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Dave Dombrowski

AL East Notes: Britton, Price, Red Sox, Duffy, Pearce

By Mark Polishuk | March 21, 2017 at 6:39pm CDT

As a dominant AL East closer that relies on one signature pitch, the Orioles’ Zach Britton has much in common with Mariano Rivera, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark writes.  Obviously Britton has a ways to go before matching Rivera’s incredible track record, though Britton’s sinker (which he threw 92.2% of the time last season) is already being compared to Rivera’s legendary cut fastball.  Without fully explaining his secrets behind the pitch, Britton tells Stark about what makes his sinker unique, and also how he came upon the pitch by accident while trying to learn, ironically, a cutter.

Here’s more from around the AL East…

  • David Price was re-examined by Red Sox team doctors today and the team reported that the ace lefty “has lost enough strength in his arm to where he is weaker than he was when he reported to Spring Training,” Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes.  Price still isn’t on a timetable to begin his throwing program, and thus Silverman speculates that Price’s DL stint could now stretch into May, as opposed to the previous theorized return date of late April.  “You don’t really attach yourself to a calendar. You’ve got to listen to the pitcher’s situation, how his body is responding and what the objective tests are telling us. He’s getting closer to getting a ball back in his hand,” manager John Farrell said.
  • Despite the recent spate of injuries to newly-acquired Red Sox, Dave Dombrowski doesn’t feel the team’s medical evaluation process is at fault, CSNNE.com’s Evan Drellich writes.  “I don’t find anything that’s been abnormal this spring compared to any other spring I’ve ever been,” Dombrowski said.  “We’ve focused a great deal on medical. But we’ve been doing that for years and we continually look at that all the time.”  Price, Drew Pomeranz, Tyler Thornburg, Carson Smith and Hector Velazquez have all dealt with some degree of arm issues with joining the Sox since Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations, though he argues that acquiring pitching of any type carries inherent risk.  “With the sophistication of the medical industry nowadays, I don’t know the last time I’ve traded for somebody or signed somebody: nobody has a pristine arm,” Dombrowski said.  “Nobody.  I can’t even tell you the last time — it doesn’t exist.  So you’re going to know that that’s just part of the equation.  And then you have to weigh what type of risk you’re willing to take.”
  • It looks like Rays shortstop Matt Duffy will miss Opening Day, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the club is still trying to determine a timeline for Duffy’s injury rehab.  Duffy underwent Achilles tendon surgery on his left heel last September, and has been limited to just strengthening exercises and drills this spring, without any running and no baseball activities.  Rays manager Kevin Cash implied that Duffy’s current problems may not be related to his Achilles surgery, which could be a positive in getting him closer to readiness.
  • Steve Pearce declined to tell Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun if the Orioles were in touch about re-signing the veteran utilityman, though he praised the O’s for supporting his decision to undergo elbow surgery late last season when the club was in a pennant race.  Pearce also noted that he decided to sign with the Blue Jays since “they were hard and aggressive” in their pursuit this winter.  “As a player, when you have somebody who wants you that bad and they come after you, they don’t mess around, they’re not trying to low ball — as soon as we got to a number we got comfortable with and they got comfortable with, it was an easy sign,” Pearce said.
  • In other AL East news from earlier today on MLBTR, the Blue Jays are close to a contract extension with manager John Gibbons, the Yankees will be without Didi Gregorius for roughly six weeks due to a shoulder injury and the Rays could still possibly trade a pitcher before Opening Day.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Dave Dombrowski David Price Matt Duffy Steve Pearce Zach Britton

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Red Sox Notes: Hazen, Sawdaye, Rodriguez, Travis

By Steve Adams | October 27, 2016 at 8:57am CDT

Red Sox president Sam Kennedy spoke to MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey about the team’s loss of executives Mike Hazen and Amiel Sawdaye, who signed on the become the new general manager and senior vice president/assistant general manager of the D-backs, respectively, last week. Kennedy acknowledged that both are big losses to the organization but doesn’t feel that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s leadership style had anything to do with their exit from the organization. “I think the opportunities that have come up are a real credit to the Boston Red Sox,” Kennedy told McCaffrey. “The Arizona Diamondbacks had a need at general manager and the top baseball operations job was open and they contacted us right away because they know the Red Sox have talented folks.”

