- Justin Turner was among the bigger acquisitions for the Red Sox this offseason, and the veteran seems to be progressing well after getting hit in the face with a pitch last week. Turner told reporters, including MLB.com’s Ian Browne, that he had his stitches removed today and is set to return to baseball activities ahead of the schedule provided by manager Alex Cora this past Wednesday. Turner, 38, is expected to primarily play DH for the Red Sox when he returns to action, which Turner expects to be as soon as Opening Day. The longtime Dodgers was a late bloomer, having his breakout season at age 29 in Los Angeles, but since then has been a stable bat with a well above average OPS of .866 in 1,075 games since the start of the 2014 season.
Red Sox Rumors
Quick Hits: Bautista, Stephenson, Casas
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde says that the club is hoping right-hander Félix Bautista can make his spring debut on Thursday. “He feels great, he feels totally healthy,” Hyde said, per Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
Bautista, 28 in June, has been slowed in camp so far by knee and shoulder issues but seems to be on track now. If he makes his debut on Thursday as planned, he will have two weeks to get into game shape prior to Opening Day.
That’s good news for the O’s, as Bautista had an excellent debut last year. He made 65 appearances with a 2.19 ERA, 34.8% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 42.9% ground ball rate. He worked his way up the Baltimore bullpen chart and eventually took over the closer’s role, earning 15 saves on the year.
Some other tidbits from around the majors…
- Pirates right-hander Robert Stephenson has been held back by some right arm discomfort and still hasn’t thrown to hitters, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. At this point, it seems like the best-case scenario is Stephenson getting into some game action at the end of Spring Training. That suggests that anything other than the best-case scenario would lead to Stephenson starting the season on the injured list. The 30-year-old has been inconsistent in recent years, posting a 3.76 ERA in 2019 followed by a ghastly 9.90 figure in 2020. He got that down to 3.13 in 2021 before wavering again last year. He had a 6.04 ERA with the Rockies in August when they put him on waivers. The Pirates claimed him and saw the righty get back in a good groove to finish the year, with a 3.38 ERA over 13 appearances, striking out 36% of batters faced against a 2% walk rate. That was impressive enough for the Bucs to hang on to Stephenson and tender him a contract, eventually agreeing to a $1.75MM salary for his final arbitration season. If the Pirates are out of contention this summer, Stephenson would likely be available at the deadline if he’s healthy and performing well since he’s an impending free agent.
- The Diamondbacks and Corbin Carroll came to an agreement yesterday on an eight-year, nine-figure extension. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the Red Sox are interested in exploring similar deals with their own young players but that nothing is imminent with Triston Casas. Carroll and Casas are in similar positions, as they were each highly touted prospects that debuted late last year. The Sox showed faith in Casas by releasing Eric Hosmer, effectively clearing the first base job for him after his 27-game debut. His batting average was just .197 in that time but he walked in 20% of his trips to the plate and his five home runs. A couple of months ago, he expressed his openness to extension talks but also said that none had taken place yet. If those discussions have begun in the interim, it doesn’t seem like much progress has been made. There’s not much urgency at the moment, as Casas is still under club control for six more years and won’t even qualify for arbitration until after the 2025 season.
Jesus Alou Passes Away
Former big league outfielder Jesús Alou passed away today at age 80, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN. The Dominican Republic native played parts of 15 seasons in the majors during the 1960’s and 70’s.
Alou was a member of one of baseball history’s most famous families. The younger brother of All-Stars Felipe Alou and Matty Alou, Jesús signed with the Giants headed into 1959. After three-plus seasons in the minors, Alou reached the majors during his age-21 campaign in 1963. That was a 16-game cameo but made history when he joined his brothers in the San Francisco outfield during Jesús Alou’s rookie year. While Felipe would find himself traded to Milwaukee the following offseason, Jesús and Matty Alou spent the next few seasons as teammates in San Francisco.
Jesús Alou saw fairly significant action by his second season. He’d top 100 games every year from 1964-71. Alou played in San Francisco through 1968, hitting .279/.301/.348 in 633 games in a Giant uniform. During the 1968-69 offseason, he went to the Expos as part of the expansion draft. Alou would never play a game in Montreal, however. A couple months after selecting him, the Expos dealt Alou with right-hander Jack Billingham and lefty reliever Skip Guinn to Houston for All-Star outfielder Rusty Staub.
