Category: Baseball

#RedSox Sign 2018 World Series MVP Steve Pearce to One-Year Deal.

The Red Sox announced Friday evening that they had come to an agreement with first baseman Steve Pearce on a one-year, $6.25 million contract through the 2019 season.

Pearce, 35, was acquired by Boston from the Toronto Blue Jays back on June 26th in a two-player deal.

A soon to be free agent, the journeyman infielder made his presence felt immediately with his new club, as he finished the 2018 campaign with a solid .279/.394/.507 slash line to go along with seven home runs and 26 RBI over 50 games in a Red Sox uniform.

More importantly, Pearce came through with multiple clutch performances in October, including a two-homer night in the fifth and deciding game of the 2018 World Series, which ultimately led him to being named the Fall Classic’s Most Valuable Player.

“We’re thrilled to have Steve back with us for another year as we think he’s a great fit for our club,” said President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski. “Obviously, we all saw what kind of impact he can have on the field, especially with the Postseason that he had. He also provides good depth and balance from the right side for us.”

Entering his 13th year in the big leagues in 2019, the Florida native will more than likely take on the same platoon role he had at first base with Mitch Moreland over the latter half of the 2018 season.

On the business side of things, the $6.25 million Pearce will earn in 2019 is the same amount he earned in both of the last two seasons with the Blue Jays and Red Sox.

With Pearce now taken care of, here’s a list of the remaining free agents who ended their year with Boston:

RHP Craig Kimbrel
RHP Nathan Eovaldi
RHP Joe Kelly
LHP Drew Pomeranz
INF Brandon Phillips
2B Ian Kinsler

 

 

Mookie Betts Is Named 2018 American League MVP.

For the first time in his career, Mookie Betts is an MVP, as announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Thursday evening.

He finished second in voting in 2016, sixth in voting in 2017, but now, the 26-year-old can finally add a Most Valuable Player trophy to his impressive collection.

Coming into the 2018 season as one of the more established outfielders in all of baseball alongside Angels center fielder Mike Trout, the three-time All-Star got his MVP campaign off to a scorching start that he would not have to look back from.

Ending his fourth full year in the bigs with a gaudy .346/.438/.640 slash line to go along with a career-high 32 home runs, 80 RBI and a league-leading 129 runs scored over 136 games, Betts officially received 28 of the 30 first place votes.

Already the recipient of his second Silver Slugger and third Gold Glove Award earlier in the month, the Tennessee native has had himself quite the offseason.

A World Series champion for the first time…

A father for the first time…

And now, an MVP for the first time…

So, congratulations to Mookie Betts, someone who worked his way from a fifth round pick out of high school in the 2011 amateur draft all the way to one of the best all-around players in the American League. Perhaps a hefty contract extension is in order sometime in the coming months?

Betts’ teammate, JD Martinez, who was not listed as one of the three finalists on the American League ballot, officially finished fourth in AL MVP voting.

 

 

#RedSox, Alex Cora Agree to Contract Extension.

One night after finishing as the runner-up in 2018 American League Manager of the Year voting, the Boston Red Sox announced on Wednesday evening that they had come to an agreement with Alex Cora to remain the club’s manager through 2021 with a club option for 2022.

Cora, who formally took over as the 47th manager in Red Sox history last November, initially signed a three-year deal that ran through 2020, but because of a more than impressive debut, the 43-year-old was rewarded with an extension that essentially adds an additional year to that original contract.

In his rookie season as manager, Cora, who played in Boston from 2005 to 2008, led the club to a franchise record 108 regular seasons wins as well as their ninth World Series title following an 11-3 run in the postseason.

A native of Puerto Rico, Cora began the offseason by taking the Commissioner’s Trophy to his hometown of Caguas to celebrate.

A three-time World Series champion, once as a player, once as a coach, and now once as a manager, Cora had the following to say regarding his extension:

“For me, 2018 was not only historic, but it was special as well, both on and off the field. We have a great appreciation for our accomplishments this past year, but now our focus moves forward to the season ahead and defending our World Series title.”

