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Franchy Cordero

Travis Shaw Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Shaw has elected to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.  As noted by WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford, the Red Sox will only owe Shaw the prorated portion of his $1.5MM salary for the time spent on the active roster.  Because Shaw was let go within the season’s first 40 days, the Sox don’t owe the entire salary.

APRIL 29, 4:06pm: The Red Sox informed reporters (including Tara Sullivan of the Boston Globe) that Cordero has been selected and Shaw was DFA. Boston also reinstated right-handers Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford from the restricted list. To clear 40-man roster space for those two hurlers, the Sox returned COVID “substitutes” Rob Refsnyder and John Schreiber to Triple-A Worcester. They’ve also optioned righty Tyler Danish and recalled outfielder Jaylin Davis.

10:50am: The Sox indeed plan to select Cordero’s contract from Worcester, Cotillo tweets. Cordero struggled immensely through 136 plate appearances in Boston last season, hitting at just a .189/.237/.260 clip while fanning at a 37.5% rate. He’s out to a massive .296/.375/.535 start through 81 plate appearances in Triple-A, where he’s slugged three homers and eight doubles with a slightly lower (though still troubling) 28.3% strikeout rate.

10:23am: The Red Sox are designating struggling corner infielder Travis Shaw for assignment, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports (via Twitter). The team has yet to formally announce the move or a corresponding transaction, though Cotillo suggests that outfielder Franchy Cordero could be brought up from Triple-A Worcester to take Shaw’s spot on the roster.

Shaw, 32, has a lengthy history with the Sox and has had plenty of success in prior stints with Boston, but his 2022 campaign has gotten out to a disastrous start. Through 19 plate appearances, he’s yet to collect a hit or even reach base, punching out seven times along the way. Were the Red Sox’ lineup performing better on the whole, perhaps the front office might have been more willing to give the veteran Shaw a bit more leash to right the ship. Boston, however, is batting just .229/.275/.344 as a team, translating to a 78 wRC+ that ranks 27th among baseball’s 30 teams. Their 72 runs scored this season rank 20th. The Sox have scored two or fewer runs in nine of their 20 games thus far.

Shaw returned to the Red Sox for a second stint late last season after the Brewers placed him on waivers, and his second stint with the Sox proved productive. In 48 plate appearances down the stretch, Shaw hit just .238 but got on base at a healthier .319 clip and slugged a robust .524. He smacked three homers and three doubles along the way, showing enough for Boston to bring him back to the organization on a minor league contract this winter. Shaw didn’t hit much in Spring Training (4-for-24), but management saw enough positives from him to carry him on the Opening Day roster.

Now designated for assignment, Shaw will be either traded, placed on outright waivers or released within a week’s time. Given his early struggles, it seems unlikely that another club would immediately place Shaw on its 40-man roster (via a small trade or waiver claim). If he goes unclaimed or is released, however, his track record ought to get him a look elsewhere on a minor league contract. Shaw has a pair of 30-homer campaigns on his resume and is a career .237/.319/.437 hitter in 2690 plate appearances.

Red Sox Outright Franchy Cordero

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Oct. 25: Cordero went unclaimed on waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Worcester, tweets Ian Browne of MLB.com.

While Cordero could’ve rejected the assignment and become a free agent and tested the market, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that Cordero quietly signed a one-year, $825K contract for the 2022 season at some point before he was passed through waivers (Twitter links). He’s still off the 40-man roster and would be owed the prorated portion of that salary for any time spent in the big leagues next season.

Oct. 21: The Red Sox have reinstated right-hander Phillips Valdez from the Covid-19-related injured list and cleared a spot on the roster by designating outfielder Franchy Cordero for assignment, per a club announcement. The team’s 40-man roster remains at 40 players.

Cordero, 27, was one of several players acquired in the three-team swap that sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Boston to Kansas City. Long touted as an immensely athletic and toolsy but unpolished upside case, Cordero wasn’t able to put things together in his Red Sox debut. The former Padres and Royals prospect tallied 136 plate appearances but managed only a .189/.237/.260 slash with a sky-high 37.5% strikeout rate.

