Tag: Baseball

Red Sox officially sign two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber

The Red Sox have officially signed right-hander Corey Kluber to a one-year contract for the 2023 season that includes a club option for 2024, the team announced on Thursday. In order to make room for Kluber on the 40-man roster, fellow righty Connor Seabold was designated for assignment.

Kluber agreed to a one-year deal with Boston late last month after spending the 2022 season with the Rays. The 36-year-old will receive a base salary of $10 million in 2023 but will have the chance to earn an additional $2 million in performance bonuses if he makes 30 more starts.

If Kluber does make 30 or more starts this coming season, the value of his club option for 2024 increases from $11 million to $13 million. If the Red Sox exercise the option and Kluber makes 30-plus starts in 2024, he would be in line to receive $2 million in performance bonuses.

All told, Kluber will make $10 million in guaranteed money this year. If all bonuses are reached and the option is picked up, his deal can max out at $27 million ($12 million in 2023 and $15 million in 2024) over the next two seasons.

Kluber, who turns 37 in April, posted a 4.34 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 139 strikeouts to 21 walks over 31 starts (164 innings) for Tampa Bay last season. His 3.1 percent walk rate ranked first among qualified pitchers while his 38.8 chase rate ranked third, per FanGraphs.

A native of Alabama, Kluber was originally selected by the Padres in the fourth round of the 2007 amateur draft out of Stetson University (DeLand, Fla.). He was dealt to Cleveland as part of a three-team trade in July 2010 and broke in with the Guardians (then the Indians) the following September.

While in Cleveland, Kluber established himself as one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the American League. He won his first Cy Young Award in 2014 and took home his second in 2017 in the process of making three straight All-Star teams from 2016-2018.

After injuries limited him to just seven starts in 2019, Kluber was traded to the Rangers in exchange for outfielder Delino DeShields and reliever Enmanuel Clase that December. He made just one start for Texas during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign before being shut down with a torn right teres muscle.

Kluber reemerged with the Yankees in 2021 and pitched to a 3.83 ERA (3.85 FIP) in 16 starts (80 innings) for New York. A right shoulder strain kept him sidelined from May 27 through August 30 of that year, but the Red Sox still tried to sign him before he inked a one-year pact with the Rays last December.

To his credit, Kluber avoided the injured list completely in 2022 while seeing his most action since 2018. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound hurler averaged 86.3 mph with his cutter, 80.7 mph with his curveball, 88.9 mph with his sinker, 82.9 mph with his changeup, and 88.9 mph with his four-seam fastball, per Baseball Savant.

Kluber makes his offseason home in Winchester, Mass. (where his wife, Amanda, is from) and has long been a logical fit for Boston given the local connections. In the wake of Nathan Eovaldi (Rangers) and Rich Hill (Pirates) leaving in free agency, Kluber is now slated to join a Red Sox rotation mix that includes Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and maybe even Tanner Houck.

For his major-league career, which spans 12 seasons with four teams (Guardians, Rangers, Yankees, and Rays), Kluber owns a lifetime 3.31 ERA and 3.09 FIP with 1,683 strikeouts to 347 walks across 256 appearances (251 starts) spanning 1,586 2/3 innings of work. He has also forged a 4.02 ERA in 47 career postseason innings between Cleveland and Tampa Bay.

Kluber, who spoke with reporters over Zoom earlier Thursday afternoon, will wear the No. 28 with the Red Sox, which was last worn by designated hitter J.D. Martinez.

(Picture of Corey Kluber: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with outfielder Greg Allen

The Red Sox and veteran outfielder Greg Allen have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Allen will earn a base salary of $1.4 million if he reaches the majors with Boston.

Allen, who turns 30 in March, spent the vast majority of the 2022 season with the Pirates. The speedy switch-hitter batted .186/.260/.721 with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, 17 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 10 walks, and 42 strikeouts over 46 games (134 plate appearances) for Pittsburgh before being designated for assignment in late September. He elected free agency after clearing waivers in early October.

A former sixth-round draft pick of the Guardians out of San Diego State University in 2014, Allen first broke in at the big-league level in September 2017. In parts of four seasons with Cleveland, the California native appeared in a total of 220 games and slashed .239/.295/.344 with eight homers, 57 RBIs, 76 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases.

