The Boston Red Sox Monday, December 7, 2020

* The Boston Globe

The Red Sox could bolster their roster with any of these non-tendered free agents

Julian McWilliams

The Red Sox will attend the Winter Meetings next week, or to put it more accurately, Winter Zoom Meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings won’t take place in-person, but over conference calls and in video breakout rooms. Free agency is running at a snail’s pace. Daily transactions, too. But last Wednesday’s non-tender deadline brought some intrigue, and some players who were non-tendered should intrigue the Red Sox.

Here is a look at some of them:

Eddie Rosario Rosario made his major-league debut in 2015 with the Minnesota Twins and has been a very good player for them in his six seasons. In 2,830 at-bats, the outfielder hit .277/.310/.478 with a .788 OPS to go along with 119 homers. He had a career-low average last season, hitting just .257 but managed to pump out 13 homers in the shortened 60-game season. Rosario, who bats lefthanded, is not a big on-base guy, but his power has been obvious in recent years. After surpassing the 20-homer mark in 2017 and 2018, Rosario went deep a career-high 32 times in 2019. Rosario struggles on defense, posting a career -20.8 defensive WAR, so right field at Fenway might be too tall a task for him. Nevertheless, the majority of his innings have come in left field, which is more manageable. Rosario also has a connection in Boston: Alex Cora. Rosario played for Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Cora was the team’s general manager.

David Dahl Dahl missed much of the end of last season with the Colorado Rockies due to back soreness and a shoulder strain. When he was in the lineup, Dahl hit just .183 in 99 plate appearances. Yet even with the underwhelming season, he remains one of the most highly coveted players that was non-tendered. Dahl batted .297 over his first three seasons in the majors, posting a .521 slugging percentage and an .867 OPS. He also got on base at a solid clip, with a .346 OBP in that span. His batted-ball profile fits Fenway well, with a fly-ball rate that is geared mainly toward left field. Dahl, who bats lefthanded, can play center field if need be. More importantly, he won’t turn 27 until April of next year and has three more seasons of team control before becoming a free agent after the 2023 season.

Adam Duvall The former Atlanta Braves outfielder has some pop in his bat. The Red Sox got a taste of that last September in Boston when Duvall touched them up for three homers in the final game of Atlanta’s three- game sweep at Fenway. Duvall had another three-homer game a week later in a rout of the Miami Marlins. Duvall won’t hit for much average, but the power alone makes him a threat. A career .233 hitter, Duvall had back-to-back seasons of 30-plus homers in 2016 and ’17 with the Cincinnati Reds. Despite hitting just .237 in 2020, Duvall managed to belt 16 homers while slugging .532 and putting up an .833 OPS. Though he has only stolen 13 bases in his career, Duvall has good speed, ranking in the 78th percentile last season at the age of 32.

Jose Urena Urena turned 29 in September. The righthander has plus velocity, averaging 95.6 miles per hour on his fastball, but can he ever get the productivity to match it? Over the last two seasons, Urena has a 5.25 ERA in 108 innings of work, mostly as a starter. Yet if the 2020 World Series — better yet, the entire postseason — showed us anything, it’s that velocity matters. Think about the Tampa Bay Rays’ bullpen and core starting group, they all threw hard. The New York Yankees and Dodgers, too. That Boston’s chief baseball officer, Chaim Bloom, is a product of the Tampa system that is built on finding velocity and untapped potential and then developing it, might make Urena a match for the Red Sox.

Ryne Stanek Stanek and Bloom have history. The righthander came up with the Rays, making his debut as a 25-year-old rookie in 2017. He found success over the following two seasons with the Rays and Marlins, pitching a combined 143⅓ innings and striking out 170 batters in that span. He also had a 1.200 WHIP. In 2020, he struggled to gain his footing with the Marlins, resulting in a 7.20 ERA in just 10 innings pitched. But again, arms matter, as does flexibility. The Sox may view Stanek as a low-risk, high-reward pitcher who is under team control through 2023.

Rhode Island native Chris Iannetta reflects on MLB career, looks forward to what’s next

Peter Abraham

Chris Iannetta joined the Yankees on a minor league contract for spring training last season, hopeful of continuing what had been a long and successful career.

If it didn’t work out, he was comfortable going off into retirement.

The best memory Iannetta took from that experience came on March 12 when he lined an RBI double to right field off Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle, a pitcher who had always given him trouble.

“That was my last at-bat before they shut the season down,” Iannetta said. “A long double, the opposite way off a tough pitcher. It felt poetic to me. If that was it for me, at least I got a hit.”

Iannetta stayed with the Yankees when spring training resumed in July. He made the team and was on the active roster for six games, although he never came off the bench. Iannetta was designated for assignment on Aug. 1 while the Yankees were at Fenway Park.

Iannetta cleared waivers three days later and was outrighted to minor league camp. But he decided to retire instead.

“That just wasn’t for me,” Iannetta said. “I went home.”

Home is Wrentham. Iannetta grew up in Rhode Island and was a star at St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket before going on to play at North Carolina. That led to being a fourth-round pick of the Rockies in 2004 and making his major league debut two years later.

Iannetta played parts of 14 years with the Rockies, Angels, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. He is Colorado’s all-time leader for games, runs, hits, home runs, RBIs, and walks by a catcher.

Iannetta also played in nine postseason games along the way and earned roughly $40 million. That’s a career far better than most.

“I never thought I’d have one day of major league service time,” Iannetta said. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity I had to play as long as I did. It’ll take some time to set in, to realize what actually transpired. But I’ve always vowed to myself that when I was done playing, I’d never make too much of it.

“There’s so many people you come in contact with who were .200 hitters when they played and you talk to them and they sound like they were Babe Ruth. That’s never going to be me. I’ll always remember how difficult it was.”

At 37, Iannetta is ready for a new chapter. He has two daughters he can now spend more time with and is eager to visit parts of New England during the spring and summer.

“I haven’t been to a beach in Rhode Island since I was 16,” Iannetta said. “I was always somewhere playing.”

He also plays guitar and owns a winery with former teammate Vernon Wells. There will be no shortage of things to do.

Iannetta leaves baseball at what he considers a crucial time for a sport he loves.

“It can be a beautiful game out there on the field, but it’s becoming so sterile,” he said. “There are diminishing returns when all you see are home runs, strikeouts, and walks.

“The product that’s on the field is losing fans more than MLB realizes.”

As a catcher, Iannetta fundamentally understands the importance of analytics in evaluating players and preparing for games. But he feels the reliance on data has changed the game for the worse.

“How many times can you celebrate the umpteenth home run?” he said. “The subtle nuances are missing. Guys who pitched their hearts out and went deep into games, that’s a story people wanted.

“Now it’s exit velocity and who can hit the ball the hardest, not who’s actually a good hitter. The good baseball players are being marginalized.”

Iannetta believes how the game is being presented is part of the problem. The emphasis on home runs and fastball velocity neatly packaged in 30-second clips on social media obscures a bigger picture.

“The next generation of fans is absorbing baseball from Twitter and highlights. They’re not watching the entirety of the game,” Iannetta said. “The game isn’t slow. It’s actually very fast-paced if you watch everything that’s going on.”

Iannetta broke into the majors at a time when fans appreciated a runner being moved into scoring position or how an infielder could save a run by holding a runner at second base.

“Somebody taught you that when you grew up,” he said. “You don’t see that now. There’s a responsibility from the players and media. We’re losing that aspect of the game, and losing more and more fans.”

Iannetta was an active member of the MLB Players Association as a team representative and later a member of the executive board. He could stay involved in baseball that way or perhaps with a team. That will be determined over time.

“I lived the dream,” Iannetta said. “I’ll need to decompress, maybe six months to a year. There are still a lot of things I want to do.”

HOT STOVE Yankees sticking with Sanchez

The Yankees held on to Gary Sanchez at the non-tender deadline and will pay him approximately $5.5 million next season based on his arbitration status.

That’s good money for a player who has hit .200 the last three seasons and struck out in 28 percent of his plate appearances. He also has regressed defensively.

Sanchez is poor at framing pitches and lunges after breaking balls like he’s trying to catch a butterfly. But he has hit 95 home runs in his last 366 regular-season games.

A league source said it wasn’t a particularly tough call for the Yankees, given Sanchez’s offensive potential.

But last season, Yankees pitchers had a 4.53 ERA with Sanchez catching and 3.79 when Kyle Higashioka was behind the plate. Higashioka also started five of the team’s seven postseason games. The Yankees’ patience cannot be unlimited.

Also:

▪ Say this for the Orioles, they’re honest about their plan. They traded shortstop Jose Iglesias to the Angels for two pitching prospects on Wednesday and non-tendered infielder Hanser Alberto.

“There will come a time when we flip the switch to maximizing wins in the upcoming season, but we’re not there yet,” general manager Mike Elias said. “This isn’t fun.”

The Orioles sold high on Iglesias, who hit .373 in 39 games last season with little power. He was due $3.5 million. Alberto would have landed approximately $3 million in arbitration. He crushes lefthanders and is a versatile defender. He’ll have no trouble finding a new team.

▪ The Dodgers flexed their financial muscle, swinging a deal to get righthanded reliever Corey Knebel from Milwaukee minutes before the Brewers would have non-tendered the former All-Star.

