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Brock Holt Announces Retirement

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Utility-man Brock Holt has announced his retirement from the game after ten years in the major leagues in a post on Instagram. Holt spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, but also had stints with the Pirates, Brewers, Nationals and Rangers during his career. He retires with a career .262/.332/.362 slash line and 25 home runs across 751 games.

“Today I hang them up knowing I did the best I could for me, my family, and my teammates. I’m proud of every single second of it.” Holt wrote.

Drafted in the ninth-round of the 2009 draft by the Pirates, Holt made his MLB debut in Pittsburgh in 2012. He appeared in a handful of games that year before the Pirates shipped him and closer Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox in the Mark Melancon deal. In 2014 he established his value in Boston, appearing in 106 games and hitting .281/.331/.381 while logging time at every position bar pitcher and catcher. Having not accrued enough plate appearances during the previous two seasons, Holt was eligible for rookie of the year honors that year, and finished eighth in AL voting.

Holt continued to provide value to the Red Sox, earning an All-Star game selection in 2015 and appearing in eight games during Boston’s World Series-winning postseason in 2018. In the final two years before free agency, Holt hit .286/.366/.407 in 662 plate appearances and set himself up to do nicely on the open market.

That wasn’t to be though, and Holt signed with the Brewers late in the winter prior to the 2020 campaign. After the pandemic-induced delay to that season, Holt hit just .100/.222/.100 in 36 plate appearances and was designated for assignment. He bounced around the majors a bit after that, spending time with the Nationals in late-2020, before playing for the Rangers during the 2021 campaign. Holt inked a minor league deal with the Braves prior to the 2022 season, but was released after failing to make the opening day roster.

We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Holt on his career in the majors, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

34 Players Become Free Agents

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The Wild Card round of the 2022 postseason begins today, but for the majority of teams and players, the offseason is now underway. With that will come plenty of roster formalities, including veteran players who’ve been outrighted off their respective teams’ rosters reaching minor league free agency. This week, there have been 34 such instances throughout the league, per the transactions log at MiLB.com.

None of these are a surprise, to be clear. Any player who is not on his team’s 40-man roster at season’s end but has three-plus years of Major League service time, multiple career outright assignments and/or seven-plus seasons in the minors has the right to elect free agency. Everyone in today’s group of players falls under that umbrella. The majority of the group will likely find minor league deals over the winter, although a few of the players in question could potentially find a big league deal as a bench piece or middle-inning reliever.

There will be several more waves of players of this ilk, and we’ll make note of them in bunches over the coming weeks as we await the launch of Major League free agency, when all unsigned players with at least six years of Major League service time will reach the open market. For now, here’s the first of what will likely be several waves of newly minted minor league free agents:

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

Red Sox Notes: Devers, Hosmer, Casas, Coaching Staff, Catcher

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This afternoon, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, GM Brian O’Halloran, president Sam Kennedy, and manager Alex Cora spoke with the media (including Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic) to put a wrap on the 2022 season and provide clarity for the team’s offseason moves.

The quartet made it clear that Xander Bogaerts is a top priority, with Bloom stating that the Red Sox are “going to work really hard” at creating a deal with the long-term shortstop. Bloom continued, adding that he hopes that the Red Sox can get a deal done before the Bogaerts opts out and that the Bogaerts deal is “something that we can work on right away.”

Bogaerts had previously signed a six-year, $120MM extension in 2019 with an opt out after the 2022 season. The star shortstop has not officially stated whether he will exercise the opt out, but he’s a lock to do so and earn far more on the open market. Bogaerts said yesterday he and the team have not had any recent extension talks.

Bogaerts has been the Red Sox’s longest-tenured player, having made his debut as a 20-year-old in August 2013 and winning two World Series with the club. Since his debut, the recently turned 30-year-old has continued to develop and post strong results, slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 38 doubles in the 2022 season. Over the past five seasons, Bogaerts has posted a .301/.373/.508 slash line for a strong .880 OPS with 105 home runs, earning three All-Star berths and MVP consideration in the previous four seasons, finishing in fifth during the 2019 season.

If Bogaerts leaves the team, the Red Sox have options internally. Trevor Story, signed to a six-year, $140MM contract during the 2021 offseason, has considerable experience at short. However, Story has expressed a preference to remain at second and retain Bogaerts at short. Utility men Kiké Hernández and Christian Arroyo both have experience at shortstop, but neither produces an offensive output comparable to Bogaerts.