Alou played with the Astros until midway through the 1973 season, when Houston sold his contract to the Athletics. He was a role player for Oakland’s World Series winning clubs in 1973 and ’74. While he only got into 132 combined games in green and gold, he picked up a pair of championship rings. Alou signed with the Mets for the ’75 season and returned to Houston late in the decade in a minor role. He played professionally in Mexico before retiring after the 1980 campaign.
In 1380 career big league contests, Alou hit .280/.305/.353. Never much of a power threat, he only connected on 32 home runs but he tallied 1216 hits and topped the double-digit mark in doubles in eight consecutive seasons. While he never achieved the lofty heights his brothers reached as players, he spent a decade and a half as a major leaguer and won a pair of World Series.
Alou’s baseball career also went well beyond his playing days. He spent some time on the Houston coaching staff and eventually transitioned into scouting roles with the Expos and Red Sox. He’d worked for the Boston organization since 2002 and eventually spent more than six decades in the game. MLBTR sends our condolences to Alou’s family, loved ones, friends and colleagues throughout the sport.
AL East Notes: Armstrong, Jones, Turner
Rays righty Shawn Armstrong won’t be ready for the start of the season, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Armstrong, who’s dealing with a neck injury, is “highly unlikely to be ready” for Opening Day, manager Kevin Cash tells Topkin. The team is still working to ascertain a more specific diagnosis.
Armstrong, 32, bounced between four teams from 2019-22 but twice found his way to the Rays and, in 2022, finally had the breakout showing of which several clubs clearly believed him to be capable. In 55 innings with Tampa Bay, he posted a solid 3.60 ERA with even more encouraging strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates of 26%, 6% and 49.7% — all of which are better than the league average. Armstrong’s heater sat at a career-best 95.6 mph with Tampa Bay in 2022, and his 12.3% swinging-strike rate, and 38% opponents’ chase rate both suggest he could have more strikeouts in the tank.
Armstrong was a lock to make the club, both based on last year’s performance and his lack of minor league options, so he’ll be placed on the Major League injured list at some point. Candidates to replace him in the big league bullpen to begin the season include righties Calvin Faucher and Rule 5 selection Kevin Kelly, both of whom are on the 40-man roster. Kelly would have to hold his spot on the MLB roster or be offered back to the Guardians upon clearing waivers. The Rays are expected to select the contract of non-roster righty Trevor Kelley later this month, and other non-roster veterans who’ll be vying for the open spot include Heath Hembree, Kyle Crick and Ryan Burr — among many others.
Some other notes from the division…
- The Rays are going to begin taking a look at shortstop prospect Greg Jones out in the outfield, tweets Topkin. The 2019 first-rounder has played exclusively at short in his minor league career to date, but the Rays place an emphasis on defensive versatility in all their players and the team has Wander Franco entrenched at shortstop. Jones, who was selected to the 40-man roster over the winter, ranked as the No. 91 prospect in baseball prior to the 2022 season, per MLB.com, but his stock dipped a bit with last year’s .238/.318/.392 showing in 358 Double-A plate appearances. Jones appeared in 79 games, but that was actually a career-high, as he’s been plagued by both shoulder and leg injuries in his young career. FanGraphs credits Jones with 80-grade speed, and Baseball America lauds his athleticism, writing that some scouts believe he can be a plus defender in center field. Adding some outfield work to his skill set will only create further opportunities for the 25-year-old switch-hitter to work his way onto the big league roster.
- The Red Sox got a scare earlier this week when infielder Justin Turner was hit in the face with a pitch. Though the scene was quite scary to look at, with a trainer holding a towel to Turner’s bloody face, it appears for now as though Turner has avoided any kind of nightmare scenario. Turner’s wife later reported that the slugger required 16 stitches but didn’t fracture anything. Manager Alex Cora provided an update today, relayed by Mike Monaco of NESN, saying that Turner will probably get those stitches removed in two weeks. With just over three weeks until Opening Day, there could be some time there for Turner to make it back on the field, but Cora says it’s too early to think about that. It’s possible Turner might still miss a bit of time, but given how gruesome the scene was to watch, a small absence would likely be considered a good outcome.