Milwaukee did not want to pay the $5.12 million Knebel would have landed in the arbitration process. But the Dodgers took that on to avoid letting a player they liked hit the open market.

Knebel, who missed 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery, struggled last season. But that was only 15 appearances and pitchers often show improvement their second year after Tommy John.

At 29, Knebel is a good one-year gamble at what amounts to short money for a team such as the Dodgers.

▪ The Reds shed $10 million in salary by non-tendering four players, most notably righthanded reliever Archie Bradley. A team determined to contend the last few seasons is dialing back.

▪ The Blue Jays are making a concerted push for George Springer. They very badly need an outfield upgrade and his all-around skills — and leadership — would benefit a young team.

With Springer unlikely to return to the Astros, Jackie Bradley Jr. may be Houston’s new center fielder.

▪ Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has long been a fan of Kyle Schwarber. But with Clint Frazier emerging last season, where would Schwarber fit? The Yankees certainly don’t need a DH with Giancarlo Stanton locked in there.

LOCAL HERO? Kluber is worth a look by Red Sox

Free agent righthander Corey Kluber lives in Winchester, about a 20-minute drive to Fenway Park depending on traffic. His wife, Amanda, is a native of Winchester.

The Red Sox badly need starting pitchers and a two-time Cy Young Award winner lives close by. Sounds perfect. There is mutual interest, too.

Except that Kluber will be 35 in April and has pitched one inning in the majors over the last 19 months.

A line drive fractured Kluber’s right arm on May 1, 2019. He came back to appear in three minor league games that season, but was then shut down with an abdominal strain.

The Indians traded Kluber to Texas after the season. He broke summer camp as their No. 3 starter but lasted one inning before suffering a season-ending tear in a shoulder muscle. Kluber avoided surgery.

Agent B.B. Abbott said Kluber would be ready for spring training.

Any relevant pitch data on Kluber predates two significant injuries. But given how thin the Sox rotation is, a short-term deal with incentives would make sense. If healthy, Kluber is a difference maker.

The Mets and Yankees also have interest in Kluber.

A few other observations about the Red Sox:

▪ Given how much help they need, there are a number of non-tendered players who could fit. One in particular is center fielder Albert Almora, who was let go by the Cubs.

He’s a righthanded hitter who’s strong defensively. Almora’s OPS has dropped three years in a row and he was particularly dreadful at the plate last season. But new bench coach Will Venable is a booster, and the Sox need a good glove in center field so they can keep Alex Verdugo in right.

The Sox actually finished fifth in runs per game in the American League last season. It’s a good bet they’ll get a lot more offensively from Andrew Benintendi and J.D. Martinez next season, which would make it easier to carry Almora’s bat.

▪ Adam Duvall hit four home runs in 13 at-bats in three games at Fenway Park last season, three over the Monster. He’d be an interesting option in left field. But that would mean shifting Benintendi to center.

▪ The Sox have flipped 25 spots on the 40-man roster since Chaim Bloom took over.

ETC. Players Alliance puts action behind words

The Players Alliance, a group of approximately 150 current and former Black major leaguers, was founded last season as a response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers and the national unrest that followed.

The idea was to promote baseball at all levels of the game in the Black community.

The percentage of Black players on major league rosters has dropped from 20 percent in the late 1970s and early 1980s to 8 percent last season. There were only two Black managers last season, Dusty Baker of the Astros and Dave Roberts of the Dodgers.

The Alliance, which is led by Curtis Granderson, CC Sabathia, and Edwin Jackson, also offered players a platform to work in unison on issues of importance to them.

It has quickly proven to be more than lofty ideals.

The Alliance received a $10 million grant from Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association and put that to work with a “Pull Up Neighbor” tour that is scheduled to hit 32 cities over two months.

It started Tuesday in the Bronx. A tractor trailer parked at Mullaly Park and Dellin Betances, Sabathia, and Eric Young spent time handing out baseball equipment, food, and personal protective gear including face coverings, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.

The Yankees chipped in with team backpacks and meal vouchers.

Alliance members were on hand in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington later in the week.

Boston is not on the itinerary. A spokesperson said the Alliance wanted to have at least one player on hand for each stop and no members live in Boston in the offseason.

There are plans for an event in Boston during the coming season.

Chaim Bloom is a member of the Alliance’s executive advisory committee along with Theo Epstein, Brian Cashman, Kenny Williams, and others.

Extra bases MLB and the Players Association still have not come to an agreement on having a universal designated hitter for 2021. The 15 National League teams and 20 or so free agents who could potentially fill that role are needlessly in limbo waiting for a decision despite the season having ended six weeks ago. That the sides can’t get together on something that should be easy and benefits everybody involved suggests the upcoming negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement are going to be slow and painful … In a 1,455-word post on Facebook, Curt Schilling wrote that he doesn’t believe he will gain admission to the Hall of Fame and after this year, “I will no longer participate in the Hall of Fame process.” Schilling, who fell 20 votes short last year, actually stands a very good chance of getting in based on how the vote has trended. And if he doesn’t, he’ll be on the ballot again next year as players have no say in that process. As long as a player receives 5 percent of the vote, he stays on the ballot for 10 years. Schilling also wrote, “Many of the writers have openly stated their hatred of my support of President Trump.” There is no evidence of that being true. But what is undeniably true is longtime Trump supporter Mariano Rivera received 100 percent of the vote from 425 writers in 2019. Rivera was a member of the President’s Council of Sports, Fitness & Nutrition at the time. I’ve voted for Schilling all eight times he’s been on the ballot. But he sure doesn’t make it easy … The Winter Meetings were originally scheduled for Dec. 7-10 in Dallas. They’re being held online this year and have already started and will go on for another two weeks. Among the groups that will meet are general managers, field managers, athletic trainers, team doctors, traveling secretaries, clubhouse managers, media relations managers, and even team photographers … Happy birthday to Kevin Cash, who is 43. He had two stints with the Red Sox from 2007-10, appearing in 102 games and developing a relationship with Terry Francona that led to a coaching job with the Indians and eventually managing the Rays … Condolences to the family and many friends of Mike Shalin, who passed away on Friday. Shalin covered the Yankees for the New York Post and the Red Sox for the Herald before becoming one of the official scorers at Fenway Park.

As Matt Barnes enters his free agent year, he insists he wants to stay put with Red Sox

Alex Speier

A few seasons ago, Matt Barnes surveyed the Red Sox bullpen with Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree, longtime teammates who had spent years together since the minors. Though Barnes was just in his mid 20s, he had an epiphany.

“I said, ‘You know, we’re going to look up one day and the three of us are going to be sitting down here and we’re going to be the old guys sitting down here,’ ” recalled Barnes, now 30. “Sure enough, I look up this year and I’m like, ‘The time has come.’ ”

Once Workman and Hembree were dealt in August, Barnes’s status on the team came into even sharper relief. The last remaining member of the franchise-changing 2011 draft, Barnes has the longest tenure in the Red Sox organization of any pitcher, and in fact is among the longest-tenured relievers in team history.

In 2021, Barnes most likely will become just the fourth pitcher in franchise history with at least five appearances out of the bullpen in eight seasons, joining Bob Stanley (13), Ellis Kinder (8), and Bill Lee (8). He has appeared in 325 career games with the Sox, ninth in team history, with a chance to climb past Derek Lowe, Cy Young, Kinder, and Roger Clemens into the top five by the end of 2021.

“Crazy,” said Barnes. “When you start throwing out names like that, superstars in the history of the organization, to be a part of that is something that’s truly special.”

A few traits have come to typify Barnes’s time in Boston. He has been one of the most durable relievers in baseball, making 62-70 appearances in each year from 2016-19; his 24 appearances in 2020 projected to 65 in a full 162-game season.

“I pride myself a lot on the ability to go out there and be able to take the ball every single day,” he said.

He has emerged as a late-innings option thanks to elite strikeout rates over the last four years on the strength of his elevated high-90s fastball and power curve. His extremely high walk rates create some stressful innings and the occasional multi-run derailment.

But a strong case can be made that he has been among the top 30 or so relievers in baseball on a reasonably consistent basis, particularly given that most of his outings are in leveraged situations against the heart of opposing lineups rather than a fixed ninth-inning role.

Yet Barnes is sometimes viewed as being inconsistent. The memories of the blown saves that are an unavoidable part of life as a middle reliever — particularly his struggles against the Yankees (9.53 ERA in 30 appearances, 3.58 against everyone else) — tend to linger longer than the stretches of effectiveness.

Barnes in late innings Here's a look at how Red Sox closer Matt Barnes has performed in late innings, and his rank among relievers who have pitched a minimum of 150 innings.

Category Total Rank among relievers Games 226 10th Strikeout % 34.1 9th Walk % 11.8 97th Average .213 28th OBP .311 64th Slugging .344 25th WAR (Fangraphs) 3.4 26th Holds 76 3rd SOURCE: Baseball-Reference.com, Fangraphs

Barnes is aware of his track record. He recognizes that his seasons typically feature five effective months interrupted by about a month “where all hell breaks loose for me,” typically because of either fatigue from extensive usage or simply a decline in the sharpness of execution.

In 2020, that struggle came at the outset of a compressed season that followed a similarly condensed buildup.

His performance through August — a 5.54 ERA with a 26.2 percent strikeout rate and 16.4 percent walk rate — raised concerns, given a decline in velocity (95.5 m.p.h. average four-seam velocity) and strikeout rate, along with a spike in walks. Those struggles suppressed his value at the trade deadline.

