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Red Sox Reinstate Steven Wright

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The Red Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Steven Wright from the restricted list. Wright had been serving an 80-game suspension following a failed PED test, but he’ll now join the Boston bullpen in place of righty Josh Smith, who has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Sox transferred Nathan Eovaldi from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot for Wright on the 40-man roster.

Wright, 34, was afforded a brief minor league tuneup in accordance with the suspension rules set forth in the JDA, and he pitched 9 2/3 innings with two runs allowed in Triple-A during that unpaid stint. He’ll return to the Sox in hopes of approximating the 2.68 ERA he posted in 53 2/3 innings last season. The knuckleballer’s averages of 7.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 weren’t nearly as impressive as that ERA, however, and Wright has been rather inconsistent on a year-to-year basis, making it tough to know what to expect from him moving forward.

Despite a lack of offseason additions, Boston relievers rank eighth in the Majors in ERA (3.96). seventh in FIP (4.07) and seventh in xFIP (4.17). The Boston ’pen currently paces the Majors in K/9 (10.7) and overall strikeout percentage (27.5 percent), and while Wright won’t help in that regard, he’ll be expected to strengthen the overall unit by deepening the mix and perhaps providing some stability in a long relief capacity.

Wright won’t be eligible for postseason play, should the Red Sox return to October baseball. He’ll turn 35 in August and is under team control through the 2020 season via the arbitration process. His 80-game ban ultimately cost him roughly $651K of this season’s $1.375MM salary.

Steven Wright Nearing Activation

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It’s “expected” the Red Sox will activate right-handed knuckleballer Steven Wright on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. Wright’s at the end of an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. The Red Sox will need to clear a 40-man roster spot for Wright upon his return.

The 34-year-old Wright, a one-time All-Star, has mostly worked as a starter dating back to his 2013 debut. He has logged a 4.00 ERA/4.45 FIP with 6.91 K/9 and 3.18 BB/9 in 263 innings out of Boston’s rotation. Although the Red Sox may now need a starter after Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez, it won’t be Wright. They’ll likely use him as a reliever, per Cotillo, as Wright’s also coming back from 2018 left knee surgery.

The Red Sox’s bullpen ranks an impressive fourth in the majors in ERA, fifth in FIP and ninth in K/BB ratio, but Wright still may be able to help the unit. Neither left-handed hitters nor righties have enjoyed a ton of success at Wright’s expense. Lefties have hit .237/.316/.359 off Wright, while righties have posted a .252/.321/.407 line against him.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/19/19

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Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500,  Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

  • The Red Sox announced the signing of second-round pick Matthew Lugo on Tuesday. The high school shortstop from Puerto Rico will receive $1.1MM, a fair amount more than the $929,800 slot value accompanying the 69th pick, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen ranked the 18-year-old Lugo as the 26th-best player available entering the draft, writing he has “50 or 55 tools across the board.”
  • The Marlins have agreed to sign fifth-round right-hander Evan Fitterer to a deal worth far more than slot value, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Fitterer will earn $1.5MM, even though his pick (No. 141) called for a bonus in the $390K range. Callis and Jonathan Mayo write that the 18-year-old high schooler from California “reminds some of a young Kyle Hendricks, perhaps with a bigger fastball, but with a similar feel to pitch.”

Red Sox Place Hector Velazquez On 10-Day IL

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The Red Sox announced that they have placed right-hander Hector Velazquez on the 10-day injured list. He’s dealing with a back strain after throwing four innings of relief last night’s marathon contest.

Righty Josh Smith is coming up to take the open roster spot. That’ll provide the Boston org with a fresh relief arm after burning through some pen pieces.

Velazquez had just been activated from a prior IL stint that cost him nearly three weeks of action. He currently carries a 5.59 ERA through 38 2/3 innings on the season.

Red Sox Release Carson Smith

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The Red Sox have released reliever Carson Smith, according to Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com (Twitter link). Smith had been working through a rehab program after re-signing with the organization on a minors deal.

Smith owns a shiny 2.21 career ERA over 102 MLB innings, but he hasn’t thrown even 25 of those frames since the start of the 2016 season. Elbow and shoulder woes put a halt to his promising career; he was outrighted off of the Boston 40-man at the end of the ’18 campaign.

When the Sox brought back Smith, the hope was that he’d be able to get back on track on the mound after building up to full health. Given that he has not yet been activated for competitive duties, it seems the first step is not yet completed.

East Notes: Syndergaard, Giles, Eovaldi, Herrera, Marlins

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The Mets are optimistic the right hamstring strain that sent starter Noah Syndergaard to the 10-day injured list Sunday isn’t serious, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com relays. Syndergaard said Monday he’s in “tip-top” shape, while manager Mickey Callaway announced the right-hander’s dealing with a “low-grade” strain. Additionally, Callaway suggested righty Wilmer Font could take Syndergaard’s next turn in New York’s rotation. The 29-year-old Font has managed a 4.43 ERA/5.25 FIP with 5.31 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9 in 20 1/3 innings since the Mets acquired him from the Rays on May 6.

