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Red Sox, Abraham Toro Agree To Minor League Contract

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3:29pm: Toro will make $1MM if in the majors, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

9:50am: The Red Sox and free agent infielder Abraham Toro have agreed to a minor league contract, reports Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base. The Republik Sports client receives an invitation to major league spring training.

Toro, who turned 28 last month, was a well-regarded prospect with the Astros who has at times flashed some of that potential in the majors. He posted a roughly league-average batting line and popped 11 homers in 95 games between Houston and Seattle in 2021 — the same season that saw the ’Stros deal him to the M’s in exchange for reliever Kendall Graveman. Toro appeared in 60 games with Seattle following that trade, walking at a slightly above-average clip and fanning in only 13% of his plate appearances during that age-24 season.

At the time, Toro looked like a potential regular for the Mariners, or at the very least an oft-used and versatile semi-regular. The switch-hitter saw his output crater in 2022, however. Toro batted only .185/.239/.324 in 352 plate appearances with the Mariners. The following offseason, he was traded to the Brewers in return for Jesse Winker and Kolten Wong — a move that didn’t pay 2023 dividends for either team.

Toro hit well in Triple-A for the Brewers but never got a real look in the majors, tallying just 21 plate appearances as a Brewer. Milwaukee flipped him to the A’s in the 2023-24 offseason, netting righty Chad Patrick in return. Toro hit .240/.293/.350 in 364 plate appearances with Oakland before being passed through waivers and electing free agency at the beginning of the current offseason.

While Toro has yet to produce in the big leagues (.220/.285/.353), he’s spent the majority of his time in pitchers’ parks like T-Mobile and the Coliseum. He’s a switch-hitter with a career .305/.396/.486 batting line in parts of five Triple-A seasons, and he has experience at third base, second base and (to a lesser extent) first base.

Toro gives the Red Sox some more depth in the infield as the team continues to face a glaring question at second base. Top prospect Kristian Campbell may eventually claim that spot as his own, but he’s versatile enough to handle shortstop or an outfield spot as well. He also still has only 19 games of Triple-A experience under his belt (though he showed brilliantly there). Other second base options for the Red Sox include David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom, Romy Gonzalez, non-roster invitee Nate Eaton and top prospect Marcelo Mayer. It’s also feasible that oft-injured Trevor Story could move over to second base, though for now he’s still ticketed for regular work at shortstop.

Red Sox Interested In Alex Bregman On Shorter-Term Contracts

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Alex Bregman and the Red Sox have been linked together for much of the offseason, and multiple reports have indicated that the Sox have indeed showed some level of interest in Bregman.  This interest is apparently in a somewhat limited capacity, however, as the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, writes that the Sox have been focusing on shorter-term offers with Bregman, with an eye towards signing him to “a deal of no more than four years” in length.

While four years is a pretty big commitment in the broad sense, it is certainly below the expectations that Bregman and his camp set at the start of the offseason.  The Astros are known to have made Bregman a six-year, $156MM offer to stay in Houston, but Bregman was reportedly looking to hit the $200MM plateau in his next deal.  It remains to be seen if that asking price is still realistic, but as of last week, Bregman was still looking for longer-term offers rather than considering a pivot to a shorter-term pact with opt-outs included.

In the most recent Bregman developments, KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported yesterday that Bregman had received at least three offers of five or more years over the course of the offseason, though it isn’t known which teams made those offers or if they’re still on the table.  It would appear as though the Astros’ offer is still in play, as even though Houston signed Christian Walker and seemingly installed Isaac Paredes as their new third baseman, bringing back Bregman would see the Astros move Paredes to the keystone and longtime franchise icon Jose Altuve would move from second base to left field.

Against this backdrop, it would seem like the Red Sox are facing an uphill battle in convincing Bregman to sign for a maximum of four years.  It can probably be assumed that such a four-year deal carries a high average annual salary and an opt-out clause or two is attached, fitting the standard model of shorter-term contracts signed by other Scott Boras clients.  Such a deal would allow Bregman to re-enter free agency perhaps as early as next offseason, when he would aim to have another big platform season under his belt, and he would no longer be attached to a qualifying offer.