While Cordero possesses elite speed, huge raw power and off-the-charts exit velocity numbers, it’s that strikeout rate that has continually hampered his ability to break out at the MLB level. The punchouts are simply nothing new, as he’s fanned in 35.7% of his career plate appearances between those three organizations.

To his credit, Cordero mashed his way through another season of Triple-A upon being sent down early in the year. Through 78 games with the WooSox, he posted a .300/.398/.533 batting line with 13 home runs, 24 doubles, two triples and a dozen steals (in 13 attempts). It’s a reminder of the tantalizing, innate ability that Cordero possesses but has not yet delivered in the Majors. He’ll now hit outright waivers, where the league’s other 29 teams will have the opportunity to claim him. If he passes through without a claim, the Sox can retain him by sending him outright to Triple-A.

It should, of course, be noted that the DFA of Cordero hardly closes the book on the Red Sox’ end of the Benintendi deal. The Sox still have four other players to show for that deal, though none has reached the Majors yet. Boston acquired right-hander Josh Winckowski and outfielder Freddy Valdez from the Mets (who received Khalil Lee from Kansas City), in addition to picking up righties Luis De La Rosa and Grant Gambrell from the Royals. Cordero was certainly the most recognizable name going back to Boston in the swap, but he wasn’t necessarily the key player in the deal.

As for Benintendi, he had a fine debut campaign in K.C., slashing .276/.324/.442 (106 wRC+) with 17 home runs, 27 doubles, two triples and eight steals (albeit with a woeful success rate, given his 17 attempts). He’s controllable for one more year via arbitration, with a projected 2022 salary of $9.3MM (courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz).

Red Sox Expected To Finalize PTBNLs From Benintendi Trade In Near Future

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The Red Sox will soon decide on the three players they’re still owed as players to be named later from February’s three-team Andrew Benintendi swap, per a pair of reports from Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) and Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Worthy suggests that the Royals, who owe the Red Sox two players, could have some resolution within the next week or two. Meanwhile, Cotillo indicates that the player the Mets will send to Boston is expected to be the best of the three PTBNLs and must be settled upon by this coming Friday.

Technically, the teams involved all have until August to settle the deal, as PTBNLs come with six-month windows. It seems as though the matter will be resolved well before to that point, however.

It’s fairly common for teams to take some of that six-month allotment to evaluate the farm system of a trade partner. Oftentimes, the team receiving the PTBNLs agrees to a list of players from which they select, and those players can be tracked and evaluated over the coming months. That aspect was likely of particular importance for the Red Sox this time around, given last year’s lack of a minor league season.

The original trade sent Benintendi to Kansas City and outfield prospect Khalil Lee to New York, while the Red Sox received outfielder Franchy Cordero (from the Royals) and minor league righty Josh Winckowski (from the Mets). Cordero’s early struggles prompted the Red Sox to option him to Triple-A Worcester last week, which resulted in a fair bit of criticism of the trade from the Red Sox’ vantage point. Of course, Cordero is but one of five pieces who’ll join the Sox organization as a result of the deal, and judging any trade before the identities of all involved players are even known is rather short-sighted.

Benintendi, 26, got out to a miserable start in Kansas City, batting just .180/.254/.230 through the season’s first three weeks. He’s been on a tear in the five weeks since that time, however, raking at a .345/.395/.466 in 129 plate appearances. Cordero, meanwhile, mustered only a .179/.228/.274 slash in 102 plate appearances. He’s 5-for-12 with a couple homers since being optioned. The 22-year-old Lee went 1-for-18 with the Mets in his first taste of MLB action after being recalled out of necessity due to the team’s rash of injuries. He was recently optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse, where he’ll be in line for everyday at-bats.

The Royals control Benintendi through the 2022 season. The Red Sox control Cordero through at least 2023. Lee had yet to make his MLB debut when the Mets acquired him and has multiple minor league options remaining, so he could be a piece of their outfield puzzle for upwards of a decade, depending on his development and the frequency with which he’s optioned.

Red Sox Option Franchy Cordero

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The Red Sox announced Thursday that they’ve optioned struggling outfielder Franchy Cordero to Triple-A Worcester. A corresponding move wasn’t announced. There will be speculation among Sox fans about the possibility of top prospect Jarren Duran being promoted this weekend in his place, though MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo tweets that it’s likelier Boston will summon an extra bullpen arm for now.