Kennedy went on to discuss the decision not to name a new GM, noting that the GM title and president of baseball ops title can be interchangeable, and the most important element is to have one person accountable for baseball operations, which for the Red Sox, is Dombrowski. As McCaffrey notes, both Hazen and Sawdaye were integral parts of the Sox’ player development efforts, with Sawdaye overseeing the 2011 draft that netted Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley, Blake Swihart, Matt Barnes, Travis Shaw and Henry Owens.

More on the BoSox…

  • The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier revisits the Andrew Miller for Eduardo Rodriguez swap that the Red Sox made with the Orioles in July 2014. In light of Miller’s emergence as perhaps baseball’s best reliever and the fact that Rodriguez has yet to develop into a consistent rotation piece, Speier spoke to five rival talent evaluators about the deal, and each of them firmly voiced the opinion that it was still a good trade for then-GM Ben Cherington. Two used the term “no-brainer” to describe the Red Sox’ end of the deal, and each expressed confidence that Rodriguez can still be at least a third or fourth starter in the Majors. Speier also spoke to Red Sox special assistant Mark Wasinger, who in 2014 was a special assignment scout that contributed to the decision to target Rodriguez. Wasinger says improvements in Rodriguez’s command and to his breaking ball actually give him a higher ceiling now than when Boston initially acquired him. As Speier points out, the 23-year-old Rodriguez posted a 3.24 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in a vastly improved second half of the season.
  • The improbable return of Kyle Schwarber to the Cubs’ World Series roster serves as motivation for his friend and former college teammate Sam Travis, writes WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. Travis, one of Boston’s more well-regarded prospects, suffered a torn ACL just a month and a half after Schwarber earlier this season, causing him to miss the majority of the year. Travis discussed with Bradford the excitement he feels for his friend as he pursues a World Series ring but also expressed confidence that he’ll be fully healthy and ready to compete for a Major League roster spot in Spring Training. Bradford points out that Travis had a huge Spring Training last year and now with David Ortiz’s retirement, an opening to split time with Hanley Ramirez at first base and DH could present itself. “That’s the stuff you dream about and the stuff you live for,” said Travis. “…It’s definitely a great opportunity coming up and I’m looking forward to take advantage of it.”
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Boston Red Sox Amiel Sawdaye Dave Dombrowski Eduardo Rodriguez Mike Hazen Sam Travis

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Dombrowski On Farrell, DH, Sandoval, Pomeranz, Uehara

By Connor Byrne | October 11, 2016 at 6:47pm CDT

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced that manager John Farrell will return in 2017. “John Farrell will be our manager for 2017. He is all set, and his whole staff will be invited back,” declared Dombrowski (via the Associated Press). Farrell, whom Dombrowski called “our leader going forward,” was at the helm of a 93-69 team in 2016 that bounced back from two straight last-place finishes to win the AL East. Entering the year, the Red Sox’s most recent division title came in 2013, when the Farrell-led club also won the World Series. The Red Sox won’t reach that goal this year, of course, as the Indians swept them out of the ALDS on Monday. Nevertheless, having gone 339-309 with two playoff berths and a championship in four years, Farrell has done enough to justify a fifth season in Boston, according to Dombrowski.

Here’s more on Boston, which is now turning its focus to the offseason:

  • The Red Sox aren’t a lock to pursue an outside replacement for retiring designated hitter David Ortiz, as Rob Bradford of WEEI writes. They could instead shift first baseman Hanley Ramirez to DH and use a committee of Travis Shaw, Pablo Sandoval, Yoan Moncada and Sam Travis at the corner infield positions. As Bradford notes, signing the highest-profile DH candidate set to hit the market, the Blue Jays’ Edwin Encarnacion, would enable the Red Sox to split DH and first between him and Ramirez. On Ramirez’s role going forward, Dombrowski said, “I think he’s capable of doing both. Actually, to me, he did a fine job at first base. Personally, I like the availability of the option of doing both, because I think that if you have that flexibility, it probably fits with us better with the personnel that we have going forward. But we also have to have conversations with Hanley, too, before we get to that point.”
  • Dombrowski addressed the status of Sandoval, who missed nearly the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery in May and was ahead of schedule in his rehab as of late September. “His goal was to be ready, physically, to play in the ALCS. I don’t know that that would’ve happened, because our other people had been there all year, but from a health perspective, he’s really right there, so I think he’ll be healthy next year,” commented Dombrowski (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI). “There’s other guys that I’m sure say they should be the third baseman. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out. But he’s been a proven big league performer. If he’s healthy and ready to go, he has a chance to be a good performer for us.” Sandoval has been a major disappointment since the Red Sox signed him to a five-year, $95MM deal in November 2014, but the organization doesn’t seem down on him. Dombrowski said the ex-Giant “should be proud” of the rehab work he has done since his injury. Notably, Bradford reported last month that Sandoval had lost 22 pounds.
  • Left-hander Drew Pomeranz endured an underwhelming second half after the Red Sox acquired him from the Padres for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza in July. Of course, Boston complained last month about the lack of medical information the Padres disclosed prior to the trade, and Major League Baseball also suspended Friars GM A.J. Preller for 30 days without pay. The Red Sox skipped Pomeranz’s final start of the regular season because he was dealing with forearm soreness, and he then pitched out of the bullpen in the playoffs. Going forward, Dombrowski expects Pomeranz to figure into Boston’s rotation, though he cautioned that his medicals will have to check out. “We look forward to him being part of our rotation. We feel for him. I’m hopeful that he’ll be OK going into next year and the doctors will be the ones that advise us on that, but I think he will be,” stated Dombrowski (via Hannable).
  • In order to remain with the Red Sox, soon-to-be free agent reliever Koji Uehara will likely have to take a pay cut from his $9MM salary, per Hannable. Given Uehara’s age (he’ll be 42 next April), that’s not a surprise. Uehara remains a highly effective late-game option, though, as he recorded a 3.45 ERA, 12.06 K/9 and 2.11 BB/9 over 47 innings in 2016. Dombrowski revealed that Uehara “wants to continue pitching,” but the executive isn’t sure if the Red Sox will bring the right-hander back for a fifth year. “I don’t know how you really interpret a guy going forward at that. I don’t have any special formula,” said Dombrowski. “But I will also tell you Koji’s a hard guy to evaluate when he’s younger and healthy. Because he’s a very abnormal type pitcher. I mean how many guys that are throwing 88 mph blow the ball by you on a consistent basis? So he’s a tough evaluation no matter what.”
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Boston Red Sox Dave Dombrowski Drew Pomeranz Hanley Ramirez John Farrell Koji Uehara Pablo Sandoval

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John Henry On Dombrowski, Sandoval, Ortiz, Extensions, Pitching

By Jeff Todd | August 23, 2016 at 8:19am CDT

Red Sox owner John Henry discussed a variety of topics in an exchange with Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (read more here and here). Fans of the team and those interested in the interaction of the front office and upper management will certainly want to give the Q&A a full read, but here are some of the highlights:

Henry discussed the baseball operations department quite a bit. He credited former GM Ben Cherington for his “discipline” during his tenure running the team. Indeed, Boston has benefited from the strong play of several young players who were often mentioned as possible trade pieces. Upon taking the helm, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has “done a very good job of bringing the clubhouse and front office together,” says Henry.

The decision to add Dombrowski not only represented a switch at the top of baseball ops, but also led Boston to join an increasing number of teams in utilizing a president of baseball operations as well as a general manager. C“I think most big clubs now realize that the traditional GM role was just too large and demanding,” Henry explains while noting that he has been impressed by the performance of new GM Mike Hazen, who was Cherington’s top lieutenant but ended up being retained and promoted by Dombrowski.

Henry also touched upon the status of injured and embattled Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval. The 30-year-old is an important part of the near future for Boston, Henry says. That’s self-evident to some extent, as Sandoval is owed $58MM over the next three seasons (including the buyout of a 2020 club option). But the Sox owner suggests that the organization has expectations that Sandoval can return to being the “supremely talented veteran and a proven winner” that the club signed up for in the first place. “This year and last were frustrating for him and frustrating for us,” Henry says of Sandoval. “We need him next year.”

Sandoval’s importance is heightened by the fact that David Ortiz is set to retire after the year, Henry suggests. Big Papi is in the midst of an all-time age-40 season — he currently leads the league with a 1.050 OPS — and that obviously represents a more-or-less irreplaceable source of offense, though the free agent market does promise to offer several big bats. Sandoval certainly doesn’t look like a direct substitute, but a typical pre-Boston season from the Panda would go a long way toward making up for the loss.

