The Red Sox have released utilityman Danny Santana, leaving the veteran free to find another organization on the open market, per Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com (via Twitter).
Hatfield notes that Boston signed Santana when injuries had depleted their depth, but after the trade deadline, the veteran was pushed out of the conversation for an immediate call-up. The switch-hitter was a reasonable depth option at the time, capable of playing all over the diamond. He has appeared at every position in his career except for pitcher and catcher.
The 31-year-old owns a career .255/.296/.413 line across 1,866 career plate appearances with the Red Sox, Rangers, Braves, and Twins. He stepped to the plate 127 times for the Red Sox in 2021, his only season with Boston. He struggled to make a positive impact at the plate, however, slashing .181/.252/.345 in that time.
Santana was never a reasonable option as a utility player…. There were better options other than giving Cora’s bestie a contract.
Sox can’t get to the off-season fast enough. Put this miserable roster behind and recalibrate.
Amen brother.
With Cora don’t expect much to change next year, we will continue to suffer with his crappy managing. Only a very talented team, such as the 2018 champions, can overcome his decision-making. And with the direction the team has been going, and the way Bloom spends unwisely, I wouldn’t expect 5 All-Stars on the team again in the near future.
I only half agree Fever Pitch Guy. Cora knows how to win big games. He’ll make some poor decisions in regular season games but he’s the guy I want managing in elimination and postseason games. He’s gutsy and that DOES work at times.
I think a lot of questioning goes to Bloom but this off-season will be the biggest determinant. If Bloom doesn’t deliver, then we have issues.
It’s not about cora…he does not have fundamentally sound players to run… no manager wins with medocrit junk… every mgr makes questionable choices, with today’s MILLIONAIRE players, it’s about interpersonal relationships and getting the most out of them…
Boston issues begin with poor mgmt of minors as they are not stressing drilling fundamentals and focusing upon skill… this is obvious on their products = incomplete flawed fundamental junk …
pwndroia – I half agree with you. Yes, Cora does manage better in the postseason than he does in the regular season.
If Friday night was a postseason game, he wouldn’t have left Crawford in that long and he wouldn’t have left Brasier in that long. In the postseason he relies more on his best players, and cares more about winning than resting players.
But still, he ain’t all that in the postseason. Do you have any specific examples that he is? If you look at last postseason, he didn’t win even one game with his decisionmaking.
In each of ALCS Game 2 and ALCS Game 3 the Sox jumped out to a 9-0 lead. Those were the only two games they won in the series. Cora made numerous mistakes in Game 1 and Game 4.
In the Wild Card game, Nate pitched a gem against the Yanks.
I completely agree after this offseason it will be Bloom’s team. Most of next year’s team will be comprised of players he acquired. At least 3 of last year’s All-Stars will be gone. Bloom will have to replace a large number of key players. He will have to sign or trade for many players this offseason. Hopefully he does better than last offseason’s mistake signings (Story, Diekman, Robles, Hill, etc)
Jesus – Do you not realize Cora had basically the same team this year that he had last year. The only two key players he lost were ERod and Schwarber. Yes this year’s team has been hit with injuries, but last year’s team was hit harder by both injuries and Covid.
@Fever Pitch Guy
Friday was on Will Venable, not Cora. Cora got tossed with Bogaerts in the 4th inning. You are correct though that there is no way Crawford finishes the 3rd inning, let alone start the 4th if it were a playoff game
Now next big question. Is the Sox current gm the right guy to build this team back up.
Bloom needs to be fired immediately.
Good question but the first order needs to be payroll projections. Bloom did great getting the minors rebuilt but needs to focus on pitching and defense. How he spends will depend on ownership. DD won but it was at a big future cost. Bloom has tried to win now and be set for the future. He almost did it last year but getting close does not count. Baseball is not horseshoes.
I don’t think the Sox farm is all that good. Bello that we’ve seen in the majors is horrendous. I know it’s a small sample size so still can be turned around. Just that betts returns is looking worse by the day
Why isnt farm system looking good? Based on what? 5 players in Baseball Americas Top 100 at mid-season, much better than most teams.
