Tag: outfielders

How Rob Refsnyder turned his career around in first year with Red Sox

As spring training was drawing to a close in Fort Myers last year, Rob Refsnyder was informed that he would not be breaking camp with the Red Sox.

Refsynder, who signed a minor-league deal with Boston over the winter that included an invite to major-league camp, would instead be reporting to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2022 season. Before the big-league club headed to New York for their opening series against the Yankees, though, the 31-year-old journeyman approached Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse.

Due to the nature of a lockout-abbreviated camp, Fatse had not been able to spend much time working with Boston’s non-roster invitees in the batting cages of the Fenway South complex. With seemingly nothing to lose, Refsnyder went up to Fatse in hopes of working with him just once before joining the WooSox in Jacksonville.

“I was like you know what, Fatse, everyone speaks so highly of him,” Refsnyder recalled to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. “I didn’t get that much time with him, especially as a minor-league signing, so he was available and I went up to him and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to work with you before I leave.'”

That decision would prove to pay off for Refsnyder. On April 4, he and Fatse worked through a self-described “life-changing” hitting session.

Refsnyder, who to that point in his career had played in parts of six major-league seasons for the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays, Rangers, and Twins, had always had difficulties against right-handed pitching. Those struggles could be attributed to the fact that the right-handed hitter had trouble staying inside the ball due to his swing mechanics.

As outlined by McCaffrey, Refsynder had “been hyper-focused on his upper-half movements, but less so on his lower half, which forced him to open up too much on his swing. It was something he was aware of but always struggled to fix.”

During that April 4 hitting session, however, something clicked while Refsnyder was working with Fatse, which allowed him to unlock a new component of his swing.

“Fatse really dumbed it down for me,” Refsnyder said. “He really helped me understand how the lower half should work. It’s super simple stuff, but I was like, ‘Damn.’”

As part of the session, Refsnyder picked up on the notion that if he kept his back heel planted on the ground, his lower half would stay more stable throughout his swing. That, in part, would allow him to get the ball in the air more frequently as opposed to hitting soft singles.

“I would just jump out of my swing and the barrel would drop under plane, and then come up really fast and create top spin,” said Refsnyder. “I think I’ve always been able to control the strike zone OK but I couldn’t do anything with the ball. Fatse unlocked that for me.”

Fatse, for his part, has worked with countless Red Sox hitters since joining the organization as an assistant hitting coach in October 2021. When speaking with McCaffrey, though, the Western Mass. native was able to remember that particular day with Refsnyder rather quickly.

“It was honestly probably more talking than hitting,” Fatse said. “I basically put together almost like a four-part iMovie of the drills and said, ‘Boom, do this, this, this and go.’ Let that be your fallback whenever you feel you need something, go back to this. These things are your staples in terms of your routine.

“The thing that stands out about that time to me,” he added, “it was the physical element of the swing, but it was the mental, like, ‘You’re going to help us. We need you to be locked and loaded when it’s your time,’ and to his credit, if it helped him, great, but he was ready to go when it was his time. He set the league on fire in Triple-A.”

With a condensed, four-minute video of his session with Fatse saved on his phone as a helpful reference, Refsnyder made his WooSox debut on April 5. While coordinating with hitting coach Rich Gedman and assistant hitting coach Mike Montville, he set the International League on fire by hitting safely in 10 of his first 11 games. He was then called up by the Red Sox when the club was dealing with a COVID outbreak in late April.

Upon returning to Worcester, Refsnyder picked up where he left off. By early June, he was batting a stout .306/.429/.524 with 14 doubles, six home runs, 28 RBIs, and 31 runs scored in 42 games. Around that same time, injuries began to pile up for the Red Sox. And so Refsnyder had his contract selected from Triple-A on June 8.

From that point forward, Refsnyder did not return to Worcester and instead put together the best year of his big-league career. In the process of registering a career-high 177 plate appearances over 57 games, Refsnyder slashed .307/.384/.497 with 11 doubles, six home runs, 21 RBIs, 25 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 46 strikeouts. He also hit .308 as a pinch-hitter and posted a respectable .792 OPS off right-handed pitching.

