In yet another item on what has turned into Boston bullpen night here at MLBTR, the Red Sox have reportedly struck a deal with flamethrowing righty Brian Ellington. Per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link), the 28-year-old receives a minors pact; it’s unknown whether it includes a spring invite.
Like several of the team’s other recent, low-cost pen additions, Ellington is long on tools but lacks an established track record of success at the MLB level. He owns a 4.65 ERA in 102 2/3 career frames in the majors. Ellington was dropped early in 2018 by the Marlins and didn’t last long with the Diamondbacks organization after being added on a minors deal.
Ellington has averaged a whopping 98.5 mph with his average fastball in those innings, helping him to generate an 11.4% swinging-strike rate despite infrequent use of offspeed offerings. But he has also handed out free passes like candy in the majors (5.6 per nine). Both player and team will surely enter camp hoping to find a way to harness Ellington’s arm strength.
There’s their 2019 Ryan Brasier
Hopefully but my guess is he “flames out”
Lol that was a good one
This for sure fills Kimball’s shoes . We are a shoe in for the WS now!
I’m both shoes in.
The correct term is “shoo-in”, such as shooing the hens back into their pens. It has nothing to do with shoes.
Lighten up to types.
Agreed on the typos. Sometimes it’s the phone and others our brains and fingers don’t go at the same speed. My guess is many read it and moved on not even noticing the typo. As for the Sox, no one is mentioning it but I still think they may be trying to trade Porcello’s contract to gain financial flexibility in 19.
Probably a good idea as Porcello appears to be the 4th or fifth starter now
Red Sox story Trifecta today from MLBTR. Natural hat trick.
I hope Ellington proves me wrong.
Yankees boots be shakin
Between Runzler and Ellington, there’s going to be some serious walking going on in Red Sox spring training games.
As a red sox fan I was used to it with kimbrel. I wish they’d sign someone more established but I’m ok with letting kimbrel walk this time
Nick 4747. You made me laugh. I love Kimbrel’s stats more than him. I’m ok with him back if it happens but also think he’s the poster child for what’s wrong with stat happy fans. True Sox fan’s know he was only lights out in one of his three seasons in Boston (2017). His wildness in 16 and 18 was nerveracking to watch most nights. Don Stanhouse reincarnated. Good thing smoking is outlawed today. Otherwise he would have been known as “carton”.
Agreed always had really good numbers but I for one am not for paying him elite closer money with who’ll need to be paid coming up.
Wish Kimbrel would just take a one year deal at 19-20 million and try free agency again in 2020
BIG SEXY is NEXT!!!!!!!!
great to sign imperfect raw talent but red Sox need the coaches to fix there problems or its just a waste of money… thus far the red Sox coaches are just empty shirts .. highly late and ineffective. . Mr Henry needs to find coaches who can instruct and improve raw talent … not vacation in Florida ..
walks are killers of pitchers … free runs
Nathan Eovaldi says you’re totally wrong here.
Eovaldi credits his success on learning the cutter in Tampa.
From Larry Rothschild in NY actually
Hard to tell. Eovaldi always had the power and it could simply be a combo of Rothschild and how his arm healed from the last surgery.
You clearly know nothing about the Red Sox or coaching. Flail away! “Highly late”??? “there” instead of “their”? Go back to grade school to get an education – and learn the language – before exposing others to your ignorance.
Yup Did a terrible job with Ryan Brasier.. they lost 108 games right?…oh wait..
Their coaches are great=Price n Nathan, Porcello.
Why don’t the Sox just sign Kimbrel, seriously… It’s almost like they’re trying not to repeat. I mean, atleast sign Norris…
Because, despite all the news that’s in the ether, they may very well think that they’re so much better than the rest of MLB, they don’t have to.
If they’re right, they cruise anyway. If not, DD is sharp enough to make during-season additions. It’s not what the roster looks like on April 1, but August 1.
