Let’s take a look at a few recent notes out of the AL East:
- Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista still seems likely to depart in free agency, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag writes. While Toronto figures to have some level of interest, it probably won’t outbid the market for a player who has been the organization’s biggest star. While it’s never worth putting too much stock in postseason results, it may not help that he has just four hits and six walks in his 35 plate appearances in this year’s playoff action — though Bautista did enjoy a productive stretch to end the regular season.
- Fellow star Blue Jays slugger Edwin Enarnacion still seems most likely to head to the Red Sox this winter, Heyman suggests. While Boston has given some signals that it may not go big for a free agent bat, the team does appear to represent a good fit for a player who raked for most of the year. Other potential landing spots, per Heyman, include the Yankees and Rangers. For what it’s worth, Encarnacion’s overall postseason results have been quite good: he’s slashing .323/.400/.645 with three home runs and four walks against just three strikeouts.
- Devon Travis wasn’t able to carry on for the Blue Jays in the ALCS and won’t play again in 2016 due to a knee injury. He has continued to put up good numbers when healthy, but a variety of ailments have clouded his long-term outlook. Heyman does say that Toronto expects him to be ready for a full spring next year, but notes “there’s concern about his ability to stay healthy” within the organization.
- Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald examines the case of Red Sox lefty David Price, who never quite seemed to gain his footing in Boston and has continued to come up short in the postseason. Unlike Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw, who has excelled this year after several notable disappointments in the playoffs, Price is still awaiting his time for redemption. Two general managers who employed Price in the past — Andrew Friedman and Alex Anthopoulos — discussed his situation, both suggesting that he has the competitive fire and track record to suggest he’s still a good bet to perform when the stakes are highest.
- While the Red Sox have several options behind the plate in 2017, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal questions whether the overall quality is sufficient. Sandy Leon’s hard-to-fathom breakout stalled late in the year, Christian Vazquez never found his groove at the plate, Blake Swihart was moved to the outfield at Triple-A before a season-ending ankle injury, and veteran Ryan Hanigan posted an injury-plagued, anemic offensive season. All said, adding depth wouldn’t make much sense, and it’s not clear that there’ll be an opportunity to find a top-quality backstop this winter. That could leave Boston with some tough questions — beginning with a call on Hanigan’s $3.75MM option (which comes with a $800K buyout). As MacPherson notes, too, both Leon and Vasquez lack remaining options. While Swihart does have one more option year remaining, his most recent usage suggests that the organization isn’t bullish on his ability to stick behind the dish.
jacobsigel1025
Swihart will be the guy
zdc
What makes you say that?
MB923
You’re more likely to see David Ortiz come back and play First Base than Swihart behind the plate.
Ken M.
Ortiz at first or Severino a starter.
MB923
Severino will definitely start out a Starter, at least in spring training. How effective he will be remains to be seen.
slider32
I think it’s an open competition, with Mitchell, Cessa, Green, and Severino with Adams, Montgomery, and Enns also possibles during the season. I look for Cashman to continue to stockpile starting pitching this winter. All of these pitchers have proven themselves at AAA, and are ready to take the next step even though in this day and age the leap to the majors is bigger than ever..
natesp4
Do you mean to start the year or permanently? Because there’s about a 95% chance he goes to AAA to work on catching.
MB923
If you’re talking to me, I mean to start the year.
robertp
I think contrary to the speculation in the article, Swihart was given time in the OF last year because the Sox had a logjam at the Catcher position and injuries in the OF and Swihart was the only Catcher athletic enough to go out and play the position. They wanted him to keep getting MLB ABs and that was the available opening. He’s still developing and I wouldn’t write him off as the Sox everyday catcher completely.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Boston need bullpen help in a big way, and possibly a higher tier pitcher…Leon and Vaz are fine behind the dish….EE Would be fantastic, but I’ll believe it when I see it
jakem59
Boston was a top three bullpen in the AL last year and top 10 in the majors. They are only losing possibly one guy who contributed consistently in Ziegler. They need to address the back of the rotation more than anything. Having catchers in Leon and Vaz, who may not be huge bats but can call a game like no other, for a full season will help too. I don’t get why people think EE is Boston bound, he’s a bat-only first-baseman/DH who saw a jump in his SO’s and decreases in his OBP/SLG/OPS. Committing 4+ years and $80-100MM to a 34 makes zero since with the amount of young talent they have, be it used to fill the hole internally or to make a trade.