Prior to the 2020 trade deadline, Allen was dealt to the Padres alongside right-hander Mike Clevinger in exchange for a six-player package that included Gabriel Arias, Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, Owen Miller, and Cal Quantrill. Allen, however, appeared in just one regular season game for San Diego and was designated for assignment that December.

The Yankees acquired Allen from the Padres in a minor trade shortly thereafter. New York outrighted Allen off its 40-man roster in March 2021 before calling him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in mid-July. In 14 games with the Bronx Bombers, Allen went 10-for-37 (.270) at the plate with four doubles, one triple, two RBIs, nine runs scored, and five stolen bases. He was claimed off waivers by the Pirates that November.

All told, Allen is a lifetime .232/.299/.336 hitter at the major-league level to go along with 30 doubles, seven triples, 10 home runs, 67 runs driven in, 103 runs scored, 45 stolen bases, 45 walks, and 184 strikeouts over 282 total games (800 plate appearances) between the Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and Pirates.

In 172 career games at the Triple-A level, Allen has hit .301/.403/.442 with 37 doubles, four triples, 13 homers, 62 RBIs, 121 runs scored, 48 stolen bases, 65 walks, and 136 punchouts across 710 total trips to the plate.

Defensively, Allen has past experience at all three outfield positions. In 2022, for instance, the 6-foot, 185-pounder logged 140 innings in left field, 92 1/3 innings in center field, and 61 innings in right field. Historically speaking, left field has proven to be Allen’s best position in terms of Defensive Runs Saved (+9) and Outs Above Average (+4), per FanGraphs.

Known for his speed, Allen should provide Boston with some experienced outfield depth at Triple-A Worcester this season if he does not break camp with the big-league club in March. As currently constructed, Masataka Yoshida, Enrique Hernandez, and Alex Verdugo project to be the Red Sox’ primary outfield group in 2023. Hernandez, of course, may be forced to play more infield this year with Trevor Story slated to miss a significant amount of time after undergoing right elbow surgery earlier this week. Behind them, Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran — as well as prospects Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez, Wilyer Abreu — are also on the 40-man roster

Allen, who is out of minor-league options, becomes the seventh player the Red Sox have invited to major-league spring training this winter. He joins the likes of right-hander Norwith Gudino, left-hander Oddanier Mosqueda, catchers Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez, utility man Niko Goodrum, and outfielder Narciso Crook.

(Picture of Greg Allen: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Red Sox make Rafael Devers’ contract extension official; here are the details

The Red Sox have officially signed third baseman Rafael Devers to a 10-year contract extension that goes into effect in 2024 and runs through the 2033 season, the club announced earlier Wednesday morning.

Devers agreed to a 10-year, $313.5 million extension (not an 11-year $331 million extension), with the Red Sox last week after already agreeing to terms on a $17.5 million salary for 2023 in order to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old put pen to paper and was celebrated at a press conference Fenway Park on Wednesday.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Devers will receive a $20 million signing bonus and will then earn $27.5 million per year from 2024-2026. He will then earn $31 million per year from 2027-20230 and $29 million from 2031-2033.

As was previously reported, the deal does not contain a no-trade clause or any opt-outs. Devers will, however, obtain full no-trade rights when he reaches 10 years of major-league service time, which should happen at some point in 2027. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo adds that there are no performance bonuses or incentives within the contract.

Per the Associated Press, the Red Sox will pay Devers $75 million in deferred salaries after his contract expires. More specifically, Devers will receive $7.5 million in deferred money per year over a 10-year period beginning in 20234 and ending in 2043.

For competitive balance tax purposes, the average annual value of Devers’ contract comes out to just more than $29 million per season from 2024-2033. In 2023, Devers’ CBT hit is $17.5 million, which puts the Red Sox’ projected payroll for this coming season at close to $217 million. That means that Boston still has approximately $16 million in payroll flexibility to work with before reaching the first luxury tax threshold of $233 million and incurring penalties as a result.

Devers’ $313.5 million deal represents the largest and longest contract the Red Sox have given out in their history, surpassing the seven-year, $217 million pact David Price signed in December 2015 and the eight-year, $200 million pact Manny Ramirez inked in Dec. 2000. All told, Boston will be committing $331 million to Devers over the next 11 years, which will keep the two-time All-Star under club control through 2033, or in other words, through the end of his age-36 campaign.

