Cafardo’s Latest: BoSox, Hosmer, Braves, Cherington, Rockies
The Red Sox and impending free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer look like an “ideal” match as the offseason draws closer, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe opines. The 28-year-old Hosmer is coming off a career season (.318/.385/.498 in 671 plate appearances) and may price himself off the Royals in the coming weeks. On paper, he’d easily upgrade a dreary-looking first base situation in Boston. Red Sox first basemen combined to hit a mediocre .248/.326/.430 in 2017, and the club will enter the winter without an obvious solution at the position.
More from Cafardo:
- Former Boston general manager Ben Cherington has emerged as a potential GM candidate for the Braves, according to Cafardo. Cherington, who has been Toronto’s vice president of baseball operations since September 2016, was atop Boston’s baseball operations from October 2011 until the team hired Dave Dombrowski in August 2015. The Red Sox won a World Series during the Cherington era (in 2013), though that stretch also included multiple sub-.500 seasons and a few questionable big-money signings (Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez and Rusney Castillo, to be specific).
- The Rockies are still deciding whether to give impending free agent outfielder Carlos Gonzalez a qualifying offer, per Cafardo. It’s difficult to imagine the Rockies taking a $17.4MM chance on Gonzalez, though, considering he’s fresh off the worst year of his career. Despite playing his home games at Coors Field, the 32-year-old Gonzalez hit just .262/.339/.423 with unspectacular power numbers (14 home runs, .162 ISO) across 534 trips to the plate. As has typically been the case, the lefty-swinger struggled against same-handed pitchers and away from Colorado.
- There’s a “feeling” that Pirates third base coach Joey Cora could become the Red Sox‘s bench coach, Cafardo writes. The 52-year-old is the brother of Boston’s new manager, Alex Cora, 42. The elder Cora has only been on the Pirates’ big league staff for a year, but he brings significant major league coaching experience – including as Miami’s bench coach in 2012.
NL Central Notes: Schebler, Cora, Cardinals
As the Cubs kick off their first World Series game in 71 years, here’s a look around the division at some of the teams that will be chasing them next season…
- Scott Schebler appears to have the inside track on the Reds‘ right field job next year, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes. The 26-year-old bounced back after some early struggles and showed enough promise to think he’s deserving of a larger opportunity. Acquired in last winter’s Todd Frazier trade, Schebler hit .265/.330/.432 in 282 plate appearances with the Reds, tallying nine homers and a dozen doubles in that limited exposure. MLBTR’s Jason Martinez looked at the subject in his recent piece previewing the Cincinnati offseason, suggesting that the organization give him a shot while also looking to bring in some competition. Top prospect Jesse Winker could eventually push for a corner outfield spot in the Majors as well, although the 23-year-old’s power numbers dipped in Triple-A this season.
- The Pirates are set to name Joey Cora as their new third base coach, reports Cory Giger of the Altoona Mirror (Twitter link). Cora managed Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate in Altoona this season and has several years of experience as a Major League bench coach and third base coach. He’ll replace Rick Sofield, who served as Pittsburgh’s third base coach from 2013-16 but was fired over the weekend, according to a club announcement. Cora, like his younger brother Alex, enjoyed a lengthy Major League career as an infielder and has previously been considered for managerial vacancies at the Major League level.
- MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tackles a number of offseason questions in her latest Cardinals inbox piece, noting that despite a lackluster performance from the pitching staff this season, a significant addition seems unlikely. The free-agent market is, as has been well-documented, stunningly thin in terms of quality arms. And as far as the trade market is concerned, the team likely feels satisfied enough with its depth that it won’t feel compelled to meet the escalated asking prices that will perpetuate the trade market for rotation help. Langosch also looks at how the Cards stack up with the Rockies in potential trades and again emphasizes that the team is likely to focus on upgrading its up-the-middle defense this winter.