Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was a recent guest on WEEI’s Hot Stove Show, and WEEI’s John Tomase has transcribed some of the highlights from his talk (while also providing a link to the full audio). Regarding Jackie Bradley and Rusney Castillo, Dombrowski said that as it stands right now, “there’s no question” that the duo will enter next season as starters in the Boston outfield. “Jackie’s one of the best defensive outfielders I’ve ever seen,” said Dombrowski. “So that’s a plus, and Castillo’s got the all-around game.” Dombrowski noted that each has strides to make to reach his potential, however, and I’ll point out that we, of course, cannot rule out the fact that one of the two is traded this winter. (Boston has, after all, recently been linked to free agent Alex Gordon.) Speaking about Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, Dombrowski stopped short of putting the “untouchable” label on either, though he did so as a means of saying he doesn’t consider any player untouchable. “If you have Miguel Cabrera, somebody may offer you two Miguel Cabreras,” said Dombrowski. “Probably not going to happen, probably never will happen, but unless you listen, you don’t know.” He went on to say he’d be “very surprised” if Bogaerts and Betts aren’t in the team’s lineup next season. Dombrowski also discussed exercising Clay Buchholz’s option, the perils of signing an ace in free agency and revealed that Matt Barnes will head to camp as a reliever next year. His full comments are well worth a read for Boston fans.
Here’s more from the division…
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes that while there’s been speculation that the Red Sox could trade Clay Buchholz now that they’ve exercised his $13MM option, the team might be wise to hold off on that front. Lauber notes that many in the industry believe Dombrowski will make a run at David Price, and while dealing Buchholz would free up some 2016 money for Price or another ace, the uncertainty throughout the rest of the rotation should give Boston pause when listening to offers on Buchholz. While Buchholz can’t be relied upon for 30+ starts and 200+ innings, it’s reasonable enough pencil him in for 100+ innings as a high-quality No. 2 starter based on his 2013 and 2015 performances.
- Brett Gardner’s woeful second half of the season was caused in part by a wrist injury suffered early in the year, Yankees hitting coach Alan Cockrell believes (via the Journal News’ Chad Jennings). Cockrell said that Gardner was hit on the wrist early in the season, and the pain bothered him on and off throughout the season. While it might seem odd to blame an April HBP for Gardner’s struggles in August and September, Cockrell explained that players are only allowed to receive three cortisone injections over the course of a given season. Gardner received his three cortisone shots, which alleviated the pain considerably, at unspecified intervals prior to Aug. 1. When he could no longer receive that treatment, Jennings notes that his production plummeted to .203/.288/.290 over the season’s final two months.
- The Orioles have scouted Korean first baseman Byung-ho Park and are believed to hold interest in signing him, reports MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Park was posted by Korea’s Nexen Heroes on Monday, and teams have until Friday to submit blind bids on the 29-year-old, who has bashed 105 home runs over the past two seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization. Unlike the posting agreement with Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball where multiple teams can negotiate with a player, though (assuming there are multiple winning bids of the maximum $20MM), only the winning team can negotiate with Park. That might make it difficult for Baltimore to bid heavily on Park at this time, as the team may still have hopes of being able to work out a deal with Chris Davis. Of course, Park could still be slotted at DH if the Orioles were to somehow win the bidding and still re-sign Davis, though that level of spending seems highly unlikely. I’d imagine that if the O’s win the bidding on Park, it’s a clear signal that Davis will sign elsewhere (though that’s the wide expectation regardless of the Park outcome).
- Kubatko also reports that there’s been little in the way of traction between the Orioles and Darren O’Day in talks of a new contract. Baltimore has exclusive negotiation rights with O’Day through Friday, after which he, like all other free agents, will be free to sign with any club. Kubatko was told that “all is quiet” right now after talks have failed to progress much, and he speculates that O’Day could possibly receive four-year offers in free agency.
I hope DD holds onto Bogaerts, Betts, and E-Rod. Other than that, the roster should be fair game. If Bradley is a piece that sets a package for an ace over the top, then deal him. If you can find some poor sap to view Castillo and his cash as a positive, take the deal. I would rather sign a Dexter Fowler or Parra type to cover for a year while Margot, Benintendi or whoever gets the reps needed in the minors.
Betts and Bogaerts combined for a 9.2 WAR (4.8 and 4.3), so I think really can’t even conceive of a ridiculous enough offer that would get DD to even listen on either of them.