“Nothing changes,” Devers said through interpreter Daveson Perez. “I just want to be the same guy that I’ve always been: Someone who has fun, someone who enjoys the game, who’s approachable. A lot of times my teammates ask me questions and I’m happy to answer, but I never want to feel like I’m above the team or something that’s larger than what I see that I am.”

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox re-sign Sterling Sharp to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have re-signed right-hander Sterling Sharp to a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, per his MiLB.com transactions log.

Sharp, 27, first signed with Boston as a minor-league free agent last August after spending the first half of the 2022 season in the Nationals organization. The lanky righty made seven starts for Double-A Portland down the stretch and posted a 3.18 ERA (3.59 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to 12 walks over 34 innings of work.

Washington originally selected Sharp in the 22nd round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Drury University (Springfield, Mo). The Michigan native rose through the prospect ranks in the Nationals’ farm system before being taken by the Marlins in the major-league phase of the 2019 Rule 5 Draft.

Sharp made his big-league debut for Miami the following August. He allowed six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings (10.13 ERA) out of the Marlins bullpen before being designated for assignment on Aug. 27. He was ultimately returned to the Nationals for $50,000 after clearing waivers.

Since that time, Sharp has made 34 appearances (27 starts) at the Triple-A level and 10 starts at the Double-A level. For his minor-league career, the 6-foot-3, 182-pound hurler owns a lifetime 3.77 ERA over 167 Double-A innings and a lifetime 5.77 ERA across 137 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Sharp, who turns 28 in May, operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph sinker, an 80-81 mph changeup, and a 79-81 mph slider. He has been assigned to Portland. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, though, Sharp provides the Red Sox with upper-minors rotation depth in the event that they include one of their Triple-A starters (like Chris Murphy or Brandon Walter) in trade for a major-league ready player before the season begins.

In short, Sharp could very well wind up pitching for the WooSox at some point in 2023. We will have to wait and see on that.

(Picture of Sterling Sharp: Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Red Sox trade Darwinzon Hernandez to Orioles for cash considerations

The Red Sox have traded reliever Darwinzon Hernandez to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, the club announced earlier Wednesday afternoon.

Hernandez, 26, was designated for assignment last Friday so that the Red Sox could clear a spot on their 40-man roster for newly signed infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner.

Boston originally signed Hernandez for just $7,500 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2013. The Ciudad Bolivar native established himself as arguably the top pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system before making his major-league debut at the age of 22 in April 2019.

Hernandez made one start for the Red Sox early on before moving to the bullpen on a full-time basis that July . The left-hander posted a 4.32 ERA — but much more respectable 2.81 FIP — with 46 strikeouts to 20 walks over 27 relief appearances (25 innings) from that point forward to wrap up what was an otherwise solid rookie campaign.

Injuries and a bout with COVID-19 limited Hernandez to just seven outings during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. He bounced back by forging a 3.38 ERA (4.80 FIP) in 2021, but he did so while averaging exactly seven walks per nine innings.

This past spring, Hernandez failed to break camp with the Red Sox and instead began the 2022 season at Triple-A Worcester. The burly lefty was then forced to undergo surgery in May after suffering a torn right meniscus that kept him sidelined well into the summer. He made his return to the majors on July 14 got rocked for 16 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings (21.60 ERA) before being sent down in mid-August.

While with the WooSox last year, Hernandez produced a 5.73 ERA with 51 strikeouts to 27 walks over 23 appearances (seven starts) spanning 33 innings of work. He returned to his home country this offseason to play winter ball for the Cardenales de Lara. There, he pitched to a 3.86 ERA to go along with 23 punchouts to nine walks across 16 1/3 frames of relief.

Hernandez, who does not turn 27 until next December, has one minor-league option remaining and is not yet eligible for salary arbitration. Those factors, as well as the fact that his pitch arsenal consists of a high-octane four-seam fastball, a mid-80s curveball, and a high-70s curveball, surely made the 6-foot-2, 255-pound southpaw appealing to a team such as the Orioles.