On the other side of the ball, Refsnyder saw playing time at all three outfield positions for the Red Sox last year. The 6-foot, 205-pounder started 16 games in right, 13 in center, and two in left while ranking in the 90th percentile of all big-leaguers in arm strength (averaged 91.3 mph on his throws), per Baseball Savant.

In November, the Red Sox avoided arbitration with Refsnyder by signing him to a $1.2 million deal for the 2023 season. It might not seem that noteworthy on the surface, but it actually marked the first time in Refsnyder’s career that he had agreed to a guaranteed contract.

“This offseason, my wife and I celebrated our first guaranteed contract,” Refsnyder said in a recent interview with Red Sox Productions. “I always got to a point where I was like, ‘I wonder what this is going to feel like? If it’s going to feel any different.’ It’s almost like even more of a driving factor. It’s like, ‘Wow, a team has put a little bit of confidence in you. You better work your [expletive] off. You better live up to it or do the best you can trying to.”

Refsnyder, who turns 32 later this month, figures to serve as a fourth outfielder who fares well against lefties for Boston this season behind the likes of Masataka Yoshida, Adam Duvall, and Alex Verdugo. He will surely be looking to build off the momentum he gained in 2022 by taking another step forward this year.

Looking back, though, Refsnyder is in a much better place than he was 11 months ago. After being informed that he would not make the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster, Refsnyder told McCaffrey that he was at a crossroads and was even contemplating retirement.

Now, thanks in part to a memorable session in the cages with his hitting coach last April, Refsnyder is on track to head north with the Red Sox this time around.

“That session with Fatse really changed my life, to be honest,” said Refsnyder. “I still have it on my phone and it’s my favorite video when I’m not going well to look up.”

(Picture of Rob Refsnyder: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

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Red Sox sign slugging first baseman/outfielder Daniel Palka to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent first baseman/outfielder Daniel Palka to a minor-league contract, the club announced on Friday. The deal comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Palka, 31, spent the 2022 season in the Mets organization. The left-handed hitter batted .263/.344/.506 with 18 doubles, 26 home runs, 79 RBIs, 68 runs scored, 48 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 109 games (445 plate appearances) with Triple-A Syracuse.

“Power. Controls the strike zone,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Palka when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) on Friday. “For as much power as he has, he doesn’t strike out as much. So he’s here. He says he’s ready to play. … He’s another guy who has big-league experience and is a good bat. And I’m glad that we got him.

A native of South Carolina, Palka was originally selected by the Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Georgia Tech. He was traded to the Twins in 2015 and was claimed off waivers by the White Sox in November 2017 before debuting for Chicago the following April.

As a 26-year-old rookie, Palka burst onto the scene in 2018 by slashing .240/.294/.484 with 15 doubles, three triples, a team-leading 27 home runs, 67 RBIs, 56 runs scored, two stolen bases, 30 walks, and 153 strikeouts across 124 games (449 plate appearances) for the White Sox. He finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting that fall.

For whatever reason, Palka took a step backward in 2019. He appeared in just 30 games for the South Siders that year and mustered a .107/.194/.179 slash line to go along with two homers, four runs driven in, four runs scored, eight walks, and 35 strikeouts over 93 total trips to the plate. The White Sox designated him for assignment that November and released him in July 2020.

Since being cut loose by the White Sox, Palka has not gotten back to the major-leagues. He played for the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization during the latter half of the 2020 season before returning to affiliated ball with the Nationals in 2021.

All told, Palka is a lifetime .218/.277/.433 hitter with 29 home runs and 71 RBIs in 154 career big-league games (all with the White Sox). At the Triple-A level, he owns a career line of .261/.349/.486 with 98 home runs and 293 RBIs in 477 games across four different organizations.

Defensively, Palka has past experience at first base and all three outfield spots. With the Syracuse Mets last year, the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder logged 354 2/3 innings at first, 58 2/3 innings in left, and 160 innings in right.

Palka, who turns 32 in October, has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. There, he figures to provide Boston with some power-hitting depth who is capable of playing fist base and both corner outfield spots when needed. It does not appear as though the club signed him out of necessity or to address a specific need, but rather to fill in the gaps when other players at camp leave for the World Baseball Classic next month.

