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Red Sox Sign Yu Chang To Major League Contract

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The Red Sox announced Thursday that they’ve signed infielder Yu Chang to a one-year contract. Chang’s Major League deal will place him on the 40-man roster, and Boston has placed injured shortstop Trevor Story, who’ll miss at least the first half of the season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his right elbow, on the 60-day IL to create space. Chang will earn $850K on the deal, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Chang, 27, has seen major league action in each of the past four years, providing plenty of defensive versatility but struggling to do much at the plate. His career batting line currently sits at .213/.279/.360, production that’s 23% below league average by measure of wRC+. In that time, he’s played all four infield positions and generally been graded well at each of them.

Since Chang was out of options last year, he fell into a pit of being just intriguing enough for teams to give him a shot, but never quite providing enough to cement himself anywhere. He began the year with the Guardians but was designated for assignment and traded to the Pirates, before subsequently going to the Rays and Red Sox on waiver claims. Between those four clubs, he hit .208/.289/.315 for a wRC+ of 78.

Chang just nudged past three years of service time last year and qualified for arbitration for the first time. He was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $900K salary but the Red Sox decided to non-tender him instead, though they’ve now brought him back at a slightly lower price point.

The infield picture in Boston has changed quite a bit since last year. Xander Bogaerts opted out of his contract and signed with the Padres and, as mentioned off the top, Story is going to miss significant time due to his injury. It seems the plan to cover for those losses to the middle infield is to bring Enrique Hernández in from center field to be the shortstop, with Adam Duvall signed to take over the vacated center field spot. Hernández has garnered some shortstop experience as part of the utility job he’s played for many years, but he’s never had an everyday role there. Adalberto Mondesí was acquired from the Royals to hopefully play a part of some kind, though he’s also hurt and might not be ready for Opening Day. That would seem to leave Christian Arroyo atop the second base depth chart for now. Enmanuel Valdez and David Hamilton could push for jobs since they’re on the 40-man, though neither has any big league experience thus far.

With all of those moving pieces, it makes sense to add someone like Chang who can be moved around as necessary. The corners are a bit more secure with Rafael Devers at third and Triston Casas at first, though Casas has just 27 games under his belt thus far and isn’t a sure thing to succeed this season. Chang could provide an emergency option there as well, though Bobby Dalbec could perhaps get another crack at the cold corner if Casas gets hurt or underperforms.

Chang should provide the Sox with the floor of being a competent defender at multiple positions, making him a solid bench piece to have. If he can make any progress offensively, that would be a nice bonus. If that does come to pass, he could be retained for another two seasons via arbitration and likely wouldn’t cost much given his low base salary this year.

Players That Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Just about every baseball team has a full 40-man roster now, with the Astros the only team with an open spot at the moment. That means that just about every transaction, be it a free agent signing or a waiver claim, requires a corresponding move.

However, that could soon change as the injured list is coming back soon. There’s no IL from the end of a season until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training for the next campaign, which they will do next week. That means some clubs could potentially gain a bit of extra roster flexibility at that time, since players on the 60-day IL don’t count against a team’s roster total. However, it’s worth pointing out that the “60 days” don’t start until Opening Day, which is March 30 this year. That means, though a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL next week, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until end of May or later.

With some notable free agents still unsigned like Jurickson Profar, Andrew Chafin, Michael Wacha, Elvis Andrus and many others, it’s possible that teams interested in their services might try to hold off on getting a deal done until next week. Or perhaps clubs that have players they would like to sneak through waivers will try to do so now, before rival clubs gain that extra roster flexibility with the IL opening up. Then again, some clubs will need to keep in mind non-roster players they are planning to promote by Opening Day and might hold off on making a move until that time.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time and could find themselves transferred soon, sorted by division.

AL East

Hyun Jin Ryu/Chad Green

The Blue Jays have a pair of pitchers on their 40-man roster who are returning from Tommy John surgery. They should be on a similar timeline, as they each underwent the procedure in June of last year, though Green will most likely return first since relievers generally require less time to build up arm strength compared to starters. Regardless, the recovery time period for TJS is about 12-18 months, meaning neither pitcher is likely to return until midseason at the earliest. Ryu recently said he was targeting a July return.

Trevor Story

The Red Sox shortstop recently underwent an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow, a similar operation to Tommy John. Though he’s confident he’ll return at some point, he’s slated to miss most of the upcoming season and is certainly headed for the injured list.

John Means

The Orioles lefty underwent Tommy John surgery in late of April of 2022. With the 12-18 month recovery window for TJS, he could theoretically return in the first couple of months of the season, so the O’s may not want to transfer him to the injured list until they have some clarity about his timeline.