Although Hernandez has dealt with command issues in the past, he does own a career strikeout rate of 32.3% in parts of four big-league seasons. If Baltimore can harness his ability to induce swing-and-misses without giving up too many walks, perhaps Hernandez can get back on track with a new organization.

Hernandez becomes the latest former Red Sox prospect the Orioles have acquired in some capacity this winter. Last month, they signed right-hander Eduard Bazardo to a minor-league pact and selected fellow righty A.J. Politi in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. They also signed first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero to a split contract on Dec. 2.

(Picture of Darwinzon Hernandez: Elsa/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox prospect Pedro Castellanos signs minor-league deal with Padres

Former Red Sox prospect Pedro Castellanos has signed a minor-league contract with the Padres, per the MiLB.com transactions log.

Castellanos, 25, originally signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2015. The Carora native received a modest $5,000 signing bonus and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June.

After earning Red Sox Minor League Latin Program Player of the Year honors in 2016, Castellanos made the jump to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League (now the Florida Complex League) in 2017. From there, the first baseman/outfielder spent the entirety of the 2018 season in Greenville and the entirety of the 2019 season in Salem, where he was named a Carolina League All-Star.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing Minor League Baseball to cancel its 2020 campaign, Castellanos was unable to make the jump to Double-A until 2021. In 87 games with the Portland Sea Dogs that season, the right-handed hitter batted .289/.364/.471 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs over 87 games as he made starts at all three outfield positions.

Castellanos returned to Portland for the start of the 2022 season but got off to a rough start. Coming into play on May 3, he was hitting just .116 (8-for-69) with one homer and eight RBIs through his first 18 games. From that point forward, though, Castellanos turned a corner offensively and proceeded to slash a stout .345/.360/.561 with 16 doubles, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, and 20 runs scored over his next 43 games (178 plate appearances) before earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in late June.

In 60 games with the WooSox, Castellanos forged a .269/.307/.397 slash line to go along with 10 doubles, two triples, five homers, 29 runs driven in, 31 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 47 strikeouts across 241 trips to the plate. The 6-foot-3, 244-pounder put up those numbers while logging 314 1/3 innings at first base, 129 innings in right field, and seven innings in left field.

While he was never truly regarded as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system (topped out at No. 27 on Baseball America’s rankings in 2019), Castellanos did prove to be a quality hitter — as evidenced by his career .294 batting average — during his seven years as a member of the Red Sox organization.

Castellanos, who does not turn 26 until December, will now look to break in at the big-league level with the Padres. He has technically been assigned to San Diego’s Double-A Affiliate in San Antonio, but it would not be all that surprising if he began the 2023 season at Triple-A El Paso.

In the meantime, Castellanos has been playing winter ball for the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He slashed .289/.344/.436 with five home runs and 26 RBI in 46 regular season games for the Cardenales, who are currently in that league’s playoffs.

(Picture of Pedro Castellanos: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox ‘can’t bank on’ Trevor Story playing in 2023 after infielder undergoes elbow surgery, Chaim Bloom says

The Red Sox will be without Trevor Story to begin the 2023 season. That much we know. What we do not know is how much time he will wind up missing, or if he will be able to play at all.

Story underwent an internal bracing procedure to repair the right ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Monday. When speaking with reporters on Tuesday, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom did not provide a specific timetable for Story’s return, though he did express optimism that the infielder will be back in Boston’s lineup at some point this year.

“We’re not ready to put a timetable on it yet,” Bloom told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) over Zoom. “I certainly would not rule out a return sometime during 2023 but it’s also not something, at this stage, that we want to bank on. It will take how long it takes. We want to make sure he’s 100 percent. Certainly, with this being an internal brace procedure and not a Tommy John, it does leave the door open for a return this season.”

The procedure Story underwent is considered to be an alternative to Tommy John surgery since it typically takes less time to recover from. In a conversation with The Boston Globe, however, Dr. Jeffrey Dugas of the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center — who performed the first internal brace procedure back in 2023 — said Story’s recovery period could last anywhere between six to nine months.

“It’s a procedure we have a lot of confidence in, but it’s still, in the scheme of things, a relatively new procedure,” Bloom said. “We don’t have decades and decades of sample to see exactly to be able to pin it down to the day or the week like in some cases, you feel like you can with a full Tommy John. We’ll just see how it plays out. I think the worst thing we can do is rush him to adhere to some arbitrary timetable. Knowing Trevor, he’s going to push us and he wants to be out there. But we’ll have to let it play out.”

