have been the worst of its kind in 2019, when Leury Garcia and Adam Engel combined for uninspiring production in center. Going forward, only left fielder Eloy Jimenez looks like a lock to return as a starter next season. Likewise, stud prospect Luis Robert could play an important role in a year, though his forthcoming arrival won’t stop the Sox from seeking veteran help. Of course, if the Sox decide Robert’s ready to take over center imminently, they’ll probably be in the market for a big-hitting right fielder instead of someone like Bradley.
Red Sox Release Steven Wright
The Red Sox have released knuckleballing right-hander Steven Wright, per a club announcement (h/t Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald, via Twitter). Wright had been projected by MLBTR to earn $1.5MM in arbitration, had he been tendered a contract.
This move doesn’t come as a surprise for a 35-year-old hurler who wasn’t a significant contributor in 2019. The Boston organization is known to be looking for ways to trim payroll and obviously didn’t envision Wright as a part of the staff.
Wright had a strong showing in 2016, pitching to a 3.33 ERA in 156 2/3 innings. But he was alternatively hurt and/or suspended for most of the next three campaigns.
When he was available, Wright wasn’t always very effective. Though he did end with a 2.68 ERA in 53 2/3 frames in 2018, that came with a less-than-inspiring combination of 42 strikeouts and 26 walks. He allowed nearly a run per inning in short stints in the 2017 and 2019 seasons.
There may yet be hope of a rebound, particularly for a pitcher that relies upon guile rather than power. But Mastrodonato tweets that there’s some additional health uncertainty at play here, perhaps involving Wright’s elbow.
Quick Hits: Maddon, Sasaki, Red Sox
In an interesting bit of “what if” history, Scott Miller of Bleacher Report runs down the story of how new Angels manager Joe Maddon almost become the club’s skipper at the tail end of the ’90s (link). Apparently, former Angels GM Bill Bavasi identified Maddon back in 1996 as a potential future manager and hatched a plot to install the pitching mind as something of an heir apparent–assuming, of course, that Bavasi could secure the managerial services of Sparky Anderson to serve as Maddon’s mentor. The plan went awry, however, when Bavasi, then-team president Tony Tavares, and Anderson met for a fateful lunch. Apparently, Tavares was offput when Anderson, then 62, struggled to raise a soup spoon to his mouth with a steady hand, and the prez nixed the Anderson-Maddon succession plan immediately after the lunch date. The club later went with Terry Collins as manager (with Maddon serving as bench coach), with the club later going outside the org to hire Mike Scioscia after the ouster of Collins.
If Maddon is harboring any resentment over the way things worked out, he’s doing a good job of hiding it. “I couldn’t be more grateful, sincerely, for how things have worked out for me in my baseball career,” Maddon says in Miller’s article. “I’ve always been a big believer in not having anything happen to you before it’s time. In other words, I had to earn this opportunity, and I felt like I did by 2006.”
More news from around the diamond…
- Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki was selected today in NPB’s amateur draft by the Chiba Lotte Marines, according to the Japan Times (link). Sasaki, 18, was clocked at 101 mph during his time in high school, and many major league scouts were said to have an interest in luring the pitcher to the States. Had the youngster decided to forego the NPB draft, he could have signed with an MLB club in June; instead, he will report to the Marines under the guidance of Chibba Lotte captain and former MLB infielder Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi, for one, is eager to have the firearmer in the fold. “He’s an extraordinary pitcher,” Iguchi said. “It’s scary to think how far he might go. He was the best player available and now it’s incumbent on us to nurture his potential.” Unlike the MLB Draft, every team in the NPB has an equal chance of landing the first overall pick; teams provide their first choice in secret to the league, and the player’s negotiating rights are decided by the drawing of lots. Some Japanese teams, including the Yomiuri Giants and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, have refused in recent years to allow for the posting of players before they become nine-year veteran free agents. The Chiba Lotte org, meanwhile, has taken no such public stance, so it is not impossible to imagine Sasaki being posted for MLB clubs in the coming years.
