The Red Sox are one of several teams scouting Royals lefty Mike Minor, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The 27-34 Royals could move Minor at the trade deadline.
The longtime Braves starter has reemerged in 2017 after missing all of the last two big-league seasons to arm trouble, posting a 2.25 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 32 relief innings with Kansas City. Minor seems to have gotten even a bit more than the typical velocity bump associated with converting from starting to relief, averaging 94.0 MPH on his fastball after throwing 90.5 MPH in 2014. He’s also been terrific against lefties this season, holding them to a .380 OPS thus far this year.
Minor is in the second season of a two-year deal with the Royals he signed while injured. In addition to the remainder of his $4MM salary for this season, his contract also contains a $10MM mutual option or a $1.25MM buyout for 2018.
The Red Sox currently have lefties Fernando Abad and Robby Scott in their bullpen, and both pitchers have fared reasonably well this season. The Red Sox’ staff in general has been beset by injuries, however, and Minor would give their staff a bit of stability. And, of course, if Minor’s success so far this year is sustainable, the team can worry somewhat less than it otherwise might about how he’ll fit. It’s also perhaps worth noting the admittedly speculative possibility that he could return to starting at some point.
I miss minor with the braves #feelsbadman
Yes, definitely!! If only Minor, Beachy, Venters, EOF, and Medlen’s careers wouldn’t have been marred and so abruptly interrupted/ended by injuries…
You cannot help but wonder what nay have been different, or how things may have played out differently if they all wouldn’t have suffered such career-altering or career-ending injuries…
There were several points in time and stretches when Medlen, Beachy, and Venters were all three some of the best pitchers in the NL, statistically speaking..
Also, during his tenure with the Braves, pitch tracking metrics had Venters possessing 2 out of the top 5 nastiest, most effective, and hardest to hit pitches IN THE GAME OF BASEBALL!!! He was one of the most dominant pitchers and set up men to ever walk onto a ML pitching mound, yet because his career was cut so short, he will never get the actual credit he deserved
Don’t forget to add Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens to that list.
Sadly, Tommy Hanson as well. When he first came up the talk was when he will win the Cy Young, not if.
I was just reading up about Hanson today. Sad he passed away
I would love for the braves to go after him, we need a long reliever. He would be a good fit.
Keep dreaming.
I know it’s unlikely, but I would love it.
As long as he doesn’t cost us a top prospect or someone in the bigs already I would love to see the Red Sox get Minor
Dombrowski will probably give up Devers and the rest of the Sox top prospects left. Then Minor will get injured and sit on he DL the rest of the relievers he’s traded for.
I thought the same thing when I saw this headline. Devers for Minor. Trader Dave is on it.
Agreed as long as Moustakas is included!
Earlier in his Braves career, words such as entitled and immature were used to describe Minor’s personality, and often times that attitude got in the way of his development on the field..
Injuries are never good for a pitcher’s career, but now, it sounds like Minor has really matured, and he has become more appreciative of the opportunities he has been given.
Hopefully, he can take this second chance and run with it. I certainly wish him nothing but the best, as I always liked watching Minor pitch, as a Braves fan.
With his newfound appreciation for the game, and now that he is healthy once again, I wouldn’t be the least bit suprised to see Minor become a legitimate, solid, and consistent #3-#4 for a contending team.
On the other hand, he very well could become a reliable set-up man, who can provide a team with multiple inning efforts, coming out of the pen. He would be a dangerous weapon for a contender, especially in the playoffs when teams are given more rest in between games. Minor very well could possibly even play a similar role like the one Andrew Miller played for the Indians last year..
By no means am I saying Minor will become the next Andrew Miller, I’m just saying whatever contender picks him up, could use him in a role similar to that of the one Miller provided Cleveland with during last year’s postseason…
Minor for Sandoval?
Joke?
Yes it is a joke obviously. I don’t think no team would take Fatblo even if we paid his whole salary to play for them.
What’s sad is Sox fu*ked themselves by signing his fat ass, Hanley and Price to that dumb contract. Now Sox had no money to sign free agents last off season and that’s why they have problems on offense now.
And to think they hired braindead Dumbo to solve our problems? This is the same Dumbo who ran Detriot’s bullpen and team in to the ground rite? So why would the Sox jump to sign him as new GM?
That made no sense. So what ever happens was brought on by themselves for being stupid. Our old GM was good enough. If not for him we wouldn’t have Betts, Bogaerts,Benny and JBJ because if it was up to Dumbo he would’ve traded them for some old washed up vets like he loves to do. Stupid!!
Hey Dee. Thanks for calling it as it is. The Sox “brainstrust” loves to dump good front office and dugout leadership and replace them with dummies. This allows John Henry to pull strings and we all k ow what happens when he is orchestrating the moves.
If the cost is minor, sure.