Ortiz’s monster season has inevitably raised questions about whether he’ll reconsider his decision to hang ’em up. While Henry says that he would invite that, it doesn’t sound as if anything is actually under consideration with Ortiz still battling through pain to make it on the field. “If at some point he seriously considers coming back, it would be a great day for the organization,” said Henry. “But, unfortunately, I don’t think that is in the cards.” 

Even as the Sox bid adieu to Big Papi, they have some immensely talented, younger position players like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. on hand to constitute a new core. The natural question is whether and when Boston will aim to extend some of these regulars. While Henry declined to answer in any detail, he did note that, “if this group wants to play together for a long-time, we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.”

It’s rather easy to make a case for offering new, long-term deals to any of those three players, each of whom has now performed in the majors for a reasonably extended stretch — thus seemingly making good on their promise as prospects. But the Red Sox organization has a much less impressive record in developing pitching than in churning out bats from the farm. Unsurprisingly, Henry labeled that a “problem.” While he didn’t divulge much, he suggested that it’s a priority for the team to figure out how to draft and develop young arms.

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Boston Red Sox Ben Cherington Dave Dombrowski David Ortiz Pablo Sandoval

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Rosenthal’s Latest: Red Sox, Indians, Rangers, Twins

By Mark Polishuk | July 4, 2016 at 7:40pm CDT

Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from Ken Rosenthal’s latest notes column for FOXSports.com…

  • “The universal feeling” within the Red Sox organization is that top prospect Andrew Benintendi will surpass the likes of Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto in terms of being an all-around player.  There is also some sentiment that Dave Dombrowski “is sold on Yoan Moncada becoming a superstar.”  So the Sox could well have their long-term answers at left field and third base spoken for, or Boston could deal one of these top youngsters for a pitching upgrade.  Rosenthal feels that the Sox would only move one of these two “a true, controllable ace,” and no pitcher like that appears to be available at the deadline.  Boston might go for a lower-key pitching upgrade at the deadline and then wait to pursue an ace in the offseason when such names as Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey could be had.  Since so many of Boston’s issues can be traced back to its struggling rotation, Rosenthal doesn’t think Dombrowski will or should make a rash move like firing John Farrell or trading a top prospect for anything less than full value.
  • The Indians will be looking to add both a reliever and another bat before the trade deadline.
  • Beyond the Rangers’ top prospects, they have several other minor leaguers getting attention for possible trades.  First baseman Ronald Guzman, outfielder Ryan Cordell, catcher Jose Trevino, and righties Ariel Jurado and Connor Sadzeck are a few names who Texas could possibly use as trade chips if the likes of Lewis Brinson, Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo are untouchables.
  •  “A low-revenue team cannot afford to miss on so many decisions,” Rosenthal notes in a review of several moves that have recently backfired on the Twins.  The signings of Kevin Jepsen and Byung Ho Park were justifiable and Park could still develop into a productive bat, though Minnesota has gotten little return from Phil Hughes’ extension and the acquisitions of Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco and John Ryan Murphy.
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Boston Red Sox Cleveland Guardians Minnesota Twins Texas Rangers Dave Dombrowski

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AL East Notes: Gurriel, Smoak, Antolin, Red Sox