A'sfaninUK
Do you not believe EE’s SO rate and those other numbers you mentioned were not a result of him knowing he’s in a walk year and home runs pay more than slash lines? I do.
jakem59
He probably should have focused on not having his lowest HR per PA percentage since 2013, or simply should have just tried correcting the downward trend its been on for three years then.. This isn’t 1996, slash lines stability is far more important than how many HR’s someone can hit. Or should the Sox just offer gobs of money for Evan Gattis and Chris Carter?
A'sfaninUK
I agree with you. The market and GMs/owners do not. Chris Davis got way too much money, Trumbo probably will too. A lot of teams FO’s still pay big for dingers, especially from a guy who regularly does throw up a .900+ OPS. I’m thinking EE was a lot more concerned with gunning for the HR title than his BB/SO ratio. Just a thought, we will see next season who was right.
slider32
Trumbo, EE, and Napoli will be overpayed, it’s called free agency.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Boston is losing at least four relievers
jakem59
Casey Jensen, Tazawa, Koji, and Ziegler are the only free agent pitchers the Sox have. Jensen’s never made the 25 man roster, Tazawa and Koji were either hurt or ineffective most of the year, which leaves Ziegler and he was the only consistently producing bullpen piece they could possibly stand to lose, which is exactly what I said.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
They still have to be replaced
charlienutlikka
what about carson smith?
jakem59
He’s out for the year and pitched a whole 2.2 innings last year. Not someone you need to worry about replacing.
robertp
I think Koji, Ziegler and Kimbrell were fine in the second half of the year. I doubt the former two will be around next year though both would be considerably cheaper than Jansen or Chapman. The question is can we replace Tazawa with that fourth impact reliever which seems to be the difference maker for playoff teams this year. As teams go shorter and shorter with their starters, having shutdown long relievers is starting to look like a key to a winning team.
Mike McLellan
I’m on the fence with Bautista. I feel like he has a chance to be a BlueJay legend, and for that reason, I’d like to see him stay. On the other hand, he is headed toward a full time DH role (maybe some 1B) and will most definitely be overpaid for the declining years ahead.
I want Edwin here for the long haul. I’m not sure if a 4 year deal would get it done, but I’d do it in a heart beat. This guy is the real deal.
Bluejays are also interested in Votto, apparently. That’s a big contract with a lot of risk, but he’s an on base machine and would really thrive in the 2 hole with EE, Donaldson and Tulo hitting behind him.
I like Saunders, but if he’s asking for big money, I have no problem letting him walk and then finding an outfielder with top of the lineup speed, such as Pompey if he can ever figure out how to hit. Justin Upton will likley be available as the Tigers shed payroll, although he’s not the speedy lead off type.
I love Devon Travis at 2B with Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney on the bench – don’t waste money changing anything here.
@McLellan2 on Twitter
John Murray
EE is going to be expensive, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers all in the market for an upper-tier DH and all three teams looking like long-term contenders. Votto seems unlikely; I can’t see the Jays picking up his whole contract plus giving up two top-flight prospects (which would be a minimum asking price); and I’m not sure why you’re enamoured with Saunders, who is a poor defensive player who returned to offensive mediocrity in the second half. I disagree with Heyman; I think Bautista gets a QO and accepts, believing he’ll re-establish his value.
notagain27
The Red Sox need to give Hanigan his 800K and move on. I would be more concerned about their pitching than I would about any other issue they might have. What will they do with Buchholz? Will they pick up his option?
Niekro
Wouldnt Napoli or Moreland make more sense for the Red Sox as a cheaper alternative, who can play capable 1B and give Hanley Ramirez time off to DH, Napoli isn’t much better than EE defensively but I think he’d get more starts at 1B than EE. It also eases Hanley into the full time DH role which I think they see as best for him.
Niekro
Sean Rodriguez would also make sense as either a large portion of games at 1B or Moving back and forth to get Sandoval and Shaw in the lineup.
John Murray
Hanley wasn’t horrible at first; I think they see someone like EE or Nap as players that could share the 1B and DH role with him. Plus Nap could catch in an emergency.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
I loved Mike Napoli as a Red Sox, and he would be a great alternative at first and DH…. but why would he be an emergency option at catcher? I don’t think he’s caught a game in three or four years, I would be in favor of resigning him but I would leave the emergency catcher title to Swihart
John Murray
He just knows the position…only if the Sox had two catchers injured in the same game! I surely wouldn’t see him as anyone starting a game at catcher…just a stopgap in case of a freak injury to two catchers in the same game.
robertp
I don’t think Nap has caught since the Sox caught his degenerative hip condition in his medicals. I don’t see him ever getting behind the dish again.
slider32
Of all those teams, the Yanks need a good bat in the middle of the order, I would think they go hard after EE and or Napoli, they both are good fits for their team.
hediouspb
Enarnacion makes no sense for the sox. People saying that are just looking at numbers and not thinking about roster construction. They need to find a left-handed batter for DH/1B/3B who can hit in the middle of the order.