However, this scenario would see Bregman returning to the market in advance of his age-32 season, when teams might have even more misgivings about offering him a longer-term contract.  And, as Bregman approaches his 31st birthday in March, he must certainly feel like he has already done enough in his outstanding career to merit a long-term commitment.  Speculatively speaking, it could be that Bregman is facing a decision between accepting the Astros’ sixth guaranteed year (and the familiarity of staying with the organization), or perhaps taking a five-year deal that offers less long-term security but more money.

A traditional big spender in free agency, the Red Sox have largely shied away from major free agent commitments in recent years.  Trevor Story (six-years, $140MM) and Masataka Yoshida (five years, $90MM) are the only free agents to receive three or more guaranteed years from Sox since October 2019, and the lack of result on those contracts may have only further soured ownership on opening the checkbook for lengthy open-market deals.  Boston’s biggest contract of any kind since October 2019 was its ten-year, $313.5MM extension with Rafael Devers, which presents another obstacle in the way of a Bregman deal.  The Sox have reportedly given some thought to moving Devers off the hot corner and across the diamond to first base, but Devers’ agent pretty firmly shot down that possibility back in November.

Boras said at the start of November that Bregman was open to a position change himself, and a move to second base instead of his longtime third-base spot.  Such flexibility would’ve seemingly expanded the number of suitors that might be interested in Bregman, and it was specifically viewed as a possible nod to the chances of Bregman landing in Boston, if Devers was indeed staying put at third base (though Bregman is a much better fielder).  Of course, the issue regarding Bregman anywhere in Boston’s infield is the fact that the Red Sox have star infield prospects Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer both knocking on the door of their big league debuts, so the Sox may not want to lock down second base for the forseeable future.

In a pure baseball sense, Bregman’s right-handed bat is an ideal fit for Boston’s lefty-tilted lineup, and a hitter of his caliber is an upgrade to virtually any team.  Bregman is also friendly with manager Alex Cora due to their past time together in Houston when Cora was the Astros’ bench coach, and past reports have indicated that Cora and Red Sox president Sam Kennedy are the chief drivers of Boston’s interest in Bregman, while chief baseball officer Craig Breslow perhaps isn’t quite as on board.  This split of opinion in management might perhaps explain why the Red Sox haven’t been as aggressive as others in courting Bregman, or offering him even a fifth guaranteed year.

Report: Alex Bregman Has Received Multiple Offers Of At Least Five Years

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With the month of February now just a week away, Alex Bregman remains a free agent. That has led to speculation that he may have to pivot his focus and try to secure a short-term pact, but that doesn’t seem to have happened yet. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports today that Bregman has received offers of five years or longer from at least three teams this offseason, including the Astros. It’s not specified which clubs made these offers or when.

Bregman came into the winter as one of the top free agents available. He has hit .260/.349/.449 over the past three years while also getting strong grades for his third base defense. There was a bit of concern in 2024, as he got out to a slow start, slashing just .216/.283/.294 through the end of April. He eventually corrected and finished the year with a .260/.315/.453 line but his 6.9% walk rate was a career low.

Despite a less-than-perfect walk year, Bregman still came into free agency with a strong profile and justification to secure a strong deal. MLBTR predicted him for a seven-year, $182MM pact. Many observers expected him to return to the Astros and various reports indicated that the club made him an offer of $156MM over six years. Bregman and his reps, however, were looking to get to the $200MM plateau.

Today’s report indicates that some other clubs may have been willing to get into somewhat similar range as the Astros. It isn’t known which clubs made these offers or exactly how much money was on the table, but Bregman has been connected to teams like the Cubs, Red Sox, Tigers, Blue Jays, Mets and Phillies throughout the offseason.

Though that points to a decent market, it seems none of them were quite strong enough to get Bregman to put pen to paper. Though the Astros seemed to blink in their staredown with Bregman by acquiring Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, recent reporting has suggested the club has kept its offer on the table and is still somewhat open to a reunion. Such a scenario would involve Bregman returning to the hot corner, Paredes going to second base and Jose Altuve to left field.