But the righthander rebounded in September, with his fastball velocity (96.6), strikeout rate (36.6 percent), and walk rate (9.8 percent) returning to more customary levels. He had a 2.70 ERA while holding hitters to a .189/.268/.297 line.

For the Red Sox, that made the decision to bring back Barnes for 2021 a relative no-brainer. He signed a $4.5 million deal for the season Wednesday in advance of the deadline to tender players a contract offer to retain those not yet eligible for free agency.

Yet on the other side of 2021 lies uncertainty. After the season, Barnes will have the service time necessary for free agency — a possibility that he views as a significant opportunity and achievement.

Yet while the open market is now within view, Barnes happily would forgo it if he and the Red Sox can find common ground on a deal that would run beyond 2021. In fact, the righthander had been in discussions with the Sox about just such a possibility in the spring, before the sport’s abrupt shutdown and transaction freeze in mid-March halted talks.

“I’ve expressed my interest to the front office and ownership of wanting to stay in Boston for the rest of my career,” said Barnes. “We had some conversations about a longer relationship moving forward. And then COVID hit and there were so many things going on with the season shut down and the health and safety, things kind of got put on hold a little bit.

“There had been some discussions on trying to make something work moving forward beyond next season.”

Whether those conversations are revisited remains to be seen. But as Barnes reflected on his time in the Red Sox organization since being taken in the first round of the 2011 draft, the Connecticut native remained hopeful that his potential free agency need not mark an endpoint for his time in Boston.

“We’ll see if there’s more dialogue going forward,” he said. “We’re not going to force anything, but some discussions have been had.

“It’s the only place where I’ve played. It’s a first-class organization. I’d love to spend the rest of my career here.”

Red Sox, Rockies trade minor leaguers

Alex Speier

In a swap of minor leaguers, the Red Sox sent a hard-throwing lefthander to the Rockies in exchange for an infielder who had a head-turning pro debut in 2019.

The Sox sent 23-year-old Yoan Aybar, who was signed by the organization as an outfielder in 2013, but whose offensive struggles resulted in a move to the mound in 2018, in exchange for versatile infielder Christian Koss.

Koss, 22, was taken by the Rockies in the 12th round of the 2019 draft as a player with solid defensive skills – including the ability to play shortstop – and good baseball instincts but with questions about whether he’d hit enough to reach the big leagues. However, after a solid junior year at the University of California Irvine, he had a standout professional debut for the Grand Junction (Colo.) Rockies in the Pioneer League, a short-season league that tends to see big offensive numbers.

Koss hit .332/.447/.605 with 11 homers for Grand Junction, walking nearly as many times (35) as he struck out (43) while ranking in the league’s top 10 in average, OBP, slugging, and homers and playing third, short, and second. His versatility and feel for the barrel as a righthanded hitter – with some room to fill out physically – suggest a potential big league utility infielder.

Aybar shows standout velocity for a lefthander, having worked in the mid- and upper-90s in 2018-19. On some days, his fastball/slider combination looked capable of retiring big league hitters. On others, he looked ill-equipped to handle A-ball lineups. He had a 4.61 ERA with 11.1 strikeouts but 6.5 walks per nine innings with Single A Greenville in 2019

Still, his elite velocity and lefthandedness convinced the Sox to add him to the 40-man roster last winter rather than risk losing him to the Rule 5 draft. However, his distance from the big leagues resulted in the Sox not inviting him to their alternate training site in Pawtucket, making Aybar the only member of the 40- man roster not to spend time in Boston or Pawtucket this year.

He’s athletic enough that it’s possible his delivery could click and allow him to emerge as a big league middle reliever, making him a worthwhile gamble for the Rockies. There are enough questions about whether he’ll develop into a big league-ready pitcher before exhausting his options that Aybar seemed a likely candidate to be removed from the Red Sox’ 40-man roster this winter, with the Sox likely to add at least one outfielder, multiple starting pitchers, and a second baseman.

The Red Sox have 39 players on the 40-man roster.

* The Boston Herald

Red Sox at the Winter Meetings: Second base, starting pitching and center field are the priorities

Jason Mastrodonato

The trade rumor mill isn’t churning the way it usually does and the hot stove isn’t overheating yet, but the MLB Winter Meetings are underway nonetheless.

Taking place virtually this year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the meetings were scheduled to begin Sunday night and go through Thursday.

One year after ducking under the luxury tax threshold, the Red Sox should have plenty of financial flexibility as they look to rebound from their worst season since 1965. They have a manager, Alex Cora, who may not tolerate another dormant year by the front office.

The fanbase shouldn’t, either.

Here’s the top three things the Red Sox should be doing:

1. Nailing down a plan at second base

Staying flexible is the golden rule of roster-building, but time is running out to get value on Michael Chavis if the team decides he’s not in their long-term plans, prospect Jeter Downs is getting closer to making his big league debut and the free agent market is flush with options at second base this winter.

For the Sox to do nothing at the position, or go cheap again like they did last year, when they signed only Jose Peraza, would leave second base in the hands of Chavis and last year’s Rule 5 pick, Jonathan Arauz.

Can the Red Sox afford to do that after having been among the worst in the big leagues at production from second base since Dustin Pedroia was last productive in 2017?

D.J. LeMahieu is the prize of the free agent class at the position. He’s been among the best leadoff hitters in the game, he’s won two batting titles and three Gold Gloves, he’s versatile and he’s unlike most of the players in the Red Sox lineup, which is full of aggressive hitters who like to swing for the fences. LeMahieu doesn’t often barrel up the ball, but his hard-hit percentage is off the charts and he’s one of the best at making contact and generating offense.

The division rival Yankees and Blue Jays should be hot on LeMahieu’s tail. And while the Red Sox haven’t been mentioned much, if at all, as a potential landing spot, it makes too much sense for them not to be in the mix.

Kolten Wong and Jurickson Profar are also free agents, though it’s fair to wonder if either represent much of an upgrade to some combination of Chavis and Downs.

2. Acquire an impact starting pitcher

Chris Sale won’t be back until at least May, Eduardo Rodriguez is a question mark coming back from myocarditis and Nathan Eovaldi has proven to be anything but reliable.

Even if the team hopes to rely on a handful of relievers and/or openers again in 2021 (because it worked so well in 2020), they’re lacking top-end talent from the mound.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Sox have interest in Corey Kluber, the two-time Cy Young winner who suffered a forearm fracture and oblique strain in an injury-plagued 2020 season. The Rangers declined his $18-million option and he seems like a good buy-low candidate for a contending team with money to spend.

Former Reds general manager Jim Bowden suggested the Red Sox sign Masahiro Tanaka, who is finally a free agent after going 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA over seven seasons in the Bronx.

Either pitcher makes sense, as would lefty Jose Quintana, who MLB Trade Rumors predicted to sign with the Red Sox on a two-year, $18-million contract.

Because the Red Sox finally have starting pitching depth coming from the minors, with Tanner Houck’s strong showing this year leaving the Sox particularly optimistic, they can afford to use their money on a single high-end starter rather than a few low-end depth options.

3. Find a center fielder

Speedy prospect Jarren Duran was impressive in every area of his game in both spring training with the Red Sox and the regular season while training at the alternate site in Pawtucket. He’s developed some power to go with his speed. The only question is whether or not the Sox want to give him a chance to be their starting center fielder within the next 12 months or if the seventh-round pick in 2018 is still seen as more of a lottery ticket-type who needs more development.

George Springer is likely to command somewhere in the realm of $125 million in free agency, but has long been a favorite of Cora’s and could give the Red Sox the instant offense they’ve lacked since Mookie Betts was traded to the Dodgers. But the Sox don’t seem eager to jump into big-money, long-term deals.

Bringing back Jackie Bradley Jr. is always an option, though not the one that offers the best offensive potential.

Former Twins corner outfielder Eddie Rosario has also been linked to the Red Sox after the Twins non- tendered him rather than pay him around $10 million in arbitration salary. The corner outfielder has loads of power and is also liked by Cora, who is from the same area in Puerto Rico. But he hits left-handed, as do Alex Verdugo and Andrew Benintendi, and would put the Sox in position to trade Benintendi for pitching help on their way to finding a more natural option in center field.

* MassLive.com

Which former Boston Red Sox could come back in free agency? Jon Lester, Kevin Pillar, Brandon Workman among potential fits

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox have plenty of clear needs as they look to shape their roster before Opening Day and are expected to make multiple free-agent additions in the coming months. While Chaim Bloom and his staff would surely like to bring in some new blood, there’s also a possibility that the Sox reunite with some old friends who could fill in some holes.

Boston’s top two free agents from 2020 -- outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and starter Martin Perez -- could come back, but for this exercise, we’ll only look at potential reunions who last played for another team. Here are 10 former Red Sox free agents who theoretically could return to Boston this winter:

RP Heath Hembree

Hembree, for parts of seven seasons, posted a brutal 12.54 ERA in 11 games with the Phillies after being traded on Aug. 21 and was cut at the end of the year. Despite pitching well early in the year for the Sox, he’s probably going to have to settle for a minor-league contract as he enters his age-32 season.

Word is Hembree would be open to returning, especially with Alex Cora back as the manager. Considering the success he had before being traded, the Red Sox could explore bringing him back on a low-cost flier.