Additionally, Red Sox’s top prospect Marcelo Mayer, ranked as the seventh-best prospect by MLB.com, just finished his first full minor league season, posting a strong .280/.399/.489 line across Low-A and High-A. MLB.com currently projects the 19-year-old to make his debut during the 2024 season. However, Bloom said that prospects who are years away from the Majors will not impact the Red Sox’s approach to their 2023 team.

Transitioning to Rafael Devers, the slugger said on Wednesday that he’d be open to discussing a long-term deal this offseason (via Rob Bradford of WEEI). The Red Sox and Devers reportedly weren’t close during their Spring Training negotiations, but Bloom reiterated today “we would like to” explore a long-term deal with Devers, per Speier.

Devers is headed into his final season of arbitration eligibility, as Mookie Betts was before his blockbuster trade to the Dodgers. Bloom dismissed the possibility of trading Devers, saying that “isn’t on our radar” and that everything the team has done (farm system and payroll-wise) was conducted so that the team “is never in that position [of trading a player like Betts] again.” Bloom added that while it was always possible he’d receive a trade offer that was “stupid to walk away from,” Devers “is a guy that we want to build around.”

Unlike Bogaerts, the Red Sox have fewer internal options to replace Devers at the hot corner. Arroyo and Hernandez are capable of playing there, but, like is the case with shortstop, neither of them provides the offensive output that Devers brings to the team. Bobby Dalbec could be a contender for third base. However, the righty has yet to consistently produce at the major league level, slashing .232/.298/.456, buoyed by a strong .263/.359/.600 in his late 2020 debut season. Jeter Downs and Ryan Fitzgerald are both Triple-A candidates that could see some time if needed, but both will likely continue their development in Triple-A.

Similar to Meyer, ninth-best prospect Blaze Jordan just finished his first full minor league season. Across Low-A and High-A, the 19-year-old posted a combined .289/.363/.445 line. Jordan is also projected to make his debut during the 2024 season, which may be sped up to align with a Devers departure.

Moving to the other side of the infield, Bloom touched on the arrivals of Eric Hosmer and Triston Casas. “I don’t know yet,” he admitted when asked if there was room on the roster for two left-handed first basemen, per Christopher Smith of Mass Live. “Obviously, when we got Hoz, we were focused on what he could bring to us right now and not wanting to rush Triston. I think after that, Triston showed us in Triple-A, coming back off that injury once he got settled in, really the best we’ve seen from him or at least I’ve seen since I’ve been here. …  It’s something we’re going to have to look at.”

Hosmer was acquired at the trade deadline and posted a weak .244/.320/.331 line with the Red Sox in 45 at-bats. He arrived with three years remaining on his eight-year, $144MM contract that he signed in 2018 with the Padres, but San Diego is paying down all but the league minimum salary. Hosmer certainly won’t opt of the remaining $39MM on his deal, but Boston could move from the veteran at virtually no financial cost if they wanted to turn to Casas full time.

Casas is Boston’s second-best prospect, after Mayer, and is ranked as the No. 25 prospect by MLB.com. The slugger made his debut in early September and finished the season going 15-for-76 (.197) with 23 strikeouts. However, he had a strong 20% walk rate, a .358 on-base percentage, and sent five balls over the fence. Bloom stated that the Red Sox were happy with how Casas “progressed the last couple months of the season,” noting that “he was a tough at-bat every single time,” and that the team is “excited” to see how he learns from his brief experience in the Show.

Bloom also noted that the Red Sox “fully expect” they’ll look at the possibility of adding to their catching group externally, per Speier. He suggested the Red Sox see Reese McGuire and Connor Wong as having “raised the floor,” but left open the possibility of an impact addition. Willson Contreras is the clear top free agent available at the position, while deadline trade target Sean Murphy could again be made available by the A’s. McGuire has had a strong start to his Red Sox tenure, slashing a strong .337/.377/.500 for a .877 OPS with three homers in 98 at-bats. However, these high numbers are inflated by an astounding .411 BABIP. Wong has been less productive, posting a .188/.273/.315  line, with a high 28.6% strikeout rate.

Meanwhile, Cora announced that the Red Sox hope to bring back their entire coaching staff for the next season, per Chris Cotillo of Mass Live. However, it’s possible some members of the staff could get a chance to interview for managerial positions this winter. Bench coach Will Venable, in particular, has been a frequent candidate for managerial jobs in past offseasons.

Red Sox Release Danny Santana

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The Red Sox have released utilityman Danny Santana, leaving the veteran free to find another organization on the open market, per Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com (via Twitter).

Hatfield notes that Boston signed Santana when injuries had depleted their depth, but after the trade deadline, the veteran was pushed out of the conversation for an immediate call-up. The switch-hitter was a reasonable depth option at the time, capable of playing all over the diamond. He has appeared at every position in his career except for pitcher and catcher.

