Tag: Baseball

Falmouth native Steve Cishek announces retirement from baseball

East Falmouth, Mass. native Steve Cishek has officially announced his retirement from baseball.

Cishek, who spent this past season with the Nationals, made the announcement in a recent conversation with Rich Maclone of The Enterprise News. He also took to Instagram to reflect on his time in pro ball earlier Friday evening.

“It’s time,” Cishek told Maclone. “It’s gotten harder for me to bounce back game-to-game. The ball wasn’t coming out as crisp as before, and it felt like I had to pitch differently. I know I’ll get the bug and want to get back out there, but I don’t think I’m pulling a Tom Brady.”

Cishek, now 36, attended Falmouth High School and was originally selected by the Marlins in the fifth round of the 2007 amateur draft out of Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, Tenn.). The sidewinding right-hander broke in with Miami in 2010 and led the club in saves in back-to-back years (2013 and 2014) before being traded to the Cardinals in July 2015.

After a brief stint in St. Louis, Cishek signed a two-year deal with the Mariners. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound reliever registered 25 saves in his first season with Seattle but was dealt to the Rays ahead of the 2017 trade deadline. An impressive stint with Tampa Bay (1.06 ERA in 26 outings) netted Cishek a two-year deal with the Cubs that December.

Cishek saw the only postseason action of his career while with the Cubs, as he made an appearance out of the bullpen in the 2018 National League Wild Card Game against the Rockies at Wrigley Field. He got the only batter he faced to ground into an inning-ending double play in a game that Chicago ultimately lost, 1-0, in 13 innings.

At the conclusion of the 2019 campaign, Cishek elected to take his talents to the South Side of the Windy City by signing with the White Sox. He struggled to the tune of a 5.49 ERA in 22 appearances (20 innings) for Chicago during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and was released from his contract that September.

Cishek inked a minors pact with the Astros last February but was cut loose before the end of spring training. He quickly latched on with the Angels and wound up producing a 3.42 ERA in 74 games (66 1/3 innings) for the Halos in 2021.

As a result of last winter’s lockout, Cishek did not sign with the Nationals until March. He posted a 4.21 ERA with 74 strikeouts to 27 walks over 69 appearances (66 1/3 innings) for Washington.

All things considered, Cishek forged a respectable 2.98 ERA and 3.49 FIP to go along with 743 strikeouts across 737 total relief appearances between the Marlins, Cardinals, Mariners, Rays, Cubs, White Sox, Angels, and Nationals over the course of a 13-year major-league career in which he recorded 133 total saves . His 94 saves with Miami rank third all-time in franchise history, while his 737 career appearances are tied for the 87th-most on MLB’s all-time list.

“I don’t have anything to complain about,” Cishek said. “I had a good career. I had a lot of fun and got to play with some amazing teammates.”

Having grown up a Red Sox fan, Cishek said he dreamt of pitching for his hometown team at some point in his career. Despite the two sides being linked to one another in the past, that opportunity never fully materialized. Cishek, did, however make seven career appearances at Fenway Park and held opposing hitters to a .579 OPS against over 6 2/3 cumulative innings of relief.

With his playing days now behind him, Cishek will get the opportunity to spend more time with his wife, Marissa, and their three daughters. He told Maclone that he might get into coaching down the road and plans on getting in touch with the pitching coaches at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson.

“I never had any issues with my arm,” said Cishek . “I owe a lot to those guys. Cressey is a big reason for that.”

According to Maclone, Cishek has enjoyed the longest playing career of any big-leaguer from Cape Cod to date. We certainly wish him the best in his future endeavors.

(Picture of Steve Cishek: G Fiume/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox reliever Tyler Danish signs minor-league deal with Yankees

Former Red Sox reliever Tyler Danish has signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees, according to WFAN’s Sweeney Murti. The deal comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Danish, 28, was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster in late October after clearing waivers and elected to become a free agent in lieu of accepting a minor-league assignment.

The Red Sox initially signed Danish to a minors pact last February. The right-hander was added to the club’s 40-man roster before Opening Day and was called up from Triple-A Worcester shortly thereafter.

Having last pitched at the big-league level in 2018, Danish posted a 5.13 ERA and 4.97 FIP with 32 strikeouts to 12 walks over 32 relief appearances (40 1/3 innings pitched) for the Red Sox this past season. He was sidelined from July 7 until August 28 with a right forearm strain.