Scott Effross/Luis Gil/Frankie Montas

Effross is a lock for the Yankees’ injured list as he underwent Tommy John in October and will likely miss the entire 2023 campaign. Gil had the same surgery but in May, which means he’ll likely be out until midseason. The situation with Montas is a bit less clear, as he’s dealing with shoulder inflammation that is expected to keep him out for the first month of the season. Unless he suffers some sort of setback, he probably won’t be placed on the 60-day IL right away.

Shane Baz/Andrew Kittredge

The Rays have a couple of hurlers bound for the IL as Baz underwent Tommy John in September while Kittredge had the same surgery in June. They’re both going to miss the first half of the year, with Baz potentially missing the entire season.

AL Central

Casey Mize/Tarik Skubal

Mize underwent Tommy John surgery in June and should be placed on the Tigers’ IL at some point. Skubal’s case is a bit less certain after he underwent flexor tendon surgery in August. The club hasn’t provided a timeline for his recovery but some recent comparables can give us some idea. Danny Duffy underwent the procedure in October of 2021 and was hoping to return by June of 2022, though a setback prevented him from pitching at all on the year. Matthew Boyd went under the knife for flexor tendon surgery in September of 2021 and didn’t return to a big league mound until September of 2022.

Garrett Crochet/Liam Hendriks

Crochet of the White Sox underwent Tommy John surgery in April of last year but was already stretched out to throwing from 120 feet in November. Whether he’s able to return in the early parts of 2023 or not will depend on his continued progression in that recovery process. In a less conventional situation, Liam Hendriks announced last month that he’s beginning treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s unknown how long his treatment will take but general manager Rick Hahn said they don’t expect updates “prior to Opening Day at the very earliest.”

Chris Paddack/Royce Lewis

Paddack was recently extended by the Twins though he underwent Tommy John in May of last year and likely won’t be ready to return until the middle of the upcoming campaign. Lewis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in June of last year, the second year in a row that he suffered that unfortunate injury. At the time, his recovery timeline was estimated at 12 months, which likely puts him on the shelf until midseason as well.

AL West

Brett Martin

It was reported last month that the Rangers lefty will require shoulder surgery. It was said that the timeline will become more clear in the aftermath of the procedure but he’s likely to miss the entirety of the upcoming season.

NL East

Bryce Harper

The Phillies superstar underwent Tommy John surgery in November and the club has announced they expect him to be out of action until around the All-Star break in July.

Huascar Ynoa/Tyler Matzek

Both these Braves pitchers underwent Tommy John last year, with Ynoa going under the knife in September and Matzek in October. That makes them both long shots for appearing at all this year, but especially not in the first half.

Max Meyer/Anthony Bender/Sixto Sanchez

The Marlins have a couple of arms that will certainly miss time this year and one more that’s a wild card. Meyer and Bender both underwent Tommy John in August and will miss most of the upcoming campaign. Sanchez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in October with the club announcing at that time they expected him back by spring. It was reported last month that Sanchez is already throwing bullpens, which perhaps points against an IL stint. However, after the shoulder issues completely wiped out his 2021 and 2022 seasons, it’s hard to know how much to rely on his health going forward.

Danny Mendick

The Mets signed Mendick after he was non-tendered by the White Sox. The infielder/outfielder tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in June of last year and missed the second half of the season. There haven’t been any updates on his status recently, but further clarity will likely come when camp gets rolling.

Tanner Rainey/Stephen Strasburg

The Nationals have one fairly straightforward case in Tanner Rainey, who underwent Tommy John in August and will likely miss most of the upcoming season. What’s less clear is the situation surrounding Strasburg, who’s hardly pitched at all over the past three years due to thoracic outlet syndrome and various issues seemingly related to that. He made one appearance in the big leagues last year, pitching 4 2/3 in one start in June but went on the IL right after and never returned. He spoke about the issue in September, saying he hadn’t thrown in months and that he is “not really sure what the future holds.”

NL Central

Ethan Roberts/Codi Heuer/Kyle Hendricks

Roberts underwent Tommy John in June and likely won’t be available for the Cubs until midseason. Heuer had TJS in March but the latest reporting suggests he won’t return until June or July. The status of Hendricks is less clear, with the righty trying to recover from a capsular tear in his shoulder. The club is hoping to have him back by Opening Day but also said they won’t rush him. He recently said that he’s expecting to be on a mound by March 1.

Vladimir Gutierrez/Tejay Antone

Gutierrez, a Reds righty, underwent Tommy John in July and should miss the first few months of the upcoming season at least. Antone was rehabbing from a Tommy John of his own when he suffered a flexor strain in his forearm. He announced today he’s received a platelet-rich plasma injection to treat the issue and suggested he might miss the first half of the season.