“I think this is more about the scouting department just adding to the equation,” said Cora. “It’s not needs or whatever. It’s just getting deeper. And that’s the most important thing. I don’t know how much we’re going to add in the upcoming weeks.

“But I know they’re working hard to see who’s out there, what we can bring to the equation or who wants to come here,” he added. “At the end of the day, all those guys that have some big-league experience but don’t have contracts, it’s up to them sometimes. And I’m glad that he’s here.”

With the addition of Palka, the Red Sox now have 64 players at major-league spring training. They will need to trim that number down to 26 by Opening Day.

(Picture of Daniel Palka: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back outfielder Marcus Wilson on minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent outfielder Marcus Wilson to a minor-league contract, per the club’s transactions log on MLB.com.

This will mark Wilson’s second stint with the Red Sox organization. The former second-round draft pick was originally acquired from the Diamondbacks in the April 2019 trade that sent catcher Blake Swihart to Arizona.

After splitting the remainder of the 2019 minor-league season between (then) High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, Wilson was added to Boston’s 40-man roster that November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. Despite being on the Sox’ 40-man roster for the entirety of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, the California native was a limited participant at the club’s alternate training site in Pawtucket.

Wilson broke camp with Triple-A Worcester the following spring. The right-handed hitter batted .242/.370/.452 with 10 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 30 RBIs, 34 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 41 walks, and 88 strikeouts over 64 games (265 plate appearances) for the WooSox before somewhat surprisingly being designated for assignment at the end of July.

The Mariners quickly claimed Wilson off waivers in early August, and he spent the rest of the 2021 season with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, Wash. That October, however, Wilson was again designated for assignment. He cleared waivers this time around and was outrighted off Seattle’s 40-man roster.

As such, Wilson returned to Tacoma for the start of the 2022 season. He slashed .209/.336/.469 with 11 doubles, two triples, 12 homers, 34 runs driven in, 33 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 35 walks, and 82 strikeouts in 59 games (238 plate appearances) for the Rainiers before getting called up by the Mariners for the first time last June.

In what was his major-league debut, Wilson went 1-for-5 with one run scored, one walk, and four strikeouts across three games for Seattle. He was then optioned back to Tacoma on July 7, but was designated for assignment at the end of the month. The 26-year-old once again cleared waivers and closed out the 2022 campaign in Tacoma before electing for minor-league free agency in October.

Wilson, who turns 27 in August, should provide the Red Sox with some upper-minors outfield depth this season. It has yet to be determined if he will start the year in Portland or Worcester, though he could be behind other experienced outfielders like Raimel Tapia, Greg Allen, and Narciso Crook on the club’s organizational depth chart.

For his career at the Triple-A level, Wilson is a lifetime .230/.355/.441 hitter with 30 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases over 194 games (792 plate appearances). In 74 career games at Double-A, he is a lifetime .225/.324/.425 hitter with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, and nine stolen bases across 278 trips to the plate. The 6-foot-2, 198-pounder also has past experience at all three outfield positions, so he can be considered versatile in that regard.

(Picture of Marcus Wilson: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox make Adam Duvall signing official, designate Matt Barnes for assignment

The Red Sox have officially signed outfielder Adam Duvall to a one-year contract for the 2023 season, the club announced earlier Tuesday evening. In order to make room for Duvall on the 40-man roster, reliever Matt Barnes was designated for assignment.

Duvall initially agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal with Boston last week. As was previously reported by Craig Mish of the Miami Herald and Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the 34-year-old can earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses (based on number of plate appearances), meaning he can receive a maximum of $10 million in 2023.

A veteran of nine major-league seasons between the Giants, Reds, Braves, and Marlins, Duvall projects as the Red Sox’ new primary center fielder with Enrique Hernandez moving to the infield in the wake of Trevor Story undergoing right elbow surgery earlier this month. The right-handed hitter batted .213/.276/.401 with 16 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 21 walks, and 101 strikeouts in 86 games (315 plate appearances) for Atlanta last season before being shut down in July with a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist that ultimately required surgery.