By Mark Polishuk | May 15, 2016 at 7:43pm CDT

The tension that has been building between the Blue Jays and Rangers since last October finally manifested itself Sunday in the form of an all-out brawl (MLB.com video link) between the two clubs.  Multiple suspensions are sure to be handed out to members of both teams in the coming days.  Of greater concern for the Jays was yet another late-game bullpen meltdown, as a 6-3 lead in the seventh turned into a 7-6 deficit (and the eventual final score) thanks to an Ian Desmond three-run homer off Jesse Chavez.  Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel “would be super happy” to join the Yankees, Aroldis Chapman told NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty through a translator.  Gurriel and Chapman are former teammates on Cuba’s national team, and in a conversation two weeks ago, Gurriel asked the closer some questions about what it was like to play for the Yankees.  As Kuty points out, the Bombers may not have room for Gurriel given that Chase Headley is already locked in at third base and Gurriel (who turns 32 in June) may be too old for a Yankees club that has been focused on transitioning to a younger, more flexible roster.  Gurriel and his younger brother Lourdes defected from Cuba earlier this year and are still waiting on clearance from MLB to become free agents, with several teams expected to bid on the siblings once they’re officially on the open market (though Lourdes is subject to international signing pools).
  • The Blue Jays have found several late-blooming hitters in recent years, and Justin Smoak’s early success has Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star wondering if the first baseman could be the latest example.  Smoak entered today’s action hitting .314/.448/.500 with three homers over 87 plate appearances, and manager John Gibbons believes a steady everyday role (forced by Chris Colabello’s suspension) could be contributing to Smoak’s hot bat.  Smoak was one of the game’s top prospects after being selected 11th overall by Texas in the 2008 draft, though he showed little at the plate over his first six MLB seasons.
  • Blue Jays righty Dustin Antolin was almost frustrated enough to walk away from baseball this offseason, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes.  An 11th-round pick in 2008, Antolin battled injuries (including Tommy John surgery in 2010) during his long stint in the minors and was unsigned with two weeks remaining before Opening Day.  His girlfriend encouraged him to give it one last chance, however, and after re-signing with the Jays, Antolin performed well at Triple-A and has now finally reached the Show after being called up to replace the injured Brett Cecil in Toronto’s bullpen.
  • It’s no surprise that any team would take some lessons from the Royals following their World Series victory, as even the big-market Red Sox have observed K.C.’s model for success, Dave Dombrowski tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  While Dombrowski noted some distinct differences between the two franchises, he praised the Royals’ mentality, player development and (most specifically) their bullpen construction.  Silverman points out that the acquisitions of Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith were perhaps the most direct way in which the Sox have tried to emulate the Royals’ blueprint, though Boston needed a bullpen upgrade in general following a rough 2015 for the relief corps.
  • In other AL East news from earlier today, the Orioles placed Jimmy Paredes on waivers, the Red Sox designated Sean O’Sullivan for assignment and we explored several more items out of Boston in an edition of Red Sox Notes.
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Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays Dave Dombrowski Dustin Antolin Justin Smoak Yuliesky Gourriel

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Quick Hits: Shields, Sandoval, Cardinals, Astros, Twins

By Connor Byrne | March 31, 2016 at 10:57pm CDT

On the notion of the Padres trading right-hander James Shields to the Red Sox for benched third baseman Pablo Sandoval, one scout told Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, “James Shields is not good in Fenway Park in his career. Some people think he’s a National League pitcher at this point of his career. But it’s one fewer year (on his contract) than Sandoval. I think Sandoval would be better off outside of Boston. I think he’s been eaten whole there. That trade actually would make some sense.” Both players are coming off down seasons, albeit Shields was easily the more valuable of the two in 2015. Shields, 34, exceeded the 200-inning barrier for the ninth straight year and set a career high with a 9.61 K/9, but he also logged personal worsts in BB/9 (3.6) and FIP (4.45) to accompany a mediocre 3.91 ERA. Sandoval is a half-decade younger (29), though that plus is offset by a well-known weight problem and the fact that he had the worst fWAR in baseball in 2015 (-2.0). Moreover, the two carry undesirable financial commitments. Shields is due $60MM over the next three years, though he can opt out and become a free agent after next season. That would mean leaving $44MM on the table, however. Sandoval, meanwhile, is owed $70MM through 2019. Both players’ deals have expensive club options at the end that their respective teams surely won’t exercise, which will lead to buyouts ($2MM for Shields in 2019, $5MM for Sandoval in 2020).

More from around the majors. . .