Here’s more from the East Coast…

  • Blue Jays closer Ken Giles went to the IL on June 12 with right elbow inflammation, an ominous-sounding injury for a pitcher. However, the Blue Jays don’t expect him to stay on the IL past the 10-day mark, manager Charlie Montoyo said Monday (via Scott Mitchell of TSN). That’s especially good news for Toronto considering Giles could be one of the game’s top trade chips leading up to the July 31 deadline. The hard-throwing 28-year-old has upped his stock this season with a brilliant 1.08 ERA/1.18 FIP, 15.12 K/9 against 2.52 BB/9, and 11 saves on 12 chances across 25 innings.
  • Injured Red Sox righty Nathan Eovaldi played catch for the first time since June 4 on Monday, but there’s still no timetable for his return, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Eovaldi underwent right elbow surgery April 21. The hope then was that Eovaldi would only miss four to six weeks, but the bicep soreness he has dealt with this month has delayed a comeback.
  • Major League Baseball announced Monday it has extended Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera’s administrative leave through July 1. This is the second time MLB has taken this action since it originally placed him on leave May 28, a day after Herrera was arrested on a simple assault charge relating to a domestic violence incident. MLB previously extended Herrera’s leave through today back on June 3.
  • Marlins southpaw Caleb Smith could return from the IL as early as this weekend, Craig Mish of FNTSY Sports Radio tweets. Smith went to the IL with left hip inflammation June 7. He was a much-needed bright spot for the club before then, evidenced by a 3.41 ERA/4.21 FIP with 11.18 K/9 and 2.73 BB/9 over 66 frames.

Red Sox To Sign Chris Owings

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The Red Sox have inked a minors deal with infielder Chris Owings, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He’ll spend some time at extended spring training before heading to Triple-A.

Owings was released previously by the Royals. They’ll remain obligated to him for the $3MM promised over the winter, less any amount of the pro-rated minimum that he might earn in the majors for the rest of the season.

Signed in hopes he’d bounce back in K.C., Owings ended up falling deeper into a malaise at the plate. He ended up slashing a meager .133/.193/.222 in his 145 plate appearances. The Red Sox will see if they can help the versatile defender find a groove in hopes that he could be a second-half roster option at an affordable rate of pay.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/15/19

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Here’s a look at the game’s latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500, Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

Latest Signings

  • The Red Sox inked second-rounder Cameron Cannon, as per a team press release.  MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo first reported the Cannon signing earlier this week, and MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets that Cannon will receive a $1.3MM bonus, which is lower than the $1,729,800 slot price attached to the 43rd overall pick.  It should be noted that Cannon was Boston’s first pick of the 2019 draft, as their initial draft spot was dropped ten places as punishment for exceeding the luxury tax threshold by more than $40MM.  Fangraphs had the highest projection on Cannon, ranking him 48th on their list of draft’s top prospects and describing the high schooler as an “infielder with approach and strong bat-to-ball skills,” with a potential for more power if he changes his swing.
  • The Royals have a deal with second-round pick Brady McConnell, as per MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (Twitter link).  The 44th overall pick has a slot price of $1,689,500, though Kansas City went well over that figure in signing McConnell to a $2,222,450 bonus.  Ranked as the 39th-best prospect in the draft by MLB.com, their scouting report on McConnell citing his speed, contact ability, and “the chance for future average power.”  While McConnell was drafted as a shortstop, his future could be at second base or potentially even in center field.
  • Two teams made significant signings beyond the 10th round that will have hefty impacts on their draft bonus pools, as every post-10th round draft pick who signs for more than $125K will have the extra money counted against the pool.  The Braves signed 13th-round pick Tyler Owens to a $547.5K bonus, as per MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, while MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports that the Cardinals have signed 14th-rounder Tyler Statler to a $300K bonus.  Both Owens and Statler are right-handed pitchers out of high school, who had respectively committed to attend Florida and Southeast Missouri State.

Earlier Today

  • Pirates supplemental first-round pick Sammy Siani has signed an above-slot deal worth $2.15MM, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports. The recommended slot value for Siani’s pick (No. 37) was $1.99MM. Siani’s a Pennsylvania-based high school outfielder who may have “a little Andrew Benintendi in him,” per Callis and MLB.com colleague Jonathan Mayo, who give rave reviews to his left-handed swing.
  • Braves second-rounder Beau Philip (No. 60) has signed a below-slot deal for $700K, Mayo tweets. He’d have earned $1,157,400 at full value. Philip barely cracked MLB.com’s Top 200 entering the draft, coming in at No. 195. The Oregon State shortstop should be able to stay at the position, write Callis and Mayo, who laud his athleticism and bat speed.
  • The Indians have signed second-round choice Yordys Valdes for $1MM, according to Callis. The slot value for his pick, No. 63, was $1,076,300. Valdes is a switch-hitting, contact-making high school shortstop from Florida. Third-rounder Joe Naranjo – the 101st pick – also signed, but he landed an above-slot deal worth $770K ($577K slot). The California-based high school first baseman boasts “one of the best prep bats” in his draft class, Callis relays.
  • The Astros announced the signing of second-rounder Grae Kessinger, a shortstop from Ole Miss. The 68th overall pick, Kessinger received $750K – down from a $953K slot value. Kessinger may move into a second base/utility role in the pros, Callis and Mayo write. Houston also signed fourth-rounder Colin Barber to a deal worth well above slot, Callis relays. Barber, the 136th pick ($410K slot value), received $1MM. The California high schooler and former Oregon commit profiles as a hard-hitting right fielder, Callis writes.
  • Rangers fourth-rounder Cody Freeman (No. 115) has signed for $900K – significantly more than his $502K slot value – Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Freeman, yet another California high schooler, had committed to Baylor. Baseball America notes Freeman has “premium instincts” and offers a “well-rounded” package.

