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Adam Duvall

Craig Breslow Discusses Red Sox’s Outfield, Rotation

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The Red Sox are open to adding another right-handed hitter to their outfield mix, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow tells Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. To that end, Abraham reports that Boston remains in contact with free agent outfielder Adam Duvall’s camp.

Duvall had a solid, if volatile, 2023 season. Signed to a one-year, $7MM contract over the offseason, he was arguably the best hitter in MLB for the first couple weeks. Duvall ran a .455/.514/1.030 line over his first 37 plate appearances before fracturing a bone in his left wrist while diving for a fly ball. The injury cost him two months.

He was mired in an extended slump upon coming off the injured list, limping to a .175/.253/.313 showing through the All-Star Break. Duvall found his stride again coming out of the Break, raking at a .293/.349/.654 clip through the end of August. The year ended on a dismal note, as he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances while hitting .149/.177/.324 from September 1 on.

Despite the extreme peaks and valleys, Duvall’s overall offensive production was well better than average. He hit 21 homers with a .247/.303/.531 slash in 353 plate appearances. Boston’s decision to give him nearly 500 innings in center field predictably didn’t work out well, as he rated between three and five runs below average by Statcast and Defensive Runs Saved. Duvall has been a plus defender in left field throughout the course of his career though. Between the strong corner outfield defense and 30-homer upside, he’s a valuable player despite high strikeout totals and subpar on-base marks.

The Angels are the only other team that has been publicly linked to Duvall this offseason. At age 35, it seems likely he’ll sign another one-year pact, although there’s an outside chance he lands a second guaranteed season.

Breslow wasn’t with the Sox when they signed Duvall last January. Yet the front office has sought right-handed power in the outfield throughout his first offseason at the helm. Boston already swung a trade for Tyler O’Neill. They were linked to Teoscar Hernández before he signed a one-year, $23.5MM pillow contract with the Dodgers. Duvall would be significantly cheaper.

Even as the Sox pursued Hernández, they’d pointed to the rotation as their biggest priority. Boston took a rebound flier on Lucas Giolito. Not long thereafter, they subtracted Chris Sale in the trade to add Vaughn Grissom from the Braves. While Giolito seems a safer bet than Sale to log a full workload, the pair of moves leaves the Sox with the same number of starters they had at the beginning of the winter.

Breslow told Abraham the current rotation consists of four pitchers: Giolito, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta. That’d leave Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski competing for the final spot. Offseason acquisitions Cooper Criswell and Max Castillo are among the depth options on the 40-man roster.

Of course, that’s not necessarily the mix they’ll take to Spring Training. Breslow conceded their efforts to add rotation help have thus far “been a challenge” but said they’re “still engaged in conversations with free agents and teams via trade.” The Sox have been loosely tied to top arms Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery (more so the latter) during the offseason, but more recent reports indicated they were looking at the next tiers down. With mid-level arms like Shota Imanaga and Marcus Stroman recently coming off the board, the free agent supply is dwindling beyond Snell and Montgomery.

That hints at payroll questions that have hung over the offseason. The Sox opened the 2023 season with a player payroll in the $181MM range, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. That ranked 12th in the majors, their first time outside the top 10 this century. Roster Resource projects their 2024 payroll in a similar range, a little under $178MM. They’re almost $40MM away from next year’s base luxury tax threshold.

An offseason headlined by Giolito and trade pickups of Grissom and O’Neill presumably isn’t what many in the fanbase envisioned. That’s especially true after team chairman Tom Werner vowed in early November the organization would go “full throttle” to put their two straight last place finishes behind them.

Werner walked that phrasing back in a conversation with Sean McAdam of MassLive this afternoon. “Maybe that wasn’t the most artful way of saying what I wanted to say, which is that we’re going to be pressing all levers to improve the team,” he said. “In the end, nobody’s happy with our performance the last few years. Some years, we go after somebody who is about to be a free agent, or was a free agent, as it pertains to Trevor Story or Raffy Devers.”