Max Kranick

The Pirates right-hander required Tommy John in June and will miss the first half of the upcoming campaign.

NL West

Antonio Senzatela/Tyler Kinley

The Rockies have a couple of murky situations on their hands with these hurlers. Senzatela tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last year and required surgery in August. The timeline at that point was given at 6-8 months, which would place his return somewhere in the February-April window. Whether he’ll require a lengthy IL stint will depend on if his recovery is still on that track. Kinley was diagnosed with an elbow strain and a flexor tear in his forearm in June of last year. He underwent surgery in July with the club announcing they expected him to miss one calendar year, which should prevent him from pitching early in the campaign.

Walker Buehler/Blake Treinen/J.P. Feyereisen

The Dodgers have a trio of pitchers that are likely to miss most or perhaps all of the upcoming season. Buehler required Tommy John in August and could potentially return very late in the year. Treinen underwent shoulder surgery in November with an estimated recovery time of 10 months. Feyereisen underwent shoulder surgery in December and won’t be able to begin throwing until four months after that procedure, or around April. His eventual return to game shape will depend on how long it takes him to progress from simply throwing to getting up to full game speed.

Luke Jackson

The Giants signed the right-hander in free agency, despite Jackson undergoing Tommy John in April. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last month that there was a chance Jackson begins the year on the 60-day IL, though that doesn’t seem to indicate any kind of setback. “He’s doing great in his rehab, so we’re going to wait and see how he’s doing in spring training,” Zaidi said.

Trevor Story Confident He’ll Play In 2023

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The Red Sox were dealt a major blow this month when it was revealed star infielder Trevor Story would require an internal brace procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom did not give a timeline, and indicated that having Story available in 2023 was not something that they “want to bank on.” Given the departure of Xander Bogaerts in free agency and Story’s expected move over to shortstop, that looked to be a brutal blow to Boston’s chances this season.

Things have taken a slightly more positive turn today though, with Story telling reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe) that he believes he’ll play this season. To what extent Story can get himself involved remains to be seen, and there’s still no timeline in place for his recovery, but at the very least it’s a more upbeat outlook than Bloom’s.

Story experienced discomfort last month when he was ramping up his off-season program. That was after feeling fine for all of November and a good chunk of December. Abraham relays that Story was able to avoid Tommy John surgery on the elbow, as it’s just a partial tear.

The Red Sox will likely turn to Enrique Hernandez to handle Story’s reps at shortstop until he can return, particularly after boosting their outfield stocks with the signing of Adam Duvall. Bloom indicated recently that the team could still pursue a middle infield addition, and the Sox have been loosely tied to remaining free agents Josh Harrison and Elvis Andrus recently, but it seems the internal option of Hernandez and Christian Arroyo up the middle is the favorite.

Red Sox Notes: Middle Infield, Rotation

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The Red Sox were dealt a brutal blow this week with the news that infielder Trevor Story, who’d been preparing for a move from second base to shortstop in the wake of Xander Bogaerts’ free-agent departure, required an internal brace procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Story felt discomfort late last month when ramping up his throwing program, and subsequent testing revealed enough damage that surgery was required.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom met with reporters following the announcement yesterday, ominously declining to put a timeline on the injury while noting that a return in 2023, while not something that can be ruled out, is “not something, at this stage, that we want to bank on” (link via Julian McWilliams and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). The prospect of losing Story for the entire 2023 season only further serves to create urgency for the Red Sox to strengthen their up-the-middle core.

Bloom acknowledged that even before Story’s injury, he’d been in the market for at least one up-the-middle player. The versatility afforded by both Story (who can play either middle infield position) and Enrique Hernandez (who can play second base and center field) left Bloom free to explore a variety of options. Now, likely needing a pair of external additions, it’d seem likely the Sox can cast an even wider net. Bloom, in fact, suggested that the search for up-the-middle additions “doesn’t even need to be limited to two” players, Speier tweets.

The center field market has been thin all offseason, which at least on paper would make a pair of infield additions an easier course to chart. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey points out that Bloom implied that the preference may be for right-handed bats, given the glut of lefties already on the roster (e.g. Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida, Alex Verdugo, Triston Casas, Reese McGuire). That said, the free-agent market has already been largely picked over, so Boston won’t necessarily be able to be as selective as the front office might prefer.

There are still some right-handed-hitting middle infield options available in free agency, with Elvis Andrus, Josh Harrison, Donovan Solano and Jose Iglesias topping the list. On the trade front both Miami’s Miguel Rojas and Colorado’s Brendan Rodgers have at least been mentioned on the rumor circuit this offseason, though Rodgers only in connection with the Marlins’ bevy of MLB-ready young pitching.