SP Rich Hill

On a free-agent market flooded with veteran starters, Hill (who turns 41 in March) probably isn’t a priority. But the Milton native was effective in 2020, posting a 3.03 ERA in eight starts with the Twins, and isn’t considering retirement. The lefty has been with the Red Sox twice before -- from 2010 to 2012 and again in 2015 -- and told WEEI’s Rob Bradford last month that he thought the club was a fit.

SP Jon Lester

There has been ample talk about Lester, who spent the last six years with the Cubs, returning to the place his career started and potentially finishing his career in Boston. In May, speaking to Bradford, the soon-to- be 37-year-old even opened the door himself. A reunion seems less than likely because the Red Sox are probably looking at better options in the same price range and the Cubs are known to be interested in bringing him back. But Sox owner John Henry might push to sign Lester after famously not locking him up to an extension in 2014 and Lester is former teammates with Cora.

SP Mark Melancon

Melancon’s first stint in Boston (2012) is remembered for a brutal start and an ERA that was recorded as “infinity” at one point, but he actually pitched well down the stretch before being traded to the Pirates in a winter deal that sent Brock Holt back to the Red Sox. Since, Melancon has pitched for four different teams and been named an All-Star three times. He’s now a free agent entering his age-36 season after posting a 2.78 ERA in 23 appearances for the Braves.

1B Mitch Moreland

Moreland got off to a torrid start with the Red Sox this summer before they shipped him to the Padres for prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario, then struggled in San Diego and ultimately had his $3 million club option declined, at least partially due to the uncertainty surrounding the designated hitter rule next season. With Bobby Dalbec (a right-handed hitter) likely to take the lion’s share of playing time at first base, the Sox could use a veteran lefty at the position and Moreland still fits.

OF Kevin Pillar

Pillar was also traded at the deadline, being sent to the Rockies in a deal that netted the Red Sox promising pitching prospect Jacob Wallace. Before the deal, Pillar -- who was brought in to be a right-handed hitting complement in an outfield mix with three lefties -- played well on both sides of the ball and took on a leadership role on a team lacking direction. There are a few right-handed hitting outfielders available who probably have more upside (Hunter Renfroe and Adam Duvall are two) but the Sox know they’d get someone who plays hard in Pillar.

SP Rick Porcello

Porcello had a brutal year with the Mets (5.64 ERA, 1.508 WHIP in 59 innings) but still made 12 starts, eating innings during a season in which virtually every team dealt with devastating pitching injuries. At almost 32, Porcello is no longer the pitcher who won the Cy Young award four years ago but he can eat innings, which is more valuable than it sounds. A strong relationship with Cora helps the case for a reunion here.

OF Josh Reddick

Reddick, who is about to turn 34 in February, is a left-handed hitter, making him an imperfect fit for a club that’s probably looking to add a righty to its outfield mix. He has carved out a nice career in the American League West after beginning his career with the Red Sox from 2009 to 2011 and might intrigue the Sox as a bench bat.

INF Travis Shaw

Shaw was non-tendered by the Blue Jays earlier this week after posting a .717 OPS in 50 games last year. He’s another candidate to be a lefty complement at first and can also play some second base, which could interest the Red Sox. The 30-year-old had interest in signing with Boston last winter when the Brewers non-tendered him but nothing ever materialized.

RP Brandon Workman

Like Hembree, Workman struggled mightily after being traded to the Phillies (6.92 ERA in 14 games) and saw his market value drop precipitously after a stellar 2019. As a guy who likely needs to sign a “prove-it deal,” he may be amenable to returning to the organization where he spent the first 10 years of his big- league career.

***

10 observations from the last week in baseball

1. The Red Sox had some interest in reliever Trevor May but weren’t as aggressive as the Mets, who locked him up on a two-year, $15.5 million deal.

2. Red Sox bench coach Will Venable was our guest on The Fenway Rundown this week. Check it out.

3. Boston now has an open 40-man roster spot after trading lefty Yoan Aybar to the Rockies on Thursday. That spot could go to a Rule 5 pick next week.

4. Dec. 4 update: Only four non-qualifying offer free agents (Mike Minor, May, Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly) have signed for more than $10 million in guaranteed money so far this winter and only two (Minor and May) received multi-year deals. Still plenty of guys on the board.

5. The Red Sox made a strong push for Morton, who signed with the Braves on a one-year, $15 million deal after expressing his desire to stay in the southeast.

6. Corey Kluber is a perfect fit for the Red Sox, who would seem to have a leg up because he (surprisingly) lives locally. Kluber’s wife, Amanda, is a Winchester native.

7. Remember Durbin Feltman? Our Chris Smith had an in-depth look at him this week in his minor-league notebook.

8. Former Sox first baseman Sam Travis has a new team, signing a minor-league deal with the Mariners after a year with the Rangers.

9. Plenty of players who were non-tendered fit the Red Sox. Some of those guys could sign quickly.

10. Thank you to Hall of Famer Peter Gammons for just about the best compliment we could have ever received here at MassLive.

Boston Red Sox rumors: Matt Barnes discussed extension with team before COVID-19 shutdown (report)

Christopher Smith

The Boston Red Sox and Matt Barnes discussed an extension before the coronavirus shutdown in March, Barnes told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

The 30-year-old Barnes is eligible for free agency after the 2021 season. He and the Red Sox already agreed to a $4.5 million salary for next season.

“I’ve expressed my interest to the front office and ownership of wanting to stay in Boston for the rest of my career,” Barnes told Speier. “We had some conversations about a longer relationship moving forward. And then COVID hit and there were so many things going on with the season shut down and the health and safety, things kind of got put on hold a little bit.

“There had been some discussions on trying to make something work moving forward beyond next season.”

Barnes is a candidate to serve as the closer for the 2021 Red Sox. He converted 9-of-12 save opportunities and posted a 3.38 ERA after taking over as closer when Boston traded Brandon Workman to the Phillies on Aug. 21.

In September, Barnes said he would embrace the Red Sox closer role in 2021 if he receives the chance.

“Absolutely. Let’s do it. I’m all in,” Barnes said.

The Red Sox are expected to target relievers this offseason. Alex Colomé, Liam Hendricks, Brad Hand, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates and Trevor Rosenthal are the top closers/setup men available on the free agent market.

Boston drafted Barnes in the first round in 2011. He has posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and .236 batting average against in 325 outings (337 ⅓ innings) during his career.

Boston Red Sox bench coach Will Venable discusses new role, his college basketball career & more on MassLive’s The Fenway Rundown podcast

Chris Cotillo

On the latest episode of MassLive’s The Fenway Rundown podcast, Red Sox bench coach Will Venable joins the show to discuss his new role and much more. Venable, a former major-league outfielder who played both baseball and basketball at Princeton, talks about interviewing for the managerial job that went to Alex Cora, the process of becoming Cora’s bench coach and much more. He also talks about the time he put up 21 points as a visitor at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Some highlights:

Venable on his relationship with Alex Cora:

“No history. Just a couple times on the baseball field and at team hotels and stuff, just very briefly our paths have crossed. I think we are pretty similar in the way we look at the game, with the history of baseball in our family. I think it’s a good fit and going to be a great relationship.

Venable on his role as Cora’s bench coach:

“There’s just work that needs to be done. There are things that need to be done. I think the great thing about a bench coach is that you need to have the humility to do whatever it takes. Whatever we need to do to get the job done. Bench coaches that I’ve been around, guys do whatever it is. Picking up baseballs in the cage that day, printing out documents, whatever we need to do. Changing the ink cartridge in the printer. Whatever. You just have to be willing to do it and that’s something I’m looking forward to. Alex (Cora) has a bunch of great people that know him and who have been around him. Whatever I can do to support them, that’s kind of how I’m coming into this. There is no hierarchy, there are just things that need to be done. Of course guys have their daily roles and responsibilities, but however I fit in supporting those guys and getting the job done is what I’m looking forward to.”

* RedSox.com

Green Monster ladder: Fenway quirk, OF foe

Ian Browne

Without question, anyone would need a ladder to get to the top of the 37-foot wall at Fenway Park known as the Green Monster.

But that doesn’t answer the question: Why is there a ladder attached to the famous Monster?

Luckily for you, we come with an answer.

In 1936, a 23-foot net was attached to the Monster to protect local businesses.

The only way to prevent baseball upon baseball resting in that net for eternity was to install a ladder so that team employees could climb to the top after batting practice and/or games and retrieve them.

When the Red Sox installed the Monster Seats in 2003, they had the option of removing the ladder. But Fenway Park wouldn’t be Fenway Park without its many quirks. And so the Red Sox opted to keep the ladder in place.

The ladder poses another challenger for outfielders, as they must remember that the ladder is in play. It rests just above the out-of-town scoreboard, which is another area of the Monster that can wreak havoc for outfielders.

Though baseballs don’t hit off the ladder all that often, it can create quite a problem in the rare occurrence that it does.

Take, for example, Aug. 19, 1963, when Boston’s Dick Stuart belted a drive to left-center that hit the ladder. But that wasn’t the last thing the ball hit.

The crazy carom hit Indians center fielder Vic Davalillo in the head and then rolled by left fielder John Romano into the corner in left. Stuart somehow held his laughter enough to roar all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. It was the first of two homers in the game for Stuart, the other one actually cleared the Green Monster. But give Cleveland starter Pedro Ramos credit for not being rattled by some bad ladder luck. Ramos went the distance for an 8-3 win.