And yes, 2020 could be ugly . And 2021 could be ugly. But I doubt they care. They’ll cross those bridges when they get there. And likely do it with skill.
Also, dont forget they will be trading one of the 3 catchers..clearing some additional payroll.. and you can bet what comes back in any trade will be a bullpen arm.
If they keep signing relievers to minor-league deals at this rate, they might end up spending the same amount of money that they would have on Kimbrel. Well, maybe they would spend that much by July… of 2025.
Connfy doesn’t count if they don’t make the 40 man not enough room for all of them only like half of these minor league signings will actually stick.
Minor league payroll doesn’t count towards the salary cap
Their looking to catch lightning in a bottle and odds are at this point, they’ll be able to stash them in Pawtucket. Regardless of what I posted above, my gut is telling me if they can trade Porcello, they’ll sign Kimbrel and if not, they’ll see what happens in March and if no one wins the job, Eovaldi will at least hold down the spot for April.
It is amazing that people who usually have some baseball intelligence think just because of Eovaldi was used a certain way in the playoffs he would be used that way during the regular season… it’s baffling. There is zero chance you see Eovaldi in the pen unless it’s at the end of the season and it involves making the playoffs or in the postseason.. it’s as crazy as thinking because Price pitched the year before out of the bullpen in the playoffs he was going to do it during the regular season the following year … of course it didn’t happen and it’s not happening in this case either
none of these guys will stick so no need to worry there
Far to many 4A guys to fill out the Pawtucket BP roster. Several expect to be released, or have opt outs during ST.
i see Ellington, Runzler, Colton brewer, Bobby Poyner, Josh Taylor, bobby Waldon, Domingo Tapia, Jennry Mejia, Zach Putnam and Dan Schlerith as JUST the retreads with legit prospect Travis Lakins and soon? Durbin Feltman.
they’ll trade for a closer before the deadline. that’s the only way any of this makes sense
Not sure the Red Sox have enough in the farm system to trade for a closer if that situation arises.
The plan is scrapheap bullpen in the regular season and just use an available starter in the postseason as that nights closer almost like last year when one would have to bail out kimbrel.
They actually have plenty below, just not in the high minors.
Not, it’s not the “only way” “this” (whatever “this” is) makes sense. Every winter into spring training, most teams extend ST invitations to non-roster pitchers and minor-league contract signees. Every year, somewhere in MLB, a few of these players, especially relief pitchers, stick on the MLB roster, at least for a while. What really doesn’t make sense is to sign relievers for double-digit millions-of-dollars contracts to pitch about 3 innings a week, especially those who’ve demonstrated unreliability in the recent past (this likely goes for lots of position players, too, but they generally fill field positions most of their time). Paying a few hundred thousand (per pitcher) to extend “try-outs” to them doesn’t strike me as nonsense.
That’s xactly what they’ll do…..unless they’re outta it.
When they got Nathan’s, he needed some fixing. I heard Pedro helped him, along with the coaches. Nathan has character, and is why he shined in the playoffs, is why he deserves every penny he’s gotten. CHARACTER wins WS, something many do NOT have, this is why some faultier in playoffs.
Hopefully they are not 10 games out by the deadline.
… Sox are being far too casual about the ninth inning.
While the Sox are at it, why not add Daniel Bard to the mix….that would put the nail in the coffin for the Yankees
I can’t believe it’s been just about 6 years since Bard pitched in the majors.
Apparently, the plan is to shovel as much manure on to the wall as possible and hope you can find a piece or two that will stick. How many retread relievers have the Sox signed so far this off season?
KEEP CALM!
and
REPEAT as
WORLD CHAMPIONS!
true show a little respect for the world champs
Sounds a lot like Joe Kelly. So that means dealing with a lot of success and lot of disappointments. Def not a closer unless they teach him to dial down a bit to create control. 95-96 would still be fine.
And I truly love the trolls. Lol. You’d sleep w a goat for our rotation. You guys got 5 closers cuz your rotation can’t make it to the 6 besides Severino.