Tag: winter meetings

#RedSox Select Two Right-Handed Pitchers in Rule 5 Draft.

With the Baseball Winter Meetings wrapping up in Las Vegas on Thursday, the last key event to take place was the annual Rule 5 Draft.

Made up of players who were left off their club’s 40-man roster and have been playing baseball professionally for the last four to five years depending on their age, the Rule 5 Draft pool may not consist of the most popular names among prospects, but it is an event worth paying attention to.

The Boston Red Sox did not make a selection in the Major League phase of the draft, but had a pair of picks to make in the Triple-A phase, both of which they used.

First, selected with the 25th pick in the first round of the Triple-A portion of the draft was former Yankees pitching prospect Anyelo Gomez.

A 25-year-old right-hander out of the Dominican Republic, Gomez had spent the majority of his first six professional seasons in baseball with New York, who he signed with as an international free agent in 2012.

A Rule 5 selection of the Atlanta Braves at last year’s Winter Meetings, Gomez was returned to the Yankees prior to the start of the 2018 campaign and battled injuries throughout his season with Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, eventually opting for shoulder surgery in May.

Only appearing in a total of seven games in 2018, the right-hander posted a 2.45 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 7.1 frames of relief.

Next up, the Red Sox selected RHP Andrew Schwaab of the Detroit Tigers organization with the 36th overall pick of the Triple-A portion of the draft.

A native of Missouri, Schwaab spent this past season with both the Yankees and Tigers and was originally signed by New York as an undrafted free agent in 2015.

In 41 relief appearances between two minor league levels and three different teams in 2018, the 25-year-old surrendered 31 earned runs over 52 total innings pitched. That’s good for a 5.37 ERA in addition to a high 1.62 WHIP.

In addition to these selections, the Red Sox also lost outfielder Tyler Hill, who was selected by the Detroit Tigers with the fourth overall pick in the Triple-A phase of the 2018 Rule 5 Draft and then traded to the New York Yankees.

Hill, 22, slashed .254/.348/.312 with one home run and 38 RBI in 124 games with High A Salem in 2018.

Brock Holt Reportedly Receiving Trade Interest at Winter Meetings.

On Tuesday, The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported that, along with a handful of other Red Sox, Brock Holt has been a target of other teams in potential trade talks at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.

(Source $) “There’s also interest in Brock Holt again this offseason. However, Holt remains the Red Sox’ backup plan at second base in case Dustin Pedroia can’t return from knee injuries that limited him to just three games in 2018.”

As Cafardo says, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Red Sox would feel comfortable moving Holt in a potential trade.

Holt, 30, is under team control for one more season, where, according to MLB Trade Rumors, he is set to earn $3.4 million in arbitration before hitting free agency in 2019.

A member of the Red Sox since 2013 and an All-Star in 2015, the Fort Worth native slashed .277/.362/.411 to go along with seven home runs and a career high 46 RBI this past season.

Capable of playing six defensive positions, especially second base, holding on to Holt as a utility man once again makes all the sense in the world, especially when you consider Dustin Pedroia’s shaky industry as of late.

So, unless Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski is blown away by any offers within the next day or so, I would expect Holt to stay right where he is with Boston.

#RedSox Reportedly Sign Former San Francisco Giants Outfielder Gorkys Hernandez to Minor League Deal.

On Tuesday night, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that the Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with former San Francisco Giants outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.

Hernandez, 31, has spent the last three seasons with the Giants, where he slashed a measly .244/.303/.370 to go along with 17 home runs and 66 RBI over 296 total games played.

An original international signee of the Detroit Tigers in 2005, back when Dave Dombrowski served as the General Manager for Detroit, Hernandez was non-tendered by San Francisco in late November and was granted free agency.

Known more for his glove than his bat, Hernandez will provide the Red Sox with solid outfield depth behind the likes of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr.

As the above tweet reads, the native of Venezuela would make $1 million in 2019 if he cracks Boston’s major league roster.

#RedSox Reintroduce Nathan Eovaldi at Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.

After officially signing a four-year contract with the Boston Red Sox this past Thursday, Nathan Eovaldi was formally reintroduced as a member of the club at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas along side Alex Cora and Dave Dombrowski.

Although there was no cap or jersey present for photo opportunities like you usually see at these press conferences, there were still plenty of questions to be asked regarding Eovaldi’s decision to remain with Boston and the Red Sox’s pursuit of the right-hander.

“We’re very thrilled to have Nate back in the organization,” President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said to open things up, “He did a tremendous job for us last season. Joined us for the regular season and the postseason. For us it was really focused on if we could bring Nate back, and fortunately it worked out.”

Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 25th, Eovaldi posted a 3.33 ERA while recording 48 strikeouts over 54 total innings pitched and 12 appearances (11 starts) with Boston before reaching his first ever postseason.

There, the Houston native shined with a 1.61 ERA, a .185 BAA, and the performance of a lifetime in Game Three of the 2018 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“What he did was amazing,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, “Like he was saying, for me personally that was like the biggest moment of the World Series, for him to compete at that level.”

“The conversations in between innings, they were cool. And I remember the last one when I asked him, How are you feeling, he said, Let me finish it. He said it with a lot of conviction. I knew he was good.”

Those six-plus frames of relief from Eovaldi may have ultimately led to Boston’s only loss in this year’s Fall Classic, but it seemingly earned the admiration of Red Sox fans everywhere, and that more than likely played a role in the 28-year-old’s free agency decision.

“The love and support that they were showing me throughout that whole series and especially after that Game Three, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it,” Eovaldi said, “And it’s definitely a special moment and dear to my heart. I want to come back be a part of that.”

Eovaldi also mentioned how he had offers from other clubs to work out of the bullpen and close games, but he did not see himself taking on that role.

“I view myself as a starter, and that’s something I’ve always done my entire career. And I enjoy doing that. So if I had that choice, I still wanted to be a starter.”

The former 11th round pick’s new contract is worth a grand total of $68 million through 2022. He’s had Tommy John surgery twice, and is confident in the Red Sox training staff.

“I feel I can trust my training staff. That’s a big role in me coming over here as well,” Eovaldi said, “And anytime I feel anything, I tell them, and we start the rehab or the treatment for it. And then if it gets worse, then we take time off. But I think we’ve been able to work through a lot of things and stay healthy.”

A two-time recipient of Tommy John surgery, health and durability will remain to be a prevalent factor in Eovaldi’s tenure with the Red Sox, but he has the backing of the club’s coaching staff.

“Four years of Nathan [Eovaldi], that’s going to be great for the organization,” said Alex Cora.

 

Cincinnati Reds Claim Robby Scott off Waivers from #RedSox.

On Monday afternoon, the Red Sox announced that LHP Robby Scott had been claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal originally reported this deal as a trade between the two clubs, but that does not appear to be the case any longer.

It was not made public that Scott, 29, was put on waivers by Boston, but given the fact that their 40-man roster was at full capacity before this transaction, it makes sense the left-hander would be someone the club would be willing to part ways with.

In 73 career appearances with the Red Sox, Scott posted a 3.91 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 48.1 innings pitched in three different seasons. Recently though, the Florida native’s numbers took a hit, as he surrendered six earned runs in just 6.2 innings of work in 2018.

Known for his success against left-handed bats, Scott will have the opportunity to redeem himself with a club that finished ninth in the National League in bullpen ERA (4.14) this past season.

This transaction also comes two days after former Red Sox minor league infielder and noted pinch runner Tony Renda signed a minor-league contract with Cincinnati.

The Red Sox’s 40-man roster now stands at 39.