I can. Gray for Bogaerts. I know it will never happen but that is a trade I could see DD jumping on. Never say never, especially in baseball.
The Red Sox do not need to sign outfielders, they need pitching. Betts-Bradley-Castillo is their OF, along with Holt & Brentz, with Allen Craig if he gets fixed. That is a strong group. Their pitching is what sunk their year last year, so other than giving Hanley away to whoever wants him, they need to focus on the rich SP FA market, not the trade one, this offseason.
If it is Price, sure. Cueto? Maybe. Other than that I wouldn’t touch FA, the trade market should be explored because of all the chips we have, and Bradley could help with that.
If Allen Craig and Bryce Brentz are part of your master plan it is best to go back to the drawing board. The Red Sox are far from settled in the outfield and could stand to sign a veteran 4th type who could start in the event that Bradley or Castillo falter. Brentz and Craig slugged .382 and and .350 in AAA last season. That screams DFA candidate, not insurance policy.
I wouldn’t use the term “all but settled”, as they do have their starting outfield set. And Holt is more than capable of filling in in the outfield. With that being said, they do lack depth and i would like to be able to utilize Holt to his full potential as an everyday utility man. Also, if Hanley and or sandavol is not dealt, that leaves Shaw without an everyday spot. With his having experience in the corner outfield and all of betts, bradley, holt and Castillo having the ability to play centerfield, Shaw could be used out there as a depth option as well. Therefore, signing depth should be on this off season list, but not higher than starting pitching and bullpen help on the priority list.
You know who doesn’t really need to be on the Red Sox anymore? Dustin Pedroia. Unfortunately with 6 years and $84M left on his deal, Boston would have to eat $20-30M to move him. Betts can then take over his natural position at 2B or go to LF, and they can keep Bradley and Castillo and even go after Gordon. Moncada and Benintendi are coming soon too, so thats yet another 2B and CF Boston has in the pipeline. They really are stacked at those two positions! Can’t wait to see how they figure it out. Pedroia & Bradley might both be gone within the next couple of years.
Except that he’s a proven leader and a fantastic club house presence. Moncada is looking like he can pretty much play anywhere on the diamond. Plus Pedroias production last year was fantastic, albeit in limited action
Key words “limited action” – he can’t be counted on to stay healthy as he ages, that’s why Boston should think with their head, not their heart, and move him while he still has value before he turns totally into Eric Chavez.
You keep contradicting everything you say. If he still has value why would they have to pay down his contract? You say they have a set OF but then say Gordan. What does Chavez have to do with anything? When Ortiz retires which will be soon, Pedroia will be the sole face.
None of that is contradictions, this is hot stove season and these are just options. Why does everything have to be so set-in-stone with you?
1. He has value, he’s worth 6/$50 right now due to his poor health. If they want to get players in return for him, they will have to throw in money to get better quality players. No one wants him at 6/84.
2. They have a fine OF, but if Pedroia gets moved then Betts can play 2B with Gordon in LF.
3. The A’s got stuck with Chavez and his poor health the same way the Red Sox will be stuck with Pedroia if he keeps getting hurt every year.
4. Isn’t Betts the face of the franchise if Papi retires?
Take a chill pill or not read these comments if they anger you so much – this entire site is based on rumors, for cryin out loud.
The poor health you speak of has caused him to miss significant time in 2 or his 10 full seasons at the major league level. Perhaps you should reevaluate your idea of poor health? There are players that are worth more to their franchises than just the numbers they put up. Pedroia is on of those types of players. That’s why you don’t trade him to clear a spot for Moncada who committed 23 errors in 71 games in A ball last season.
“Nothing set in stone” Then goes on to say “He has value, he’s worth 6/$50 right now due to his poor health. If they want to get players in return for him, they will have to throw in money to get better quality players. No one wants him at 6/8”.
Look at your downvotes. You stay stupid things and disagree with everything everyone says.
Pedroia is a two time world series winner for them.
Pedroia is the face of the franchise right next to Ortiz, and it would be a PR nightmare trading him. Not only that, but he is still pretty damn good when healthy. As for Bradley. I still don’t think his value is high enough to be the first or 2nd piece in a deal for an ace,but he could probably be the 2nd piece in a deal for a closer like Kimbrel. Also, Gordon is going to cost at, or approaching $20mil a season. Why add another contract of that magnitude with such a robust prospect pipeline feeding the OF?