Things are more sparse in center field, where the options are generally limited to veterans who could be available on minor league deals (e.g. Kevin Pillar, old friend Jackie Bradley Jr.). Bryan Reynolds, of course, headlines a thin trade market for outfielders. It should be further noted that the Sox aren’t likely to exclusively focus on righty bats, any such preferences notwithstanding. They’ve previously been linked to Marlins infielder Joey Wendle, for instance, and given the diminished state of the trade and free-agent markets, an openness to adding at least one other lefty bat gives them more flexibility.

Middle infield and center field aren’t the lone areas of focus for the Sox, either, as Bloom voiced a continued desire to acquire “impact” starting pitching — particularly arms who can be controlled for several years (Twitter link via Speier). That’s sensible, given that the current rotation — Chris Sale, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, Corey Kluber and Garrett Whitlock — is teeming with uncertainty, even with a touted arm like Brayan Bello waiting in the wings.

The slate of middle-infield and controllable pitching needs does make the Marlins a natural fit in trade talks, though all indications have been that the Sox are reluctant to part with top prospects like Casas, Bello and Marcelo Mayer. That doesn’t close the door on a trade entirely, of course, but it certainly complicates matters. Other speculative trade partners with ample infield and/or rotation depth include the Brewers, Royals and Guardians.

Whatever path the Red Sox explore, they’re in a difficult situation. Needing a pair of up-the-middle position players at this stage of the offseason, with a thin set of options in both free agency and trade, is challenging enough. But the organization’s best trade chips are young, near-MLB-ready talents they’d prefer not to move, and payroll projections from Roster Resource put them only about $22MM shy of reaching the luxury threshold for a second straight season. Add in an ongoing search for controllable rotation help, and it’ll be challenging, to say the least, for the Sox to check all of their preferred boxes (controllable starter, multiple infield/center field options, hang onto top prospects, avoid repeat offense of luxury tax). Even if they’re able to do so, it’ll be a tough battle for them in a competitive AL East.

Trevor Story Underwent Internal Brace Surgery On Right Elbow

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3:10pm: Bloom didn’t provide a specific timeline on Story for the upcoming season, noting that a return is possible “but it’s not something at this stage we want to bank on,” per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Bloom also said Story was preparing to play shortstop before aggravating his elbow, per Speier.

2:50: Red Sox infielder Trevor Story had internal brace surgery on his right elbow yesterday, per a release from the team. “Boston Red Sox infielder Trevor Story yesterday underwent a successful internal bracing procedure of the right ulnar collateral ligament (elbow),” the statement reads. “Dr. Keith Meister performed the surgery at Texas Metroplex Institute in Arlington, Texas.” Chris Cotillo of MassLive. reported the surgery shortly before the official announcement and adds that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom will speak at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central.

The club has not provided a timeline on Story’s expected recovery, with that information perhaps to come when Bloom speaks. Until that information comes out, we can only speculate on the timeline, but it’s worth pointing out that the UCL is the same ligament that is replaced in Tommy John surgery. The internal brace procedure is generally considered to be less invasive and allow players to return quicker, but the recovery period still usually takes months. For one recent example, outfielder Eli White underwent the procedure while a member of the Rangers last year, with the club announcing at that time that White was expected to miss six months. Each player is unique and will have their own responses to different injuries, but it seems fair to assume that Story is slated for a significant absence of some kind.

For Story, there have been concerns swirling around his throwing arm for some time now. He made 11 throwing errors while with the Rockies in 2021, with some scouts expressing trepidation about this throws after that season. Statcast’s new arm strength leaderboard ranked Story as averaging 79.1 mph on his throws from short, a mark that placed him 52nd out of 58 shortstops to make at least 100 throws that year. That was a noticeable drop from 2020, when Story was at 82.3 mph and ranked 22nd out of 34 shortstops who made 100 throws.

Despite those concerns, the Sox signed Story to a six-year, $140MM deal going into 2022. At the time of the signing, Story was expected to play second base in deference to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, but it was also seen as a possible safety net for a Bogaerts departure. Since Bogaerts had the ability to opt out of his deal after 2022, the Sox would then have the option of sliding Story to the other side of the bag to replace him.

The position change gave Story and the Sox a year to evaluate things, with Story making shorter throws from second. He averaged 76.1 mph on his throws last year, which was another drop from the year before and placed him 61st among 70 second basemen to make 100 throws on the year. On top of that, the Sox indeed saw Bogaerts opt out of his contract and sign with the Padres this winter.