President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski also had this to say as part of the official announcement:

“Alex did a tremendous job for our club all year long and we wanted to reward him for his efforts after an amazing season. We are extremely happy that he will be with us and leading our club on the field.”

Although the numbers have yet to be released, one would have to assume that Cora’s salary got a bump up as part of this extension.

Quotes via MLB.com

Craig Kimbrel Rejects $17.9 Million Qualifying Offer from #RedSox.

Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski announced on Monday that Craig Kimbrel has officially rejected his qualifying offer, making him a free agent.

This news may not come as a surprise to some, but it does leave the World Series champions without a closer, for now.

If Kimbrel does choose to sign elsewhere this winter, such as with the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies, that particular club will owe Boston a compensatory pick in next year’s draft, which is set to land somewhere after the fourth round.

The Red Sox extended the QO with a value of $17.9 million to Kimbrel on November 2nd, giving the seven-time All-Star 10 days to either accept or reject.

With this rejection, Kimbrel will more than likely become one of the highest paid relievers in all of baseball, joining the likes of Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen and Yankees ninth-inning man Aroldis Chapman, whose current deals have a combined worth of $166 million over 10 total years, per Spotrac.

Over the course of the GM meetings in Carlsbad, Calif. this past week, Kimbrel’s agent, David Meter, pitched his client as, “the best closer of all-time,” so you can expect the Alabama native to seek out a hefty pay-day in the coming weeks.

Given the very real possibility the Red Sox decide to not commit that much to their closer for the past three seasons, we could be looking at Matt Barnes, or even Ryan Brasier as ninth inning options in 2019.

Dombrowski made clear on Nov. 1st that if Kimbrel were to leave, “We do think that we do have a situation where internally we have a couple of candidates to do that – Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier are the top candidates.”

That remains to be seen, as there is still a slight possibility that the Red Sox retain the services of Kimbrel to remain their closer. But, given the way relief pitching appears to be trending, it would not be surprising if Dombrowski and/or Alex Cora would prefer a closer who could come on and pitch multiple innings in order to lock up wins.

In his three-year tenure with Boston, the 30-year-old Kimbrel seemed to struggle with this task regularly, as well as securing saves in tight, late-game situations at times.

If this is it for Kimbrel in a Red Sox uniform, it was certainly a memorable run. Three seasons, three All-Star team selections, an elite 2017, and a World Series championship in 2018.

Mookie Betts and JD Martinez Collect Three Silver Slugger Awards as Award Season Rolls on for #RedSox.

On Thursday, Major League Baseball continued its award circuit by announcing the 18 recipients of the 2018 Silver Slugger Award presented by Louisville Slugger.

Voted on by managers and coaches throughout baseball, the Red Sox led the way for the American League with three winners, although there is a catch to that.

Mookie Betts and JD Martinez finished with the first and second best batting average in the AL over the course of the 2018 regular season, and that paid off with three total Silver Sluggers being awarded to them on Thursday evening.

For Betts, this is the second time he has received the honor in his career, with the first one coming in 2016.

Among qualified American League outfielders, the 26-year-old finished fifth in home runs (32), first in AVG (.346), first in SLG (.640), first in runs scored (129), and second in wRC+ (185), per FanGraphs.

Along with Betts, fellow Red Sox teammate JD Martinez made some history on Thursday by becoming the first player ever to win multiple Silver Sluggers at different positions in the same season.

Claiming awards at both DH and in the outfield, Martinez finished his first year in Boston as one of the most dangerous bats in the American League, yet was not named an MVP finalist.

In 93 games at DH, the Florida native posted a .297/.373/.597 slash line to go along with 27 home runs and 79 RBI.

As an outfielder, Martinez was surprisingly better at the plate, as he hit his way to a 1.130 OPS as well as 16 homers and 51 RBI over 57 games played.