Per Baseball Savant, Danish worked with five different pitches in 2022. The 6-foot, 200-pound hurler featured a low-80s curveball, a low-90s sinker, a mid-80s changeup, a low-90s four-seam fastball, and a rarely-used high-80s slider. He held opposing hitters to a .175 batting average against with his curveball, which was his most frequently-used offering.

A native of Florida, Danish was originally selected by the White Sox in the second round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Durant High School in Plant City. He broke in with the North Siders in 2016 and forged a 4.85 ERA in parts of three seasons (13 innings) for Chicago before electing free agency at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign.

From there, Danish spent a brief amount of time in the Mariners organization before pivoting to independent league baseball midway through the 2019 season. He pitched for both the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League and Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association before inking a minor-league deal with the Angels last May.

All told, Danish owns a lifetime 5.06 ERA at the major-league level, a 3.65 ERA in indy ball, and a 5.51 ERA in 107 outings (39 starts) at the Triple-A level. He is out of minor-league options, but he should have the chance to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ Opening Day bullpen once spring training begins in February.

(Picture of Tyler Danish: Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to one-year deal with two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent right-hander Corey Kluber, as was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal, which is pending a physical, comes with a club option for 2024 as well.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Kluber will earn $10 million in 2023. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the option is worth $11 million and the deal includes additional incentive bonuses.

Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Kluber’s 2023 salary can increase to $10.5 million if he makes 20 starts, $11.25 million if he makes 25 starts, and $12 million if he makes 30 or more starts next season. The value of his option for 2024, which does not come with a buyout, increases to $11.5 million if he makes 20 starts, $12.25 million if he makes 25 starts, and $13 million if he makes 30 starts.

“The contract then stipulates that those bonuses carry over to 2024 if the option is exercised,” Cotillo wrote on Wednesday. “Kluber would be due the same bonuses based on games started in 2024 (maxing out at $2 million).”

All told, Kluber’s deal with the Red Sox can max out at $27 million over two years ($12 million in 2023 and $15 million in 2024) if he makes 30-plus starts in 2023, has his option picked up, and then makes 30 or more starts again in 2024.

Kluber, who turns 37 in April, spent the 2022 season with the Rays after signing a one-year, $8 million pact with the club last December. In 31 starts for Tampa Bay, the veteran righty posted a 4.34 ERA — but much more respectable 3.57 FIP — with 139 strikeouts to 21 walks over 164 innings of work.

The Red Sox have been interested in signing Kluber in each of the last two offseasons but were ultimately unable to secure his services. Prior to his one season with the Rays, Kluber spent the 2021 campaign with the Yankees. This time around, however, Boston was able to land one of its top targets one day after fellow starters Nathan Eovaldi and Rich Hill agreed to deals with the Rangers and Pirates, respectively.

Kluber, who lives in Winchester, Mass. (where his wife, Amanda, is from) during the winter, is now slated to join a starting rotation mix in Boston that already consists of Brayan Bello, Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, and possibly even Tanner Houck heading into the 2023 season. While the Red Sox were unable to bring back Eovaldi, they were previously interested in a reunion with Michael Wacha, though the addition of Kluber may have altered those plans.

A former fourth-round draft pick of the Padres coming out of Stetson University (DeLand, Fla.) in 2007, Kluber was traded to the Guardians in 2010 and first broke in with Cleveland the following September. As part of a nine-year tenure with that franchise, Kluber made three All-Star teams and won the American League Cy Young Award in 2014 and 2017.

The Guardians traded Kluber to the Rangers in Dec. 2019. He was limited to just one start with Texas during the COVID-shortened 2020 season due to a tear in his right teres muscle. Kluber left the Rangers for the Yankees last January and has since forged a 4.17 ERA (3.66 FIP) over 47 starts (244 innings) in his short stays in the Bronx and St. Petersburg.

For his big-league career, which spans 12 seasons and four teams (Cleveland, Texas, New York, and Tampa Bay), Kluber owns a lifetime 3.31 ERA and 3.09 FIP to go along with 1,683 strikeouts to 347 walks across 256 appearances (251 starts) spanning 1,586 2/3 innings pitched. He has also produced a 4.02 ERA in 47 career postseason innings.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Kluber operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a mid-80s cutter, a low-80s curveball, a high-80s sinker, a low-80s changeup, and a high-80s four-seam fastball. This past season, he ranked in the 99th percentile of the league in walk rate (3.1 percent) and the 96th percentile in chase rate (35.7 percent), per Baseball Savant.