Duvall was originally selected by the Giants in the 11th round of the 2010 amateur draft out of the University of Louisville. The Kentucky native broke in with San Francisco during the 2014 season and was then traded to Cincinnati the following July. In his first full season with the Reds (2016), Duvall hit 33 home runs and was named to his first All-Star team. He hit 31 more homers in 2017 and was subsequently dealt to the Braves at the 2018 trade deadline.

After 2 1/2 seasons with the Braves, Duvall became a free agent for the first time and signed with the Marlins in February 2021 only to be traded back to Atlanta five months later. Between the two National League East rivals, he slashed .228/.281/.491 with a career-best 38 home runs and league-leading 113 RBIs in 146 games. He also helped the Braves win a World Series title that fall and took home his first Gold Glove Award for his work in right field.

While 2022 was considered a down year for Duvall, the Red Sox have every reason to believe he will bounce back in 2023. It certainly helps that his swing should play at Fenway Park, where he is a lifetime .333 (6-for-18) hitter with four home runs in four career games. Three of those long balls came in the same contest during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

Defensively, Duvall has past experience at all three outfield spots. When it comes to center field in particular, though, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has accrued four defensive runs saved and five outs above average across 593 2/3 career innings at the position. Last year, he ranked in the 88th percentile of all big-league outfielders in outs above average (+5), the 79th percentile in arm strength (averaged 89.1 mph on his throws), the 74th percentile in outfield jump, and the 67th percentile in sprint speed, per Baseball Savant.

Duvall, who does not turn 35 until September, completes a new-look Red Sox outfield mix that already includes Masataka Yoshida, Alex Verdugo, Rob Refsnyder, and Jarren Duran. Hernandez, of course, could man center field on days Duvall sits.

In addition to signing Duvall and designating Barnes for assignment on Tuesday, the Red Sox also acquired infielder Adalberto Mondesi and a player to be named later from the Royals in exchange for lefty reliever Josh Taylor.

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with former Blue Jays outfielder Raimel Tapia

The Red Sox and Raimel Tapia have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, as was first reported by the free agent outfielder himself on Instagram. Jon Heyman of the New York Post later confirmed it was a minors pact that presumably comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Tapia, who turns 29 next month, spent the 2022 season with the Blue Jays. The left-handed hitter batted .265/.292/.380 with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 52 RBIs, 47 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 16 walks, and 81 strikeouts over 128 games (433 plate appearances) for Toronto. He was projected to earn a $5.2 million salary in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility in 2023, but was instead non-tendered in November.

In six games against the Red Sox at Fenway Park last year, Tapia went 9-for-30 (.300) with one double, one triple, two home runs, and 12 RBIs. He most notably hit an inside-the-park grand slam that center fielder Jarren Duran lost in the lights in the third inning of Boston’s historic 28-5 blowout loss to Toronto on July 22.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Tapia originally signed with the Rockies as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in November 2010. He broke in with Colorado in 2016 and spent the first six years of his big-league career there before being dealt to the Blue Jays in exchange for fellow outfielder Randal Grichuk last March.

So, for his career, Tapia is a lifetime .277/.318/.392 hitter with 91 doubles, 15 triples, 26 homers, 188 runs driven in, 233 runs scored, 53 stolen bases, 103 walks, and 343 strikeouts in 567 games (1,858 plate appearances) between the Rockies and Blue Jays over seven major-league seasons. He stole a career-high 20 stolen bases while with Colorado in 2021.

Defensively, Tapia has prior experience at all three outfield positions. Last year in particular, the 6-foot-3, 175-pounder logged 459 innings in left, 249 2/3 innings in center, and 226 2/3 innings in right. He tallied four outfield assists altogether and ranked in the 83rd percentile in arm strength (averaged 90.1 mph on his throws), per Baseball Savant.

Tapia should have the chance to compete for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster as a left-handed hitting bench option once spring training begins next month. The Red Sox already have an outfield mix that includes Masataka Yoshida, Alex Verdugo, Rob Refsnyder, and Jarren Duran. With Enrique Hernandez expected to move back to the middle infield to cover for the injured Trevor Story, the newly-signed Adam Duvall is slated to take over in center field. Add in other non-roster invitees such as Narciso Crook and Greg Allen, and the Sox’ outfield picture suddenly becomes quite crowded.