After noting the organization made an unsuccessful run at Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Werner added the Sox “certainly aren’t happy with the current roster as it was at the end of last year, so if I was going to say it again, I would say that we’re going to be pressing all levers and weren’t going to be happy with just one (method) — that includes free agency, trades or talent from Triple and Double A. … In the end, we don’t have a line in terms of our payroll that we look at as much as trusting that Craig is going to deliver on his assurance that we’re going to be competitive.“

Angels, Padres, Pirates Interested In Michael A. Taylor

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Free agent center fielder Michael A. Taylor is drawing interest from the Angels, Padres and Pirates, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Murray adds that the Halos are also considering Adam Duvall as a free agent outfield target.

Taylor should have the broader market of the two veterans. His ability to play an excellent center field makes him a strong fit on a number of teams. He could operate as a glove-first regular for clubs without a strong in-house option in center or serve as a high-end fourth outfield target for others. The Dodgers, Reds, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Mets have also been linked to Taylor earlier in the offseason. Toronto and New York subsequently signed Kevin Kiermaier and Harrison Bader, respectively, likely taking them out of the mix.

Boston acquired Tyler O’Neill as a right-handed hitter with the ability to play anywhere in the outfield. That could reduce their urgency on Taylor, but Murray suggests they’re still involved. He adds that a return to the Twins, with whom Taylor spent the 2023 campaign, also remains a possibility.

For teams that aren’t going to entertain a run at Cody Bellinger, Taylor is the top center fielder on the open market. He remains a high-end defender even as he enters his age-33 season. Taylor has been a below-average hitter for the bulk of his career, but he’s coming off one of his better offensive showings. He popped a career-best 21 home runs in just 388 plate appearances. Taylor still struck out in more than a third of his plate appearances and hit .220 with a meager .278 on-base percentage. Yet the defense and the ability to run into 15-20 homers while hitting in the bottom third of a lineup makes him a serviceable regular.

The Angels have a projected outfield of Taylor Ward, Mike Trout and Mickey Moniak. Ward missed the final couple months of last year after sustaining facial fractures on a frightening hit-by-pitch. Trout hasn’t reached 120 games or 500 plate appearances in a season since 2019 because of various injuries. Moniak posted solid bottom line results last year, hitting .280/.307/.495 through 323 plate appearances. However, that came with a 35% strikeout rate and a 2% walk percentage that are even worse than Taylor’s career baselines.

Moniak is a clear regression candidate who is better suited in a fourth outfield capacity. Even if the Halos are optimistic about his ability to produce against right-handed pitching, the former #1 overall pick has a .172/.200/.230 slash in 91 career plate appearances versus lefties. The righty-hitting Taylor has been better against southpaws than against right-handed pitching, as one would expect. Since the start of 2020, he’s a .257/.317/.455 hitter with the platoon advantage.

Duvall also hits from the right side. While he has had reverse platoon splits in recent years, he’s a better overall offensive player than either Moniak or Taylor — albeit with a similar low-OBP, power profile. He hit 21 homers in 353 plate appearances for the Red Sox last season, running a .247/.303/.531 slash. Duvall can play some center field but is better suited for a corner spot entering his age-35 season.

As for the other clubs recently linked to Taylor, each of Pittsburgh, San Diego and Minnesota are viable fits. The Padres need to bring in multiple outfielders after trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. They’d seemingly prefer to keep Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field rather than moving him up the middle. José Azocar (a career .249/.292/.341 hitter) and prospect Jakob Marsee are the top internal options in a center field position that requires an outside pickup.

Minnesota leaned heavily on Taylor last year as knee injuries kept Byron Buxton to designated hitter. While the Twins have expressed hope that Buxton could handle outfield work again in 2024, they can’t count on him to make 120+ starts at the position.

The Pirates could turn center field back to Jack Suwinski, although public metrics were mixed on his defensive performance. Bryan Reynolds can handle center on occasions but fits best in left. Right field is a question mark, with trade pickup Edward Olivares likely battling Joshua Palacios for work. Andrew McCutchen will see the majority of his time at designated hitter while rotating through the corners. Signing Taylor could allow the Bucs to kick Suwinski to right field and boast a strong defensive outfield.