As of now their options from the left side are: Benintendi, Bradley, Holt, Leon (s), Swihart (s), and Sandoval (s). I don’t see any of them being a 3 or 4 hole hitter.
Nick4747
Realistically they don’t need anything from the dh position they have young players on the roster that are very capable of handling the middle of the order spot as for rh or lh they still would have 4 or 5 guys that hit left handed even if they are to sign ee or Bautista plus I still believe in having a majority rh lineup @ fenway. The lineup without papi is still a top 5 lineup without him they likely would regress but still will be good if the Sox want to take it to the next level they have the unenviable task of trying to upgrade pitching which is extremely hard and may require a jbj trade and then some
John Murray
And if they need to trade a young player, then they sure as heck will need some major DH additions.
slider32
Remember those same players finished last in 2015, the Sox need more pitching. I think they led the league in runs scored this year, but Price and company don’t have great track records. I think Dombrowski will make a quick move to get Sale if he can.
A'sfaninUK
Encarnacion has a career (including his time with Cincy, before he got real good) .841 OPS vs RHP and .880 vs LHP, we really need to all realize that teams absolutely do not need L/R splits in a lineup if everyone in the lineup hits both sides that well. Please get that nonsense -talk about of here. Its old school and only applies to players with splits.
jd396
We’re definitely in a very split-happy managerial era.
hediouspb
nonsense? you are looking at that player not the roster…. the point of my post. EE has good splits. Ortiz last year was 1.021../.867 (R./L ops)
Pedroia .797/.847
Bogarts .717/.847
Betts: .861/.832
Ramirez .844/.913
Ortiz offered some balance for the others. EE would not.
John Murray
The Jays scored almost 900 runs two years ago with less lefty pop than the Sox still have. Think about the green monster. Righties have more ability to hit both lefties and righties than a lefty does.
cgallant
Sox need a lefty bat in the middle. I want Freddy Freeman. I think a package of Swihart, Brian Johnson and Micheal Kopech could get it done.
A'sfaninUK
Bostons not getting Freeman unless Betts and Moncada are the in deal, can I have what you are smoking?
Freeman is unbelievably great, a true superstar. Atlanta would obliterate Bostons farm and MLB team if they really wanted him.
Michael Macaulay-Birks
Jesus here we go with the Braves and their Babe Ruth players
MB923
Betts And Moncada? No.
Oh and the Braves will not settle that package that cgallant said. But they certainly are not getting both Betts And Moncada.
A'sfaninUK
Well obviously.
Ken M.
Cocaine is a helluva drug.
Freeman is due $107.5M over the next 5 years and at his best season was a 6.5 WAR player. Betts won’t make a third of what Freeman will make over that time, and is a 9.6 WAR player.
A'sfaninUK
For the love of….
Is it really that hard to understand that the Braves would ask the moon for Freeman? Do you guys not understand that one team would massively value their superstar and wouldnt accept those crumbs trade originally offered? And yes, the Red Sox would turn them down for those guys, absolutely I’m with you. Freeman will absolutely never play for Boston in the next 5+ years for this reason, so lets all never bring him up?
Jeez, I wasnt actually positing that Boston ACTUALLY trade those two for him! I was saying “If Boston called ATL asking for Freeman, that’s who ATL would ask in return, which would immediately negate the trade.”
JS11
You mean just another Atlanta fan, because you must not know who Mookie Betts is to make a ridiculous statement like that
John Murray
If you think Betts would be traded even straight up for Freeman, you’ve already been smoking what cgallant is.
badco44
Lets see how many dingers did Freeman hit this year and how many did Betts hit? As usual it’s a Braves fan living in fantasy land
Bruin1012
I don’t see DD trading Kopech he is in love with that arm.
slider32
Maybe not but they have Groome who could entice a team to give up a good arm like Sale in a package if he can be moved, I’m not sure since he just signed.