In 2014, when Kansas City’s Omar Infante hit a towering drive to left, he didn’t exactly bust it out of the box, perhaps because he thought it had enough distance to clear the Monster.

Instead, the ball hit -- you guessed it -- the ladder. It took a wild bounce all the way to the corner in left, where Red Sox left fielder Daniel Nava retrieved it.

If the ball had just hit the wall and not the ladder, Nava likely could have either thrown Infante out at second or held him to a single. Infante wound up scoring on a single by Eric Hosmer, but the Red Sox held on for a 5-4 win.

5 thoughts on Boston's 2020 offseason

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- The pool of available free agents across baseball is now complete after 56 players were non- tendered in advance of Wednesday's deadline.

For the Red Sox, a team looking to upgrade in several areas, this batch of players will create more opportunities for chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom to find some low-risk, high-reward acquisitions.

But this isn't to say Boston will stand down on big-ticket acquisitions. One of the few bright spots in 2020 for the Red Sox is that they reset their luxury tax, which could enable them to spend more freely this offseason.

1. Schwarber, anyone? Though the non-tender market isn't quite as robust as some suspected, the deepest pocket of potential impact players is in the outfield. Most notably, a former World Series hero is now there for the taking after Kyle Schwarber was let go by the Cubs.

While Schwarber struggled mightily in the shortened 2020 season, so, too, did a lot of good players throughout baseball. Keep in mind that the left-handed hitter mashed 38 homers to go along with an .871 OPS in '19.

With Jackie Bradley Jr. now a free agent, the Red Sox have a void to fill in the outfield. Schwarber could take over left field, with Andrew Benintendi sliding over to center. Boston would take a defensive hit in this arrangement, but if Schwarber hits like he is capable, the club could make up for that offensively. Schwarber is a left-handed hitter, and so are Benintendi and Alex Verdugo. In other words, if Schwarber comes on board, the Sox would need to get a solid righty platoon player to give the outfield proper balance.

2. Another gift from the Twins? We all remember the last time the Red Sox picked up a left-handed-hitting slugger who had been released by the Twins instead of getting offered arbitration. That would be Jan. 22, 2003, when David Ortiz came to Boston, where he would become a legend.

Nobody is saying that Eddie Rosario is going to become the next Big Papi, because that's a lot of pressure to put on anyone. But the 29-year-old Rosario, an outfielder, has been productive enough in recent years to make it surprising that Minnesota set him free. Rosario was a force for the "Bomba Squad" Twins of 2019, mashing 32 homers in 590 plate appearances. While Rosario has experience in all three outfield spots, he is most comfortable in left, where he has made 547 career starts. However, his cannon arm might allow him to play right field in Boson, which would move Verdugo to center while keeping Benintendi in left.

3. Nomar in Boston again? Could Red Sox fans get back into their "Nomaahhhhh" routines, which were made famous by "Saturday Night Live?" This time it wouldn't be for Garciaparra, who took his final Major League swing in 2009. But Nomar Mazara was non-tendered by the White Sox, making him available to all 30 teams.

As we've mentioned, the Red Sox have playing time available in the outfield. Mazara's bat was nearly non- existent in 2020 (one homer, .589 OPS in 136 at-bats), meaning he could land in the bargain bin. Given that Mazara is only 25, it could be well worth it to take a flier on a man who belted 20 homers in each of his first three seasons for the Rangers and then hit 19 more in '19. Like Schwarber and Rosario, Mazara is also a lefty bat.

4. Duvall and Dahl? Put non-tenders Adam Duvall and David Dahl together and what do you have? A possible outfield platoon at Fenway Park.

Duvall, a right-handed hitter, mauled three homers against the Red Sox in a game at Fenway Park on Sept. 2. Though his production was on the inconsistent side, Duvall had 16 homers in 190 at-bats last season. Will Duvall ever get back to his form of 2016-17, when he had consecutive 30-homer seasons? Even if he doesn't, he could still be a worthwhile addition.

Then you have Dahl, a left-handed hitter, who has never had more than 374 at-bats in a season. In other words, he is used to platooning. And before 2020, when he bottomed out with a .183 average, Dahl platooned very well for the Rockies, slashing .297/.346/.521 in 845 at-bats between '16-19. The 26-year-old should have plenty of good baseball left in him.

5. What about pitching? You might have heard the Red Sox need pitching. Well, there isn't much rotation help available in the non- tender market. But there are a couple of intriguing bullpen alternatives.

How about Archie Bradley, the one-time stud prospect who came up through the D-backs? While Bradley wasn't able to break through as a starter, he found a niche as a powerful reliever. That was especially true in 2017, when Bradley had a 1.73 ERA in 63 outings. As recently as '19, his stuff was good enough to get 87 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings. The righty was dealt to the Reds on Aug. 31, and he allowed just one run in six appearances.

The next most intriguing reliever who comes with a non-tender tag? That would be Matt Wisler, who had a 1.07 ERA in 18 outings (four starts) for the Twins in 2020. Mind you, relief pitching fluctuates more than any other position in baseball, And Wisler had never been anything close to his '20 self in his previous stints with the Mariners, Padres, Reds and Braves. With two years of club control left, the Red Sox could be willing to find out what they can get out of Wisler, a righty who loves to throw sliders.

* WEEI.com

The Red Sox have learned from John Henry's slip-up

Rob Bradford

When it comes to quotes that matter, the one John Henry let slip out late in the 2019 season was a doozy.

"We need to be under the CBT," said the Red Sox’ principal owner. "That was something we've known for more than a year now."

You could hear the golf carts immediately reversing. Tom Werner. Sam Kennedy. And, a few months later, Henry himself.

"You might actually be right for once in that I don’t plan what I’m going to say before answering media questions in a live media event," Henry told the Globe's Dan Shaughnessy. "But this focus on CBT resides with the media far more than it does within the Sox. I think every team probably wants to reset at least once every three years — that’s sort of been the history — but just this week ... I reminded baseball ops that we are focused on competitiveness over the next 5 years over and above resetting to which they said, 'That’s exactly how we’ve been approaching it.'

"You seem to think Chaim was brought in to reduce payroll. That has simply not been the way FSG operates here or across the pond. We try to act responsibly so as to be consistently competitive. Your main point seems to be that I accidentally disclosed a secret plan but unlike you, I am honest about Sox issues. The question was asked and I answered it."

OK. But lesson learned. If you are a Major League Baseball organization you do not tip your hand when it comes how much money there is to spend. And that was exactly what Henry initially did.

No matter what was said after that initial proclamation, we knew $208 million was the number to get under. (You don't throw David Price into the Mookie Betts deal if that isn't a thing.) But now? We really have no idea ... And that's how the Red Sox like it.

While a normal landscape would make us surmise the Red Sox were in position to take a swing at the top tier free agents -- bathing in all that Mookie Money -- the pandemic has left us with questions. And guess what ... This time the Red Sox brass don't have answers.

All we have been left with are proclamations that the ownership group has never been more committed to winning, which are usually followed with the realities that come with baseball's fan-less economic state.

There will not be anymore tips or hints. That is ultimately what is bad for business. They knew it in 15 months ago, and they know it now. Just listen to both Kennedy and Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom during recent WEEI interviews:

Kennedy: "Yeah, no one is complaining or anything like that, but the truth is it has been very, very difficult on the business for the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics, the Bruins. Again, without fans our revenues are zero. It is difficult. We need to start to get our business back. It's really important. So we'll be working closely with the state of Massachusetts and others. I just hope that by spring and summer things will look a lot better. My Dad always said it's always darkest before the dawn. I know it's going to be a really difficult, December, January. So I hope and pray everyone stays safe and healthy and we can hopefully emerge from this in 2021 and beyond."

Bloom: "We talked about generally. We're not operating under any kind of a fixed cap, but we also need to be responsible. We need to understand what the pandemic has done. It's not something we as an organization is immune to. The encouraging thing for me, and it really came to light in some of the conversations I had with ownership throughout the year, is that they obviously have been in this a long time now and they are in this for the long haul. You guys know, because I talk about it all the time, our top line goal which is to be an organization that on a year-in, year-out basis can compete or the division.

"Obviously you can compete for the A.L. East annually. This division, as good as it is, you're going to be a able to compete for a World Series and that's our goal. Things that have a chance to push us meaningful toward that goal we're going to be fully behind. What that means for us in the short-term, I don't know yet. We're trying to monitor the market like everybody else is and figure out where are the best opportunities. Where can our money do the most good this winter in that market and make sure we're addressing our needs accordingly.

"I understand why the luxury tax has been such a topic of conversation around here. I get it. It's been a big deal. I understand why it's a big deal. I think we always need to be focused on that foundation. You cannot take shortcuts in doing this sustainably. If you take shortcut maybe you can do it for a year or two and then you are going to end up back in the cellar and that's no matter what you're resources are. You see organizations who are doing this year-in, year-out they aren't taking those shortcuts. They are always going to be focused on building that foundation. How when you're operating in a market like we are, and we will get back there, when we have a full Fenway Park, we have resources that allow us to do some of those big splashy things on top of that foundation. But if you don't have that foundation it's just not going to work. That's always going to be a frontline focus of ours. I would expect that to be the same in two, three, four years just as it is now."