(Picture of Raimel Tapia: Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to one-year, $7 million deal with outfielder Adam Duvall

The Red Sox and free agent outfielder Adam Duvall have agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2023 season, as was first reported by Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.

According to Mish, Duvall will receive a base salary of $7 million in 2023 and will have the chance to earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses. Those bonuses are based on number of plate appearances and could take the total value of the deal up to $10 million, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Duvall, 34, batted .213/.276/.401 with 16 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 21 walks, and 101 strikeouts in 86 games (315 plate appearances) with the Braves last year. The right-handed hitter was shut down in July due to a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist that ultimately required season-ending surgery.

A native of Kentucky, Duvall was originally selected by the Giants in the 11th round of the 2010 amateur draft out of the University of Louisville. He broke in with San Francisco in 2014 and was then traded to the Reds in a package for veteran starter Mike Leake the following July.

With Cincinnati, Duvall was able to establish himself as a power threat from the right side of the plate. He hit 33 home runs and collected 103 RBIs in the process of being named to his first All-Star team in 2016 and then followed that up by putting together a 31-homer, 99-RBI campaign in 2017.

After a tough start to the 2018 season, the Reds traded Duvall to the Braves that July. He spent the next 2 1/2 years with Atlanta before becoming a free agent for the first time and signing a one-year deal with the Marlins in February 2021. Duvall bounced back in Miami and was then dealt back to Atlanta ahead of the trade deadline that year.

In 146 combined games between the Marlins and Braves in 2021, Duvall slashed .228/.281/.491 with 17 doubles, two triples, a career-high 38 home runs, a National League-best 113 RBIs, 67 runs scored, five stolen bases, 35 walks, and 174 strikeouts across 555 total trips to the plate. He also helped Atlanta win a World Series title that fall and took home his first Gold Glove Award for his defensive work in right field.

All told, Duvall is a lifetime .230/.289/.465 hitter with 163 career homers under his belt in 830 games with the Giants, Reds, Braves, and Marlins. In postseason play, Duvall owns a career line of .200/.247/.400 with five homers and 18 runs driven in across 27 total games. He has the kind of swing that could play well at Fenway Park, where he has gone 6-for-18 (.333) in his career with four home runs in four games. Three of those long balls came in the same contest during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

With Xander Bogaerts opting to sign with the Padres in free agency and Trevor Story slated to miss the start of the 2022 season after undergoing right elbow surgery earlier this month, the Red Sox needed to inject some power back into a lineup that hit the seventh-fewest home runs (155) in the American League last year.

While the absences of both Bogaerts and Story made it seem as though the Red Sox would pursue middle infield help before the start of spring training, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. have instead elected to solidify their outfield mix. With Duvall expected to regularly man center field alongside fellow free agent signee Masataka Yoshida in left and Alex Verdugo in right, Enrique Hernandez seems primed to move back to the infield after serving as Boston’s everyday center fielder for the better part of the last two seasons.

For his part, Duvall has prior experience at all three outfield positions. Last year, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder logged 237 1/3 innings in left, 382 innings in center, and 90 innings in right. As far as the metrics are concerned, Duvall ranked in the 88th percentile of all big-league outfielders in outs above average (+5). He also ranked in the 79th percentile in arm strength (averaged 89.1 mph on his throws), the 74th percentile in outfield jump, and the 67th percentile in sprint speed, per Baseball Savant.

The Red Sox, per Cotillo, are fully confident in Duvall’s ability to play center field. Depending on what Boston does between now and Opening Day, Hernandez and Verdugo represent possible fallback options down the line. The same can be said for Jarren Duran and Rob Refsnyder as well.

Duvall, who turns 35 in September, becomes the seventh major-league free agent addition the Red Sox have made this winter, joining the likes of starter Corey Kluber, relievers Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Joely Rodriguez, infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner, and Yoshida. Of these seven, only Yoshida received more than two guaranteed years on his deal.

As currently constructed, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is at full capacity. So they will have to clear a spot for Duvall once he passes his physical and his signing can be made official.

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Todd Kirkland/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)

How did Red Sox outfield prospect Phillip Sikes fare in first full pro season?

Red Sox outfield prospect Phillip Sikes enjoyed a productive first full season of pro ball in 2022.