Though Story’s timeline is still to be determined, it seems like the Sox will now have to figure out how to navigate their middle infield without Bogaerts or Story, at least for a few months. If the club decides to stick with internal options, they could go with Enrique Hernández and Christian Arroyo, though Hernandez seemed ticketed to be the everyday center fielder, so they would have to figure out a solution there. Jarren Duran would be an option to take over in center, though he struggled in 2022 by hitting just .221/.283/.363. There are some other infielders on the roster such as David Hamilton and Enmanuel Valdez, though they’ve only recently been added and have no major league experience.

It’s also possible the club could look for external upgrades. The top free agent options are all off the board, assuming today’s Carlos Correa deal with the Twins is the one that finally gets across the finish line. Elvis Andrus, Josh Harrison and Andrelton Simmons are some of the middle infield options still on the board, if the Sox decide to go that route. On the trade market, there are some players who could be available, such as Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Yankees, though an inter-division trade might be tricky. Amed Rosario of the Guardians has been mentioned as a speculative candidate, as has Nick Madrigal of the Cubs. The Sox and Marlins have reportedly discussed Joey Wendle and Miguel Rojas in trade talks, so perhaps those discussions could be revisited in light of today’s news.

However the Sox approach it, it seems fair to say that they have been dealt a blow for 2023. Despite being hurt in 2022, Story still hit 16 home runs in 94 games and slashed .238/.303/.434. One silver lining of the surgery is that there’s at least an explanation for his diminished arm strength. If the surgery is successful in repairing his ligament and he’s able to get back into form, perhaps he can take over the shortstop position later in the year. Story’s contract runs through 2027 but he has the ability to opt out after 2025, with the Sox then able to negate the opt-out by tacking on another year and keeping him through 2028.

Red Sox, Marlins Have Discussed Joey Wendle In Trade Talks

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The Red Sox have had some discussions with the Marlins about infielder Joey Wendle, reports Chad Jennings of the Athletic. There’s no indication a deal is imminent or even likely, as he’s one of a number of names whom Boston has looked into as they search for middle infield help.

Wendle is headed into his second season in Miami. The Marlins acquired him from their in-state counterparts last offseason, sending minor league outfielder Kameron Misner to the Rays. That was one of a number of transactions Miami made in hopes of adding a jolt to their lineup, as they also brought in Jacob Stallings via trade and Avisaíl García and Jorge Soler through free agency.

None of those additions panned out as expected in year one. Wendle had his worst season in a few years, hitting .259/.297/.360 over 371 trips to the plate. He kept his strikeout rate in check, punching out in a career-low 13.5% of plate appearances. That higher-contact approach was the product of increased aggressiveness at the dish, and it tamped down his walk rate to a meager 4% clip. Wendle managed just three home runs, and he played in only 101 games around a trio of injured list stints thanks to issues with both hamstrings.

Wendle’s value is certainly at a low ebb, though there are reasons the Boston front office could view him as a solid bounceback target. He’d posted above-average offensive numbers in three of his four seasons with Tampa Bay, showing the ability to handle the AL East. Between 2018-21, the left-handed batter compiled a .274/.330/.414 mark in just under 1500 plate appearances. His power and walk rates were both a touch below average, but he demonstrated plus contact skills. He was particularly adept against right-handed pitching, putting together a .287/.337/.439 mark with the platoon advantage. During his first two seasons with the Rays, Wendle overlapped with Chaim Bloom. The current Red Sox chief baseball officer was a high-ranking member of the Tampa Bay front office at the time.

At his best, Wendle pairs that slightly above-average offense with quality defense around the infield. He’s primarily a second and third baseman, logging more than 1500 career innings at each spot. Public defensive metrics have loved the former All-Star’s work at the keystone, while he’s earned more solid but unspectacular marks at the hot corner. Wendle has never been an everyday player at shortstop, but he’s logged limited time there in each of the last five years. He topped out with 233 1/3 innings for Miami this past season, posting strong marks in that very limited sample.

Jennings suggests the Red Sox are eyeing Wendle as a potential option at shortstop after the departure of Xander Bogaerts. Turning to him there regularly would be a bold gambit, as he’s headed into his age-33 season and coming off a year in which he was nagged by leg injuries. Playing him more frequently at second base with an occasional game at shortstop would be more straightforward, yet Jennings suggests the front office is somewhat divided on how best to handle the middle infield.