Kiermaier and Bader each signed one-year pacts worth $10.5MM. Taylor could be in line for something similar, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if he landed a two-year deal at a lower annual value but a slightly better overall guarantee.

Phillies Interested In Adam Duvall

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The Phillies are scouting Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall, reports Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. That would align with Philadelphia’s reported interest in adding a right-handed bat.

Duvall, 34, signed with the Sox in January to help them cover center field. His deal came with a $7MM guarantee and incentives based on plate appearances. With shortstop Trevor Story having undergone elbow surgery, their plan was to move Enrique Hernández from center to shortstop, with Duvall and Raimel Tapia brought aboard to help out in center.

Through eight games, Duvall had apparently activated god mode, hitting .455/.514/1.030. Unfortunately, he then suffered a fractured wrist and wasn’t able to return until June. Since then, he’s hit a far more earthly .211/.279/.395. That’s been a running theme for Duvall, who has occasionally looked great at the plate but has also been held back by injuries. He hit 38 home runs in 2021 but then followed that up with diminished results last year while missing roughly half the season due to wrist surgery.

But the fact that the Phils are interested is sensible. As mentioned, they are looking for a right-handed bat, which would be a good fit for their lineup. They have many lefties getting regular action, with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh and Jake Cave all hitting from that side. Adding another right-handed bat into the mix could allow the club to shield some in that group from lefties on occasion, either by platooning or pinch-hitting.

From the Red Sox’ perspective, they aren’t under any obligation to trade Duvall. He is an impending free agent, but they are in the thick of a postseason race, 2.5 games behind the Blue Jays and Astros for a Wild Card spot. It was reported yesterday that the club has no interest in trading Justin Turner, who is also likely to hit free agency this fall by declining a player option. The Sox could take the same approach with Duvall and simply hold him for their playoff push.

But there’s also a case for cashing him in, if they get a compelling offer. While Duvall was on the injured list, Jarren Duran seemingly cemented himself as a viable major leaguer in center. The 26-year-old struggled in his first tastes of major league pitching but has broken out with a .311/.363/.500 showing this year, stealing 21 bases to boot with roughly average defense. Alongside Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo, the Sox could consider themselves set in the outfield.

All three of those guys hit from the left side, so perhaps Boston could still utilize Duvall as a right-handed complement to them. But they already have Rob Refsnyder on the roster for essentially the same reason. He’s hit .358/.475/.457 against southpaws this year and .276/.381/.390 in his career. He and the club already agreed to a contract for 2024 with a club option for 2025. Each of Yoshida, Duran and Verdugo are either under contract or club control next year as well.

Perhaps the Sox would consider moving on from Duvall and rolling with that group as its outfield mix, maybe exchanging him for pitching or a prospect. It’s unclear if the Sox have interest in that but they have already reportedly received interest from Atlanta and now Philadelphia as well. If the Phillies can’t get a deal done on Duvall, other options include Tommy Pham and Randal Grichuk. The trade deadline is August 1.

Braves Reportedly Interested In Adam Duvall

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After two previous stints with the Braves, Adam Duvall looks to be on the club’s radar again, as MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam writes that “the Braves are said to have some interest in yet another reunion with” the veteran outfielder.  Duvall would be a rental pickup, as his one-year, $7MM deal with the Red Sox is up at the end of the season.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Sox will even part ways with Duvall, as Boston is itself in a playoff chase.  The right-handed hitting Duvall has some obvious utility for the Red Sox given that he can at least passably play any of the three outfield positions, and Boston’s starting three outfielders (Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, and Alex Verdugo) are all left-handed bats.  Theoretically, Enrique Hernandez could move from the infield back into an outfield role if Duvall was moved, though Hernandez has been struggling through a rough year at the plate and could be a trade candidate himself at the deadline.

That wouldn’t stop the Braves from at least asking about Duvall, and some potential exists for Atlanta and Boston to line up on a deal that would address mutual needs on the big league roster.  Both clubs are looking for pitching, but as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman notes, the Braves might have something of a bullpen surplus once all of their relievers start to return from the injured list.  Speculatively, one of those Atlanta relievers might be of interest to the Red Sox, even if Boston needs rotation help more directly than another bullpen arm.