Selected by Boston in the 18th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Christian University, Sikes played strictly in the Florida Complex League last summer after signing for just $97,500 as a college senior. He broke minor-league camp this spring with Low-A Salem.

In 50 games with the Carolina League affiliate, the right-handed hitting Sikes batted .258/.390/.516 (148 wRC+) with 18 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 55 strikeouts over 195 plate appearances before earning a promotion to High-A Greenville in early July.

With the Drive, Sikes’ production took a dip but he still managed a .248/.351/.446 slash line (118 wRC+) to go along with 11 doubles, one triple, six homers, 20 runs driven in, 21 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 25 walks, and 44 strikeouts across 44 games spanning 95 trips to the plate.

When taking these numbers from the second half of the season into consideration, it is worth mentioning that Sikes posted a .931 OPS in his first 17 games in Greenville before struggling to the tune of a .181/.302/.347 clip in the month of August. The 23-year-old did end his year on a solid note, though, as he went 8-for-23 (.348) in September with a pair of doubles, five walks, and five swiped bags.

All told, Sikes was one of 26 Red Sox minor-leaguers who accrued at least 350 total plate appearances this year. Among that group, he ranked sixth in walk rate (13.9 percent), fifth in on-base percentage (.371), seventh in slugging percentage (.481), fourth in OPS (.852), fifth in isolated power (.228), third in speed score (8.3), second in line-drive rate (29.5 percent), and fourth in wRC+ (132), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, saw playing time at all three outfield positions in his stints with Salem and Greenville. Between the two affiliates, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound speedster logged 136 2/3 innings in left, 315 innings in center, and 324 innings in right. He registered a total of 10 outfield assists and also displayed his arm strength on the mound by making two relief appearances in mop-up duty for the Salem Sox.

Sikes, who turns 24 in April, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. The native Texan is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign. That being said, one would have to imagine an early-season promotion to Double-A Portland could be in play for Sikes next spring if he picks up where he left off for the Drive.

(Picture of Phillip Sikes: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox agree to five-year, $90 million deal with Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, per report

On the final day of the Winter Meetings, the Red Sox made a significant free agent splash.

Boston has agreed to terms on a five-year, $90 million contract with Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and The New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe relays that the deal does not contain any opt-out clauses or team options.

Yoshida, 29, was considered to be the top position player free agent from Japan this winter and he will be getting paid as such. His $90 million pact is the largest ever for a player making the jump from Nippon Professional Baseball to the major-leagues, as it beats out the five-year, $85 million deal fellow outfielder Seiya Suzuki received from the Cubs earlier this year.

The Orix Buffaloes had just posted Yoshida on Wednesday morning, so it is apparent the Red Sox wasted no time in pursuing the recently-signed Boras Corp. client. Boston will now pay Yoshida’s NPB team a $15.375 million posting fee, taking the total value of the investment up to $105.375 million. That will surpass the $103.1 million ($52 million contract and $51.1 million posting fee) the Sox committed to starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka in December 2006, as noted by Speier.

A native of Fukui, Yoshida has spent the last seven seasons playing for Orix after first breaking in at Japan’s top level in 2016. For his professional career, the left-handed hitter owns a lifetime .327/.421/.539 slash line with 133 home runs in 762 games. This past season, he batted a stout .335/.447/.561 to go along with 28 doubles, one triple, 21 homers, 88 RBIs, 56 runs scored, four stolen bases, 80 walks, and 41 strikeouts over 119 games (508 plate appearances) for the Buffaloes.

Dating back to the start of the 2020 season, Yoshida has posted a 14.5 percent walk rate (213 in 1,467 plate appearances and just a 6.6 strikeout rate (97 in 1,467 plate appearances). His plate discipline and ability to get on base at a high clip are just a few attributes that make him stick out.

“He’s someone that we really like and we’ve spent a lot of time on,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) shortly before news of the agreement broke on Wednesday. “Really, really good hitter, quality at-bat and a great talent.”

While the Red Sox as a team had the sixth-highest on-base percentage in baseball this year (.321), they also ranked 18th in walk rate (7.9 percent) and 20th in chase rate (33.6 percent), per FanGraphs. Yoshida could help alleviate some of these issues, and he could do so out of the leadoff spot or in the middle of the lineup on account of his power potential.