Boston signed Trevor Story to a $140MM free agent deal last offseason. The longtime Rockie shortstop posted strong defensive numbers throughout his time in Colorado, but some evaluators raised questions about his arm late in that tenure. That wasn’t a concern in 2022, as Story moved to second base in deference to Boagerts. He posted strong numbers there, showcasing high-end range and hands. His arm remained subpar, though, with Statcast ranking him 155th out of 162 qualified infielders in maximum throw speed. Story averaged 76.1 MPH on his throws, around four MPH below average at second base and nearly 10 ticks below the league mark at shortstop.

That alone doesn’t mean Story can’t play shortstop. He’d had a below-average arm for the position in both 2020-21 and still rated highly there by measure of both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating (albeit with less enthusiastic reviews from Statcast). Bloom has previously suggested Story’s presently the favorite for the position, but Jennings writes that some in the front office would rather keep Story at second base and play Enrique Hernández at shortstop. That’d require finding someone to replace Hernández in center field, so bringing in another middle infielder would be the simpler solution.

Wendle figures to be attainable in trade, even if Jennings characterizes Miami’s current asking price as high. With over five years of MLB service, Wendle is in his final year of team control. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary for his final arbitration season. That’s reasonable but not insignificant for a Miami club that is seemingly up against it from a payroll perspective. The Marlins are known to be looking for ways to upgrade their lineup and have yet to address it in any meaningful capacity. Moving Wendle’s salary while recouping some pre-arbitration or minor league talent could be appealing for general manager Kim Ng and her staff as they try to create some flexibility to kickstart their offseason.

It seems a trade is Boston’s preferred means for adding the up-the-middle talent they desire. Jennings suggests any interest on their part in the top remaining free agent shortstops like Elvis Andrus and José Iglesias is fairly modest. He reports they’ve given internal consideration to players like Cleveland’s Amed Rosario and St. Louis’ Paul DeJong at points this winter but no longer seem to be targeting those players. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported earlier this month that Boston had reached out to the Fish on shortstop Miguel Rojas; however, it seems unlikely Miami would move Rojas, a clubhouse leader and quality defensive shortstop, without being overwhelmed by the return.

Red Sox Notes: Middle Infield, Rotation, Houck

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With Xander Bogaerts headed to San Diego, the Red Sox face questions about their lineup. Boston has added Masataka Yoshida on a five-year deal to play left field, but they’re now dealing with a vacancy in the middle of the diamond.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters this week the Red Sox are seeking someone who can play up the middle on either the infield or outfield (link via Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). As Bloom noted, the team has some positional flexibility in that regard thanks to Trevor Story and Enrique Hernández. Story played second base in deference to Bogaerts this past season, but the longtime Rockies shortstop now looks penciled in to move back to the left side of the diamond. Hernández is a quality defender at both second base and center field, and his ability to cover either spot gives Boston the freedom to look for players at either position and move Hernández around depending on subsequent additions.

In any event, the Red Sox figure to bring in another player with the athleticism to cover up the middle. As things stand, the team would likely open the season with Story at shortstop, Hernández in center and some combination of Christian Arroyo and Jeter Downs at second base. Neither Arroyo nor Downs should have a firm hold on an everyday job for a hopeful contender, but the available free agent options at important defensive positions are dwindling.

The center field market was almost completely barren from the start, with Brandon Nimmo the clear top option. Players like Kevin Kiermaier and Cody Bellinger got everyday jobs coming off disappointing seasons, while the Red Sox struck early to keep Hernández out of free agency on a $10MM extension in September. He’s not coming off a great year himself, but the lackluster free agent class no doubt played a role in Boston’s decision to take a shot on a bounceback.

Free agency in the middle infield is a bit more robust. Dansby Swanson is the top player still remaining. The Red Sox are reportedly part of that market, although they’ll face competition from teams like the Cubs, Twins, Dodgers and incumbent Braves. It’d be rather surprising to see the Sox pivot to Swanson — who looks likely to top $150MM on the open market — after watching their own star shortstop (and described “top priority”) depart. There’s a notable drop after Swanson, with Elvis Andrus the next-best remaining shortstop. At second base, Jean Segura and Brandon Drury are the top options available.

All those players hit right-handed, which could make them targets for the Boston front office. Speier writes the Sox are looking for a righty bat, a sensible pursuit considering their lineup skews towards the left side. Story, Hernández and Arroyo are the only three righties who currently look like regulars, and Arroyo could be supplanted by an outside addition. Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo and Yoshida all hit from the left side, as do first base/DH options Triston Casas and Eric Hosmer. Boston has Bobby Dalbec in that mix as a righty alternative, but he’s struggled enough the past couple seasons they’ve reportedly made him available in trade.

