The Red Sox announced today that three players — infielder Chris Owings, outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, and righty Josh Smith — have elected free agency. (H/t MLB.com’s Ian Browne, on Twitter.) Each had the right to choose the open market after being outrighted off of the 40-man roster.
When the Boston organization prepared to defend its 2018 World Series title, it surely did not anticipate relying upon this particular trio. But each ended up playing a reasonably significant role as the club limped through a disappointing season.
The versatile Owings came over after a failed stint with the Royals to open the year. He continued to struggle at the plate and finished the campaign with an overall .139/.209/.233 batting line through 196 plate appearances. There’s little question he’ll be looking for a minor-league deal this winter.
Ditto Hernandez, who batted a meager .143/.218/.245 in 57 attempts with the Sox. He also failed to crack a .700 OPS in the hitter-friendly International League, where he spent most of the season. The former Giants, Pirates, and Marlins outfielder has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons but has never come around with the bat.
As for Smith, 32, he allowed more than five earned runs per nine at both the MLB and Triple-A levels in 2019. He was torched for ten home runs in his 31 major-league frames — the first he had thrown since 2017. In 158 1/3 total MLB innings, he carries a 5.40 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
Both Owings and Hernandez were eligible for arbitration, though it was never likely that either was considered for a tender. MLBTR projected Owings to earn $3.0MM and Hernandez to earn $1.0MM.
All I want for Xmas is for the Brockstar to stay with Boston
How does this guy gorkys still has an mlb job
?
He did better w/ the Giants last season than he had ever done before. It looked like upward trajectory going into 2019… And he’s cheap and is defensively versatile. He’ll easily find a home somewhere in AAA.
Because his first name is Gorkys.
Not only a job, but Cora had him out there in right field every day the last few weeks. Brentz or JDM would have been a better choice.
I don’t think Brentz was on the 40 man this season but I agree with the premise. He’s proven himself in AAA the past two years and deserves a shot. Hopefully next season
He doesn’t.
Well: Porcello is gone and that’s $20.6 million off the salary cap right there.
Wright and those three are gone, so we save more $.
$6.5 million in Mitch Moreland.
$2.2 million in Sandy Leon
$1.6 million in Andrew Cashner
$18.4 million in Pablo Sandoval
$6.3 million in Steven Pearce
$5 million in Eduardo Nuñez
$1.8 million in Tyler Thornburg
Don’t forget Mookie Betts and his 27 projected million, plus Jackie Bradley’s project at 11 million. Cheaper alternatives will be plugged in for 2020 and then the Sox go for it again and spend like drunken sailors next winter with the tax reset.
They might even find takers for price sale Eovaldi next trade deadline as teams may think they’re one guy away from winning it all at that time? Going to be a lousy year to watch the Sox but probably necessary.
I have my doubts ANY team is going to spend like drunken sailors from now until after the next CBA negotiations at the end of the 2021 season, except maybe the Yankees this offseason, (although I have my doubts about that too.)
…Unless they’re WAY below the LT threshold already and think they can compete, like Cincy and the Rays, possibly San Diego.
Gotta get Pedroia off the books next. Maybe you can eat a bunch of $$$ and move Price, too. They can get this payroll under control pretty quickly this Winter.
They “elected” free agency? REALLY? C’mon, Jeff! They were CUT from their damn jobs! Let’s at least be real. If you lost your job at MLBTR and your boss said you “chose free agency,” you’d have other words.
What Jeff said is procedurally correct. They were outrighted off the roster and assigned to Pawtucket, which meant that they were offered an opportunity to stay with the organization. That is different than an outright release in which they are just shown the door. Boston probably would have released them had they opted to stay. I’m sure the move was made with the thought that they would all decline.
someones salty they get fired from the deli at walmart…
“someone salty they get fired from the deli at walmart.”
Thank you for illustrating my point, CrewBrew.
They literally had a job offer – to go to AAA, and chose to be free agents instead. Don’t hate on others for your own lack of knowledge.
Ummm… I mean… sure, with the new ball being used in the International league, batting stats have gone up, but out of the two AAA leagues, it’s not the one I’d consider “hitter-friendly.”
That’s clearly the PCL.
Hernandez never saw the field until he was called up in September when rosters expanded, then he only played because the Red Sox were out of it. Not really a “significant role”
Those are some of the worst offensive. Numbers you’ll ever see. .139 and getting over 200 plate appearances is hard to do. With no power. Wow
Jake Rogers is calling you.
Seven upvotes for a grammatically screwy not-very-original put-down from some nobody? When you have a mortgage payment due, going to AAA is not an option. I have experience in professional ball. Walmart deli guy? The answer from dmazcomp was well thought-out and factual. I’ve no problem with someone disagreeing based on facts. But as hominem attacks that are neither funny nor show more than a handful of functioning dendrites is cause for concern. If this site is cool with the lowest common denominator and those stuck in the middle of the bell curve like fat kids in their tire swings, have at it. “You hate on others cause you wuz fired from Walmart deli counter!” Time was, they used to sterilize people like Walmart guy. Not saying that’s the answer, but…
How can you say these three castoffs played a “reasonably significant role” with the Sox in 2019? Is that like saying the Jets put up a valiant effort against the Patriots last night?