A Major League starting outfielder is not going to be the secondary piece for Kimbrel.
Yeah, can’t see a Bradley++ for Kimbrel actually happening. For a legit SP maybe, but not a reliever. Kimbrel will probably cost a couple of a teams top 10 prospects and another guy whos good but out of options and displaced. Think the Andrew Bailey-Josh Reddick++ trade as a starting point.
I still don’t believe Bradley can hit enough. He had 1 hot month and has been horrible in the majors other than that. That 1 good month boosted his value, but it is still going to take Bradley and a decent prospect to get that ace reliever
He is unproven to even be anything but a fringe major leaguer nevermind a starter. Yes, he has shown potential of being a starter and probably will someday, but to already label him as a starter after putting up a great spring training and a half of a year of quality hitting is far from fair to say. So far he has proven to only be a GREAT defender at the major league level. Depending on what other offers are out there and how the Padres value Bradley he could be the first or second piece in a deal for Kimbrel, but due to his lack of an offensive track record it is not a given that he can even be sold as a starter on the trade market.
There can only be one “face of the franchise”, so who is it?
I’m not the one talking about Gordon, Boston is. I agree he’s probably not that great a fit but Hanley was never a good fit either.
Ortiz has a year left in him, then Pedroia is the face of the franchise, you do not trade him. Hanley was signed under Cherington, not DD, those are two completely different circumstances
You clearly stated in an above comment ‘even go after Gordon’
Yes, because Boston has been linked to him. I’m going to not respond to you anymore, you don’t understand basic English.
Is it because he does not understand basic english? Or because you are tired of being burned?
I think it’s clear you don’t understand anything you are talking about. You know you have no argument when you just start to throw around the standard ” dont understand English”
Wrong. Yiu can have multiple faces of the franchise. And Hanley was not a bad fit, just was used wrong. Sandavol was a bad fit. But we aren’t talkimg about how someone fits in boston or not so I wont rant about it .
Pedroia, Ortiz,Betts, Bogaerts are the faces of the franchise. Just like Jeter, Posada, Riviera, Williams were for the Yankees. The team is built around these guys. That is what makes them the face of the franchise.
In a hypothetical situation where they moved Pedroia, what [inside that teeny brain of yours] makes you think they’d have to eat 20-30 million to move him?
Wow, feisty! An oft-injured guy who will be 37 at the end of his deal isn’t the most sound investment at that money. 6/50 is more palatable.
My brain is the same size as yours, by the way. It also knows more about the trade market and player value than your homer-tastic one ever will.
Honestly nothing I really read from you makes any sense I agree with rolo
Same, a former mvp at slightly over ten mil a year is not infeasible.
A 2008 MVP in the year 2021 for $12M doesn’t sound palatable to me. But that’s just me.
But sure, let him get in the way of the superior talent who will be moved out of position or traded.
Weird, isn’t there a slot that hits for the pitcher and doesn’t play a fielding position?
If Pedroia produces 2 fWAR a season in 2021 he’ll be worth more than 12 million. That would be a league average player. I don’t think you understand what players are worth on the free market.
That says more about you than it does about me, but lets keep away from personal attacks and focus on why or why not you like a post.
You have to be an anti homer to value his remaining years at 6-50. No one would criticize taking on 6-80 for a former MVP 2nd basement.
I’d like to add om to your statement – and a player who has had two years out of ten where he has missed significant time due to injury and was playing at the same level as his MVP season as recently as last yeat until injury.
OK so you just like to hear yourself talk. Got it
You are right Rolo. This guy really thinks he is the only on here who knows baseball. Can’t stand having to read his comments.
In 93 games, Pedroia still was worth 2.5 WAR this year. That put him on pace for around 4+ if not for the injury, which is right in line with the 13.8 WAR he put up from 2012-2014. Pedroia is still incredibly valuable at the plate, at second base, and in the clubhouse.
That’s true, he’s a great player with an oft-injured body. That hurts Red Sox homer fans to hear, apparently. He’s very good, but if youre looking at only half a season of him at best every year, its less good.
He might not be worth the 12 mill at the end of the contract but he is and will be worth way more than it now.
By 2021, at the end of his contract, 12 million for a bench player will be about average at the rate we are going, add in his leadership and the fact that he has shown no true signs of having tk move to a reserve role and he will be a bargain in 2021
Oft-injured..