Since the Red Sox operated in both a buying and selling capacity at last year’s trade deadline, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom could explore a similar strategy this year, even though the Sox are in a better position to contend than the 2022 group.  The Braves are obviously aiming to win now, and given the past creativity of president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, any number of trade scenarios could exist between Atlanta and Boston.

Duvall is hitting .257/.320/.515 with seven home runs over 153 plate appearances this season, though a lot of that production came within an absurdly hot start.  Duvall had a 1.544 OPS and four homers in his first 37 PA, before a wrist fracture sidelined him for two months.  Upon his return, Duvall’s bat has been much quieter, with only a .194/.259/.350 slash line over his last 116 PA.  He has started to hit a little better in the last couple of weeks, and a trade (particularly to a familiar location like Atlanta) might further spark Duvall’s offense.

If a trade did happen, it would mark the fourth time in Duvall’s career that he has been traded at the deadline, with two of those prior swaps sending him to the Braves.  The Giants dealt Duvall to the Reds in July 2015, Cincinnati moved Duvall to the Braves in July 2018, and Atlanta picked him up yet again in a deal with the Marlins in July 2021.  The latter move is the most notable, as Duvall hit well for a Braves team that went on to capture the World Series.

Duvall would provide depth throughout Atlanta’s outfield, and would most likely pair with Eddie Rosario in a platoon in left field.  Both Rosario and Duvall are having some uncharacteristic reverse-splits seasons, so while it might end up being an unusual bizarro platoon, left field is Duvall’s easiest path to playing time since Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II are entrenched in right and center field.  The left-handed hitting Harris might also be a platoon possibility, but Harris has been so hot at the plate over the last six weeks that the Braves likely want to keep him in the lineup as often as possible.

AL East Notes: Duvall, McClanahan, Givens

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Speculation has begun to swirl around Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall as a potential trade chip for the club this summer. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe notes that rival executives think that Boston is play Duvall virtually every day despite the success of Jarren Duran in center field earlier this season in hopes that the 34-year-old slugger will catch fire and become a tradable asset ahead of the deadline on August 1. Meanwhile, MassLive’s Sean McAdam echoes the sentiment that Chaim Bloom’s front office could look to move Duvall, noting that starting pitching, left-handed relief, and middle infield help are among the weaknesses the Red Sox could look to patch up in return for Duvall’s services.

Duvall got off to one of the hottest starts to open the season across the league, slashing an incredible .455/.514/1.030 in eight games for the Red Sox prior to being sidelined with a fractured left wrist. He returned to action earlier this month, but has struggled in 13 games since returning from the IL with a slash line of just .146/.255/.268 in that time. Of course, both Duvall’s performance before and after the injury are incredibly small sample sizes, and the slugger has less than 100 plate appearances total on the season, meaning there’s still plenty of time for his numbers to stabilize one way or another as Boston weighs its options regarding their veteran outfielder.

More from around the AL East…

  • Rays fans can breathe a sigh of relief regarding ace Shane McClanahan today, as Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the young lefty woke up “in a good spot” Friday morning after exiting Thursday’s start with mid-back tightness. Still, Ackert notes that the club is exercising caution with its prized left-hander, and considering utilizing Monday’s off-day to push his next start back until next weekend against the Mariners in Seattle. Ackert adds that McClanahan was not sent for imaging and has continued his usual routine between starts. That McClanahan seems to be healthy is great news for the Rays, as the 26-year-old lefty has put himself squarely in the midst of the AL Cy Young award discussion with an MLB-leading 2.23 ERA in 93 innings of work this season.
  • Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens was scratched from his planned rehab appearance at Triple-A tomorrow, as noted by Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun. Instead, Givens is set to return to Baltimore for an evaluation. Further details about the evaluation are limited, though it certainly seems to be an ominous sign for the right-hander, who’s been on the shelf with shoulder inflammation since the beginning of the month and had the start to his 2023 campaign delayed by knee inflammation. While Givens has been limited to just four innings of work by those injuries, the Orioles bullpen has nonetheless excelled thanks to the emergence of Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano as perhaps the best relief duo in baseball this season. [UPDATE: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters that Givens has some soreness in his throwing shoulder but there is a relatively “low level” of concern about a serious setback.]