Whether that will end up happening or not likely depend on the other offers and if any club is willing to budge. If they are all somewhat similar and no club meaningfully separates itself from the pack, perhaps Bregman will choose to remain with the only club he’s ever known.

It’s also possible that some of Bregman’s suitors are no longer interested, even if they may have made strong offers earlier in the winter. The Tigers signed Gleyber Torres, reducing their need for an infield addition somewhat. They have remained engaged with Bregman but have reportedly hit a standstill. The Red Sox would perhaps have to move Rafael Devers to first base to fit Bregman in, making things awkward. Second base is more open at the moment but they may prefer to leave that spot open for Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer or Vaughn Grissom. The Blue Jays added Anthony Santander recently, who isn’t an infielder but should make the team less desperate for an offensive upgrade. The Mets and Pete Alonso are seemingly playing hardball with each other but could still reunite, though the Jays seem to be somewhat involved there as well. The Phillies appear to have tried to trade Alec Bohm in conjunction with pursuing Bregman but never seemed to gain much traction there. The Cubs seemed to only be interested if Bregman were willing to pivot to a short-term pact. Jon Heyman of The New York Post says today that the Cubs are “believed” to be showing “significant interest” in Bregman alongside the Astros, though with the Red Sox and Tigers also involved.

Though the offers haven’t been strong enough for Bregman to sign anywhere, it’s perhaps understandable why he hasn’t done a short-term pivot. That’s a path that many other free agents have taken, including Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger last winter. But if Bregman has had somewhat decent offers in the five- or six-year range, perhaps he doesn’t feel the need to go that way just yet. Just over a week ago, Bregman’s agent Scott Boras said there interest on long-term deals has been strong enough that changing course wouldn’t be necessary, matching this week’s reporting.

Time will tell if Bregman circles back to Houston or ends up elsewhere. The Astros made him a qualifying offer at season’s end and would receive a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere, while the signing club would be subject to the associated penalties. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just over two weeks.

Red Sox, Mark Kolozsvary Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox and catcher Mark Kolozsvary have agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. It’ll be his second straight season with the Red Sox organization, as he was with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester in 2024.

Kolozsvary, 29, has technically appeared in two big league seasons, though he played in only one game for the 2023 Orioles and didn’t log a plate appearance. He tallied 10 games with the 2022 Reds and came to the plate 21 times, going 4-for-20 with a homer and two doubles (.200/.238/.450).

In parts of four Triple-A seasons, Kolozsvary owns just a .176/.297/.312 batting line. He’s yet to provide much in the way of offense in his big league career, but Kolozsvary is regarded as a strong defender with quality minor league marks for framing, blocking balls in the dirt and controlling the running game. He’s thrown out 29% of runners who’ve attempted to steal against him in his minor league career.

Kolozsvary is the latest depth addition for a Red Sox club that doesn’t have much certainty behind starting catcher Connor Wong. Trade acquisitions Carlos Narvaez and Blake Sabol are both on the 40-man roster, but neither has established himself in the majors yet. Narvaez has just six big league games to his credit. Sabol is a .243/.313/.392 hitter (95 wRC+) in 382 MLB plate appearances with the Giants but has fanned in one-third of his trips to the plate and struggled defensively at catcher. Boston also brought in veteran Seby Zavala as a non-roster invitee, giving them another strong defender with a shaky track record at the plate.

Rich Hill, Jesse Chavez Plan To Pitch In 2025

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Veteran pitchers Rich Hill and Jesse Chavez are 45 and 41 years young, respectively, and both recently told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that they intend to pitch in 2025. Both hurlers appeared in the majors this past season, albeit quite briefly in Hill’s case.

Hill made clear from the beginning of the 2023-24 offseason that his plan was to sign midseason. Doing so, he hoped, would keep his arm fresh down the stretch after he faded badly in 2023. More importantly, it would afford him more time to be at home early in the year with his family and to coach his son’s team. He wound up signing an incredible eighth contract with the Red Sox in August but pitched just 3 2/3 MLB frames before being designated for assignment and released.