Story, 30, signed a six-year, $140 million contract with the Red Sox last March. In the first year of that deal, the right-handed hitter batted .238/.303/.434 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 122 strikeouts over 94 games (396 plate appearances). He was limited to just 94 games due to a right hand contusion that kept him sidelined from July 13 through August 27 and a left heel contusion that kept him sidelined from September 22 through the end of the 2022 campaign.

Prior to signing with the Red Sox, Story had dealt with right elbow inflammation while with the Rockies in 2021. Though he did not experience any elbow issues this past season, Story still saw the average velocity of his throws drop from 79.1 mph as a shortstop in 2021 to 76.1 mph as a second baseman in 2022. That 76.1 mph figure ranked ranked 61st among 70 qualified second basemen, per Baseball Savant.

Despite any concerns the Red Sox may have had with that dip in velocity, Bloom said surgery for Story was not under consideration until just recently.

“Obviously recognizing that his throwing has not been what it was in the past, everything when we did the physical when we signed him looked good and he felt good throughout the season,” Bloom said (via MLB.com’s Molly Burkhardt). “This, what he experienced in this incident, was something new.”

Story, per Bloom, first started to experience pain in his throwing elbow when he began ramping up his offseason throwing program shortly before Christmas. That prompted him to visit Dr. Keith Meister in the Dallas-area before flying to Boston to undergo further evaluation. After being evaluated by Red Sox team doctors, it became apparent that surgery was the best option for Story. The procedure was ultimately performed by Meister at Texas Metroplex Institute in Arlington.

As things stand now, Story remains at home in Texas. But he is expected to complete the early parts of his rehab in Fort Myers once spring training begins next month. Bloom also indicated that Story would continue to rehab with the Red Sox during the early part of the season, which begins on March 30.

“He has already said he wants to be around our people and around the team as much as he can,” said Bloom.

Story had been preparing to be the Red Sox’ starting shortstop come Opening Day. While that is no longer possible, there is a chance the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner could return sooner than expected and DH for Boston. That, of course, is dependent on how his recovery goes and the number of moves Bloom and Co. make between now and late March.

“We’re so early in this process that we haven’t made any kind of firm decision on that,” Bloom said. “So much of what Trevor brings to the table has to do with things he does outside of the batter’s box. That’s obviously a lot of the value that he brings. We don’t want to do anything to compromise him getting back at full strength to be able to bring all that value. I wouldn’t rule that out.”

Story, who does not turn 31 until November, is under club control through the end of the 2028 season. Regardless of when he is able to return to the field, the Red Sox are hopeful that Story will be able to put his elbow issues behind him and make his impact felt on both sides of the ball.

“Knowing that the arm strength had been trending not in a good direction prior to this, that wasn’t in-and-of itself reason for us to believe surgery would be needed until this latest incident,” said Bloom. “We’re certainly hopeful (he will be healthy) going forward. But even with what he was bringing to the table last season, I would say this guy was the best defensive second baseman in the game and one of the best defensive infielders.”

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story undergoes right elbow surgery

Red Sox infielder Trevor Story underwent a successful internal bracing procedure of the right ulnar collateral ligament (elbow) on Monday, the club announced earlier Tuesday afternoon. The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at Texas Metroplex Institute in Arlington, Texas.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom did not provide a timetable for when Story could return to action, but the 30-year-old is expected to be sidelined well into the 2023 season. That being the case because the recovery period for his procedure, which is considered to be a modified version of Tommy John Surgery, typically ranges between four to six months.

Story missed time with right elbow inflammation while with the Rockies in 2021 but did not experience any such issues as he shifted from shortstop to second base with the Red Sox in 2022. He did, however, miss a significant amount of time due to other injuries, such as a right hand contusion that kept him sidelined from July 13 until August 27 and a left heel contusion that kept him sidelined from September 11 through the end of the season.

All told, Story was limited to just 94 games last year. The right-handed hitter batted .238/.303/.434 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 122 strikeouts over 396 plate appearances in the first year of a six-year, $140 million contract he signed last March.