Kluber becomes the sixth major-league free agent the Red Sox have signed so far this winter, joining the likes of relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Joely Rodriguez, outfielder Masataka Yoshida, and infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner. As noted by Cotillo, Kluber, Jansen, Martin, and Turner are all 35 years of age or older.

As things stand now, Boston’s 40-man roster is currently at full capacity. The signings of Kluber and Turner have yet to be made official, so chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. will need to clear at least two spots before those announcements can be made.

(Picture of Corey Kluber: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Nathan Eovaldi leaves Red Sox, agrees to two-year, $34 million deal with Rangers

Nathan Eovaldi’s time with the Red Sox has apparently come to an end.

The veteran right-hander has agreed to sign with the Rangers, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that it is a two-year, $34 million contract that includes a vesting option for 2025 as well as performance bonuses that can take the value of the deal — which is pending a physical — even higher.

Going into further detail, Eovaldi can earn up to $3 million in bonuses per year if he reaches 160 innings, per Passan. The third-year option is dependent on how many innings he pitches over the next two seasons. If he can reach the 300-inning plateau from 2023-2024, he will receive a $20 million player option in 2025. In total, Eovaldi could earn up to $63 million over the next three years.

Eovaldi, who turns 33 in February, became a free agent for the third time in his career last month after spending the better part of the last five seasons in Boston. The Red Sox never approached Eovaldi about a possible contract extension during the 2022 regular season but did express interest in a reunion once the World Series ended and the offseason began.

In addition to extending Eovaldi a $19.65 million qualifying offer, the Red Sox also gave him a multi-year contract offer. The righty rejected both and instead elected to hit the open market.

Recent reports suggested that other teams were showing more interest in Eovaldi than the Red Sox were. Since Eovaldi will now be taking his talents to Texas, Boston will receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round of next year’s amateur draft.

Originally acquired from the Rays ahead of the 2018 trade deadline, Eovaldi played a key role in helping the Red Sox win a World Series title that October. He posted a 3.33 ERA (2.88 FIP) over 12 appearances (11 starts, 54 innings) down the stretch in the regular season and then pitched to a 1.61 ERA (2.71 FIP) in the postseason. His most memorable outing during that run came in Game 3 of the World Series against the Dodgers, when he tossed six one-run innings of relief in a loss in an effort to preserve the Boston bullpen.

After needing just five games to triumph over the Dodgers in the Fall Classic, the Red Sox signed Eovaldi to a four-year, $68 million deal at the Winter Meetings that December.

Eovaldi’s first full season in Boston was marred by injuries, but he bounced back in 2020 and then put together a career year in 2021 by forging a 3.75 ERA (2.79 FIP) with 195 strikeouts to 35 walks over 32 starts (182 1/3 innings). He made his first All-Star team that summer and wound up finishing fourth in American League Cy Young voting.

This past season, Eovaldi proved to be effective yet again. He produced a respectable 3.87 ERA (4.30 FIP) and walked just 4.4 percent of the batters he faced. But he was limited to just 20 starts spanning 109 1/3 innings of work due to bouts with lower back and right shoulder inflammation that required two separate stints on the injured list. Those injuries may have contributed to a dip in his fastball velocity this year.

All told, Eovaldi compiled a lifetime 4.05 ERA (3.73 FIP) in 96 career appearances (461 1/2 innings) across five seasons with the Red Sox. He served as Boston’s Jimmy Fund captain over the last two years and was the club’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2021.

By agreeing to a deal with the Rangers, Eovaldi will be returning home to Texas. The Houston-area native is slated to join a starting rotation mix in Arlington that includes fellow free agent additions Jacob deGrom and Andrew Heaney, former teammate Martin Perez, and Jon Gray, among others. He will also be reunited with former Red Sox bench coach Will Venable, who left Alex Cora’s staff to become associate manager under Bruce Bochy last month.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have now lost two members of their 2022 starting rotation to free agency in the same day. Just hours before news of Eovaldi’s agreement with the Rangers broke, it was revealed that left-hander Rich Hill had agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Pirates.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox have made it clear that they would like to add a starter or two to a rotation mix that is projected to include Chris Sale, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, and possibly even Tanner Houck heading into the 2023 campaign.