Red Sox Transfer Chris Sale To 60-Day Injured List

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The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves today, some of which were previously reported, though some were new developments. Outfielder Adam Duvall has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list while left-hander Joe Jacques has had his contract selected. To open two active roster spots, lefty Matt Dermody has been designated for assignment while infielder Enmanuel Valdéz was optioned to Triple-A. To open one more 40-man roster spot, lefty Chris Sale has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. The Sox informed reporters, including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, that Sale has a stress reaction in his shoulder blade. He won’t require surgery but he will be shut down for three to four weeks before being reevaluated.

Sale, 34, was once one of the most dominant pitchers in the league but he has been severely held back by injuries in recent years. He averaged over 200 innings per season from 2012 to 2017 but was held to roughly 150 per year in the two following seasons. He made trips to the injured list in 2018 due to shoulder inflammation then dealt with elbow inflammation the following year. He ultimately required Tommy John surgery in March of 2020, causing him to miss that entire season.

He returned late in 2021 and was able to make nine starts that year. It was hoped he would be set for a return to full-time work in 2022 but he dealt with a stress reaction in his ribs that kept him out until July. He was hit by a comebacker in his second start, fracturing a finger. While on the injured list again, he broke his wrist in a bicycle accident that ended his season.

Here in 2023, it was again hoped that he could perhaps return to a regular starting role. That was the case for a while, as he made 11 starts with a 4.58 ERA, but he landed on the injured list again on June 2 due to shoulder inflammation. He’ll now be ineligible to return until August, though even that seems contingent on a bit of luck in the health department. The aforementioned shutdown period will keep him out of action for most of the rest of June. Even if he’s healthy after that, he’ll need most of July to build back up and go on a rehab assignment.

In the short term, the Red Sox will be figuring out how to proceed without Sale. They have recently been running out a group with veteran James Paxton alongside younger pitchers like Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford, while struggles from Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta got both of those guys pushed into the bullpen.

In the long-term, the Sox will have to wonder what they can expect from Sale going forward. He is playing this year on a salary of $27.5MM and will make that same figure next year as part of the extension he and the club signed going into 2019. There’s also a $20MM club option for 2025 with no buyout. Due to his carousel of injuries, he’s pitched just over 100 innings since the end of the 2019 campaign.

Red Sox To Designate Matt Dermody For Assignment

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The Red Sox are designating left-hander Matt Dermody for assignment, manager Alex Cora told the team’s beat (including Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe). The move clears active and 40-man roster spots. That’s likely to go to outfielder Adam Duvall, as Pete Abraham of the Globe tweeted this afternoon that Duvall was expected to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list before tomorrow’s game against the Yankees.

Dermody was just selected onto the big league roster a few hours ago. He took the ball tonight against the Guardians, allowing three runs (all driven in on a pair of José Ramírez homers) across four innings. Knowing Duvall would be back on Thursday, it seems likely the Boston front office always viewed this as a one-off start for Dermody, which represented the first of his major league career.

The 32-year-old southpaw had spent the season in Triple-A Worcester after signing a minor league deal over the winter. He’d pitched reasonably well for the WooSox, working to a 4.50 ERA across 44 innings. He fanned just under a quarter of opponents, had a decent 45.3% grounder rate and kept his walk percentage to a stingy 4.7% clip.

Dermody has always had strong control but generally worked as a low-strikeout grounder specialist. The Iowa product has been a reliever for the bulk of his career, only moving to the rotation in Triple-A for the Cubs last year. He entered play tonight with a 5.60 ERA through 27 1/3 major league innings over 30 relief outings.

The Sox will have a week to trade Dermody or put him on waivers. The latter is the likelier course of action. Were he go to unclaimed, he’d have the right to test minor league free agency because he’s been outrighted before in his career.