Also the recipient of the Hank Aaron Award for his offensive production in 2018, this is the second time Martinez has been awarded a Silver Slugger Award, with the first coming in 2015 when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Next up in the award season circuit, Alex Cora, fresh off a World Series title and all, will look to become the third American League Manager of the Year to represent the Red Sox since the awards inception in 1983.

The winner for that is set to be announced on Tuesday, November 13th.

Mookie Betts Named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for Right Fielders.

Just three days after receiving his second straight Gold Glove Award on Sunday night, Mookie Betts’ defense was in the spotlight once again, as he was named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for his work in right field this season.

Among qualified American League right fielders, the 26-year-old finshed first in multiple defensive categories, such as Defensive Runs Saved (20), Ultimate Zone Rating (15.3), and Defense (10.1), per FanGraphs.

This is the first time Betts has received this particular award since he was named the overall defensive player of the year in 2016, a season in which he finished second in American League Most Valuable Player voting.

This year, the Tennessee native seems poised to change his luck after having his best regular season in terms of Wins Above Replacement (10.9) and being named a finalist in the MVP race on Monday.

Before that though, Betts will have to settle for his second career Silver Slugger Award, which he is set to win on Thursday after leading all of baseball in hitting in 2018 (.346 batting average).

Alex Cora Named Manager of the Year Finalist, Mookie Betts Named American League MVP Finalist.

One night after Ian Kinsler, Mookie Betts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. won Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for their defensive prowess at their respective positions, the Red Sox were back it again on Monday in the thick of award season.

This time, two of the best at what they do were named finalists for some decently important awards.

First, first-year manager Alex Cora, fresh off leading his team to their ninth World Series title just over a week ago, was named one of the four finalists for Manager of the Year.

In a field that also consists of Athletics manager Bob Melvin, Rockies manager Bud Black, and Brewers manager Craig Counsell, Cora sticks out as the only rookie manager on this impressive lost of baseball minds.

Taking over a team that had won back-to-back American League East titles for the first time in its franchise’s history, the native of Puerto Rico went ahead and set the club’s all-time record in regular season wins (108).

Cora’s Red Sox didn’t bat an eye in October either, as they went a stunning 11-3 run to clinch another World Series title, making their mark as one of the more dominant baseball teams ever assembled.

On the player side of the award announcements, neither Chris Sale nor JD Martinez were named finalists in AL Cy Young and AL MVP consideration, but as was expected by many, Mookie Betts was named as one of the three finalists in the junior circuit for the second time in three seasons.

In his age 25 season, the three-time All-Star led the American League in batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.640), and runs scored (129), as well as setting a new career high in home runs with 32 of them in 2018.

Along with Betts, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout and Cleveland Indians infielder Jose Ramirez were named as MVP finalists.

I was a tad bit flustered that JD Martinez was not named given how much he meant to the Red Sox this season, but all will be forgiven if Betts claims his first ever MVP crown on November 11th.

Next up in the award season circuit is the Silver Slugger Award, whose winners are set to be announced on November 8th.

Three #RedSox Capture Gold Glove Awards, Including Jackie Bradley Jr.’s First.

On Sunday night, Major League Baseball announced its 2018 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners for both leagues on ESPN, and the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox came away with three award winners.

Tied with the Atlanta Braves for the most recipients, Ian Kinsler, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts took home the honor for the American League at second base, center field, and right field, respectively.

For Kinsler, this is the second time he has been awarded with a Gold Glove in his 13-year career.

According to FanGraphs, the 36-year-old, who played in 37 games with Boston this season, led all American League second baseman in Ultimate Zone Rating (9.7).

For Jackie Bradley Jr., this is the first time he has been named a Gold Glove winner, and it finally solidifies the 28-year-old as one of, if not the best defensive center fielder in the American League. Here are some highlights from this season to drive that point home:

And finally, to no one’s surprise, Mookie Betts took home his third consecutive Gold Glove Award patrolling right field. He, like Kinsler, led all American League right fielders in UZR by a wide margin (15.3).

Betts will be looking to add to his impressive award collection in the coming days, as Silver Slugger Award winners will be announced on November 8th. JD Martinez should be in that conversation as well.