While Eovaldi and Hill are off the table, Michael Wacha — who made 23 starts for Boston in 2022 — remains unsigned. Other options available via free agency include Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke, and Corey Kluber, who has already been linked to the Red Sox this winter.

(Picture of Nathan Eovaldi: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Rich Hill leaves Red Sox, agrees to one-year, $8 million deal with Pirates

Rich Hill’s latest stint with the Red Sox appears to be over.

The veteran left-hander has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with the Pirates, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is pending a physical.

Hill, who turns 43 in March, inked a one-year pact with the Red Sox last December. It marked the seventh time the Milton, Mass. native had signed with his hometown team as a free agent.

In 26 starts for Boston this past season, Hill posted a 4.27 ERA and 3.92 FIP with 109 strikeouts to 37 walks over 124 1/3 innings of work. That includes a 2.36 ERA (3.23 FIP) in his final five starts (26 2/3 innings) from September 11 through October 3.

Hill expressed interest in returning to the Red Sox in 2023 but never received a formal contract offer from the club, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford. The lefty will instead take his talents to Pittsburgh, where he will reunite with former Boston general manager Ben Cherington. The $8 million Hill will receive next season represents a 60 percent raise from the $5 million he earned in 2022.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Hill considered retiring from baseball in 2023 or waiting until the second half of the season to sign with a contending team. Although the Pirates — who have lost 100 or more games in each of the last two seasons — are in the middle of a rebuild, they could look to flip the southpaw for prospects ahead of next summer’s trade deadline.

In the meantime, Hill is slated to join a starting rotation mix in Pittsburgh that includes the likes of Mitch Keller, JT Brubaker, Roansy Contreras, and Vince Velazquez.

The Pirates will mark Hill’s 12th different team over the course of a 19-year big-league career. He debuted for the Cubs in 2005 and has since pitched for the Orioles, Red Sox, Guardians, Angels, Yankees, Athletics, Dodgers, Twins, Rays, and Mets.

Hill becomes the latest Red Sox free agent to sign elsewhere this winter. Xander Bogaerts (Padres), J.D. Martinez (Dodgers), and Matt Strahm (Phillies) have all left for different clubs in recent weeks. Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha are among those who remain unsigned.

(Picture of Rich Hill: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Triston Casas provides update on knee injury, looks ahead to 2023

Nearly 10 weeks after a bout with knee soreness resulted in him being pulled out of the Dominican Winter League, Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas says he is in good spirits.

“The knee is feeling better,” Casas told Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette on Friday. “It was a little bit of a scare when I was in the Dominican. I tried to play through it a little bit, assuming that it was just a kink because I hadn’t played in 10 days between the end of the big league season and the first game of that season.”

The Red Sox sent Casas to play winter ball in the Dominican in an effort to get him more at-bats. The 22-year-old went 2-for-9 (.222) with five RBIs in his first three games with the Tigres del Licey before being shut down in mid-October. He flew back to Boston shortly thereafter and underwent an MRI that revealed no structural damage.

While there was initially some optimism that Casas would be able to return to Licey’s lineup, that ultimately never happened and he instead recuperated from home in Florida.

“It healed up well,” Casas said in regards to resting his knee. “I’m starting to run, starting to sprint and progressing back to pretty much being 100-percent healthy.”

At home with his family in Pembroke Pines, Casas has begun incorporating more baseball activities into his offseason workouts as he prepares for the start of spring training in February.

“I’m progressing well with all my workouts and my swing progression has been on point,” said Casas. “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 next month, enters the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The left-handed hitter made his major-league debut in September and displayed quality plate discipline in the process of batting .197/.358/.408 with one double, five home runs, 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, one stolen base, 19 walks, and 23 strikeouts in his first 27 games (95 plate appearances) with the Red Sox.

Because of what he showed down the stretch this year, the Red Sox now view Casas as their first baseman of the future. They made that much clear when they designated fellow left-handed hitting first baseman Eric Hosmer for assignment last week and officially released him on Thursday.