- Conversations surrounding the Red Sox bullpen continued for much of the 2019 season, as the club’s decision to forego the Craig Kimbrel market caused many fans to wonder about front office priorities. It’s rather kind then, for Jen McCaffery of The Athletic to offer some free bullpen scouting in her latest piece, in which she looks at a few outside acquisitions who might be a fit in a Boston uniform. Trade options (Brandon Kintzler) and impending free agents (Steve Cishek, Will Harris) are both bandied, with McCaffery wondering aloud if Boston’s new leadership might be inclined to keep Brandon Workman in the ninth inning role he handled for much of 2019. The Sox recorded a collective 4.40 relief ERA last season, 18th among major league teams.
AL Notes: Red Sox, ALCS
Although Boston owner John Henry stated last month that the Red Sox were going to begin by “looking outward” in their search for a new GM/President, Rob Bradford of WEEI believes there is a “growing belief” around baseball that the club will ultimately hand the reins to an internal candidate (link). Although no sources are named in Bradford’s report, the silence surrounding Boston’s hiring search leads the writer to believe that the club may look inward in search of Dave Dombrowski’s successor. As Bradford points out, it’s possible that Henry’s comments were made with half a mind toward luring one of Mike Hazen, Theo Epstein, or Andrew Friedman to Beantown. Now that those potential candidates are staying put, it seems reasonable to wonder if ownership might be evaluating which of the four people currently running Boston’s baseball ops–Eddie Romero, Brian O’Halloran, Zack Scott and Raquel Ferreira–would be best suited for supreme leadership.
A serious offseason agenda will await whoever ultimately lands the job in Boston. The club has a stated goal of limboing under the CBT “luxury tax” line–an initiative that should prove mighty tough with both big contracts (David Price, Chris Sale) and forthcoming arb raises (Mookie Betts) on the 2020 ledger.
In other news from the American League…
- Mother Nature gave baseball an unscheduled rest day on Wednesday when she decided to pour vociferous showers along the East Coast–could she also have handed the Astros a competitive advantage in the ALCS? This is one question explored by Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, who notes that the pause in the action has allowed manager AJ Hinch to skip Wednesday’s planned Jose Urquidy-plus-bullpen game (link). Instead, the ‘Stros will skip straight to a Justin Verlander/Zack Greinke 1-2 combo for games 4 and 5. “As soon as we can use our best pitchers, the better for us,” Hinch told reporters via teleconference. “It was an easy decision.” The rain delay will force both teams to play the next four games without delay (if games 6 and 7 prove necessary). This state of affairs figures to favor Houston, considering that their rotation makes them slightly less bullpen-reliant than New York. Of course, October is where the unexpected so often comes to pass, so it’s important to remember that Rome’s forecast is exactly that.
Red Sox Likely To Tender Jackie Bradley, Explore Trade
The Red Sox’s payroll has already emerged as one of the top stories to monitor in the upcoming offseason. With Boston’s “goal” of dropping their competitive balance tax number for 2020 south of the $208MM threshold, some difficult decisions are surely looming. After all, the Sox already have north of $150MM on the luxury tax ledger next season, per Spotrac, not counting arbitration-eligible players. (If J.D. Martinez were to opt-out of the remaining three years and $62.5MM on his deal, that would knock $22MM off the Sox’s tax ledger but potentially cost the team their best hitter).
On top of that, Boston’s upcoming arbitration class is massive, with twelve players projected to earn upwards of $70MM. A few (Chris Owings, Gorkys Hernández, Steven Wright) are easy non-tenders, which will knock the projected arbitration earnings down $5-6MM. Still, it’s clear that the math doesn’t position the Red Sox to reset their tax number especially easily. The team’s yet to be determined long-term baseball operations head will have some challenges to overcome.
To that end, Christopher Smith of Mass Live hears that the current front office is already discussing potential non-tenders which could ameliorate payroll concerns. While Jackie Bradley, Jr. (projected $11MM salary) may stand out as a speculative non-tender candidate, Smith opines it’s more likely than not the Sox will indeed tender the 29 year-old a contract. (Catcher Sandy León, Smith hears, is in bigger jeopardy of losing his job after another abysmal offensive showing.)