As recently as 2022, Hill pitched a full season and was generally effective, despite that being his age-42 campaign. That year saw him make 26 starts, pitch 124 1/3 innings and notch a respectable 4.27 ERA with a 20.7% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate — despite averaging just 88.5 mph on his four-seamer. He was out to a solid start in 2023 with the Pirates, working to uncannily similar numbers through 13 starts (4.23 ERA, 21.5 K%, 7.4 BB%). Hill hit a wall at that point, however, and limped to a 6.57 ERA over his final 74 innings.

Hill hinted earlier this offseason that while he was still (at the time) undecided about pitching in 2025, if he did so it would likely again be on more of a full-season schedule. He’s also suggested he wouldn’t limit himself to pitching with teams near his Boston-area home. Only time will tell whether a club takes a look, but there’s little harm in what would surely be a minor league deal and non-roster invitation to camp.

As for Chavez, he’s coming off a much different year. Though he’s on the “wrong” side of 40, Chavez looked solid. In 63 1/3 innings for the Braves, he notched a sharp 3.13 ERA with a passable, albeit below-average 20.8% strikeout rate and a quality 7.2% walk rate. Chavez’s sinker sat at a career-low 90.7 mph, and his cutter lagged further behind at 88.5 mph on average. But the crafty right-hander nevertheless enjoyed plenty of success, due in no small part to solid command and a plethora of weak contact.

Atlanta generally used Chavez in low-leverage spots last year, but he was a member of the team’s setup core as recently as 2023, when he picked up 13 holds and regularly appeared in medium- and high-leverage situations over the life of 36 games.

Despite his age, Chavez has now turned in four straight seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA. His collective earned run average dating back to 2021 is a sparkling 2.91, and he’s logged at least average walk rates every year along the way, with the ’24 campaign being the only one of the four wherein his strikeout rate was below-average. Chavez has posted better-than-average grounder rates in each of the past two seasons, too.

Chavez seems to find his way back to the Braves every season. He signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in 2021, was selected to the major league roster in June and quickly emerged as a key bullpen piece. He inked a minor league deal with the Cubs in 2022, made the Opening Day roster with Chicago, and was traded to the Braves less than three weeks later in exchange for Sean Newcomb, who’d been designated for assignment. The Braves traded him to the Angels at that year’s deadline, but when the Angels placed Chavez on waivers late in August, there were the Braves to once again claim him back.

Chavez signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in November 2022 and spent most of the 2023 season on their roster. He inked a minor league deal with the White Sox last winter, was cut loose late in camp and, to the shock of no one, signed a minor league deal with the Braves. They selected him to the 40-man roster three days later.

Another minor league deal between Chavez and the Braves isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion, but it sure wouldn’t come as much of a surprise, either. The fit is even more sensible with Atlanta already having lost right-hander Joe Jimenez to knee surgery that’ll probably wipe out his entire 2025 season.

Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays Had Interest In Tanner Scott

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Tanner Scott is headed to Chavez Ravine, as he became the Dodgers’ latest big-ticket acquisition when he signed a four-year, $72MM deal earlier today.  The Cubs, Braves, Mets, and Yankees had all been linked to Scott’s market earlier this winter, but various reports from this afternoon indicated that the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Red Sox also had interest in the left-hander’s services.

The willingness of the Dodgers and other teams to give Scott four guaranteed years seemed to be the dealbreaker for at least a couple of teams.  The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka and MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo wrote that the Orioles and Red Sox, respectively, each had misgivings about that long of a commitment.  In particular, Cotillo poured cold water on speculation that Boston offered Scott a longer deal with a larger average annual value, as a source tells Cotillo that such reports of a bigger offer were “very inaccurate.”

The O’s still at least “remained engaged” on Scott “as of a few days ago,” Kostka wrote, which could speak to the team’s familiarity with the reliever.  Of course, Scott began his career as a Baltimore draft pick and spent his first five MLB seasons in an Orioles uniform, posting a 4.73 ERA over his 156 innings out of the team’s bullpen.  The big strikeout numbers and potential was clearly already present for Scott during his time in Baltimore, though it wasn’t until the 2023 season (when Scott was with the Marlins) that he finally seemed to solve his longstanding control problems.