#RedSox Extend Qualifying Offer of $17.9 Million to Craig Kimbrel.

On Friday, NBC Sports Boston’s Evan Drellich reported that the Red Sox had extended a qualifying offer to Craig Kimbrel.

The qualifying offer, which has a value of $17.9 million, also has an expiration date, as the right-handed Kimbrel now has 10 days or either accept or decline it.

Regardless of the decision the flame throwing closer makes, this moves seems to be a win-win for the Red Sox. Either they get their All-Star reliever back for another season on a rather expensive deal, or, if Kimbrel declines the QO and chooses to sign elsewhere, the Red Sox will receive a compensatory pick in next year’s MLB draft from that club.

According to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, “only five of the 73 players who have been extended qualifying offers since this system began in 2012 have accepted the offers.”

With that statistic in mind, I’m going to go ahead and Say Kimbrel will turn down the QO and opt for a long-term deal with a team willing to splurge on a closer.

Whether or not the Red Sox are willing to spend that much on a ninth-inning man has yet to be determined. But, from what I have gathered recently, and sound more and more likely that the club likes their internal options to take over that spot, such as Matt Barnes or Ryan Brasier.

In his third and potential final season with Boston, Kimbrel notched 42 saves to go along with a 2.74 ERA and 96 strikeouts over 62.1 innings pitched. He also made his third consecutive All-Star team and became a World Series champion for the first time in his career.

MLB free agency is set to begin this weekend. Stay tuned.

The Carson Smith Era Appears to Be over for the #RedSox.

On December 3rd 2015, the Boston Red Sox acquired RHP Carson Smith and LHP Roenis Elias from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for RHP Jonathan Aro and LHP Wade Miley in a move that was supposed to help solidify the club’s bullpen ahead of the newly acquired Craig Kimbrel.

Less than three years later, the headliner of that deal, Smith, now finds himself without a team following a roster move on Thursday that saw the right-hander outrighted from Boston’s major league roster and granted free agency.

At just 29 years old, Smith is sure to bounce back with another big league club sometime soon, but when looking back at his brief tenure with the Red Sox, I think it’s fair to say it was nothing short of a moderately sized disappointment.

Appearing in just 29 total games in three different seasons with Boston, the Texas native posted a 2.66 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over only 23.2 innings pitched.

Those numbers may not look too shabby, but what was truly frustrating about Smith’s time in Boston was how much time he spent off the field and on the disabled list.

In 2016, right elbow issues throughout spring training and parts of the regular season would eventually lead to the former Mariner undergoing Tommy John Surgery, where he would not return to the active roster until late in the 2017 season.

There, he pitched in eight September games, only allowed one run over 6.2 innings pitched, and appeared in two games against the Astros in the ALDS.

Fast forward to the 2018 season, and although were some struggles mixed in there, Smith owned a solid 3.77 ERA heading into the month of May.

Despite those positive signs, May 14th marked the beginning of the end for the 2011 eighth round pick, as an eighth inning solo home run served up to the Oakland A’s Khris Davis that night would inconsequently end his 2018 campaign.

After ending the frame, Smith let out his frustration in the Red Sox dugout by slamming his glove to the ground, something he claimed he does regularly.

This time, though, the reliever, “felt [his] shoulder pop in and out real quick,” and was promptly placed on the disabled list the day after.

Instead of taking responsibility for this self-inflicted injury, Smith appeared to throw his manager, Alex Cora, under the bus a bit when speaking with media

“I think fatigue played a factor. My shoulder just couldn’t handle it,” he said. “I think my shoulder is tired in general just from pitching. I’ve thrown a lot lately and I think my arm was just tired.”

As it turns out, that little outburst would end up marking Smith’s final chapter of a wild time with the Red Sox, and he is now free to sign elsewhere.

So, if you want to look back at that deal made with Seattle in 2015, it’s not like President of Baseball Operations was giving up much, but what he and the Red Sox got in return certainly did not live up to expectations either.

Quotes via The Boston Globe.