The Red Sox aren't alone in their desire to not tip their hand. Owners everywhere want to plant the seed that there still will be money spent while in their next breath/sigh we hear about money lost. It's a tough spot, to be sure.

Take John Middleton, for instance.

The Phillies' owner was over-the-top in his insistence that his club would be the place all free agents should make their first call to. They were going to spend money like never before. And they did. They signed Zack Wheeler for five years, $118 million. Then, almost exactly one year later, the narrative had been turned inside-out.

First Middleton let it be known that the Phillies had lost $145 million due to the pandemic. That was followed by Buster Olney's report that some in baseball had heard Philadelphia was shopping Wheeler.

Middleton immediately jumped. Babe Ruth? That was just one player the Phillies wouldn't trade their starting pitcher for. Ted Williams and Mike Schmidt. They were a couple more icons used by the owner to make his point.

We get it, the Phillies aren't giving up. Sure, they might be bleeding money. Sure, the idea of re-signing catcher J.T. Realmuto isn't realistic. And maybe the team which currently owns the eighth-highest payroll in baseball has no plans to move up the charts. But, hey Phillies fans, this is still the same team that promised Bryce Harper money would be spent for year upon years upon years.

Of course, most everyone understands that times are tough for MLB teams with no fans. That reality isn't hard to fathom. But what does that truly mean for what you're going to see when it comes to spending or not spending this offseason? The delicate balance of keeping fan bases excited while thinning out their rosters is a tough one these days.

The reality in many cases have become a mystery.

Welcome to the most unpredictable Major League Baseball offseason ever.

Former Red Sox Tzu-Wei Lin has found a new home

Rob Bradford

He was supposed to be the next Brock Holt. Now he is a Minnesota Twin.

Tzu-Wei Lin has found a new home.

Lin, who signed with the Red Sox for $2 million in 2012, burst on the big-league scene in 2017, showing an ability to play excellent up-the-middle defense while finishing his 25 games with a .268 average and .709 OPS.

He would go on to pitch in for the world champion 2018 Red Sox, playing in 37 games. But injuries derailed his 2019 season, and 2020 saw Lin slowly move down the depth chart after having made the team with no minor league options remaining.

In his brief major league career, Lin has played eight positions (only missing out on manning first base).

* BostonSportsJournal.com

MLB Notebook: Red Sox could look to fill starting pitching needs via Japan; The changing face of the Winter Meetings

Sean McAdam

There can be little debate about what the Red Sox’ most pressing need is, both for 2021 and the foreseeable future: starting pitching.

Boston’s starting rotation was tied for dead last in average innings per start (4.1) and their collective ERA (5.34) ranked them second to last in the American League.

And while the expected return of Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez will improve things for 2021, their return won’t be enough. For one thing, Sale is likely unavailable until close to June 1 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery and Rodriguez will be returning after missing the entire 2020 season with COVID-19 and myocarditis. For another, Nathan Eovaldi is the only other established major league starter currently on the roster, leaving, at minimum, the need to add two more proven starting pitchers.

The free-agent class offers Trevor Bauer, but many of the other starters available are nowhere near as accomplished. And, of course, represent costly risks.

It’s believed that the Sox won’t be major players for Bauer — both because they’re nowhere close to having their problems solved by one pitcher, and the accompanying penalties that would come with signing a free agent with compensation attached. The Red Sox would forfeit their second-round draft pick and a $500,000 in international free agent bonus pool money.

For a team aiming to build back its minor league system, those costs are prohibitive — to say nothing of the $200 million (or more) cost signing Bauer would represent.

So where, then, do the Red Sox find quality pitching at a more reasonable price?

Perhaps Japan would be a good place to start. Tomoyuki Sugano of the Yomiuri Giants is widely expected to be posted in the coming days and weeks. Sugano, 31, is viewed as the pitcher in Japan, having twice (2017, 2018) won the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award and once being named league MVP.

Sugano is not overpowering, with a fastball that regularly registers in the low 90s. But he possesses expert control and a variety of quality pitchers.

“Our guys who have seen him assure me he’s the real deal,” said a veteran scout from a National League team.

Most North American talent evaluators project him to be a No. 3 starter. Adding him would allow the Red Sox to, by next summer, line up their rotation this way: Sale, Rodriguez, Sugano, Eovaldi and Tanner Houck, who dazzled in a September callup last season.

It would also give the Red Sox additional time to continue to develop young starters like Bryan Mata, Jay Groome, Thad Ward and others since everyone in that projected rotation except Rodriguez would be under team control through 2022.

Further, it wouldn’t cost the Red Sox anything in terms of players in return, or crucially, draft picks or international signing money, allowing them to continue to stockpile young arms in their system. And while Sugano won’t come cheaply, his acquisition cost would be a fraction of the cost for Bauer, or for that matter, the next level of North American free agents.

Given his age and the attendant questions about the ability of Japanese pitchers to transition to Major League Baseball, it’s hard to imagine him landing a contract longer than say, four years with an average annual value of $15-16 million.

Of course, the Red Sox won’t be along in their bidding for Sugano. While multiple industry sources confirm the Red Sox have extensive scouting reports on the righthander and intend to be aggressive in their pursuit, other teams — including many big market teams, have similar levels of interest.

Under current rules, once Sugano is posted, teams will have 30 days to reach agreement with him. Once that is accomplished, the Giants would get a percentage of the total value of his contract.

The Red Sox will have a number of potential advantages in their efforts to sign Sugano, not the least of which is their history of having signed a handful of Japanese pitchers in the recent past, including Daisuke Matsuzaka, Koji Uehara, Hideki Okajima, Junichi Tazawa, Takashi Saito, Hideo Nomo and Tomo Ohka. In fact, from 1999 through 2001 and again from 2007-2016, the Sox had at least one Japanese pitcher on their roster every year.

Matsuzaka remains the most high-profile of those and remains an exalted figure in Japanese baseball circles. Only two years ago, he helped make a recruiting video for the Red Sox in their unsuccessful effort to sign two-way star Shohei Ohtani and would doubtless do the same for Sugano if the Red Sox asked. Matsuzaka continues to own a home in Brookline and spends part of the year there and speaks of his time with the Red Sox organization fondly.

Having already hosted Matsuzaka and so many others, the Red Sox know firsthand how to make the transition smoother for Sugano. They know how to navigate the pitfalls that present themselves to Japanese pitchers trying to adapt to a somewhat different game in a very different culture. They understand Japanese training methods, have had plenty of translators on staff and can share their many past experiences.

In a competitive marketplace, selling Sugano on their past experience could be a separating point for the Sox.

Signing Sugano will not be without some significant risks. In the last five years, MLB has undergone a sea change when it comes to pitching. Most starters now routinely throw fastballs in the mid-to-high 90s and work on a north-south plane — with elite fastballs up in the zone and curveballs at the bottom — while in Japan, pitchers are more likely to emphasize consistently working down in the zone, with fastballs that aren’t quite as explosive.

The ball is different, and so, too, are the schedules, between-start regimen, and frequency of use.

But ultimately, there’s no singular path for MLB pitchers.

“There’s still so much room for different types of guys to be successful,” said one MLB executive. “I think in the end, there’s still a lot of different ways to be a successful MLB pitcher. There’s more margin for error, generally, for those with elite fastballs. But you can win without that.”

It may have been only one appearance, but Sugano got everyone’s attention with his performance in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In that year’s WBC semifinal, he limited Team USA (whose lineup included Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yellich, Nolan Arenado and others) to an unearned run over six innings.

Jim Leyland, who managed that WBC team, came away with a highly favorable view.

“I can’t tell you, for me, tonight, how impressed I was with their pitcher,” Leyland told reporters at the time. “I thought he was really good. Located the ball on the outside corners, fastball. Threw 3-0 sliders. That’s pretty impressive. (He’s a) big league pitcher.”

Sugano will not be the only Japanese pitcher posted. Righthander Kohei Arihara of the Nippon Ham Fighters has already been posted, but while he’s a full three years younger, he is not viewed in the same class as Sugano. Instead, Arihara is projected as a backend starter/swingman, and thus, unlikely to have the same amount of impact on a major league pitching staff. ______

This weekend would traditionally be the kickoff to the annual Winter Meetings, where traditionally so much of the offseason roster building either gets started or completed. Until the last two years, most trades and free-agent signings either took place at the meetings, or in the days that followed.

Now, like so much else in the game, the pandemic has changed all that. The Winter Meetings, which were set to be held in Dallas, will not be held in the traditional sense. Instead, executives will hold the meetings virtually.

That’s led some to question whether the inability to gather the game’s power brokers under one roof will have an adverse effect on the number of transactions. The theory has always been that, by meeting face-to- face — either executives from two teams working on a trade, or an executive meeting with an agent for a free agent signing — helped yield more activity.

The ability to negotiate in person, in theory, led to more deals getting done.

But some executives believe the virtual set-up won’t be much different than the way business has been conducted of late.

“It’s always an event and to the extent that it puts people in the same place from that standpoint, I guess that helped,” said one MLB general manager. “But in many ways, it’s no longer a formal event and hasn’t been for about the last five years. Most of the communication between clubs hasn’t been formal in a while, so there’s not a whole lot to replace.”

Once, it was common for executives from two teams to gather in a hotel suite and hammer out deals. But more recently, teams tend to connect via phone call or text — even if they might be separated by only a few hotel floors.

