Right-hander Kyle Barraclough has cleared waivers, and the Red Sox have sent the veteran pitcher outright to Triple-A Worcester. Barraclough has enough service time to reject the outright assignment, although it’s unclear if he plans to do so; the Triple-A season is already finished, and he’ll have the option to elect free agency in the offseason either way.
After parts of ten seasons spent with the Cardinals, Marlins, Nationals, Giants, Padres, Yankees, Twins, and Angels organizations, the righty began his 2023 campaign with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League. However, he pitched well enough in seven games with the Rockers to earn a minor league deal from the Red Sox in June.
Across 14 games (13 starts) with Worcester, Barraclough pitched to a 3.65 ERA, although his 14.8% walk rate was cause for concern. He earned a couple of brief call-ups to the MLB squad in August, pitching in a total of three games. Things went perfectly fine in his first two appearances, but he struggled tremendously in his third and final big league outing of the season, giving up 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Unfortunately, Barraclough carried his struggles with him to the minors after that, giving up 15 runs in four September starts. He was designated for assignment on Sunday when the Red Sox reinstated Zack Kelly from the 60-day IL. The 33-year-old will presumably look for another minor league contract this winter.
His horrendous line this season has a lot to do with Cora serving him up on a silver platter. He’s not great, but not as bad as the numbers look either.
Many servicable pitchers turn in a clunker once in a while, but few are hung out to dry the way Cora did.
Advanced age and that shelling make you think other offers might be less forthcoming and the Sox are pitching starved at the upper level and MLB club right now. But, as a player evaluating my options, being hung out to dry like that would leave a bad taste in my mouth that might encourage me to look elsewhere for another minor league offer thus offseason.
GASox – The night of that game I wrote a long post detailing how fishy Cora’s decision was. There were so many options he could have turned to … and it wasn’t a mop-up situation, the Sox were in the lead and still kinda fighting for a playoff spot.
Many theories came out, one being that Cora knew Bloom was on very thin ice and Cora wanted to put another nail in Bloom’s coffin because it was widely believed since last year that the two didn’t get along and they each knew one or the other would be gone after this season. So Cora not only wanted to lose that game, he wanted it to be a humiliating loss. Wouldn’t be the first time he had a devious plan, now would it?
Right now I’m having an honest to goodness chemo-fog in my brain.
Cora took a hit in the astros scandal because he was in a position of some authority, AND, because he wasn’t a player. The players involved (ahem, beltran) didn’t take a proper hit due to the power and protection of the MLBPA, although, Beltran was sufficiently tarnished he lost his Mets gig and hasn’t really popped back up yet.
Beltran was also supposedly the only person listed by name in MLB’s report. Others got pulled in under knew, should’ve known, didn’t report, or didn’t do enough to stop.
I can’t remember a trustworthy dive into what Cora’s total complicity was, and, I tend not to take him at his ‘word’… how close has anyone really figured out his level of involvement in the more dubious things? Knowing it’s going to be circumstantial evidence at best most likely….
GA, I’m sorry to hear about your chemo-brain. I wish you the best in health outcomes & a sterling prognosis. You’re one of the top notch primo straight shooters & rationally minded on this site and appreciate your posts so much. In regards to Cora, I’ve heard reports on here that he actually was caught gloating and/or bragging to RS folks about the stunts he helped orchestrate in Houston?? Never have been impressed with this guy, and was really surprised to see so much support come out for him when Bloom got axed. (Saw it more at the Athletic than here I think.) But jeebus pete the Sox have got to move on from this guy already!!! Take care…
Beltran was also supposedly the only person listed by name in MLB’s report.
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From what I read, Beltran brought over certain practices from the NYY. That’s what started the whole thing. But this is like the mob. You need lower level guys to talk, so you give them immunity.
And they wanted the upper-level guys, and I think that was appropriate. The players walk and the manager and FO take the hit.
But more importantly, how is the chemo thing going?
Rough not having the energy certain days to do the things you set out to do, used to do, but now can’t always do.
Other than that, and some excessive weight loss, tolerable I guess. Little bit of an off-sequence heart rhythm starting up, but, it’s functional. And, of course, times you just really can’t remember certain things. At least that comes and goes, isn’t every day.