“Our roster isn’t complete yet,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “But as we build our club, we feel it’s important to give Triston a clear lane, and that carrying two left-handed hitting first basemen would leave us short in other areas.”

Despite that vote of confidence from the club’s top decision maker, Casas understands that he will still have to earn the starting job at first base once he reports to Fort Myers. At the same time, though, the former first-round draft pick out of American Heritage High School in 2018 looks at his past track record in the minors as a reason why he should find success in the majors.

“It gives me chills just thinking about it,” Casas said. “It’s something I’ve been working towards for a very long time. I feel really confident that I’m going to do well. At this point in my career I’ve been able to succeed at every level and I don’t anticipate the major-leagues being any different. I make adjustments really well and I’m ready.”

Casas very well could have debuted for the Red Sox before rosters expanded in September, but he missed a significant amount of time (roughly two months) while with Triple-A Worcester due to a high right ankle sprain sustained in mid-May. That was one of the reasons why he went to play winter ball in the Dominican.

“Initially, I was really upset because I felt like I was on the verge of getting into a groove and potentially making a case to make the (big-league) roster,” said Casas. “But (the injury) put everything into perspective.”

After a brief rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, Casas returned to Worcester on July 22. He slashed a stout .296/.404/.504 with five homers and 16 RBIs while playing above-average defense at first in 36 games (161 plate appearances) with the WooSox before getting called up to Boston on Sept. 4.

Although his surface level numbers — such as a .766 OPS — don’t necessarily jump off the chart, Casas did impress when it came to driving the ball to all fields as well as taking ball four. His 20.0 percent walk rate, for instance, ranked first among all American League rookies who made at least 90 trips to the plate in 2022, per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox were encouraged by Casas’ patient approach, among other things, which is why they felt comfortable enough to move on from Hosmer. That being said, there are some concerns when it comes to Casas’ durability seeing he dealt with two lower-body injuries this year alone. In an effort to combat these issues which have hindered his ability to swing a bat in the past, the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder noted that he has been trying to find the ideal playing weight for himself moving forward.

“During the season you lose weight, but right now I feel good where I’m at,” Casas said. “I’m going to try to stay at this weight, continue to get stronger and more agile and faster at this weight. My swing feels strong and fast, so I don’t feel the need to go on a diet, or try to bulk up at this point of my career. Right now 6-foot-5, 255 pounds is solid.”

Casas told McDonald that he is focused on his future with the Red Sox. The Red Sox, for their part, could look to lock in Casas — who is not yet eligible for salary arbitration — to a long-term contract extension before the 2023 season begins.

(Picture of Triston Casas: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox release Eric Hosmer

The Red Sox have officially released first baseman Eric Hosmer, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon.

Hosmer, 33, was designated for assignment last Friday so that the Red Sox could clear a spot on their 40-man roster after acquiring reliever Wyatt Mills from the Royals.

Boston originally acquired Hosmer — as well as minor-leaguers Corey Rosier and Max Ferguson — from the Padres in exchange for pitching prospect Jay Groome at the trade deadline. As part of the deal, San Diego agreed to pay the remainder of Hosmer’s salary down to the major-league minimum.

Hosmer was brought in to provide the Red Sox with a boost at first base, but he was limited to just 14 games with the club due to low back inflammation that kept him sidelined from late August until early October. During that time, top prospect Triston Casas was called up from Triple-A Worcester and played well enough to establish himself as Boston’s everyday first baseman heading into the 2023 season.

As chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom explained to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo over the weekend, the Red Sox designated Hosmer for assignment with Casas — who also hits from the left side of the plate — at the forefront of their future plans.

“Our roster isn’t complete yet, but as we build our club, we feel it’s important to give Triston a clear lane, and that carrying two left-handed hitting first basemen would leave us short in other areas,” Bloom said. “Given that, it’s important to do right by Eric and give him time to find his next opportunity. We knew when we first got him that this day would come at some point, and wanted to make sure we treated him right.”

According to Cotillo, the Red Sox “worked hard” to trade Hosmer in recent weeks but were ultimately unable to find a partner. Hosmer opted into the final three years and $39 million of his contract last month, so the acquiring team would be getting three years of control. Once he was designated for assignment, it became a foregone conclusion that Hosmer would be released since the team that claimed him would then be on the hook for the aforementioned last three years of his deal.