Duvall will make his return to the Boston outfield when first eligible, 60 days from his initial IL placement. The offseason signee opened the season as the Sox’s center fielder after signing a $7MM free agent deal. He got off to an incredible start, blasting 10 extra-base hits (four homers, five doubles and a triple) in his first eight games. Those scorching two weeks were cut unceremoniously short when he suffered a fracture in his left wrist while diving for a ball in the outfield.

Boston has used Jarren Duran as the primary center fielder of late. The former top prospect has a solid .278/.335/.432 line through 179 plate appearances. He’s cooled significantly after a roaring start, though, hitting only .236/.292/.371 while striking out a third of the time since the calendar flipped to May.

Boston has gotten excellent corner outfield work out of Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo, so Duran figures to be pushed into a fourth outfield role, joining the righty-swinging Rob Refsnyder as an option off the bench. Cora held Verdugo out of today’s game in response to what the manager cited as a lack of hustle during Wednesday’s contest, as noted by Ian Browne of MLB.com. However, Cora indicated Verdugo’s discipline would be limited to one game and he’d be back in the lineup for Friday’s series opener in the Bronx.

Quick Hits: Castro, Kiermaier, Velasquez, Duvall, Chang

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The Mets and Red Sox each “pushed hard” to sign Willi Castro this past offseason, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North reports (Twitter link), but the utilityman chose to sign a minor league deal with the Twins.  The move has nicely paid off for both the player and the team, as Castro has hit .258/.324/.452 over 103 plate appearances for Minnesota, with two of his four home runs coming in today’s win over the Blue Jays.  Castro’s versatility has also been a boost to an injury-riddled Twins club, as he has seen action as a shortstop, second baseman, third baseman, and in all three outfield positions.

More from around the baseball world as we wrap up a busy Saturday…

  • Vince Velasquez was activated from the 15-day injured list earlier today, but the Pirates right-hander allowed four runs in two innings before being removed from the game due to discomfort in his right elbow.  Velasquez had previously been sidelined by inflammation in that same elbow, and while he is being examined by doctors, it would seem likely that he might be headed back to the IL.  If Velasquez is again out of action, it would continue Roansy Contreras’ time as a starter, since Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported earlier today that Contreras could be headed into a relief role.
  • Kevin Kiermaier made an early exit from today’s Twins/Blue Jays game due to some lower back discomfort.  Toronto manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and other reporters that Kiermaier was feeling sore after a pair of throws, and “with how important he is to us, we wanted to be safe and make sure we didn’t make it worse.”  Kiermaier will receive further examination and is day-to-day for now.  In his first season with the Jays, Kiermaier has been outstanding, hitting .319/.366/.511 over 154 PA while delivering his usual high-level defense in center field.  Given Kiermaier’s long injury history, it makes sense why the Blue Jays would err on the side of caution, and it’s probably safe to assume that Kiermaier won’t play Sunday since Toronto also has a Monday off-day for additional rest.
  • The Red Sox told reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe) that Adam Duvall is set to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday.  Duvall was sidelined by a fracture in his left wrist, and a subsequent move to the 60-day IL means that June 9 is the outfielder’s earliest possible return date.  Duvall was off to a huge start prior to his injury, posting a 1.544 OPS in his first 37 PA of the season.  While Duvall is on the road to recovery, Yu Chang’s rehab assignment has been paused due to some soreness in his left hand while swinging.  Chang has missed just over a month due to hamate bone surgery, and his setback isn’t expected to delay his rehab work by any more than a few days, pending further examination.

Red Sox Acquire Zack Littell, Select Him Onto MLB Roster

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TODAY: As expected, the Red Sox selected Littell’s contract and he is now part of their active roster. In corresponding moves, Ort was optioned to Triple-A and Adam Duvall was shifted to the 60-day injured list. Duvall was placed on the 10-day IL just under four weeks ago due to a fractured wrist, and since it will still be a couple of weeks before Duvall is even able to start swinging, his move to the 60-day IL opens up a 40-man roster spot for Boston.

MAY 5, 11:38pm: Littell’s contract with the Rangers contained an upward mobility clause requiring the Rangers to trade him or promote him to the majors if another club was willing to add him to the MLB roster, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The Red Sox expressed a willingness to do so, leading to the trade. While Littell was initially assigned to Triple-A Worcester, he’s expected to be formally promoted to the major league roster shortly.