Cordero, 26, was one of five players the Red Sox received in February’s three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City. The Sox also picked up young right-hander Josh Winckowski from the Mets in that deal, and they’re still set to receive a trio of players to be named later (two from the Royals, one from the Mets).

The hope was that Cordero, whose raw tools have intrigued teams and fans alike for several years, would blossom into an everyday presence in the outfield at Fenway Park, but things haven’t played out that way at all just yet. Through his first 102 plate appearances, Cordero has slashed just .179/.228/.274 with a sky-high 36.3 percent strikeout rate. He’s homered just one time in that span.

With elite speed and raw power, a plus throwing arm and top-of-the-scale exit velocity readings throughout his career, Cordero has been a fun player to dream on. Injuries and an inability to curb his prolific strikeout rate have hampered him in the big leagues, however, as he’s batted just .222/.285/.393 in 417 plate appearances. A reset of sorts in Triple-A could do him some good; he’s slashed .305/.357/.567 in 517 career plate appearances at that level.

Benintendi has performed fairly well over in Kansas City, shaking off a miserable start of his own with a big month of May to boost his overall season line to .283/.347/.371 in 176 trips to the dish. The trade is obviously looking good for the Royals at present, but while the knee-jerk reaction will be to call the deal a “win” for Kansas City, we won’t really know the deal’s full impact until years down the road. That’s true of all trades, generally speaking, but especially true of three-team, multi-player deals such as this one; we still don’t even know the names of all the players involved in the trade, as the PTBNLs have yet to be announced.

It’s been a disappointing start to Cordero’s time with the Sox, but Boston controls him through at least the 2023 season and he can be optioned freely both this year and next. For the Royals, they’ll enjoy Benintendi’s bat for the remainder of the 2021 season and for the 2022 campaign, barring an extension or a trade. The Mets, meanwhile, acquired a full six seasons of control over young outfielder Khalil Lee, who made his big league debut for them earlier this month.

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Nationals

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The Red Sox have a decision looming regarding Danny Santana. The infielder/outfielder has an opt-out clause in his contract that will allow him to become a free agent if he’s not promoted to the Majors by April 30th, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI. Santana didn’t sign with Boston until early March, and a foot infection slowed his ramp-up further.

The switch-hitting utility fielder certainly fits the mold of the present-day Red Sox as a guy who can play all over the diamond. The 30-year-old has spent the most time up the middle at short and center, but he has appeared everywhere on the diamond except pitcher and catcher. He’d be right at home on a roster that also includes “supersubs” Enrique Hernandez and Marwin Gonzalez. Bradford suggests Santana could replace scuffling outfielder Franchy Cordero if the Red Sox decide to make a move. Cordero – one of the pieces acquired in the Andrew Benintendi trade – has hit just .200/.265/.244 in his first 49 plate appearances with a whopping 46.9 percent strikeout rate, and he does have two options remaining. Here’s the latest from elsewhere around the game…

  • Madison Bumgarner and Zac Gallen put on a show today. In a doubleheader against the Braves, the pair of Diamondbacks’ hurlers kept the Braves to one hit, zero runs, two walks, and 13 strikeouts in 14 combined scoreless innings. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes that it was the fewest hits ever by a team in a doubleheader, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Bumgarner, who had an 8.68 ERA entering the game, tossed an unofficial no-hitter in game two. Because it was only a seven-inning affair, the MLB rule books states that Bumgarner’s effort doesn’t count officially as a no-hitter, but rather as a “notable achievement.” That could change soon, as MLB and Elias will look at the issue and decide if a rule change is necessary, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter).
  • Juan Soto will be eligible to come off the injured list as early as Friday, and he’s begun hitting off a tee to prepare, per Mark Zuckerman and Al Galdi on the Nats Chat Podcast. Unfortunately, that doesn’t address the issue. Soto’s shoulder was bothering him most when he was throwing, so he’ll have to cross that hurdle before returning, they note.

Red Sox Designate John Schreiber For Assignment, Option Michael Chavis

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The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves Tuesday as they get closer to solidifying their Opening Day squad. Boston reinstated outfielder Franchy Cordero from the Covid-19 injured list and designated right-hander John Schreiber for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. The Sox also optioned infielder Michael Chavis and right-hander Colten Brewer to their alternate training site in Worcester.