The trade market obviously also offers a chance for the Red Sox to address some roster deficiencies. Bloom told Chad Jennings of the Athletic on Monday the club was open to consolidating minor league talent to add immediate MLB help. The front office leader downplayed the possibility of moving talented players at the MLB level (seemingly including Casas) as part of those efforts, but he expressed a willingness to move players who are further away from the majors.

There aren’t many up-the-middle players who look likely to be dealt this winter. The Guardians could part with shortstop Amed Rosario, while the Royals may field offers on center fielder Michael A. Taylor. Oakland’s Ramón Laureano has some center field experience and would add a righty bat to the outfield, but he’s coming off a dismal 2022 season and the A’s may prefer to hold him in hopes of a better year that rebuilds his trade appeal.

The rotation market offers more possibilities, both in free agency and trade. Noah Syndergaard, Johnny Cueto and old friends Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha are among the free agent options still available. Viable rotation trade candidates include Trevor Rogers and Pablo López in Miami, Chris Flexen or Marco Gonzales of the Mariners and Pittsburgh’s JT Brubaker. Both Speier and Jennings write that Boston would like to add a starter, no surprise for a team that has seen Eovaldi, Wacha and Rich Hill hit free agency without bringing in outside help.

Boston does have a few players who can step into the rotation after not assuming much of a role last season. Chris Sale barely pitched in 2022, while James Paxton didn’t throw for the Sox at all. They’ll hopefully go into Spring Training healthy but have plenty of recent injuries and workload concerns. Brayan Bello could get a full season after breaking into the majors this past July. The Red Sox already announced Garrett Whitlock would join Nick Pivetta in the starting five after mostly working in multi-inning relief the last two years.

The Sox haven’t been as committal on Tanner Houck, but he’s also a rotation option after bouncing between starting and relief for a while. As Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic writes, the Sox’s offseason to date has seen them bring in a few bullpen options — Chris Martin, Kenley Jansen and Joely Rodríguez — without doing much to fortify the rotation. That could point towards an increasing likelihood of Houck competing for a rotation spot in Spring Training, although much depends on the team’s activity over the next three months.

Houck came out of the bullpen for 28 of his 32 appearances in 2022, including some time as the team’s closer. With Jansen now set to lock down the ninth inning, skipper Alex Cora can deploy Houck either in higher-leverage relief in the middle innings or as part of the starting staff. The former first-round pick started 13 of his 18 outings in 2021, and he has 20 MLB starts on his résumé. In that time, he’s worked to a 3.22 ERA with a 28.5% strikeout rate. Houck has a 2.68 ERA and a 25.9% career strikeout percentage when coming out of the bullpen.

Bloom: Bogaerts Remains Red Sox’s Preferred Option At Shortstop

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The Red Sox and star shortstop Xander Bogaerts didn’t agree on a contract extension before the start of the offseason. The four-time All-Star officially opted out of the final three years on his deal with Boston this morning, sending him to the open market for the first time in his career. The Sox still have exclusive negotiating rights with Bogaerts through Thursday, but there’s little question at this point his representatives at the Boras Corporation will soon be in contact with other teams.

Speaking with reporters (including Alex Speier of the Boston Globe) this evening, Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom reiterated that retaining Bogaerts would be the Sox’s ideal choice for addressing shortstop. “We want him here. He makes us better,” Bloom said. “We respect his right to exercise [the opt-out] and to explore the market. We want him back and we will stay engaged with him.”

Boston’s baseball operations leader acknowledged the presence of a few other star free agent shortstops — namely Carlos Correa, Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson. While Bloom suggested the team would explore the market for potential alternatives, he didn’t mince words when expressing the front office’s overall preference. “He’s our first choice. That’s not going to change,” he told reporters. “Part of our jobs is to explore every option to field a contending team next year and put together a really good group. We need to explore every possible way to do that, but Bogey’s our first choice.”

Bloom indicated he believes either Trevor Story or Enrique Hernández would be capable of playing shortstop if necessary but made clear the team would prefer to keep them at other positions to keep Bogaerts around. Story moved to second base this past season. While he’d played his whole career at shortstop with the Rockies prior to this year, Story has spoken about his desire to stick at the keystone if it means the Red Sox re-sign their longtime shortstop. That’d presumably keep Hernández in center field primarily, with the lackluster free agent market at that position seemingly playing a role in Boston’s decision to keep the utilityman around with a $10MM contract extension on Labor Day.

Of course, this is far from the first time Sox’s brass has gone on record about their affinity for Bogaerts. Immediately after the season, Bloom called re-signing the four-time Silver Slugger winner before free agency the team’s top priority. That obviously didn’t happen, and Speier writes that while the sides did have some discussions after the season wrapped up, it became clear fairly early on they wouldn’t get a deal done before the opt-out date.