Now that he has cleared waivers and has been cut loose by the Red Sox, Hosmer — who is represented by Scott Boras — is free to sign elsewhere. Per Cotillo, whichever club signs Hosmer will only be responsible for the league minimum salary next year while the Padres pick up the rest of the tab.

(Picture of Eric Hosmer: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Red Sox lose Jeter Downs on waivers to Nationals

The Red Sox have lost infielder Jeter Downs on waivers to the Nationals, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon.

Downs, 24, was designated for assignment last week after the Red Sox needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida.

Boston originally acquired Downs — as well as outfielder Alex Verdugo and catcher Connor Wong — from the Dodgers in the February 2020 trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles. The native Colombian came into the Red Sox organization as one of its top prospects and a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, but he has since seen his stock fall significantly.

After the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, Downs did not make his organizational debut until last spring with Triple-A Worcester. The right-handed hitter struggled to the tune of a .191/272/.333 slash line to go along with 14 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases over 99 games (405 plate appearances) with the WooSox in 2021. He then showed some signs of promise in the Arizona Fall League and was subsequently added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November.

Downs returned to Worcester this past season and batted .197/.316/.412 with 16 home runs and 33 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases across 81 games (335 plate appearances). He made his major-league debut in June, but he went just 6-for-39 (.154) at the plate with one double and one home run while punching out in 51.2% of his plate appearances. Downs was sent back down to the WooSox in late July and then suffered a season-ending left ankle sprain on August 18.

The Red Sox, for their part, remained intrigued by Downs’ speed and power and were encouraged by the defensive improvements he has made since being traded. At the same time, though, his high swing-and-miss rates were certainly concerning and were part of the reason why the club ultimately elected to cut him loose.

“This was a tough one,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said of the decision to designate Downs last week. “The fact that he was in a position where we considered him and chose him to be designated, I think just speaks to some of the struggles we’ve had getting him on track. I still think there’s a lot of physical ability there but we haven’t been able to unlock it consistently. Certainly know he’s still young and there’s no reason to write him off but he has obviously had some struggles.”

In being claimed by the Nationals, Downs will now be joining his fourth pro organization. He was first drafted by the Reds in 2017 and was then traded to the Dodgers in 2018 before being dealt to the Red Sox in early 2020. Downs does have two minor-league options remaining, so he could be shuttled between Washington and its Triple-A affiliate in 2023.

(Picture of Jeter Downs: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign Niko Goodrum to minor-league deal, invite 5 others to spring training

The Red Sox have signed infielder/outfielder Niko Goodrum to a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, the club announced on Wednesday. The deal, which was first reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray, includes an invite to major-league spring training.

Goodrum, 30, spent the better part of the 2022 season with the Astros after signing a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the club back in March. The switch-hitter went 5-for-43 (.116) with two doubles, one RBI, two runs scored, one stolen base, two walks, and 23 strikeouts in 15 games for Houston before being optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in mid-May.

With the Space Cowboys, Goodrum batted .310/.500/.524 with three doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, 12 runs scored, two stolen bases, 16 walks, and 12 strikeouts over 12 games (58 plate appearances). He was placed on the seven-day injured list with an undisclosed injury on June 7 and only appeared in one more game for Sugar Land on August 17. In early September, the Astros designated Goodrum for assignment and released him after he cleared waivers.

A native of Georgia, Goodrum was originally selected by the Twins in the second round of the 2010 amateur draft out of Fayette County High School. After seven years in the minor-leagues, he made his major-league debut for Minnesota towards the tail end of the 2017 campaign. He was released by the Twins that November but quickly landed on his feet by inking a minors pact with the Tigers.

Goodrum made Detroit’s Opening Day roster out of spring training in 2018 end enjoyed some moderate success in his first two seasons in the Motor City. From 2018-2019, he slashed .247/.319/.427 (98 wRC+) with 56 doubles, eight triples, 28 homers, 98 runs driven in, 116 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 88 walks, and 270 strikeouts across 243 total games spanning 964 trips to the plate.

While Goodrum’s first two seasons with the Tigers were productive, his final two were not. From 2020-2021, he compiled a .203/.282/.350 slash line (75 wRC+) to go along with 18 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, 53 RBIs, 54 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 47 walks, and 176 strikeouts over 133 total games (504 plate appearances). Detroit non-tendered Goodrum last November, which gave him the opportunity join the Astros.

