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Red Sox Hire Anthony Iapoce As Senior Hitting Coordinator

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The Red Sox announced their minor league coaching staffs and some changes in player development this afternoon. Most notably, the club has brought aboard Anthony Iapoce as senior hitting coordinator.

Iapoce has spent the past six years as a big league hitting coach. He worked in that capacity with the Rangers from 2016-18 before assuming the same role with the Cubs. The 48-year-old spent the next three seasons on Chicago’s North Side, but his contract was not renewed at the end of last season.

The Cubs had a middle-of-the-pack offense during Iapoce’s tenure. Chicago’s 101 team wRC+ between 2019-21 (excluding pitchers) checked in 16th of the league’s 30 clubs. They were 18th in that category (98 wRC+) last season, although Iapoce and the rest of the coaching staff obviously had to navigate the trade deadline departures of a few of the franchise’s most recognizable and productive players.

Boston also announced the hiring of longtime big league infielder Chad Tracy as the manager of their Triple-A affiliate in Worcester. The 41-year-old had spent the past seven seasons with the Angels, working both as a skipper in the low minors and as the club’s minor league field coordinator.

Chad Tracy Retires

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Veteran infielder Chad Tracy is retiring, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports. The Angels had released him this spring.

Tracy played parts of nine seasons in the big leagues, including 2013, when he hit .202/.243/.326 in 136 plate appearances with the Nationals. Tracy finishes his career with a .274/.333/.439 line in 2,988 plate appearances. In addition to the Nats, he also played for the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Marlins. He hit 27 homers with Arizona in 2005, then 20 more the following season.

Carlos Pena, Chad Tracy Granted Release

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The Angels announced that Carlos Pena and Chad Tracy have been granted their unconditional release.  Earlier today, Yorvit Torrealba opted out of his deal to become a free agent rather than stay with the Halos.  Today was the deadline for the club to add all three to the 40-man roster.

Pena, a 13-year MLB veteran, was an everyday player until last season.  Spending most of 2013 with the Astros, Pena slashed .207/.321/.346 in 328 plate appearances.  As that line would indicate, Pena has hung his hat on his ability to get on base via the walk, which he has done at about twice the league-average rate throughout his career.  Once a major power threat – he hit 172 home runs between 2007 and 2011 – Pena's HR/FB rate has dropped from a peak of 29.1% down to around the 15% level in recent seasons.  Pena, who signed with the Angels in late January, does not plan on retiring because "I love the way it feels when you square up a ball, when you make a good play in the field" (per MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez on Twitter).

Even though Tracy batted just .202/.243/.326 in 136 plate appearances with the Nationals in a pinch-hitting role last season, he batted .269/.343/.441 in a similar role in 2012.  Tracy broke through with an outstanding sophomore campaign with the Diamondbacks in 2005 when he belted 27 homers and slashed .308/.359/.553.  However, he's been unable to replicate that form in his subsequent big league seasons.

Angels To Sign Chad Tracy

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The Angels have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran corner infielder Chad Tracy, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Tracy, a client of Octagon, receives an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

There was some confusion earlier today, as the Orioles agreed to a minor league deal with the veteran minor leaguer of the same name (that Tracy happens to be the son of former Rockies and Dodgers manager Jim Tracy).

In Tracy, the Angels have added a potential bench bat with nine seasons of Major League experience under his belt. Though he batted just .202/.243/.326 in 136 plate appearances with the Nationals in a pinch-hitting role last season, he batted .269/.343/.441 in a similar role in 2012. Tracy broke through with an outstanding sophomore campaign with the Diamondbacks in 2005 when he belted 27 homers and slashed .308/.359/.553. However, he's been unable to replicate that form in his subsequent big league seasons.

The Angels have brought in several notable MLB veterans recently, as they also added outfielder Brennan Boesch and first baseman Carlos Pena on minor league contracts yesterday.