Made a trip up north, have had a few wasted days just mostly sleeping in hotels instead of being out and about like I want, or only being out 2 or 3 hours before crashing. Other than that, things march onwards.
Actually hoping UMass Worcester finds an opening for me to check in with their specialist while we’re in the area
GASox – MLB determined Cora helped mastermind the scandal. He was a key part of the scandal, if not the biggest.
“Witnesses told MLB that the sign-stealing was largely player-driven and that Cora was the only non-player staff member who had involvement in the scheme, though it was made clear to MLB that other personnel in the dugout would have heard or seen the banging.
“Cora was involved in developing both the banging scheme and utilizing the replay review room to decode and transmit signs. Cora participated in both schemes, and through his active participation, implicitly condoned the players’ conduct,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred wrote in the report.
I have no issue with the players not being punished, because their cooperation was vital in the investigation.
In other words, to land the big fish you have to protect the little fish.
Ignorant – In the book “Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess” by Evan Drellich he details witnesses confirming Cora bragged to the 2018 Red Sox about the cheating.
“We stole that effing World Series” were Cora’s exact words.
Just think, he was so arrogant that he didn’t JUST admit cheating his way to the 2017 championship …. he bragged about it to one of the very same group of players that he cheated AGAINST.
That’s why Cora is a total POS and his insisting it was one “mistake” is disgusting.
GASox – I’m still keeping you in my prayers, you’ve got this.
How long you in Mass?
And how was the Big E? Did you see the circus, walk the state buildings, and try any of the exotic foods there? It’s amazing what they fry! I’m perfectly content with my fried dough, some of the food like the hamburger in between two doughnuts is just nasty. LOL
Whelp, it’s undecided. Original plan had me headed back south on the morning of the 1st, to kick off a new round of echocardiogram/bloodwork/etc on the 2nd-4th. BUT, UMass called this afternoon and supposedly was getting a referral in, which, depending on their availability, we may punt on some of the testing to get into the specialist if it meant sticking out an extra 3 or 4 days. If it’s 2 weeks or more we just head back and I’ll fly back for it.
Either way we’ll be seeing dire straits legacy tomorrow night, has former touring members of the band back together. Should be good. Saw fogerty/CCW and BTO earlier on. The ox draws and draft horses were good this year. As for the buildings, all the rest, yep. Good times. We’ve gotten to be fairly well acquainted with many of the blacksmiths, but especially the master blacksmith, for the storrowtown village.
But you’re right, some of the food items they have are just weird to downright nasty. Like a cone, with cornbread in the bottom, then baked beans, then mashed potato, then topped with pulled pork, and covered in a scoop of coleslaw and a cherry tomato on top.
Who comes up with that stuff, and, how nasty would it be getting as you ate your way to the bottom?
GASox – How would you feel if G38 did to you what he did to the Wakefields? That guy just craves attention, what an awful horrible thing to do. I pray the Wakefields both get through this, Tim is just a few months older than I.
Many servicable pitchers turn in a clunker once in a while, but few are hung out to dry the way Cora did.
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Such is the life of a minor league journeyman. They always take the hit, and that’s how it should be.
I remember when Valentine left Lester out there to be crushed. It was probably the only thing I ever agree with Valentine on. If you don’t want to be embarrassed, then you have to pitch better.
Joe – I have never forgotten when Lester got left in to take his lumps, but I don’t remember much about it. I think it depends on the reason for being left in. Sometimes it’s to force the pitcher to figure things out.
But what Cora did had more to do with Bloom than BearClaw.
So evidently the Red Sox have -completely- checked out. They can’t even muster themselves enough to even attempt to play some sort of spoiler role. If they were playing one of the Mariners rivals right now, I would even be more pissed. Even the Angels could show enough life to beat the Rangers for us last night, that was a big help , and I hope they can do it again tonight. But Cora should be embarrassed for basically laying down with the white flag and surrendering when there was a week of games left to play. Show some pride Red Sox, jeebus pete!!!!
This late in the season, what’s the point?
Fodder for the masses.
You still need to sort the roster out, and, ideally you want to see how someone has mended up to make offseason plans.
To open a 40-man roster spot for Zack Kelly who was on the 60-day DL.