Schreiber, 27, was claimed off waivers out of the Tigers organization back in February. He didn’t get a long look this spring, allowing a pair of runs on five hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings through two appearances before being optioned two weeks ago. He’s spent time with the Tigers over the past two seasons as well, logging a 6.28 ERA in 28 2/3 frames at the big league level.

Obviously, those results aren’t much to look at, but Schreiber has a career 1.99 ERA in the minors — including a 2.28 mark in 59 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A. The sidearmer punched out 25.6 percent of opponents in the Majors against a tidy 6.2 percent walk rate, and right-handed batters managed only a lowly .192/.270/.311 output against him during the 2019 season. The Sox surely hope he’ll clear waivers and give them a depth candidate.

The 25-year-old Chavis is a former first-round pick who opened some eyes early in his debut campaign with the Sox but has struggled since. He hit .212/.259/.377 in 158 trips to the plate last year, and while he did belt six long balls this spring, his overall offensive game wasn’t without red flags. Chavis batted .250/.292/.600 in 65 plate appearances, striking out 20 times (30.7 percent) against just two walks (3.1 percent). High strikeout and marginal walk rates have persisted throughout Chavis’ career to date, so the Sox will send him down to continue to work on his approach.

With Chavis being sent down to begin the season, that likely means fellow infielder Christian Arroyo will make the club. The former top prospect is out of minor league options, which may have given him a leg up in the race, but he’s turned in a respectable .269/.309/.462 batting line with a trio of homers himself in 55 plate appearances.

The 28-year-old Brewer, meanwhile, has tallied 80 1/3 innings of relief for the Sox over the past two seasons, but he struggled in 2020 and saw his troubles continue in Spring Training. Brewer notched a respectable 4.12 ERA in 54 1/3 innings back in 2019, but he was tagged for 16 earned runs in 25 2/3 frames last year (5.61 ERA) and served up seven runs in 6 1/3 innings this spring.

The Sox also received some concerning news on righty Ryan Braiser, who is headed for an MRI after straining his left calf while working in a “B” game yesterday (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com). Brasier has been slowed in camp by a fractured pinkie but looked to be trending toward a return early in the season. The MRI will tell how substantial a setback this will be, but Brasier was on crutches this morning, and manager Alex Cora told reporters that the situation “doesn’t look too promising.”

Quick Hits: Mets, Lindor, Red Sox, Cordero, González

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The Mets and Francisco Lindor will explore extension talks “in earnest” this week, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Lindor has set opening day as the deadline for an extension, but the Mets have not appeared overly concerned by the limited timetable thus far. They are presumably confident in their ability to work something out in a short amount of time, or less concerned with the prospect of Lindor hitting free agency. If there were a year to allow a star like Lindor to test the market, after all, next winter is the time as there are plenty of potential options in the much-vaunted 2022 free agent class. While we continue to wait for progress on this front, let’s check in on some roster news from the Red Sox…

  • Newly-acquired Franchy Cordero may not be ready for opening day, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Cordero has yet to clear COVID-19 protocols. It would be understandable to be judicious with someone in Cordero’s position – a not-yet established big-league regular joining a new franchise. Especially considering Cordero’s spotty injury history, the Red Sox may want to prioritize getting Cordero’s year started with a head full of steam. The Red Sox are planning to start the season with a short bench, but Cordero’s delay could mean an early roster spot for Michael Chavis or Marcus Wilson. By adding Marwin González and Kiké Hernandez this winter, the Red Sox have afforded themselves plenty of roster flexibility.
  • González figures to find himself playing left field against lefties even when Cordero returns, writes the Athletic’s Chad Jennings. But he won’t be much help in center, whereas Cordero could see some time in the middle. While they wait for Cordero – assuming Jarren Duran doesn’t make the roster – Boston is without a clear every down option in center. Alex Verdugo and Kiké are the two players on the roster most clearly prepped for the spot, but Boston does seem to favor Duran joining the team at some point during the 2021 season. Not only has the youngster received favorable comparisons to Grady Sizemore this winter, but he’s gone 5-for-11 with a .500 OBP through their first six spring games. Though that means very little in terms of statistical significance, first impressions at this level can certainly impact an organization’s viewpoint on a player.