Red Sox Place Heath Hembree On IL

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The Red Sox announced this evening that reliever Heath Hembree is going on the 10-day injured list. He’s said to be dealing with a “right elbow extensor strain.”

It had been hoped that the injury wouldn’t force an IL stint, but evidently Hembree is going to need a bit of time on ice to let things heal up. Lefty Josh Taylor will take the open roster spot but won’t be able to step into Hembree’s important setup role.

Hembree has been a key stabilizing force in a Boston bullpen that has had some difficulties at times. He’s through 28 2/3 innings of 2.51 ERA ball thus far on the year.

While his peripherals don’t quite support those results, Hembree is a solid performer by most measures. He owns 11.0 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. Hembree’s swinging-strike rate sits at 14+% for the third-straight season. So long as he can keep the ball in the yard — the extreme flyball pitcher is allowing 1.26 per nine on a 9.5% HR/FB rate to this point — he ought to be a quality piece.

If Hembree just needs a brief respite, this doesn’t figure to pose much of a problem. The Red Sox can hope to have him back in short order, well in advance of what could be a tricky deadline period. But if his recovery drags, it’ll only add to the bullpen questions — and broader strategic dilemma — that the organization faces this summer.

Dave Dombrowski Discusses Boston’s Deadline Approach

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After winning a major league-best 108 regular-season games and a World Series in 2018, the Red Sox have come out somewhat flat this year. The club’s firmly in the playoff hunt again, but at a middling 36-34, it sits a game out of an American League wild-card spot. Still, in discussing the upcoming trade deadline with Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski predictably revealed a willingness to buy.

Boston’s “always open to improving” should “the right opportunity” come along, Dombrowski said. The two-time championship-winning executive added the team will take an “aggressive” approach if it remains in contention leading up to July 31. That’s unsurprising coming from Dombrowski, who has been active on the summer trade market during his time in Boston. Just a year ago, pre-deadline acquisitions in first baseman Steve Pearce and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi played instrumental roles in the Red Sox’s run to a title. The season prior, Dombrowski pulled in reliever Addison Reed and infielder Eduardo Nunez in July, and he picked up lefty Drew Pomeranz and infielder Aaron Hill in 2016.

Judging by Dombrowski’s Red Sox history, moves are likely to happen in the coming weeks. The team’s bullpen is one area many Red Sox fans hope Dombrowski upgrades, but he’s not panicking over the maligned unit.

“People keep asking that question and have been asking it,” he told Cotillo of his relief corps. “It’s amazing how many fans and reporters in almost every city in Major League Baseball ask that same question.”

Boston’s bullpen does rank in the majors’ top 10 in ERA, FIP and K/BB ratio, all of which supports Dombrowski’s belief that it’s not in dire shape. Marcus Walden, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree and Matt Barnes are among much-utilized Red Sox relievers who have posted respectable or better production in 2019. However, the team hasn’t found a full-time closer to take over for Craig Kimbrel, who officially said goodbye to Boston when he signed with the Cubs last week.

Additionally, the Red Sox are devoid of a lefty reliever at the moment, though the mending Brian Johnson could help in that regard when he returns from the injured list in the coming days. Johnson may end up in play for the Red Sox’s rotation, as could suspended knuckleballer Steven Wright when he comes back later this month. Their starting staff hasn’t gotten much production behind the established quartet of Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez. Eovaldi, Hector Velazquez, Ryan Weber, Josh Smith and Darwinzon Hernandez have fallen flat across a combined 17 starts.

While Eovaldi’s a strong bet to reclaim the remaining spot in Boston’s starting staff when he comes off the IL, it’s up in the air when that will happen. Out since undergoing elbow surgery in late April, Eovaldi suffered a setback in his bicep last weekend. His arm problems could help inform Dombrowski’s deadline plans and persuade the exec to add another legit starter capable of aiding in the club’s playoff push. At the very least, the Red Sox look like candidates to increase their starting depth before the end of July.

Of course, in Boston’s case, the luxury tax is worth keeping in mind as it gears up to potentially add outside help. According to Jason Martinez of Roster Resource, the Red Sox’s luxury tax payroll currently checks in at more than $251MM, which puts them on pace to exceed the league’s highest threshold ($246MM). If that occurs, the Sox will have to pay a 75 percent surtax for every dollar spent over the limit. They’ll also see their top 2020 draft pick fall 10 spots. The franchise ran a $239MM luxury tax payroll in 2018, which cost it $11.95MM in taxes and 10 spots on its first selection in this month’s draft.

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