“First and foremost, when you’re looking at a player like him, the quality of the at-bat stands out and that can come from either side of the plate,” said Bloom. “We’re going to need to do some things this offseason to lengthen our lineup and improve the quality of at-bats in our lineup.”

Defensively, Yoshida projects as a left fielder at the big-league level. The 5-foot-8, 176-pounder played that position primarily in Japan, though both his range and arm strength are considered to be below average. That being said, he is likely to start alongside Enrique Hernandez and Alex Verdugo in the Red Sox outfield next season. Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran also figure to be in the mix for playing time.

Yoshida, who does not turn 30 until July, becomes the first position player free agent the Red Sox have agreed to sign this winter. Boston has already signed left-hander Joely Rodriguez to a one-year deal and agreed to two-year contracts with right-handed relievers Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen.

The Red Sox had been pursuing a reunion with Xander Bogaerts, but the All-Star shortstop has since agreed to an 11-year mega-deal with the Padres, according to multiple reports.

(Picture of Masataka Yoshida: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Red Sox among ‘most serious suitors’ for Mitch Haniger, per report

The Red Sox are among the most serious suitors for free agent outfielder Mitch Haniger, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported on Thursday.

Haniger, who turns 32 later this month, hit the open market for the first time earlier this winter after spending the last six years with the Mariners. The right-handed hitter was limited to just 57 games this past season due to a high right ankle sprain he sustained in late April. All told, he batted .246/.308/.429 with eight doubles, 11 home runs, 34 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 20 walks, and 65 strikeouts across 247 trips to the plate in 2022.

The Mariners did not extend a qualifying offer to Haniger in November, meaning the Red Sox could sign him without forfeiting their second- and fifth-highest picks in next year’s draft. The California native is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive a three-year deal in the range of $39 million this offseason.

A former first-round pick of the Brewers out of Cal Poly in 2012, Haniger was dealt to the Diamondbacks as part of a package for fellow outfielder Gerardo Parra at the 2014 trade deadline. Haniger broke in with Arizona in August 2016, but was then traded to Seattle with left-hander Zac Curtis and infielder Jean Segura for Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker three months later.

Haniger’s time with the Mariners was marred by injuries. He appeared in just 96 games in 2017 due to a strained right oblique and facial laceration. In 2019, he was limited to 63 games because of a ruptured testicle. He missed the entirety of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign after undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy surgery on his lower back that February.

When healthy, though, Haniger has proven to be a capable big-league outfielder. He was named an All-Star for the first time and finished 11th in American League MVP voting in 2018 after clubbing 26 homers and collecting 93 RBIs over a career-high 157 games. Last year, he matched that total while mashing 39 home runs and reaching the century mark in runs driven in.

Per Baseball Savant, balls left Haniger’s bat at an average exit velocity of 91.9 mph in 2022. His 47.2 percent hard-hit rate would have ranked 38th among qualified hitters this year while his 11.8 percent barrel rate would have ranked 42nd.

Defensively, Haniger was used exclusively as a right fielder by the Mariners this season. The 6-foot-2, 214-pounder logged 396 innings at the position and posted three defensive runs saved and two outs above average. He also has past experience in left and center field and could almost certainly be used as designated hitter when needed.

After trading Hunter Renfroe to the Brewers last December, the Red Sox received minimal power production from their outfield group in 2022. Boston outfielders this year ranked 13th in the American League in home runs (44), 10th in isolated power (.135), and ninth in slugging percentage (.381), according to FanGraphs.

Haniger would provide the Sox with a power threat from the right side of the plate who could play both corner outfield spots and DH. That role — for the most part — belonged to J.D. Martinez (also a free agent) in recent years, but it does not appear as though chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. are all that interested in a reunion with the veteran slugger.

That being said, the Red Sox are not alone in their apparent pursuit of Haniger. Morosi reports that the Rangers have also been linked with the one-time All-Star while the Angels, Dodgers, and Giants have already checked in with his representatives from Apex Baseball. As the Winter Meetings get underway in San Diego on Sunday, Haniger’s market could heat up.

(Picture of Mitch Haniger: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)