The 31-year-old owns a career .255/.296/.413 line across 1,866 career plate appearances with the Red Sox, Rangers, Braves, and Twins. He stepped to the plate 127 times for the Red Sox in 2021, his only season with Boston. He struggled to make a positive impact at the plate, however, slashing .181/.252/.345 in that time.

Red Sox Place Rafael Devers On 10-Day Injured List

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The Red Sox have placed star third baseman Rafael Devers on the 10-day injured list with right hamstring inflammation, per the team. In terms of corresponding moves, outfielder Jaylin Davis was promoted from Triple-A, and Enrique Hernandez was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Devers, still just 25 years old is putting together another All-Star campaign. To this point, he has hit an undeniable .324/.379/.602 with 22 home runs in 380 plate appearances. With those kinds of numbers, the Red Sox won’t want to be long without their superstar at the hot corner. At 48-46, Boston doesn’t have a whole lot of wiggle room either – not in the crowded AL East.

Kiké Hernandez has already missed 39 games, and he recently was pulled from a rehab assignment. Moving him to the 60-day injured list at this stage doesn’t mean a whole lot, though it does open the spot on the 40-man for the Davis promotion.

Davis, 28, is 2-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts on the year for Boston. This is his fourth season of big league action, the first three coming with the Giants. All in all, he’s had just 72 plate appearances in the Majors. The Red Sox claimed him off waivers from the Giants at the end of April. In Triple-A between the two clubs this season, David is slashing .247/.336/.404 across 268 plate appearances.

In terms of filling in for Devers, there’s little the Red Sox can do to fill that void. Jeter Downs could be given an opportunity for some significant run here in the Majors. Downs, of course, is most noteworthy for being a prime piece in the Mookie Betts deal. That makes him a complicated player for the Red Sox organization, but this might be a small-sample opportunity to let him play through some early ups and downs.

Roster Moves: Brewers, Red Sox, Twins

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The Brewers have acquired Triple-A infielder Patrick Dorrian from the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (via Twitter). Dorrian, 25, hit .161/.256/.269 over 169 plate appearances with Triple-A Norfolk this season. As recently as last year, however, Dorrian posted a solid .246/.362/.475 in 473 plate appearances in Double-A. The Brewers will see if they can rekindle some of that magic in Triple-A.

  • The Red Sox have optioned Jeter Downs back to Triple-A. The move comes in anticipation of activating Christian Arroyo tomorrow, per Christopher Smith of masslive.com. Downs spent just three days on the active roster, going 0-4 in his debut with three strikeouts. Arroyo is on the COVID injured list but is expected back for Friday’s game. Arroyo has gotten off to a slow start, slashing .187/.227/.319 over 98 plate appearances.
  • The Twins optioned Josh Winder to Triple-A, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Winder just completed a rehab assignment, so he had to be returned to the active roster and optioned. The 25-year-old right-hander made three starts and pitched four times out of the bullpen this season, pitching to a 3.68 ERA/4.36 FIP over 29 1/3 innings. Winder has three options remaining, so the Twins can easily give him more time in the minors.

Roster Moves: Reds, Red Sox

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The Reds have placed reliever Alexis Diaz on the 15-day injured list, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Diaz has arguably been the Reds most reliable reliever so far this season, logging 30 innings over 27 appearances with a 2.40 ERA/3.94 FIP. No corresponding roster move has yet been made, but the Reds did make another roster move today…

  • The Reds recalled right-hander Dauri Moreta and optioned TJ Friedl to Triple-A, per the team. Moreta, 25, made 15 appearances but was hit hard to the tune of a 9.88 ERA/9.21 FIP over 13 2/3 innings. He posted better results in Triple-A with a 4.05 ERA in 15 appearances spanning 13 1/3 innings.
  • The Red Sox have officially added James Norwood to the active roster, the team announced. They acquired the right-handed reliever yesterday from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations. Kutter Crawford was optioned to Triple-A to create the roster spot. Crawford, 26, has started a pair of games and pitched eight times in relief with a 6.41 ERA/5.17 FIP covering 19 2/3 innings of work.

 

Red Sox Acquire James Norwood From Phillies For Cash Considerations

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The Red Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher James Norwood from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations, the Phillies announced.

The Phillies had previously designated Norwood for assignment, giving them a couple of days to find a taker. He had struggled with the Phillies, but nevertheless saw a fair amount of work. He made 20 appearances and pitched to an unfortunate 8.31 ERA. The other side of the coin is his 3.65 FIP, which suggests there could be a brighter future ahead for Norwood.