  • With president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in charge, the Red Sox are a meritocracy when it comes to putting together a roster, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. That was evident in the team’s decision to relegate Sandoval, whom it signed just a year ago, in favor of Travis Shaw at the hot corner. The Dombrowski-led Red Sox began the trend of valuing performance over contract when they elected last summer to end the short-lived, disastrous experiment of Hanley Ramirez in left field, Speier notes. “My focus is on the guys that are in uniform, not what’s attached to them or what their contract states,” manager John Farrell said. “We’re all about evaluating and what’s best for our team.”
  • The Astros have informed left-hander Wandy Rodriguez that he will not crack their Opening Day Roster, tweets Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. Rodriguez, who inked a minor league accord with the Astros in the offseason, had been competing with James Hoyt and Michael Feliz for the final spot in the team’s bullpen. Rodriguez had an opt-out in his contract for last Saturday, per Evan Drellich of the Chronicle. With that deadline having passed, it’s unclear what the immediate future will hold for Rodriguez, but he could end up on the market and in search of a major league deal elsewhere. “Let me see what happens if somebody picks me (up),” he told Drellich.
  • The Cardinals aren’t looking for outside help at shortstop in the wake of Ruben Tejada’s injury, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Instead, the Redbirds will at least wait until they have a better understanding of Tejada’s status. He’ll start the season on the disabled list with a muscle strain in his left quadriceps, leaving Jedd Gyorko and Greg Garcia as the Cardinals’ options at the major league level. They also have Aledmys Diaz of Triple-A Memphis as a potential call-up.
  • Nick Burdi, the Twins’ best relief pitching prospect, is “out indefinitely” with right forearm tightness and will begin the season on the DL, reports LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. Of course, forearm injuries sometimes portend Tommy John surgery. Burdi, who’s capable of hitting 99 on the radar gun, threw three scoreless spring innings for the Twins. The 23-year-old tossed 63 2/3 innings at multiple minor league levels last season and pitched to a 3.82 ERA with an 11.7 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9.
  • Right-hander Roberto Hernandez is drawing interest from teams that want to sign him to a minor league contract, but he’s holding out for a major league deal, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Hernandez, 35, opted out of his deal with Toronto earlier this week after the club didn’t add him to its active roster. In 84 2/3 innings last year with Houston, Hernandez worked to a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
  • Lefty reliever Wesley Wright has garnered multiple Triple-A offers, per Cotillo (Twitter link). Wright, whom Arizona released Monday, has thrown 371 innings of 4.16 ERA ball to accompany an 8.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in his major league career. Those mediocre numbers belie his success versus left-handed batters, who have hit a paltry .234/.313/.334 against Wright.
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Boston Red Sox Houston Astros Minnesota Twins San Diego Padres St. Louis Cardinals Dave Dombrowski James Shields Nick Burdi Pablo Sandoval Roberto Hernandez Wandy Rodriguez Wesley Wright

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Red Sox Notes: Sandoval, Shaw, Dombrowski

By Zachary Links | March 22, 2016 at 6:44pm CDT

The Red Sox aren’t “actively looking” for pitching help, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

“Can you always be better? Sure. Will we always be open-minded? Sure. But we’re not actively looking for pitching,” said Dombrowski, who added that he doesn’t “even know where” he would slot a No. 2 starter type.

Here’s more out of the AL East:

  • The fact that there is a real competition between Travis Shaw and Pablo Sandoval at third base is a reminder of exactly how Dombrowski runs the Red Sox and how much control he exerts over the team, Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald writes.  For his part, Sandoval is trying to play down the attention that the brewing competition is getting.  “Every day is a competition — every single day, every moment. Every guy competes to be better and better,” Sandoval said. “I don’t know why you guys make a big deal. Every guy is here working hard to make the team look better, win games. Every guy here is working together to be better and better, so that’s good.”
  • Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe laid out the pros and cons of benching Sandoval in favor of Shaw.  On one hand, putting Sandoval on the bench would send a clear message to players like Rick Porcello, Hanley Ramirez, and Rusney Castillo that a high-priced contract does not guarantee your place as a starter.  On the other hand, Sandoval is the type of player that needs support to succeed rather than negativity.  Also, Sandoval probably wouldn’t be much of a contributor off the bench and would likely be relegated to pinch-hitting against righties, Abraham writes.
  • Indeed, Dombrowski says that he does not believe that contracts should dictate spots in the lineup, as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. “I thought it was important, because I’m new here, that that was my philosophy, and our philosophy as an organization, that I had a chance to visit with [principal owner] John Henry and [chairman] Tom Werner and know they supported that. I thought it was important to do that. I think for good organizations, and clubs that are trying to win, you need to play the best guys to win,” Dombrowski said.
  • Earlier today, the Red Sox announced that reliever Carson Smith will be placed on the disabled list due to a strain of his flexor mass muscle.
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Boston Red Sox Dave Dombrowski Pablo Sandoval Travis Shaw