“From a player acquisition standpoint,” said an executive, “meeting in person — yes, there’s still some of that. But not much. Ten years ago, every meeting was in person. Five or so years ago, it started to change. It’s definitely become an exception to the rule. Last year, only a couple of ‘old school’ meetings took place, where you go to the other team’s suite. These days, I’m always surprised when someone requests (something face-to-face).”

Some executives said it remains the preferred approach for agents looking to sell teams on their free-agent clients.

“I think they’re the ones more frustrated by this not being in person,” said one GM.

Agents like to be able to tell their clients that they actually met with a club’s group of executives. And they relish the fact that they might simply be seen entering a team’s suite, since it conveys interest and activity for their client and could help prod other interested teams into bidding or showing increased urgency to sign a player. ______

On the face of it, Thursday’s night trade, which saw the Red Sox send lefty pitching prospect Yoan Aybar to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for infield prospect Christian Koss, wasn’t very noteworthy.

Aybar was, frankly, a fringe pitching prospect. Originally signed out of the Dominican in 2014 as an outfielder, he converted to pitching in 2018 and while he showed plus-velocity with a fastball that was regularly 94-97 mph and occasionally hit 100 mph, command was an ongoing issue. That rawness was, to be fair, something to be expected given his fairly recent conversion to the mound.

Still, for someone who’s already 23 and hasn’t yet pitched above A ball, time was starting to work against him. Moving Aybar for a much younger prospect freed up a valuable spot on the 40-man roster at a critical time in the offseason. Flexibility is imperative in the comings weeks for organizations, given the likelihood there will be free-agent signings, trades and perhaps even selections in this week’s Rule 5 draft.

Koss was a 12th round pick out of Cal-Irvine in 2019. In his first pro season in the Pioneer League, Koss put up monster numbers (.332/.447/.605 in 238 plate appearances) though at 22, he was one of the older players at that level.

He’s viewed as an athletic defender, capable of playing short, third and second for now, though there’s some question about whether his range will allow him to remain at short long-term.

It’s likely he’ll begin 2021 at Single-A ball. Some organizations see Koss’s ceiling as that of a utility infielder while others think he has a chance to become a regular, albeit, unlikely at shortstop.

* The Athletic

Blake Snell? Kris Bryant? Josh Hader? The Red Sox trade proposal mailbag

Chad Jennings

Heading into the supposed-to-be MLB Winter Meetings, we put a call out on Twitter asking for Red Sox trade ideas so that we could play a round of “Who Says No?” The rules of the game are simple enough: a trade proposal is presented, and we try to figure out which team would say no.

Turns out, a lot of people want the Red Sox to trade Andrew Benintendi and Michael Chavis for starting pitching. Who would have guessed that?

Trade: Eovaldi to the Mets? Mets get: Nathan Eovaldi, Yusniel Padron-Artilles, $7.5 million

Red Sox get: Starter pitcher Steven Matz

Who says no? Mets

Even if the $7.5 million were applied entirely to 2021, Eovaldi still would make twice as much as Matz, the Mets starter. And that’s to say nothing of the $17 million Eovaldi will be paid in 2022 when Matz is a free agent. Matz is a year younger than Eovaldi, doesn’t have nearly as much big league time, and he was awful last season – the Mets might put him in their bullpen next year – but his career numbers are pretty similar to Eovaldi’s. Too similar to feel certain Eovaldi would be worth the added money. (As for Padron-Artilles, he was a 22nd-round pick in 2018. He has good minor league numbers, but he’s not moving the needle.)

Trade: Benintendi to the Pirates? Pirates get: Andrew Benintendi and cash (“and/or two mid-level prospects”)

Red Sox get: Starting pitcher Joe Musgrove

Who says no? Pirates

This is a close one. On a basic level, it makes sense and could be one the Pirates really like. Both Benintendi and Musgrove are under team control for two years, and the Pirates need outfield help (theirs was just awful this year) while the Red Sox need rotation help (you already knew that).

But Benintendi is making $6.6 million this year, while Musgrove is projected around $4 million in arbitration. Even with cash included, those salaries suggest Benintendi could be more expensive again next year, which probably isn’t helping the Pirates in their ongoing quest to go cheaper. Musgrove is trending up after posting the highest strikeout rate and lowest ERA of his career last season. If the Pirates are going to deal him, they probably want more years of control in return. Maybe those “two mid-level prospects” get that done, but that’s hard to say without knowing what exactly constitutes mid-level.

Trade: Bogaerts to the Reds? Reds get: Xander Bogaerts, Triston Casas, Gilberto Jimenez

Red Sox get: Shortstop Jose Garcia, outfielder Jesse Winker

Who says no? Red Sox

So, this has to be a Reds fan, right? Let’s put Bogaerts’ no-trade clause aside, for the purposes of playing this out. Winker has been a really good hitter (but with insane left-right splits) and Garcia is a nice little shortstop prospect (though the jury’s still out whether he’s a big-league regular), and the Reds would be taking on a lot of money with Bogaerts. But still … I mean … no… just, no. The same person suggested a way the Red Sox could get Sonny Gray. Apparently all it would take is Bogaerts, Bryan Mata and Chris Murphy. Moving on.

Trade: Chavis to the Rockies? Rockies get: Michael Chavis, Thad Ward

Red Sox get: Outfielder Charlie Blackmon

Who says no? Red Sox

Blackmon’s an awesome hitter, and he’s expensive enough that the Rockies might be willing to dump his salary for a Chavis dice roll and the possibility of Ward developing into a back-end starter. But what would the Red Sox do with him?

During the four years the Rockies played Blackmon in center (2015-18), he had the fewest Defensive Runs Saved in baseball. They’ve since moved him to right, and the metrics still don’t like him (not ideal for Fenway’s notorious outfield). Even if that weren’t a problem, Blackmon turns 35 in July, he’s owed $21.5 million next year, has a $21 million player option for 2022, and a $10 million option for 2023. There are undoubtedly better ways for the Red Sox to spend that money than on a really nice hitter with no place to play.

Trade: Chavis, this time to the Brewers? Brewers get: Michael Chavis, Hudson Potts, Nick Decker, Juan Chacon

Red Sox get: Reliever Josh Hader

Who says no? Brewers

One person submitted three trade ideas, each one supported by numbers from BaseballTradeValues.com, which assigns a “surplus value” — projected performance minus salary — to every major league and minor league player. It’s an interesting tool for workshopping trade ideas.

According to the site’s numbers, this trade is almost perfectly even, if slightly skewed in favor of the Brewers. I’m just not buying it. There’s too much uncertainty in the quantity-over-quality package of young Red Sox players in this proposal, and if the Brewers are going to trade one of the game’s best relievers, they’re surely going to want at least one guy they can reliably pencil onto their future roster.

Trade: Blake Snell to the Red Sox? Red Sox get: Blake Snell, Kevin Kiermaier, Nick Bitsko

Rays get: Andrew Benintendi, Christian Vazquez, Kyle Hart, Jeter Downs

Who says no? Rays

This one comes from another reader who backed his suggestion with data from Baseball Trade Values. That site has this swap as a slight advantage to the Rays, but it’s a weird one because it includes a huge prospect from each team — Downs from the Red Sox, and 2020 first-round pick Bitsko from the Rays. So, the Rays would be surrendering Snell, plus their most recent first-rounder, plus the current face of their franchise for two years of Benintendi and Vazquez, plus Downs, plus considerable salary relief, plus a guy who just cleared waivers.

Look at it this way: Let’s generously say Downs and Vazquez would be enough to land Snell and Kiermaier — which seems like a stretch, but let’s start there — would the Rays then trade their first-round pick for Benintendi after his cheap seasons are done and his stock is falling? I can’t see it.

Trade: Kevin Kiermaier to the Red Sox? Rays get: Michael Chavis, Jonathan Araúz and a Low-A prospect

Red Sox get: Kevin Kiermaier

Who says no: Red Sox

Not that the Red Sox can’t afford to lose Chavis or Araúz or an anonymous kid from A ball, but Kiermaier is going to make $23 million the next two years, followed almost certainly by a $2.5 million buyout. The Red Sox need a center fielder, but that’s a lot of money for a guy in his 30s who hasn’t been a league- average hitter in three years. At that money, they might as well re-sign Jackie Bradley Jr., or save a ton of money and go with an all-glove guy like Albert Almora Jr.

Trade: Vazquez to Tampa? Rays get: Christian Vazquez

Red Sox get: Shane McClanahan

Who says no? Rays

I assume this suggestion stems from a late August report right here in The Athletic that the Red Sox and Rays discussed a Vazquez trade over the summer. I would say it’s one thing to trade for Vazquez when the Rays know they’re a World Series contender (as they were this summer), but it’s another thing to trade for him now that they’re about to start a new season with a whole new set of unknowns.

Vazquez turned 30 in August and is owed $6.25 million for 2021, plus he carries a $7 million team option for 2022. That’s reasonable enough, but McClanahan was a first-round pick in 2018 and the Rays think enough of him that he made his big league debut during the playoffs this year. He even got in a World Series game. Hard to see the Rays giving up six years of McClanahan — three of them at basically the league minimum — for a year or two of a catcher without much excess value in his contract.