Bruin1012
I would like to see Sale but from what it sounds like the White Sox want way too much. i don’t see DD giving JBJ, Moncada, Erod,, Kopech, and Devers for Sale which seems to be what they think Sale is worth. So if that is true i highly doubt Sale is coming to the Red Sox but you never know.
gobraves3
So funny to me how arrogant Red Sox and Yankees fans are about their B-level players and their respective trade value.
I do agree the Red Sox wouldn’t trade Betts straight up for Freeman. But no doubt in this fiction scenario the deal would start with Bogaerts then one of Moncada/Benintendi plus a few high upside minor leaguers.
Nick4747
He’s actually saying that dd is in love with him which he’s been known to love velocity nothing about he himself and as for a Freeman trade he’s a brave for a while he survived that last firesale and everything I’ve read they’re trying to add not subtract he’d be to expensive to lure away when the Braves have every intention on contending reasonably soon
MB923
Funny to hear that coming from an arrogant Braves fan. Your fan base has been just as ridiculous with trade proposals and overrates players/prospects just as much if not more than Red Sox and Yankee fans. Teheran an ace, Freeman the best 1B, etc.
gobraves3
I was wrong to lump all Red Sox and all Yankees fans into one general statement about homerism in regards to player value Just like you are wrong to call me “an arrogant Braves fan.” My fantasy trade offer was much more in line than the “McCann and Gardener for Newcomb and Fried” and “Swihart, player B, and player C for Freeman” deals I’ve seen from Yankees and Red Sox fans on here today.
John Murray
Freeman is a really nice player, but with his contract, he’s not going to generate established MLB players in a trade. Bogaerts and Betts are untouchables with years of cheap control left.
Bruin1012
Talk about overvaluing cmon man the Sox aren’t trading Boegarts plus for Freddie Freeman thats just silly. and by the way Kopech is not a B level prospect. I like Freddie Freeman and I am quite sure he is not going to be a Red Sox if the braves called DD and asked for Xander and either Benentendi or Moncada plus they would just here laughter and a dial tone cmon man.
A'sfaninUK
gobraves3 thanks for being the only one who understood what I was saying.
badco44
Lefty is why Encarcion won’t be in Boston next year… Sox should go different route and run with Sam Travis platoon at first… get the pen fixed … but that’s right, DD is not very good at pens… go figure
A'sfaninUK
I love how everyone smart in baseball really rams home the point that “postseason small samples are the most meaningless things when talking about contracts” then this piece does nothing but talk about small samples in the playoffs, ha.
Price is fine, he will catch fire in the playoffs eventually, like Kershaw did. The problem is that those games are rare and baseball players play so many other games it almost doesn’t matter – what did Beane call them? A crapshoot? That’s exactly what they are.
jd396
And then people whine when their team doesn’t win a ring
Michael Macaulay-Birks
I agree on price, but as a fan, it’s frustrating
A'sfaninUK
Shhh, dont tell that to MLB, they will trim the reg season to 100 games and make the playoffs 3 months long!
slider32
My term is outlier, Merritt comes pitches great with only 15 innings in the majors, and the Indians at winning without their 2 and 3 starters.
Aoe3
I disagree that Joeybats is “likely to depart Toronto.” I believe theres still interest from Bluejays management and will issue him a qualifying offer or a 1 or 2yr contract. We have a lot of money coming off the books this offseason, with something like 11+ free agents. Toronto can be very flexible.
hoyce
How about votto, Lhp Brandon finnigan and reds 1st round prospect catcher Tyler Stephenson To Red Sox. For moncada, Jason groome and shaw?
Sox get a LHP starter or RP ready now w 5 yrs control. A catching top prospect and their lefty middle of order bat. Reds get a future.
Nick4747
The reds could trade votto especially considering the salary but that deal kinda makes no sense for them it’s just a prospect swap and I would think they’d either want all of the contract relief and or prospects back not try and send their young guys out and i would think the Sox could be involved but more as a salary dump then trying prospect trade
Eric D.
Keep dreaming. That is not even remotely fair.
MB923
Neither team makes that deal.
Eric D.
Let me get this straight. In 2015, Blake Swihart provided league average offense and above average defense for half the season (84 games). Cherington is given the axe and Dombrowski is brought on. In 2016, he is given 6 starts at catcher, is demoted, learns to play left field, is brought back up, improves his OBP (granted over a smaller sample size) and suffers a season ending injury. Suddenly, he is a failed prospect with “no future as a Catcher in the Red Sox organization.” Did I miss something? When did everyone get down on this guy?