Baltimore’s one-year, $10MM deal with Andrew Kittredge from earlier this week also seems to generally line up with Kostka’s timeline, so it isn’t surprising that the O’s moved away from Scott after landing another high-leverage reliever at a much lower price tag.  Kittredge projects as the Orioles’ top setup man in front of closer Felix Bautista, who is returning after a year recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Kittredge is the highest-profile reliever the O’s have acquired this winter, while the Red Sox brought in Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson on guaranteed contracts, and a few other veterans on minor league deals.  As Cotillo notes, the Red Sox had talks with Scott, Kittredge, and several other relievers who have since signed contracts, as Boston continues to look for help at the back end of its bullpen.  Liam Hendriks is penciled into the closer’s role, though some depth is a necessity since Hendriks (like Bautista) also missed 2024 while rehabbing from a TJ procedure.

Toronto fans won’t be pleased to hear the Blue Jays lost another target to the Dodgers, but the New York Post’s Jon Heyman indeed reports that the Jays “were among [the] teams in on Scott.”  The depth of the Blue Jays’ interest isn’t known, and since the Jays landed Jeff Hoffman last week, it seems possible that the Hoffman signing was a pivot away from Scott’s escalating market.

That said, the Blue Jays have already been more aggressive than usual in adding relief pitching, which isn’t a surprise given the dire performance of their 2024 bullpen.  Toronto has already added Hoffman, Nick Sandlin, and old friend Yimi Garcia as part of the bullpen overhaul, and depending on whether or not the Jays acquire another starting pitcher, Yariel Rodriguez might be part of the relief mix as well if he isn’t used as the fifth starter.

Patrick Sandoval Discusses Surgery Recovery, Non-Tender

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Left-hander Patrick Sandoval has been through a lot in the past year and recently discussed the twists and turns he’s been through with the MassLive Fenway Rundown podcast, as summarized by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

The southpaw underwent surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in July of last year and perhaps the most notable thing he mentioned this week is that he had internal brace surgery and not a full Tommy John procedure. When his surgery was reported last summer, it wasn’t 100% clear if he would require a full UCL reconstruction or the internal brace alternative.

Some in the media just use “Tommy John surgery” as a blanket term to cover any kind of UCL surgery but the distinction can be notable. The internal brace surgery can sometimes allow a player to return to play a couple of months quicker than with a full reconstruction. That’s often not a huge difference but it could make an impact in Sandoval’s case. A full Tommy John surgery usually takes about 14 months to recover from, a timeline that would have pushed Sandoval to a return around September. But since he had the internal brace alternative, it seems he and the Red Sox are a bit more optimistic about what he can contribute in the second half this year.

That timeline also reflects back on the curious decision by the Angels to non-tender him, which was a bit of a surprise when it happened. They could have retained Sandoval via arbitration through both 2025 and 2026. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a salary of $5.9MM this year. Since he wasn’t going to be able to pitch much in 2025, that would limit his ability to raise his salary in 2026, meaning he probably could have been retained for the two years for a total of $12-15MM.

That wouldn’t have been a bad price for a pitcher as talented as Sandoval, even if his recovery eventually hit a snag and it was mostly just for his 2026 contributions. Over the 2021 to 2024 seasons, Sandoval tossed 460 innings, allowing 3.80 earned runs per nine. His 22.6% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate and 47.3% ground ball rate were all pretty close to league average.

But the Angels decided to just move on instead, not tendering Sandoval a contract and sending him to free agency, which caught Sandoval off-guard. “I wasn’t expecting it at all,” he said. “I got a call like two minutes before the tender deadline. My agent had let me know that they decided not to tender me. I didn’t really know how to feel. I understood, me coming back from injury, they might not want to pay me that money to just sit and rehab for a year. And they have the right to do that.”