5:30pm: The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Zack Littell from the Rangers, reports Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, with cash considerations going the other way. Littell wasn’t on the club’s 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves will be necessary.

Littell, 27, was with the Giants the past two years but was outrighted off their roster at the end of last season and elected free agency. He signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in the winter and had been pitching well in Triple-A. Through 12 innings for the Round Rock Express, he had a 2.25 ERA, striking out 33.3% of opponents against a tiny walk rate of 4.2%.

That’s a stronger performance than he’s managed in the big leagues recently. With San Francisco in 2021 and 2022, he tossed 106 innings with a 3.82 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. It seems the Red Sox were encouraged enough by the small sample improvements to take a shot on him, while the Rangers were seemingly content to let him go and pocket some cash.

Littell is out of options, meaning that he’d have to stick in the big leagues if he gets back there, or else be designated for assignment. But in the event he does back to the bigs and sticks, he could be retained for future seasons. He came into this season with three years and 67 days of service time, meaning he could get to the four-year mark in 2023 if called up soon. Even in that case, he’d have a couple more arb years before getting to the six-year mark and automatic free agency, though a delayed call-up could push that back.

The Sox have dealt with a handful of injuries to their relief corps this year, as Zack Kelly, Joely Rodríguez and Wyatt Mills are all on the injured list. Right-hander Kutter Crawford joined them today when the Sox put him on the IL with a left hamstring strain, recalling righty Kaleb Ort to take his place. Littell will give the club a bit of extra non-roster depth and try to work his way back to the majors.

Red Sox Notes: Duvall, Bello, Paxton

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Adam Duvall’s hot start to the season was cruelly halted when he sustained a distal radius fracture in his left wrist. There was relief initially that Duvall wouldn’t require surgery, but it still appears it’ll be a lengthy recovery time, with Duvall telling Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that he won’t be able to swing the bat for six weeks.

“[It’s] maybe six weeks before I can swing again. I’m going to keep running and keep throwing to stay in shape,” Duvall said.

It’s still hard to pinpoint exactly when Duvall might be ready to return to action, but certainly six weeks plus time to build back up again would suggest a return well into the summer. Duvall, a lifetime .233/.292/.472 hitter, went 15-for-33 over his first eight games of the season, slugging four home runs while manning center field for the Red Sox.

It’s a much shorter timeline for starter Brayan Bello to return to the team. The youngster is slated to return on Monday against Shohei Ohtani and the Angels on Boston Marathon day, per Speier. Bello was slowed this spring discomfort in his elbow. Such discomfort is usually hugely alarming in a young pitcher, but it seems it was in fact minor and Bello will only miss the first few weeks of the season.

Bello worked to a 4.71 ERA over 57 1/3 innings last year with a 20.5% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. Bello was tagged for a .404 opponent BABIP, which suggests he might expect to be a little more fortunate in that department over a larger sample size, and indeed his FIP sat at 2.94.

It’ll be intriguing to see how Boston’s rotation shapes up over the next few weeks. Bello’s return will likely be followed by veteran James Paxton, who made another minor league rehab start as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. According to Speier, manager Alex Cora expects Paxton to make at least one more rehab start, but it seemingly won’t be long before he too can be activated from the IL.

Since 2020, Paxton has made just six starts for the Yankees and Mariners, getting tagged for a 6.65 ERA in that small number as he battled injury. He signed with the Red Sox last season, but Tommy John recovery and a lat strain prevented him from ever taking to the mound. He exercised a $4MM player option ahead of the 2023 campaign, but the hamstring injury sustained in spring training delayed his debut.

When he does return the Red Sox will have some decisions to make in their rotation. Chris Sale and Corey Kluber likely aren’t going anywhere, which would leave Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock as the options to be forced out. The Sox seemed determined to give Whitlock a shot at becoming a starter, but if he struggles he might be an easy option to return to a relief role where he found tremendous success. Of course, given the injury history of a number of Boston’s starters, it’s possible all of this just figures itself out or they opt to go with a larger rotation to reduce the workload on their arms.

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