COVID Notes: Astros, Red Sox, Cordero

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Latest notes

  • Major League Baseball released its latest set of COVID-19 testing results this afternoon. Out of 13,718 monitoring tests conducted this week, five (all belonging to players) returned a positive result, marking a 0.04% positivity rate. None of the week’s 81 intake tests came back positive.

Earlier today

  • Health and safety protocols will keep eight Astros pitchers away from the team for the time being. Right-handers Bryan Abreu, Pedro Báez, Luis García, Cristian Javier, Francis Martes, Enoli Paredes and non-roster invitees Ronel Blanco and Hector Velázquez are all currently away from camp, manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Those players’ placement on the COVID-19 list does not mean they have tested positive for the coronavirus; a player can enter health and safety protocols due to exposure to someone who tested positive. Indeed, general manager James Click rejected the notion the team was suffering an outbreak, pointing out (via Rome) that the COVID protocols “cast a wide net” in an attempt to reduce viral transmission. There are no current plans to pause team activities, Click says.
  • Franchy Cordero was delayed in reporting to spring training because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but he’s now in camp and taking an intake physical, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic). If all goes well, Cordero could start team workouts today. The 26-year-old outfielder was a key part of Boston’s trade return for Andrew Benintendi.

COVID Notes: Abreu, Montas, Happ, Cordero

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The latest notes from MLB regarding COVID-19:

  • Reigning AL MVP José Abreu returned to team workouts yesterday (per Scott Merkin of MLB.com). The White Sox first baseman had been sidelined after testing positive for the coronavirus, which Abreu believes he contracted back in January. Abreu says he’ll need a few extra days to get his timing back after quarantining, so he probably won’t see any game action until the middle of next week.
  • Athletics right-hander Frankie Montas discussed his COVID diagnosis with reporters (including Martín Gallegos of MLB.com and Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News). Montas said he previously experienced headaches and body aches and continues to feel some tightness in his chest. Fortunately, he has progressed to running and throwing after being set back by those symptoms.
  • Twins left-hander J.A. Happ is feeling well after testing positive for the coronavirus during intake last weekend, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters yesterday (via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). Happ still needs to clear testing protocols before returning to the field, and he’s expected to begin the screening process tomorrow, per Helfand.
  • New Red Sox outfielder Franchy Cordero tested positive for the virus and remains in the Dominican Republic, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Cordero was placed on the COVID-19 injured list last week, although it wasn’t known at the time whether that was due to a positive test or mere exposure. The hope is that Cordero will be able to join camp by the middle of next week, per Speier.

Red Sox Claim Joel Payamps, Place Franchy Cordero On COVID Injured List

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The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Joel Payamps off waivers from the Blue Jays, according to Boston’s Twitter feed.  To create roster space, outfielder Franchy Cordero has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list, as the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reported earlier today.

Payamps returns to the Sox less than two weeks after Toronto acquired him in another waiver claim, after the Red Sox designated Payamps for assignment to make roster room for the newly-signed Garrett Richards.  The Sox themselves first landed Payamps on a waiver claim back in November when the right-hander was DFA’ed by the Diamondbacks.

A veteran of eight minor league seasons in the Rockies and Diamondbacks organizations, Payamps has received brief looks at the MLB level in each of the last two seasons, appearing in two games for Arizona in both 2019 and 2020 (with a 3.86 ERA over his seven career innings in the Show).   Over 665 2/3 innings in the minors, Payamps has a 4.15 ERA with a modest 20.34 strikeout rate, starting 119 of 145 games but seeing increasing work as a reliever in both the affiliated minors and in the Dominican Winter League.

Cordero was acquired from the Royals as part of the three-team trade with the Mets that saw Andrew Benintendi head from Boston to Kansas City.  Cordero has shown some glimpses of potential but has been plagued by injuries, appearing in only 95 Major League games over his four seasons as a big leaguer.  It isn’t known if Cordero’s placement on the COVID list is because of his own positive test for the virus, or if he was placed on the list as a precautionary measure due to possible exposure.

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