Nationals Notes: Detwiler, Peavy, Rizzo

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Nationals starter Ross Detwiler's lingering lower back strain could lead the Nats to acquire a starting pitcher before the deadline, according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post, who says some rival executives have expected the team to try to acquire a starter since Detwiler hit the DL early this month. The White Sox's Jake Peavy could be a potential target, some close to the club say, as the righty is under control beyond 2013 and GM Mike Rizzo tends to avoid trading prospects for only a few months of a player's services.  Some more Saturday evening Nationals links:

  • Johnson confirmed that the club isn't interested in a rental, tweets Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com (link). Rizzo also adds that he plans to monitor Detwiler's progress for awhile longer before deciding on whether the Nats need to make a move. “If Detwiler is healthy, that helps me make any and all decisions we have to make," he said. 
  • Rizzo has no plans to acquire a replacement for struggling left-handed bench bat Chad Tracy via trade, Kilgore Tweets. "Tracy is a good left-handed pinch hitter," Rizzo said. "Theres no doubt about that."
  • In an article for MASNSports.com, Dan Kolko suggests that Rizzo should try to put together a deal for a left-handed version of Scott Hairston, whom the Nats acquired from the Cubs earlier this month. Tracy's .149/.187/.276 line represents a significant drop from his production in 2012, when he hit .269/.343/.441 off the bench and provided the team with several big hits. "I'm a veteran guy, I've been through it before," Tracy said of his struggles. "I should be able to make the adjustment and I just haven't done it."

Nationals Extend Chad Tracy

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SATURDAY: The deal will pay Tracy $1MM next season according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post (on Twitter). It also includes bonuses for playing time and award finishes.

FRIDAY: The Nationals have agreed to a contract extension with Chad Tracy, manager Davey Johnson told reporters, including Amanda Comak of the Washington Times (on Twitter). The one-year extension will keep the Octagon client in Washington through 2013.

Tracy, 32, returned to the Major Leagues this year after spending the 2011 season in Japan. He has a .283/.353/.517 batting line in 68 plate appearances as a backup corner infielder and pinch hitter. Tracy earns $750K this year, but his 2013 salary is unknown.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rockies, Rangers Swap Greg Reynolds For Chad Tracy

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The Rockies have acquired utility man Chad Tracy from the Rangers for right-hander Greg Reynolds according to the team's Twitter feed. Tracy is the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

Reynolds, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2006 draft and has pitched to a 7.47 ERA in 94 big league innings from 2008-2011. He missed most of 2009 and part of 2010 with shoulder problems. Tracy, 26, has never appeared in the big leagues. He's a .269/.340/.466 career hitter in the minors, spending the last two seasons at Triple-A (.260/.342/.485 hitter at the level). Tracy has played first base, left field, and catcher in his career.

Nationals To Sign Tracy, Carroll, Paul

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The Nationals announced that they agreed to sign Chad Tracy, Brett Carroll and Xavier Paul to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training. The team also confirmed minor league deals for Jeff Fulchino, Waldis Joaquin, Carlos Maldonado, Andres Blanco, Jarrett Hoffpauir and Jason Michaels. The Nationals will also invite right-hander Rafael Martin, catcher Sandy Leon and outfielder Corey Brown to Spring Training.

Tracy, 31, owns a .278/.337/.445 line in seven big league seasons, but hasn't produced much at the plate since 2007. The corner infielder spent the 2011 season with the Hiroshima Carp, posting a .235/.293/.336 line in 164 plate appearances. Carroll, 29, has big league experience in each of the past five seasons and can play all three outfield positions. In 322 career plate appearances, he has a .203/.281/.322 line. Paul spent the 2011 season with the Pirates and Dodgers, posting a .255/.292/.346 line in 262 plate appearances.

Minor Deals: German, Carroll, Moore, Tracy

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A look at the minor deals struck today…

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that Esteban German is returning to the Rangers on a minor league deal.  German, 33 in January, hit .280/.371/.388 in 567 Triple-A plate appearances this year, playing all around the diamond.  He was outrighted on November 5th and chose to become a free agent.
  • The Royals signed outfielder Brett Carroll to a minor league contract, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). The 28-year-old is a .205/.284/.325 career hitter in 319 plate appearances with the Marlins.
  • Infielder Scott Moore signed a minor league deal with the Cubs, reports Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. He originally broke in with the Cubs back in 2006, but was later traded to the Orioles for Steve Trachsel.
  • Infielder Chad Tracy signed with the Hiroshima Carp for about $1.3MM according to a report passed along by NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman (Twitter link).

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Marlins Notes: Olivo, Rodriguez, Nolasco, Bullpen

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The Heat and the Dolphins may be dominating the headlines in Miami at this time of year, but there's some news out of the Marlins camp as well.

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