Defensively, Story made 92 starts and logged 813 2/3 innings at second base for Boston. The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder graded well in terms of Defensive Runs Saved (+6) and Outs Above Average (+10), but there were some concerns about his arm strength. Per Baseball Savant, Story averaged 76.1 mph on his throws last season, which ranked 61st among 70 qualified second basemen and was down from his 79.1 mph average velocity as a shortstop in 2021.

Because the Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts to the Padres in free agency last month, all signs pointed to Story becoming Boston’s everyday shortstop in 2023. This latest development will obviously prevent that from happening, at least to start the season. It may also lead to Bloom and Co. further exploring the free agent and trade market in order to bolster the club’s infield depth up the middle.

Internally, Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez are two candidates who could take over for Story at second base, though the Red Sox would almost certainly prefer to keep Hernandez in center field. Elsewhere on the 40-man roster, Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez, and David Hamilton all have infield experience in the minor-leagues, but neither of the three have yet to make their major-league debuts.

Regardless of which direction they go in to fill the void left by Story, the Red Sox undoubtedly have their work cut out for them with spring training set to begin in five weeks.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

What happens if Red Sox’ Triston Casas wins American League Rookie of the Year Award this season?

In a recent poll run by MLB.com, executives from across baseball were asked who they believe will win American and National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2023.

Five different players from the American League received votes, including Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas. Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson (73 percent of the vote) finished atop the leaderboard while Casas and Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (nine percent each) tied for second. Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (six percent) and Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (three percent) rounded it out.

Casas made his major-league debut in September but did not register enough plate appearances to graduate from his rookie status. In his first 27 games with the Red Sox, the left-handed hitter batted .197/.358/.408 with one double, five home runs, 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, one stolen base, 19 walks, and 23 strikeouts over 95 trips to the plate.

On the surface, a .197 batting average may indicate poor results offensively. But Casas impressed the Red Sox with his plate discipline down the stretch and wound up leading all American League rookies (min. 90 PAs) with a 20 percent walk rate. Using that same parameter, he also ranked fourth in on-base percentage and sixth in isolated power (.211), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Casas made all 22 of his starts at first base and logged 198 innings at the position. While over there, 6-foot-4, 252-pounder was worth negative-two defensive runs saved, but he also accrued an ultimate zone rating of 0.2 and one out above average, according to Baseball Savant.

Prior to making his highly-anticipated debut last summer, Casas had missed a significant chunk of the minor-league season with a high right ankle sprain he sustained in May. As a result of all that missed time, the Red Sox sent Casas to the Dominican Republic to play winter ball for the Tigres del Licey back in October.

Casas appeared in three games for Licey before being shut down with knee discomfort. He flew back to Boston shortly thereafter to undergo further testing and an MRI revealed there was no structural damage. As opposed to sending him back to the Dominican, the Red Sox prescribed Casas rest and sent him home to Pembroke Pines, Fla. to recuperate. He just recently began incorporating baseball activities into his offseason workouts.

I’m progressing well with all my workouts and my swing progression has been on point,” Casas told Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette last month. “I’m starting to incorporate some defensive drills. Defense for me is a lot of footwork, so I’ve been working on my agility and I’m confident it will translate onto the field.”

Casas, who turns 23 later this week, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 19 prospect in the sport. He was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft out of American Heritage High School.

When the hot stove season began in November, Casas was one of two left-handed hitting first baseman on the Sox’ 40-man roster alongside fellow Florida native Eric Hosmer. Hosmer has since been designated for assignment and subsequently released, so Casas — barring a surprising trade — appears to be on his way to becoming Boston’s everyday first baseman heading into spring training.

Since releasing Hosmer, however, the Red Sox have signed veteran infielder Justin Turner to a one-year, $15 million deal that includes a player option for 2024. Turner, primarily a third baseman in his nine seasons with the Dodgers, is expected to serve as Boston’s primary designated hitter, but the 38-year-old could also spell Casas at first base on occasion since he hits from the right side of the plate.

While that, in theory, could take away playing time from Casas, Casas himself will be looking to become the first Red Sox player to win Rookie of the Year Honors since Dustin Pedroia did so in 2007. And thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement, winning Rookie of the Year now goes beyond personal achievement.

When Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association ratified a new collective bargaining agreement last March, a “prospect promotion incentive” was implemented to combat against service time manipulation. Teams who promote players with less than 60 days of service time to their Opening Day roster become eligible to receive an additional draft pick if one of those players goes on to win Rookie of the Year in the respective league.

The Mariners, for instance, were awarded an extra selection in the 2023 draft after Julio Rodriguez took home 2022 AL Rookie of the Year honors. Rodriguez and runner-up Adley Rutschman of the Orioles were each credited with a full year of service time as well since they finished first and second in voting and were included on two or more preseason top-100 prospect lists put out by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or ESPN.

Casas comes into the 2023 campaign with 32 days of service time under his belt and will more than likely be included on at least two of these three publications’ top prospect lists. As such, he would be in line to receive a full year of big-league service time if he places first or second in AL Rookie of the Year voting this fall. The Red Sox, meanwhile, would pick up an extra draft pick in 2024 if Casas were to win the award outright.

(Picture of Triston Casas: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox designate former top prospect Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment

The Red Sox needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster in order to make the signing of infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner official on Friday afternoon. They cleared that spot by designating reliever Darwinzon Hernandez for assignment.

Hernandez, 26, originally signed with the Red Sox for just $7,500 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in August 2013. Despite receiving a modest signing bonus, it did not take the left-hander all that long to establish himself as arguably the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Heading into the 2019 season, Hernandez was ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox’ No. 3 overall prospect. The Bolivar native made his major-league debut that April before making his first career start against the Rangers less than two months later.

Hernandez spent another month in the minor-leagues before being recalled again in mid-July. In 27 appearances out of Boston’s bullpen from that point forward, Hernandez posted a 4.32 ERA — but much more respectable 2.81 FIP — with 46 strikeouts to 20 walks over 25 innings of relief.

On the heels of a relatively strong rookie campaign, it appeared as though Hernandez had momentum heading into 2020. But a bout with COVID-19 in July and a left AC joint sprain in August limited him to just seven outings (8 1/3 innings) during the pandemic-shortened season.

To his credit, Hernandez bounced back in 2021 by making a career-high 48 relief appearances. While his 3.38 ERA and 29.7 strikeout rate were undoubtedly solid, Hernandez did walk 31 batters in 40 innings of work, which led to him having a 4.80 FIP.

With those discouraging peripherals in mind, Hernandez was left off Boston’s Opening Day roster last April and began the 2022 season with Triple-A Worcester. The burly lefty then sustained a torn right meniscus in May that required surgery. After a lengthy recovery period, he returned to the Red Sox in July but struggled to the tune of a 21.60 ERA (16 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings) before being sent back down in August.

Hernandez did not fare much better with the WooSox down the stretch, as he yielded nine runs (eight earned) with 10 strikeouts to nine walks across nine appearances (eight innings) through the end of the minor-league season. He returned to his home country this offseason and produced a 3.86 ERA in 19 outings (16 1/3 innings) for the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League, but he still issued nine walks to the 74 batters he faced in that time frame.

Given his well-documented control issues (32.3 percent career walk rate in 85 1/3 big-league innings) , it seems as though the Red Sox were ready to move on from Hernandez if the occasion arose, as it did on Friday. Boston will now have the next seven days to either trade, release, or waive Hernandez and keep him in the organization without committing a 40-man roster spot to him.

Hernandez, for his part, does not turn 27 until next December and still has one minor-league option remaining. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound southpaw also possesses upside in the form a high-octane four-seam fastball, a mid-80s slider, and a high-70s curveball. Taking all those factors into consideration, Hernandez could very well draw interest from a team in need of bullpen depth and be traded or claimed off waivers in the coming days.

Regardless of his fate, though, Hernandez becomes the latest in a long line of Red Sox players to be cut from the club’s 40-man roster this winter, joining the likes of Eric Hosmer, Jeter Downs, Tyler Danish, Eduard Bazardo, Abraham Almonte, Franchy Cordero, and Yu Chang.

After removing Hernandez and adding Turner on Friday, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is still at full capacity. They will need to clear another spot once the signing of veteran starter Corey Kluber is made official.

(Picture of Darwinzon Hernandez: Elsa/Getty Images)