2019 was a disappointing one for Bradley, although he did rebound from a nightmarish April to post a pretty typical .225/.317/.421 line (90 wRC+). That marked the third straight season of below-average offensive production for Bradley, making his strong 2016 season look like an aberration. Of course, Bradley’s selling point has long been his outstanding glovework in center field, and that remains a strong suit, even if he’s not quite the defender he was at his peak. While DRS and UZR each considered him to be an average center fielder this season, Statcast was still enamored of his work, crediting him with six outs above average. That’s a far cry from the 15 and 12 outs above average Bradley was worth in 2017 and 2018, respectively, but he still remains an asset in the grass.
While Bradley’s absolutely still a major league caliber player, that estimated $11MM price tag is not insignificant for an organization looking to shed payroll. Indeed, Smith notes it’s likely the Red Sox would shop Bradley if they do follow through with an arbitration offer. The upcoming free agent market for center fielders is woeful, but Bradley would likely take a backseat in trade talks to Starling Marté, whom the Pirates should market this winter. Marté, while two years older than Bradley, has been the more productive of the two each of the past two seasons and comes with one additional year of team control.
Entirely speculatively, the Cubs, White Sox, Rangers and Phillies, among others, stand out as teams looking to contend in 2020 who have uncertainty in center field. Bradley’s price tag and lackluster offensive production mean he won’t return a huge prospect haul if Boston were to pull the trigger on a trade, so any team in baseball could put together an adequate package. With the Red Sox still on the lookout for a permanent voice atop the baseball ops department, it’s impossible to handicap at this point the odds of Bradley going elsewhere, much less pinpointing an exact destination. Nevertheless, it’s at least notable to hear that, as of now, the organization doesn’t seem inclined to let their longtime center fielder depart for nothing more than cash savings.
AL Notes: Yankees, Astros, Red Sox
Ken Davidoff of The New York Post spoke with a Rays official in the wake of the team’s close-but-not-quite battle with the mighty Houston Astros, and the Tampa employee believes his team’s ALDS strategy could end up changing the shape of the postseason. “We gave the Yankees a blueprint for how to pitch them,” the official told Davidoff (link).
There’s certainly some merit to that takeaway. Although the Astros have been expected to steamroll their way to the Fall Classic for most of the year (Fangraphs’ playoff odds have tabbed Houston with a 30 percent-or-better chance to win the championship for much of the season), the Rays came awfully close to taking them down within the first round of the playoffs, in part via a bullpen-heavy mix-and-match pitching strategy. As Davidoff points out, just one Rays pitcher–starter Charlie Morton–threw long enough to qualify for a decision in the ALDS, with manager Kevin Cash calling on 11 separate pitchers to tame the wild Astros offense. Houston’s offense mustered just a .700 OPS in the divisional round against this all-hands-on-deck approach, and will now square off with a Yankees team that, for what it’s worth, notched a competent 4.08 collective bullpen ERA in 2019 (good for 9th in MLB). However, Tampa’s approach, it should be noted, may have had something to do with the fact that Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, two of their frontline starters, were forced to work in limited capacity; the Yankees should be able to sport a more traditional look with their James Paxton/Luis Severino/Masahiro Tanaka starting triumvirate, although Severino’s own 2019 injury considerations could preclude an early dip into the pen by manager Aaron Boone.
- After reassigning Dana LeVangie to their scouting department, the Red Sox are in search of a new pitching coach. As Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe opines, that’s a search that could have great import for the club moving forward, as the Sox will be on to their fourth pitching coach in the last six seasons in 2020 (link). It’s also a hiring search that carries far more nuance than it might have in previous eras, as modern pitching coaches are expected to blend data and biomechanical considerations with the more traditional soft skills involved with instruction–and that’s before accounting for a coach’s personal baseball-playing background. As Abraham notes, the Twins hired Wes Johnson to be their main source of pitching instruction in 2018, despite Johnson’s complete lack of professional playing experience. The club’s ultimate selection should give some indication of the philosophical leanings of Boston’s current, interim leadership group, which includes assistant GM Eddie Romero; the new coach’s ability to reign in the talents of David Price and Chris Sale should go a long way toward finally bringing some stability to the Boston pitching post.