Just that betts returns is looking worse by the day
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Verdugo has a 5.4 fWAR for the RS. Betts and Price have combined for (11.6+1.0) 12.6 fWAR for LA. The extra 7.2 WAR has cost LA an additional ~ $90M.
The RS are ahead and likely to stay ahead.
Mlb.com you got Mayer at 8 casas at 26. So that’s pretty damn good if they live up to that. Then you got bello at 37. Bello so far with current Mlb production he has given you. Doesn’t belong in top100 prospect rank.
Sox farm system is middle at best. Plus whose to say their top prospects actually pan out? Sox haven’t had a good homegrown player in the past few years work. More duds then success.
Dodgers still up in war and won the trade based oin on field production only. And will continue with betts still out there. Yes looking at it from a financial stand point it cost them a lot to get that. But also at the same time betts generates and pays for that additional 90 mil you speak of with all the merch and other revenue
If youre going to take Bello out, then you should add Mata. He’s looking like the real deal. I see no reason why he doesn’t make the next published list.
Brayan Mata AA Portland: 2.11 ERA 49Ks in 47inns.
Hopefully the real benefit of Bloom is the minor league talent that won’t be in the majors until 23 and 24. 2020 should not count. The team overachieved in 21 and underachieved this year. Next year is pivotal and pitching and defense should be the priorities.
The Red Sox were never going to “win” that trade, thats not what trades are about. Mookie was never going to re-sign and the Sox didn’t want that distraction hanging over them. I’m sure the team is perfectly happy letting someone else pay him $32-35 million per year in his late 30’s, i know as a fan i am.
Agreed. I loved Betts but his contract will hurt as he ages. If Bogie is unwilling to move off short, move on. He’s better than ratings suggest but having him and Devers together has cost the staff so many extra pitches.
dewey – You do realize the strength of the farm system right now is the result of a Dombrowski draft pick (Casas), a Dombrowski international free agent signing (Bello), a 3rd-place finish 19 games back in 2019 (Yorke), and a .400 winning percentage in 2020 (Mayer).
Bloom has NOTHING to be proud of there.
Praising Bloom for improving the farm system is like praising Rosie Ruiz for winning the Boston marathon, not deserved at all.
Rsox…. Trades aren’t about winning…? Lol cannot read anything you type ever again. You offer nothing of value after a statement like that. Please message back saying your trolling
I agree with that sentiment. Trades are about improving the team, not beating the other GM.
I need a catcher, you have two, you need a SS I have two. Neither one of us wins the trade, but we both improve.
In this case, the new GM had a mandate to move a player (Betts), because they didn’t want to continue over the threshold. The other team (Dodgers) didn’t care about the threshold and was in much better shape to sign him long term. You can’t win that trade. Verdugo is a good value return, unfortunately Downs is looking bad, Wong the jury is still out.
There are times you can outright win a trade, (Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe for Heathcliff Slocum) but I don’t think you can put a Win/Loss on the Betts deal.
Not all trades are about “winning the trade”, you can’t win a trade when you dump a star player in their prime. The Sox had to get the distraction of Mookie’s contract off the roster, i think the majority of Red Sox fans realize that.
The Sox went just as far in the playoffs last year as the Dodgers so it’s not like they’ve done nothing without Betts
@Fever Pitch Guy I think it’s still too early to count Bloom out of farm production. If you’re giving Dombrowski the benefit of doubt after he is gone, will you do the same I’d the next GM steps in and Bloom’s guys produce? I’m all for going after Bloom if next season doesn’t work out but give him a year with contracts off the books.
Besides, you recognize talent for what it is. Casas and Bello have yet to fully work out either yet you’re praising them? I think they’ll be fine but that’s contradictory.
Agree and I don’t necessarily think it’s Bloom’s guys that are making the Sox look better in the Baseball America rankings.
I dont like the expression”Bloom’s guys”, but they make up 16 of the top 30 Red Sox prospects. Thats a big chunk, are you saying if you removed them, they’d still be in the same place?
Bloom’s responsible for 17 out of the top 30 prospects and 6 out of the top 11. Dombrowski had 4 years of drafting to Bloom’s 3 years. Dombrowski’s prospects also had a few extra years time to climb the rankings.
Dombrowskis guys in the Majors: Chavis, Dalbec, Duran, Crawford Hernandez. It would be an embarrassment is Bloom cant beat that by the end of 2027 (same amount of time).