Although he has struggled at the plate in recent years, Goodrum has proven to be quite the versatile defender over the course of his six-year big-league career. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder has past experience at every position besides pitcher and catcher. As far as the metrics are concerned, shortstop may be his best position.

Goodrum, who turns 31 in February, should provide the Red Sox with both infield and outfield depth as a utility man at Triple-A Worcester next season. For his career at the Triple-A level, Goodrum is a lifetime .261/.325/.409 hitter with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs in 154 games.

—

To go along with Goodrum, the Red Sox added five other players to their 2023 spring training roster as non-roster invitees on Wednesday. Right-hander Norwith Gudino and left-gander Oddanier Mosqueda, catchers Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez, and outfielder Narciso Crook were all extended invitations as well.

Gudino, 27, signed a minor-league deal with Boston earlier this month after spending the first eight years of his professional career in the Giants organization.

Mosqueda, 23, was re-signed to a minors pact in November after originally signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2015.

Hamilton, 27, and Hernandez, 25, were already in the organization but were outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster after clearing waivers at different points this winter.

Crook, 27, inked a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in late November after making his major-league debut with the Cubs over the summer. He went 2-for-8 (.250) with a double and two RBIs in four games for the North Siders.

—

The Red Sox will continue to add more invitees to their spring training roster before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers in mid-February.

(Picture of Niko Goodrum: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

How did Red Sox prospect Blaze Jordan fare between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2022?

Blaze Jordan may no longer be considered a teenager after celebrating his 20th birthday on Monday, but he is still one of the youngest and brightest prospects in the Red Sox farm system.

In 120 games between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville this past season, Jordan batted .289/.363/.445 with 30 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 68 RBIs, 60 runs scored, five stolen bases, 48 walks, and 94 strikeouts over 521 total plate appearances.

The right-handed hitting infielder broke camp this spring with Salem, which is where he ended things last season. He slashed .287/.357/.446 with 29 doubles, three triples, eight homers, 57 runs driven in, 48 runs scored, four stolen bases, 37 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 95 games (415 plate appearances) with the Red Sox before earning a promotion to Greenville in early August.

While with the Drive for the remainder of the 2022 campaign, Jordan hit .301/.387/.441 with just one double, four home runs, 11 RBIs, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 27 strikeouts across 25 games spanning 106 trips to the plate.

Upon being promoted over the summer, Jordan was able to draw more walks, which in turn led to him getting on base more. He also punched out a higher clip (16.1 percent to 25.5 percent) and saw his power production curtail, so it was not necessarily the smoothest of transitions.

Still, Jordan was among the most productive hitters in the lower-minors and in the Red Sox organization this year. Of the 39 players in the system who reached the necessary number of plate appearances to qualify as a league leader, Jordan ranked seventh in strikeout rate (18.0 percent), 12th in swinging strike rate (14.0 percent), eighth in batting average, 15th in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage, 11th in OPS (.808), 18th in isolated power (.156), eighth in line-drive rate (24.4 percent), and 12th in wRC+ (124), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Jordan split time between first and third base at both of his stops this season. Altogether, the burly 6-foot-2, 220-pounder logged 402 2/3 innings at first and 499 1/3 innings at the hot corner. He committed six errors at each position and unsurprisingly posted a higher fielding percentage at first (.983) than he did at third (.939).

A native of Southaven, Miss., Jordan was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School. He graduated a year early after reclassifying in 2019 and was committed to play college baseball at Mississippi State. But with the help of area scout Danny Watkins, Boston was able to sway Jordan away from his commitment by offering him a lucrative $1.75 million signing bonus.

Jordan officially put pen to paper that July, but he did not make his professional debut until the following June on account of the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 minor-league season. He has since appeared in a total of 148 games across three different levels and owns a slash line of .296/.364/.472 to go along with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs in that span.

MLB Pipeline currently ranks Jordan as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system while SoxProspects.com has him at No. 15. He still has room to grow from a developmental point-of-view on both sides of the ball, but the potential — especially when it comes to his raw power — is certainly there.

If Jordan makes it through the winter without being involved in any sort of trade, he is projected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 season and would seemingly have the chance to make the jump to Double-A Portland at some point next summer.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)