Nick4747
The only thing I could think of is Leon has become the guy but I’m with u he was sent down to soon I’d like to see more of swihart even with Leon
mike156
I was going to ask a similar question. Last season, people were saying both Swihart and Vazquez were untouchable as a potential catch+ combo with MVP potential. What happened that this year they are casting about for backups, etc.?
badco44
Spot on, and his total issues were passed balls…..from the knuckleballer right? And just think our old captain had the same problem with Wakefield…get rid of him… Sweihart stays as far as I’m concerned… go Sox!
badco44
Ps fix the damn pen!!!!!
badco44
Also…. 2018 free agency much much much bigger… save your money!!!
Ken M.
Because he caught a bunch of games for Steven Wright. This makes his defense looks suspect with all the passed balls.
MB923
Swihart has caught 740 innings in his career. 70 were with Wright. I’m not going to bother looking up game by game, but there is zero chance that his Passed Balls all came from Wright on the mound. Perhaps most, but not all.
You forgot to mention all the wild pitches, which of course is more often if not always on the pitcher, But it would still show that his ability to block the plate isn’t high. He’s allowed 47 WP in 89 games caught (along with 19 passed balls, but as I said, I’m sure not all were with Wright on the mound)
Ken M.
6 passed balls in 2015 from Wright and 2 in 2016. So 8 passed balls of the 19 were from a Knuckleball pitcher. Wipe those out, or shall I repeat the Tim McCarver line about catching a knuckleball?
That leaves 11 passed balls in 670 innings or 1 every 61 innings.
How does that compare to the defensive wizard Gary Sanchez?
6 passed balls in 316 innings or 1 passed ball every 53 innings.
Guess the ROY is below average defensively.
MB923
No one said anything about Sanchez , but yes he did struggle defensively. And at least I can admit that. Unlike yourself or Eric who cannot about Swihart.
Bruin1012
I am Red Sox fan and also think that Swihart will be a catcher but damn i have to admit very jealous of that power and swing that Sanchez displays. I didn’t realize he had such a nice swing and with that size and power he looks to be a special hitter. I am sure he will have to go through an adjustment phases when he is pitched differently next year but damn that buy can hit the ball hard.
MB923
Do you have any numbers to support the claim that he played “above average” defense in 2015? His dWAR is -0.4.
MB923
*was, not is
Eric D.
5.4 Defense stat according to Fangraphs
MB923
I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but 0.0 is not Average.
There were 28 catchers in 2015 who had 300+ PA. The worst Def ranking was 0.4, the best was 12.2. And Swihart ranked 18th out of 28 with his 5.4
It wasn’t Above Average. (though I suppose it’s fair to say it wasn’t Terrible either).
jd396
I don’t see the Red Sox signing Wieters or making a big trade or anything like that. I think I t’ll be their internal guys for 2017, at least.
redsox for_life
The Redsox need Kendrys Morales!!
Michael Macaulay-Birks
That could work
redsox for_life
Then the sox send Bradley Devers and E-Rod for Chris Sale and some help in the bullpen!!!
redsox for_life
Then the sox send Bradley Devers ERod for Chris Sale
Bruin1012
I can’t wait to see how upset the White Sox fans will be when they see your trade proposal for Sale. I am sure they are going to say you are two players short you will have to add Moncada and Kopech to get Sale.
redsox for_life
I hope they don’t trade Moncada.mabe Jason Groome or Owen Marrero
roadapple
I’d love it if the Blue Jays could replace Bautista with someone like Matt Holiday. A team player instead of a selfish one.
Rogers needs to open the purse strings within reason for Encarnacion. Or drive up the bidding so much that if the Red Sox do get stuck with him they are not happy about it.
houseoflords44
I’m not convinced Encarnacion goes to the Red Sox & I’m not convinced that the Blue Jays are out on him. I think they Jays will make a run at him. They have the financial ability to do so. The biggest question is whether or not they’ll go to 4 years. As for Encarnacion going to the Red Sox, I question whether or not the Sox want to bring in another right-handed bat. There has been speculation that Boston wants to have a player who can DH & possibly share playing time at 1st base with Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez is a right-handed bat. It would make more sense for the Red Sox to bring in a lefty to fill that roll. Also, there is the Pablo Sandoval situation in Boston. Does he play 3rd? Or does he play 1st & DH?
Wainofan
Is EE serviceable as 1b in national league or is he purely looked at as dh in AL?
stormie
I read that some NL teams may be considering him as a 1B option.