Getting medocrity players in MINORS is not fixing minor league problems… the product produced is flawed and inferior… caused by not focusing upon everyday drilling fundamentals… games dont drill skills… u play the games as you practiced drills…
pwndroia – Yes if Bloom leaves and his drafted players do well, I will definitely give Bloom credit. Just like I gave Duquette credit for much of the team’s success in 2003 and 2004.
I’m not praising any prospects, I’m merely pointing out HOW the majority of the top-ranked players in the farm system were acquired.
All I’m saying is people who think the farm system is much improved should acknowledge Bloom didn’t do much to make it improved. Nobody should be slapping Bloom on the back for players he had no part in acquiring, or players he drafted because he put a horrible team on the field in 2020.
traderumors – If not those four highly ranked players I mentioned, then who else is driving the team’s improvement in farm system ratings? What other highly ranked players am I missing?
Croagnut – Why on Earth are you assuming all of the Top 30 Red Sox prospects are good? Do you think a team with a horrible farm system, like the Angels, has a Top 30 comprised of all good players? If a player with a .600 OPS leads his team in OPS, does that make him a good hitter?
Farm systems are ranked largely on their number of Top 100 MLB prospects I assure you if the 4 players I mentioned didn’t exist, the Sox would have a much lower ranked farm system..
I used 30 because thats the number in the list. Of the top 11, 6 out of 11 were obtained by Bloom. Doesnt matter how many slices you make, Bloom has more weight in that list than DD.
1) Mayer
4) Yorke
6) Bleis
9) Romero
10) Jordan
11) Anthony.
And thats with one less draft and interational signing period.
Croagnut – You missed my point, or maybe you don’t want to acknowledge my point. A team could have the worst farm system in baseball history where none of the players have a chance of making the majors. None of the players ranked in that team’s Top 30 would be anything to brag about, a team’s Top 30 is meaningless. Rankings in all of MLB are all that matters.
And if you really want to go down the road of “beyond his control”, there’s plenty of things that happened under Dombrowski which were beyond his control. Top prospect Daniel Flores dying of cancer at age 17 being one of them.
So you only want to look at the top 3 prospects. Dont you think its a bit unfair, seeing how, unless your top 10 pick, its very difficult to make the Top 100. So the GM with players who have been in the system for years, are older, have matured, have had more pro ball under their belt have a better chance of being in the “Top 100”. Average age difference is 3 or 4 years between the players. How many prospects did Dombrowski have in the Top 100 after three years: ZERO.
Look at 2015 Red Sox prospects before Bloom or Dombrowski:
1) Yoan Moncada
2) Blake Swihart
3) Henry Owens
—————–
4) Eduardo Rodriguez
5) Raphael Devers
6) Manuel Margo
10) Matt Barnes
11) Deven Marrero
12) Michael Chapek
16) Michael Kopech
Its wrong to judge an entire farm system by 3 people. Anyone could tell you that.
THIS is the offseason that we see what Bloom is all about and his capabilities. He’s built the farm back up to a reasonable place and this off season a ton of money comes off the books.
Agreed. Now he has to spend and trade wisely. To me, the team needs to talk Devers into becoming a DH. If he accepts the role and not worry about his defense, his bat can even be better. Better to find out now if he can adjust. If he can, pay him more than as a DH but less than if he was a two way superstar.
Exactly the logical decent approach! His hitting talent gets way over exadurated based upon a small sample.. he is far from a disciplined hitter… and likely will decline quickly !
It looks like John Henry hired Chaim Bloom from the Rays to run the Red Sox more like the Rays who have won the AL East and made the playoffs while spending far less than the Red Sox and Yankees. It seems like a smart decision to hire a guy from the Rays and give him a larger budget and see what he can do. It makes sense that Bloom will need some time to implement his philosophies. How long will that take? I don’t know. It looks like the Rays rely on a top tier farm system as part of their model to compete. How long will it take the Red Sox to build a top tier farm system? I don’t know, but they are only middle of the pack now. The bottom line is that it looks like big changes are going on with the Red Sox. I can’t blame John Henry for wanting to be more efficient like the Rays. It looks like this new approach is making some Red Sox fans miserable. I recommend those fans root for another team and feel better.