Double-barreled trade proposals 1. Diamondbacks get: Andrew Benintendi, Michael Chavis, Matthew Lugo Red Sox get: Madison Bumgarner, Kole Calhoun, Daultin Varsho, Kristian Robinson

2. Diamondbacks get: Player to be named later Red Sox get: Madison Bumgarner and Zac Gallen

Who says no? Diamondbacks

Two different Bumgarner proposals, each built around the idea that the Diamondbacks will give up a lot to get out of the remaining four years and $79 million on MadBum’s contract. And while that might be true, these feel too extreme to be worthwhile for Arizona.

In the first, the swap of Benintendi and Calhoun is pretty close to a financial wash, while Varsho (No. 29) and Robinson (No. 45) were both Top 50 prospects heading into this season, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law. The Diamondbacks signed Bumgarner less than a year ago. Have they really soured on him so much that they would give up two of their best young players for that package?

As for the second offer — in which a player to be named later presumably means a low-end prospect — the Diamondbacks would be surrendering in Gallen a 25-year-old with two more years before he even reaches arbitration, and he’s so far pitched to a 2.78 ERA in 27 big league starts. Pretend Gallen is the one making $20 million a year and Bumgarner is earning the league minimum. Would the Diamondbacks do the trade then?

Trade: Arms from Detroit? Tigers get: Andrew Benintendi, Bobby Dalbec, Nick Decker

Red Sox get: Franklin Perez, Beau Burrows

Who says no? Red Sox

Perez was a top 100 prospect as recently as 2018 (he was acquired in the Justin Verlander trade), and Burrows was a first-round pick in 2015 (he made his big league debut this summer). Both are pitchers, so the idea here is to give up some Red Sox positional depth for a couple of much-needed arms. I’m just not sure these are the arms.

Perez has been clobbered by injuries to such a degree that he’s made just nine starts in three years. There’s still some upside, but he’s 23 and has barely pitched above Class-A ball. Burrows, on the other hand, got knocked around in Triple-A in 2019 and even the Tigers could only use him out of the bullpen this summer. The Red Sox would probably be better off just hoping Benintendi finds his footing again. Even if Dalbec were replaced by Chavis in this package, I’m not sure the return would significantly improve the Red Sox pitching issues

Trade: Kris Bryant to the Red Sox? Cubs get: Andrew Benintendi

Red Sox get: Kris Bryant

Who says no? Both

So, if this deal happens, the Cubs save more than $10 million in 2021 and add a player who’s still under team control in 2022, while the Red Sox get a significant short-term upgrade — Bryant’s worst full season was basically as good as Benintendi’s best — but only for one season. There’s logic to it, but I’m not sure this is the sort of thing either team is looking to do.

If the Cubs are going to punt on Bryant, they’re surely going to want a package more like what the Red Sox got for the final year of Mookie Betts. Getting two not-dirt-cheap years of a player who’s trending in the wrong direction isn’t likely to get it done. As for the Red Sox, adding Bryant a year before free agency would be a win-now move for a team that’s clearly not in win-now mode. If they thought it made sense to trade away Mookie Betts in his walk year, why would they trade for Bryant in his?

Trade: Come on, now Dodgers get: Nathan Eovaldi, Jeter Downs, Connor Wong

Red Sox get: Mookie Betts

Who says no? LOL

I actually got Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman on the phone for this one. He answered right away, asked about his old friend Chaim, then told me to read the trade proposal out loud and he would respond with total honesty. When I finished reading, the line went dead, and I haven’t heard from him since.

Red Sox at the ‘Winter Meetings’: Best-case, worst-case and likeliest scenarios

Jen McCaffrey

Just like everything else this year, the Winter Meetings will look quite different as they kick off this week.

The annual in-person gathering of baseball executives, agents and reporters will take place via phone calls, texts and video meetings rather than in hotel lobbies and executive suites. What typically is a week defined by a slew of trades and free-agent signings may end up being quieter, given that the structure of this week won’t be much different than any of the previous or future periods of this offseason.

What could lead to more deals, though, is the passing of the non-tender deadline, which has left the MLB free-agent pool more defined and given teams have a better idea of which players are available this winter.

The Red Sox have made a handful of minor, depth moves so far, but the bulk of their roster additions are yet to come. The week could see a flurry of moves, or the additions could trickle in throughout the winter.

As we look ahead at the week, we laid out some scenarios for what might happen.

Best case scenario: Adding a starter, reliever and center fielder Checking off three main items from the to-do list in one week would offer some much-needed excitement for the fan base, but it never happens that way. Especially where teams are being cautious with spending after a year without ticket revenue, it’s likely a lot of these negotiations are going to drag into January.

But because this has been a brutal year, let’s try to offer some optimism that the Red Sox get their three biggest needs out of the way.

You might think the best case would mean getting Trevor Bauer, George Springer and Trevor Rosenthal, but that’s just not going to happen. So we’re looking at this as the best-case, realistic scenario.

Starters

Right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who turns 31 in March, is coming off a rough year thanks to several minor injuries, but he has still garnered significant interest from several teams seeking starting help. The veteran began the year on the injured list due to a back injury, was hit with a batted ball upon his return to the mound, then dealt with a blister, resulting in a 6.59 ERA in four starts. So it might seem odd that he’s a best-case scenario, but interest in him is based off his strong 2019 season. In 30 starts, he posted a 3.51 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and notched a career high 10.1 K/9. He also saw a velocity uptick in 2019 that he was able to sustain this year, despite the random injuries that set him back. Meanwhile, Odorizzi pitched for the Rays from 2013 through 2017, meaning Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has seen plenty of him on the mound. MLB Trade Rumors projects a three-year, $39 million deal for Odorizzi.

Another option might be lefty Jose Quintana, who turns 32 in January. Quintana isn’t a flashy option and was limited to 10 innings this season because of thumb surgery. But prior to that, he made at least 30 starts each season from 2013 through 2019 as one of the most durable starters in baseball. In that stretch, he posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 8.1 K/9. MLB Trade Rumors projects him signing a two-year, $18 million deal, which would seemingly give the Red Sox plenty of flexibility to pursue another starter, maybe even someone like Corey Kluber. Kluber, who lives in Massachusetts in the offseason and has reportedly drawn interest from the Red Sox, is looking for a bounce-back year after two injury-riddled seasons. He’s likely to sign a one-year deal to try to prove himself and Boston might just be a good fit for him. Adding two veteran starters of that caliber would certainly be a best-case-scenario for Boston.

Closers

The Red Sox would be wise to target a bonafide closer to shore up the back end of the bullpen. Matt Barnes performs best in a set-up role and Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez can ease back into higher- leverage situations. Having someone with ninth-inning experience would go a long way, and while there are likely to be several contenders vying for Trevor Rosenthal, signing someone like right-hander Kirby Yates to a one-year bounce-back deal might be the way to go. Yates, who turns 34 in March, had a rough season that ended with elbow inflammation and surgery to remove bone chips. But assuming there are no setbacks, he could be the perfect option for Boston. In 2019, he posted a 1.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 15 K/9 over 60 appearances for the Padres with 41 saves. He’s not far removed from dominance, but the injury may be cause for a shorter, cheaper deal, giving the Red Sox money to add elsewhere. MLB Trade Rumors projects Yates to sign a one-year, $5 million contract. Meanwhile, a one-year deal could open the door for Hernandez to enter the closer’s role in 2022.

Outfielders

Last month, Bloom discussed the likelihood that the Red Sox target a more traditional center fielder as opposed to moving Alex Verdugo or Andrew Benintendi to center. There are options out there, like Kevin Pillar and Springer (though Springer has a qualifying offer attached), but Jackie Bradley Jr. continues to be an option and it wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up returning to Boston.

Worst case scenario: Adding no one To “leave” the meetings not having made any actual improvement to the roster would be disappointing. Sure, that might mean there were conversations that could help later in the offseason, but not to make any progress on retooling the roster would be a tough outcome at this stage. Then again, this is an unprecedented market situation, and if it turns out that most teams avoid significant moves this week, we’d be willing to give Bloom and company a mulligan.

Likeliest scenario: Checking off one of their needs It’s probably not going to be an all-or-nothing week for the Red Sox. Again, it’ll depend on what’s happening around the league, but because the Red Sox are in such dire need of starting pitching, that feels like something they will pursue first while the pool of talent is bigger.

Maybe they don’t get their best-case-scenario starter, but add an outside-the-box, back-of-the-rotation option like right-hander Michael Wacha. His numbers are rough on the surface, with a 6.62 ERA over 34 innings for the Mets this past summer and a 4.76 ERA in 29 games, 24 starts in 2019. But as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal said, Wacha’s uptick in velocity this year, coupled with the increased usage of his cutter and a jump in K/9 rate from 7.4 to 9.8 from 2019 to 2020, are creating a decent amount of interest in him. He signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Mets last winter, so if the Red Sox can get him on a similar contract, that might be a good gamble even if he ends up as a depth starter or fills a long man role. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris took a look recently at four free-agent starters who might offer value on one-year deals and right-hander Taijuan Walker, in particular, stands out. Walker had a terrific season split between Seattle and Toronto, posting a 2.70 ERA over 11 starts, but the change-in-pitch mix, steady velocity and improved movement on his slider fueled his bounce-back year. The 28-year-old missed all of 2018 and 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery, followed by another shoulder injury. But this season’s results are promising. MLB Trade Rumors projects Walker on a two-year, $16 million deal.