Boston is sure to kick off the offseason by tagging Bogaerts with a qualifying offer. They’d receive only minimal compensation if he were to sign elsewhere, however. Because the Red Sox exceeded the base luxury tax threshold this past season, they’d add only an extra draft choice after the fourth round. Conversely, signing a player like Turner or Swanson who rejects a qualifying offer from another team — Correa is ineligible to receive a QO because he’s previously received one in his career — would lead Boston to forfeit both their second and fifth-highest picks in next year’s draft and $1MM in international signing bonus space. Certainly, the front office will weigh their long-term projections of each of the top free agents more heavily than the draft choices in deciding how to proceed, but they’d pay a heavier draft penalty for adding either Swanson or Turner than they would for retaining Bogaerts (and thus forfeiting the compensatory pick).

Bogaerts heads into his age-31 season coming off a .307/.377/.456 mark through 631 plate appearances. His power production dipped relative to his best seasons, but he hit above .285 with an on-base percentage at .360 or better for the fifth straight year. He also earned slightly above-average marks from public defensive metrics, an important step towards quieting some concerns he’ll have to move off shortstop in the relatively near future.

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 Activate Nathan Eovaldi; Trevor Story Unlikely To Return This Season

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The Red Sox announced Thursday that righty Nathan Eovaldi has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Connor Seabold has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester in his place. Additionally, it now appears unlikely that Trevor Story will return to the Sox in 2022. Story, currently shelved with a heel injury, had been hoping to return for the final series of the season but has fallen ill (on top of that injury) and is now “very unlikely” to get back to the active roster in 2022, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com tweets.

Eovaldi’s return is an important one not necessarily for the Red Sox, who’ve long since been eliminated from postseason contention, but for the pitcher himself. The 32-year-old Eovaldi is wrapping up the final season of a four-year, $68MM contract and is slated to become a free agent at season’s end. He’s been out more than a month due to a shoulder injury, so returning today gives him the opportunity to demonstrate his health over two more starts before the end of the year. That’ll also give the Sox a bit more information as they weigh a potential qualifying offer for Eovaldi.

It’s been something of an up-and-down year for Eovaldi, who was terrific through mid-June before landing on the injured list due to a back injury. That issue also cost Eovaldi a month, and he briefly experienced a velocity dip and poor results upon his activation. He got back on track for three starts, beginning Aug. 1, but then hit the shelf with this most recent shoulder ailment.

Even with the slight dip in performance in July, Eovaldi’s overall numbers are sound. He’s logged a 4.15 ERA with a 22.7% strikeout rate and an outstanding 4.3% walk rate in 99 2/3 innings this season — a continuation of the strong results he enjoyed with Boston from 2020-21. Dating back to Opening Day 2020, Eovaldi carries a collective 3.87 ERA in 330 1/3 frames. He’s fanned nearly one quarter of his opponents in that time and his 4.3% walk rate trails only Clayton Kershaw for the MLB lead in that span (min. 200 innings pitched).

A healthy Eovaldi is an easy call to receive a qualifying offer, so it’ll be worth keeping a close eye on his performance over the next two outings. Cotillo noted that he’ll be capped around 65 pitches today, so it’s unlikely he’ll go deep into the game, but there will still be plenty to be gleaned from even a four- or five-inning outing. It also stands to reason that Eovaldi could push a bit further in what would be his final start of the season next week.

As for Story, this latest injury and illness will apparently close the book on what was a discouraging first season in Boston. Signed over the winter to a six-year, $140MM contract, Story stumbled out of the gates, and while he had a pair of torrid hot streaks (from mid-May into early June and from August into September), those were surrounded by prolonged cold spells at the plate. In the end, his 2022 campaign will end with a .238/.304/.434 slash, 16 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 396 plate appearances.

Defensively Story posted impressive marks in Defensive Runs Saved (six) and Outs Above Average (ten) despite appearing in only 813 innings on the field. The move to second base suited him quite well, but his future position remains to be determined. Xander Bogaerts will opt out of his contract at season’s end and reject a qualifying offer, but the Sox will surely have interest in re-signing him. If Bogaerts heads elsewhere, Story is certainly capable of sliding back over to shortstop — a position at which he starred in Colorado for the first six seasons of his career. Alternatively, the Sox could seek shortstop alternatives and keep Story at second base, where he’s played Gold Glove-caliber defense in 2022.

Story is still owed $120MM over the next five years, although his contract allows him to opt out after the 2025 season. The team can negate that opt-out by instead preemptively exercising a $25MM club option on the 2028 season for Story, which would push his total contract to seven years and $160MM.

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