The Red Sox will see what they can coax out of Norwood. He has long had tantalizing stuff, but trouble with command. Across his 17 1/3 innings of work so far this season, he struck out 22 batters while walking nine. Those numbers aren’t bad, but he also surrendered 24 hits over that span. If he can get some batted ball luck in his direction, Norwood could find better results in Boston.

Orioles Designate Jahmai Jones, Select Cody Sedlock

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The Orioles announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader with the Red Sox, including the news that right-hander Cody Sedlock’s contract has been selected from Triple-A.  Infielder Jahmai Jones was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster, and righty Beau Sulser was optioned to Triple-A.  Additionally, right-hander Denyi Reyes was also called up as the 27th man for the doubleheader.

Jones is headed for DFA limbo just a day after the Orioles announced that the infielder underwent Tommy John surgery.  Jones became injured while in the minors, and thus couldn’t be moved to the 60-day injured list unless the O’s officially added him to the big league roster.  In designating him for assignment, the Orioles could simply be looking to remove Jones from their 40-man roster without that official call-up, and the team is betting that another club won’t make a claim on Jones given that he’ll miss the rest of the season recovering.

This will be the first Major League opportunity for Sedlock, who was selected with the 27th overall pick of the 2016 draft.  Sedlock’s progress was slowed by elbow and shoulder problems, as well as thoracic outlet syndrome, though Sedlock was able to avoid TOS surgery.  Between injuries and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Sedlock has only 371 1/3 innings under his belt over parts of six professional seasons.

Making his Triple-A debut in 2021 and continuing with Norfolk this season, Sedlock has only a 5.13 ERA over 59 2/3 innings, with a 25.75% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate.  Working mostly as a starter throughout his career, Sedlock could be used as a swingman or long reliever in Baltimore, depending on how the Orioles choose to juggle their pitching mix as the team navigates a busy stretch of the schedule.

Red Sox Notes: Trade Deadline, Bloom, Song, Hyers

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In an early look ahead to this year’s trade deadline, Joel Sherman of the New York Post identifies the 12-20 Red Sox as potential sellers. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom rebukes any notion that the team is preparing to punt on the season however, telling Sherman “We are not thinking that way [selling] at all […] The hole we are in is real, but it doesn’t reflect the talent on this club. We know it will take a lot to climb out, but we believe this group can do it.”

Accordingly, Sherman acknowledges how much baseball is left to be played this season and opposes a total teardown for a club that just last year made the playoffs. He does also cite Boston’s frequent record fluctuation this past decade (the team has finished first and last in the AL East four times apiece), however, as reason to brace for a disappointing final win tally. With a number of teams already ahead of them in the Wild Card hunt, to say nothing of their incredibly tough division, the Red Sox figure to have a harder time than most presumptive contenders in reaching the playoffs this year. Thanks to a handful of impending All-Star free agents and a wide open payroll next offseason though, there’s perhaps no team more qualified to reload at the trade deadline before trying for better results in 2023.

Some more news out of Boston…

  • Pitching prospect Noah Song was selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2019 draft but has since seen his baseball career be put on hold due to Navy commitments. As Alex Speier of The Boston Globe details, however, Song has now completed flight school and applied for a service waiver that may allow him to resume his professional baseball career. At the time of his draft selection scouts viewed the right-hander as a first-round talent with mid-rotation upside, albeit one with obvious signing roadblocks, so his return could be quite the boon for a farm system on the rise. It remains to be seen how a multi-year layoff from baseball might impact Song’s athletic abilities or if additional naval obligations will keep his service waiver from being approved, but the Sox for their part seem prepared and supportive of either outcome.
  • In an interview with Christopher Smith of MassLive, former Boston hitting coach Tim Hyers discussed his rationale for leaving the franchise this offseason to take an identical role with the Rangers. Familial considerations, challenge-seeking, and a desire to let current Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse rise to the occasion all informed his ultimate departure. Hyers of course has been one of the sport’s more productive hitting coaches in terms of results, as high-octane offense was the calling card of Red Sox teams dating back to his first year under manager Alex Cora in 2018. Hyers’ coaching presence, and lack thereof, seems to be felt by his old and new club so far this season, as the Rangers have improved relatively as a run-scoring unit while the Red Sox currently find themselves as a bottom-three team in MLB in that regard. If there’s one silver lining here in the early-going for Sox fans, it’s that Hyers was approached by the Yankees after leaving his post with Boston but politely rebuffed the club.
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