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Central Notes: Gee, Tigers, Wacha

By charliewilmoth and Steve Adams | March 14, 2016 at 8:29pm CDT

Right-hander Dillon Gee has an opt-out clause in his contract that will allow him to become a free agent if he is not added to the 40-man roster tomorrow, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. (FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported the March 15 date back in December.) According to Flanagan, the Royals have been impressed by Gee’s early results as well as his bullpen sessions, making him a good bet to land with the club. Gee, 29, has yielded a run on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts thus far in camp and could be in line for a bullpen role, where he’d also serve as rotation depth, per Flanagan. The 29-year-old’s contract contains a $2MM base salary and contains $700K worth of incentives based on relief appearances and $3.3MM worth of incentives tied to rotation work. Though he struggled through a down season last year in the Majors and at Triple-A, Gee has a track record as a dependable starter, having pitched to a 3.91 ERA in 639 2/3 innings with the Mets from 2010-14. As Flanagan points out, the Royals have an easy 40-man move to accommodate Gee, should they choose, as lefty Mike Minor can be transferred to the 60-day DL. Here’s more from the Central divisions.

  • The transition from Dave Dombrowski to Al Avila in the Tigers’ front office last year was completed in secret, but that hasn’t stopped Dombrowski from remaining friends, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. In early August, Avila received a phone call from owner Mike Ilitch, and Avila (after receiving a host of assurances that the Tigers would be able to commit more heavily to analytics, scouting and the international market) agreed to take the Tigers’ GM job during that conversation, three days before Ilitch fired Dombrowski. The situation was “awkward,”as both Dombrowski and Avila describe it — Avila had been Dombrowski’s assistant GM, and the two had worked together for decades in both the Tigers and Marlins organizations. Still, the two remain friendly. “I’€™m really happy for him,” Dombrowski says. “He’€™s always worked hard, very knowledgeable, and has been very loyal. I know it was awkward, but I’™m glad he got this opportunity.”
  • Cardinals starter Michael Wacha makes an interesting extension candidate, writes Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Frederickson quotes Wacha saying that he isn’t aware of any extension discussions. It’s easy to imagine why there might be mutual interest in a deal, though — an extension could potentially keep Wacha in St. Louis longer, and, as Frederickson implies, would begin to increase in cost just as the Lance Lynn and Jaime Garcia deals are set to expire. Of course, long-term deals for pitchers can be risky (Garcia’s long-term deal, for example, hasn’t gone perfectly), and Wacha has been in the league long enough that an extension would likely require a fairly significant commitment. The last starting pitcher with between two and three years of service time to receive an extension was Corey Kluber, who got $38.5MM guaranteed from the Indians following his 2014 Cy Young season.
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Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals St. Louis Cardinals Al Avila Dave Dombrowski Dillon Gee Lance Lynn Michael Wacha

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Dombrowski’s Contract With Red Sox Is Five-Year Deal

By Steve Adams | February 26, 2016 at 12:20pm CDT

It’s been a little more than six months since the Red Sox announced the hiring of Dave Dombrowski as their new president of baseball operations, but the length of his contract was not previously announced or reported. Dombrowski took care of that fact himself today, telling reporters at Red Sox camp in Ft. Myers, Fla., that he signed a five-year contract with Boston (Twitter link via the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.)

The length of Dombrowski’s contract is on par with what highly respected peers such as Theo Epstein (Cubs) and Andrew Friedman (Dodgers) received when signing on as presidents of baseball operations with their new clubs in 2012 and 2015, respectively. Even some rookie GMs have secured five-year pacts over the past 18 months; A.J. Preller’s deal with the Padres was reported to be a five-year deal when he was hired in August of 2014, and Dombrowski’s successor in Detroit, Al Avila, is also said to have received a five-year deal to take the reins for the Tigers.

Dombrowski wasted little time in meeting the widespread expectation that he would significantly alter the fabric of the Red Sox franchise. His most notable offseason transactions included signing David Price to a seven-year, $217MM contract (with an opt-out clause after 2018), trading four prospects (Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Logan Allen and Carlos Asuaje) for Craig Kimbrel, swapping Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro for Carson Smith and Roenis Elias of the Mariners, adding outfielder Chris Young on a two-year, $13MM deal.

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