“middle of the pack”
5 players in Baseball America’s Top 100.
9th place in recent ranking:
mlb.com/news/top-30-prospect-lists-midseason-ranki…
Only Orioles ranked higher in the division. Better than “middle of the pack”.
Baseball America has the Red Sox farm system ranked No. 11. Whether No. 9 or No. 11, they are closer to middle of the pack than top tier. I’ll concede the Red Sox farm is slightly better than middle of the pack. It is ultimately up to Chaim Bloom to decide when he thinks the farm system is where he wants it to be, not these rankings. By the way, I believe Nick Yorke and Jarren Duran have fallen out of the top 100, leaving Mayer at No. 8, Casas at No. 26 and Bello at No. 37.
Here is the link for 3 top 100 prospects:
nesn.com/2022/08/red-sox-have-three-players-in-mlb…
Jarren Duran probably graduated. True. But, Ceddanne Rafaela was added. So I believe its still at 4 in Top 100. IMO, Brayan Mata should be in there as well. He looks great since being promoted to Portland.
Just as my 5 players in Top 100 was a bit dated. So is that 11th rank at BA. It was ranked the second week of July, and several Red Sox prospects have been on a tear since then. So I feel the August ranking at MLB.com is more accurate. I don’t feel 9th place is middle of the pack. Its Top 10, and thats a step above teams in the middle. Not much more you could ask for considering 30th place it was in 3 years ago.
Ah, MLB’s top 100. Thought you meant BA’s. BA has 4 in top 100. Guess my 5 was a bit dated.
nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/four-red-sox-prospect…
It is definitely much improved. I’m not sure where Bloom wants to end up before he trys harder to compete. I think he won’t go all in on competing at the MLB level until he has a top tier farm in place. Just my guess. Rafaela may fall out of the top 100. He is no longer hitting the cover off the ball at AA.
From where they were when Dave Dombrowski left to where they are now being “closer to middle of the pack” is a lot better than being near the bottom
This is a big market. Tampa has yet to earn a ring. How are NESB ratings this season? I know I tune out as fast as I tune in because the team has been unwatchable. Henry spent big after 14 and 15. COVID has to be factored in but Bloom has to learn it’s a balancing act.
COVID affects every team the same way… I wouldn’t use that as an excuse.
Medocrity players in MINORS is part of it… but lack of drilling fundamentals is also a huge part of producing well rounded solid FUNDAMENTAL players who produce… playing games does not practice fundamentals… you play tye games as u drilled fundamentals…
Henry needs full reorganization of MINORS PHILOSOPHIES and practice regime… daily skills practices for pitchers and positions… defense, hitting, pitching all is developed by repetitions of those skills… just like basketball and football… its about constant practicing solid skills…
This seems to be Santana’s fate wherever he signs now.
Still better to have on your team than Aaron Hicks
Sox in 2023 without martinez,bogaerts.eovaldi, a questionable sale and possibly the last year of devers. 5th place in the East appears to be a !ock. Henry counting his profits and looking for a buyer.
seeing as how Martinez has hit for 0 power, Eovaldi has regressed back to the mean for what he was the only true loss of those is Boegarts and that’s assuming he doesn’t come back.
Eovaldi regressed? Eovaldi has always been a high three low four pitcher. Don’t let 2018 make you think any differently. He was overpaid and committed then. He’s been overall better than advertised but nowhere near the ace they put him in as.
Compared to last year that is. I never said he was an ace. He’s far from it. he’s a good great 3rd starter at his best and a number 4 starter in general. He regressed back to being a number 4 starter which hurt the team
Starlog 2019. Danny Santana is careering with an .850 OPS. with the Rangers. The Rangers are going nowhere. Jon Daniels refuses to trade Santana because he was to be a key contributor in the next contention window. Santana then produces a 500 OPS in 2020 and the contention window is, well, as far away as Jack Leiter’s command. 2 takeaways: 1.) winning in baseball isn’t luck – one idiot running an organization makes a difference. 2.) Jon Daniels is in the absolute perfect place today – at home on a recliner watching games on TV.
Seems like only a matter of time before Santana goes to the KBO