Though the Angels were apparently not keen on the idea of paying for Sandoval’s recovery, other teams were. “The whole free agent experience was insane,” Sandoval says. “You’re not expecting it. I’m thinking I still have two more years until I get that opportunity to choose which team I want to play for. The whole recruiting process or whatever you want to call it, it kind of brought me back to like the high school days of having colleges come and talk to you.”

Sandoval reportedly received some interest from the Phillies but ultimately signed with the Red Sox, a two-year deal that guarantees him $18.25MM, in the form of $5.5MM this year and $12.75MM next year. That’s likely a few million more than he would have made if the Angels just kept him around, so it seems to have worked out for the lefty, though it may have been initially disorienting.

The Red Sox seem to be going into 2025 with a number of wild cards on the pitching staff. Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck both had breakout seasons in 2024 but pushed their respective workloads to new heights. Walker Buehler came back from a lengthy surgery absence in 2024 but with middling results. Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks missed all of last year due to their own surgeries. Garrett Whitlock missed most of it for the same reason.

They figure to open the season with a rotation mix of Crochet, Houck, Buehler, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford. Giolito will jump in there, perhaps as soon as Opening Day, with Sandoval likely a few months behind him.

Pirates To Acquire Chase Shugart

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The Pirates are acquiring righty Chase Shugart from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league right-hander Matt McShane, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Boston designated Shugart for assignment earlier in the week. The Pirates will need to make a 40-man roster move of their own to finalize the swap.

Shugart, 28, made his big league debut with the BoSox last season and allowed four runs in 8 2/3 innings out of the ’pen. He averaged 96.1 mph on his heater in that brief cup of coffee. He’s pitched in parts of three Triple-A seasons, struggling in the first two before finding more success there in 2024: 4.46 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate, 44.4% grounder rate.

During his brief look in the majors, Shugart showed five pitches — a four-seamer, cutter, sinker, slider and changeup. He didn’t induce many whiffs in the majors but logged a solid 11.7% swinging-strike rate in Triple-A. Shugart has a pair of minor league options remaining, so he’ll provide the Bucs with some flexible bullpen depth.

McShane, 22, was the Pirates’ 13th-round draft pick just last summer. He’s yet to pitch in pro ball. McShane posted a 3.76 ERA in parts of three seasons as a reliever at St. Joseph’s University and also pitched in the Cape Cod League in each of the past two summers. The 6’4″, 220-pound righty has a strong pitcher’s frame but amounts to little more than a lottery ticket. Odds are that the Sox also liked him coming out of St. Joe’s and might’ve considered him with their own pick in the later stages of the 2024 draft. He’ll likely head to a Class-A affiliate to begin the 2025 season.

Red Sox, Jarren Duran Avoid Arbitration

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The Red Sox announced Friday that they’ve agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder Jarren Duran, avoiding arbitration. The BJB Group client reportedly receives a $3.85MM guarantee on a complex deal that also contains 2025 incentives and an $8MM club option for 2026 that can climb as high as $12MM based on escalators. Duran will be paid a $3.75MM salary, and the ’26 option comes with a $100K buyout.

Duran is already under club control through the 2028 season as a Super Two player. Even if the 2026 option is bought out — which would occur if the Red Sox feel his projected price in the arb process checked in south of the eventual option value — he would remain arbitration-eligible with the Sox for another three seasons. With Duran’s salary now locked in, the Red Sox have avoided arbitration hearings with their entire class (Duran, Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford).

In addition to his 2025 guarantee, Duran will earn $50K bonuses for reaching 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances. So long as he’s healthy, he should get the $4MM salary at which he filed. (The Red Sox had countered with a $3.5MM submission.)

As for the 2026 option, the base price will reportedly jump to $9MM if Duran finishes between 11th and 20th in AL MVP voting. (He finished eighth on the MVP ballot this past season.) It’ll be a $10MM option if he finishes between sixth and tenth, or an $11MM option if he lands second through fifth. If Duran is named the American League’s Most Valuable Player, the price of that option would jump to $12MM. If Duran is traded at any point between now and season’s end, the option would be eliminated and he’d receive a $100K assignment bonus from the acquiring team rather than the $100K buyout on said option.