Except he’s still averaging 137 games played over the last 5 years and 134 over his career, but I guess my math is off since that’s only about half a season according to you
Sure thing, count his younger seasons – those certainly count more than the more recent ones….smh
Cjcrons you are so laughably stupid I actually feel guilty for spending the time to interact with you. Pull your head out.
Do you mean recent as in 2012 when he played in 141? 2013 when he played in 160? Or 2014 when he played in 135? Lasg year he played in 93, yes but that was the only recent season that he has missed more than 135 games. So in the past 4 years he has averaged 132 games per season and of you take out last year he has averaged 145.
Dude, a half a season every year? Where do you get off to make that statement? He played 93 games last year and the last time he played in under 135 was 6 years ago. He even played in 160 games as recently as 2013. So sorry pal, but your case of trying to make him seem injury prone is not valid. So you may want to move on to a different argument or just take what credibility you have left and admit what you are trying to say is stupid.
Pedroia has a limited no trade clause that becomes a full not trade clause at the end of the year. It is more than likely they would need his permission for a deal. He has shown no interest in leaving so it is likely his contract would need to be sweetened for him to accept. The limited market hurts his value.
Moncada is probably still 2 years out. And in all honesty, the Sox organization would do well to start grooming Benintendi or Moncada for 3rd. Panda is not the answer, and it would be prudent to have a good up and coming prospect ready for that position in the next year or rwo.
I get what you mean, but Benintendi, in no way, should be brought to the infield. He has all of his professional and collegiate experience in the OF to the best of my knowledge, and is a very good defender out there. Moncada should be developed all over the infield. He isn’t a standout at any one position so see if he can be average or above at a multitude of them.
Bradley is the placeholder for Benintendi, definitely. Benintendi is awesome and might be ready by late 2017 if he continues to mash the minors.
Bradley >>>> Benintendi. Yes Benintendi dominated single A as a polished college hitter. Whoop-te-do. So did Bradley. Even more so in fact. And Bradley might be the best defensive outfielder on Earth at the moment.
Zak Correll was also awesome in his first year in pro ball. He is in the Reds system. He won’t be ready for another 3 or 4 years and he did not allow an earned run in his first pro season.
Minor league stats arent everything. Prospects don’t usually turn out well.
With all due respect, this is one of the most far out things I have read in all my years reading things on here. First of all, 16 million is the most that he will be making in a season which given his production througjout his career, and his projected production of future years, is a bargain. Add his leadership factor and his overall desire to be here and play here and he is nearly untradeable. First off, the prospects that you speak of are well, just that, prospects, who are years away and could very well turn out to be the next big busts. P edroia is a sure thing. You say he is injury prone? He has missed significant time in two of his ten seasons in the majors which is pretty good and he has played in 160 games as recently as 2013. Last year he was hurt much of the year and he is already labeled “injury prone”, that isn’t fear. Also, he was great last year, on pace to have one of his best seasons in the majors before he got hurt last year.
Won’t he have 10-5 status next year? Or did he come up in 2007
Has Gardner had a wrist injury every year? Because his second half swoons are an annual event.
I hope they shop him around this offseason or even at the deadline next year. I mean he’s solid, but the Yankees are so landlocked right now, that dumping one contract could be like a falling domino and lead the way for the young talent they have in the minors. Highly unlikely, but the Yankees could try to teach bird either corner outfield spots just to keep his bat constant in the lineup.
Excuse me, but WHY is JBJ automatically being handed a starting job? Are we just ignoring his terrible 2014 season based off the wishful thinking that his one hot month is suddenly a norm for him?
I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t some form of lip service from DD, and they end up putting him in a trade package for someone else this off season.
It *is* too early to officially pencil him in starter, that much is true. But while it’s unlikely he’s going to be maintain a stretch that ridiculously hot over the course of a full season, he has pretty obvious upside and it isn’t unreasonable to think he’s capable of significantly better production than his 2014 season. Heck, if he can just harness half of his potential and hit enough to be considered passable (say .250/.320/.380?), then barring an unexpected breakout/rebound by someone else, his excellent defense should be enough to keep him in the starting lineup on a pretty regular basis for most of next season, right? Maybe they look for something better if they find themselves seriously contending midway through the year, but that’s no more a given than the security of his starting job should be at this point. A lot can change over the winter, but right now, he just seems like the most sensible bridge to all that OF talent that’s supposed to be on the way.