Duran, who turned 28 in September, broke out with a monster 2024 showing this past season. In 735 trips to the plate, he logged a massive .285/.342/.492 batting line (129 wRC+) with 21 home runs, 48 doubles, 14 triples and 34 stolen bases (in 41 tries). The former top prospect walked at a career-best (but still below-average) 7.3% clip and slashed his strikeout rate to a lower-than-average 21.8%. For a player who punched out in 35.7% of his 112 plate appearances during 2021’s MLB debut, he’s made remarkable strides in his contact ability and swing decisions.

The Red Sox, like virtually every big league club, adopt the “file and trial” approach wherein they cut off negotiations on strict one-year deals after exchanging figures with a player. (The Cubs, notably, broke the near leaguewide file-and-trial approach to sign Kyle Tucker to a one-year deal yesterday.) The inclusion of a 2026 option on the contract, however, means that for arbitration purposes, Duran’s agreement is considered a multi-year deal. That option renders the Duran contract ineligible/inadmissible as a comp or data point in future negotiations (for the Sox and other teams) in one-year arbitration talks with other players.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com first reported Duran’s salary and option value. , bringing the total guarantee to $3.85MM. The 2026 option can climb as high as $12MM based on escalators tied to MVP voting and All-MLB honors, per Cotillo, Robert Murray of FanSided and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com added various financial details, while Alex Speier of the Boston Globe first reported the full breakdown of Duran’s option escalators.

Red Sox Sign Sean Newcomb To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox announced Friday that they’ve signed veteran lefty Sean Newcomb to a minor league deal and invited him to major league spring training. Newcomb is represented by Klutch Sports. Boston also confirmed previously reported minor league deals/non-roster invites for right-handers Austin Adams, Robert Stock and Noah Davis. (We’ve previously written on their deals for Adams, Davis and Stock.)

Newcomb, 31, is a former first-round pick (Angels, 2014) and top prospect. The Halos shipped him to the Braves as part of their trade to acquire Andrelton Simmons ahead of the 2016 season, and for a couple years, Newcomb looked as though he could be a fixture on Atlanta’s staff in spite of sub-par command. He started 49 games for the Braves in 2017-18, registering a solid 4.06 ERA with a 23.3% strikeout rate but an ugly 12% walk rate. Atlanta bumped him to the ’pen in 2019, and the results were even more intriguing: 68 1/3 innings, 3.16 ERA, 22.2% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate.

Over the next three seasons, Newcomb’s results tanked. He pitched just 73 2/3 innings in the majors and logged a brutal 7.45 ERA. His strikeout rate held at 22.9%, but Newcomb’s walk rate jumped to 14.7%. After plunking only 10 hitters and tossing 11 wild pitches in 332 1/3 frames from 2017-19, Newcomb hit five batters and tossed eight wild pitches over those 73 2/3 frames from 2020-22. He not only saw his ability to throw strikes diminish — he saw his precision within the zone erode as well; after yielding an average of 0.97 homers per nine innings in ’17-’19, Newcomb averaged 1.59 long balls per nine frames in 2020-22.

Newcomb has spent the past two seasons with the A’s, pitching well in 2023 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery and struggling in 2024 on the heels of that procedure. He’s pitched 25 MLB innings over the past two seasons and allowed a dozen runs (4.32 ERA) on 17 hits, 17 walks, three hit batters and 24 strikeouts. He’s been far better in the minors, notching a 3.12 ERA in Triple-A between the Giants and A’s in 2023-24. He’s punched out 30.1% of opponents but again shown poor command (14.2%) in those two Triple-A seasons (totaling 40 1/3 innings).

Boston already has Aroldis Chapman, Brennan Bernardino and Justin Wilson as left-handed options locked into manager Alex Cora’s bullpen. Southpaw Zach Penrod is also on the 40-man roster. He worked more as a starter in the minors last year, but his path to the majors in 2025 would likely be in the bullpen, with Lucas Giolito returning and new acquisitions Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler in the rotation.

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