Mitch Moreland Announces Retirement
Twelve-year big league veteran Mitch Moreland didn’t play during the 2022 season, and the 37-year-old confirmed to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that his days as a player are now behind him. “I’m retired,” Moreland said, noting that he’s enjoyed being able to spend the past year-plus with his family. Bradford adds that Moreland is currently in Red Sox camp to work with some younger players after getting an invite from chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and manager Alex Cora.
Selected by the Rangers in the 17th round of the 2007 draft, Moreland was in the big leagues just over three years later, making a strong impression with a .255/.364/.469 slash and nine homers in 173 plate appearances as a rookie. That strong showing set the stage for a torrid postseason effort in which a then 24-year-old Moreland batted .348/.400/.500 with a homer and four doubles, helping Texas advance to the World Series, where they fell to the Giants in a 4-1 series loss.
From that point forth, Moreland was entrenched as a big leaguer. He logged regular time in each of the next 11 seasons, serving as a slick-fielding, righty-mashing slugger in the middle of the order for the Rangers, Red Sox and — more briefly — Padres and Athletics. Along the way, Moreland won a Gold Glove for his work at first base with the Rangers and secured an All-Star nod with the Red Sox, who signed him as a free agent prior to the 2017 season and twice re-signed him in free agency — first for two years (2018-19) and then for another one-year deal (2020).
The 2018 season was a big one for Moreland not only due to his All-Star selection but also from a big-picture standpoint; while Moreland’s Rangers fell shy in consecutive World Series appearances in 2010-11, he reached the Fall Classic for a third time with the ’18 Red Sox and this time captured the championship that had twice eluded him in the past. As with the 2010 Rangers, Moreland played a big role in the Red Sox’ postseason success that year, slashing .294/.368/.529 in 19 plate appearances. That included a pinch-hit, three-run bomb at Dodger Stadium in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the World Series — a blast that jumpstarted a late-inning rally which saw Boston score nine runs en route to a comeback victory (video).
The Red Sox wound up trading Moreland to the Padres for a pair of prospects (Hudson Potts, Jeisson Rosario) during the shortened 2020 season. He scuffled through a small sample of 73 plate appearances before again heating up in the postseason, where he went 4-for-8 with a double. Moreland inked a one-year deal with Oakland that offseason but was limited to 82 games by ribcage and wrist injuries.
That proved to be the final season of Moreland’s playing career, and while it may not have ended with a flourish, it’s easy to look back and see a successful career — particularly for a 17th-round pick. Moreland retires as a lifetime .251/.318/.446 hitter in the regular season. He slugged 186 home runs, 219 doubles and nine triples along the way, while piling up 1,020 hits, 527 runs scored and 618 runs batted in. As previously mentioned, he won a Gold Glove and was named to the American League All-Star team. Between his solid arbitration numbers and a quartet of free-agent contracts, Moreland made about $36MM in salary over the course of his 12 seasons in the Majors.
And, while many players go the majority of their career without sniffing the postseason, Moreland’s teams reached the playoffs in an incredible eight of his 12 big league seasons. He added on another 150 plate appearances over the life of 52 postseason games, batting .259/.329/.422 during that time. Congratulations to Moreland on a fine career, and best wishes in whatever lies ahead in his post-playing days.
Justin Turner Removed From Game After Being Hit In Face With Pitch
5:20 pm: Turner’s wife Kourtney took to Twitter to thank people for all the kinds words that were shared today. In the message, she relays that Turner had 16 stitches and a lot of swelling, but no fractures and clear scans.
2:10 pm: The Sox provided reporters an update on Turner, with Abraham among those to relay it (Twitter links). Turner is receiving treatment for soft tissue injuries and is being monitored for a concussion. The club also says he is stable, alert and in good spirits given the circumstances. More updates will follow after further testing.
1:50 pm: Red Sox infielder Justin Turner was removed from today’s spring game after being hit in the face with a pitch, per multiple reports. Turner was able to walk off the field but appeared to be bleeding quite a bit, with a trainer holding a towel to hiss face. Tom Caron of NESN was among those who shared video of the incident on Twitter, for those who aren’t squeamish and want to view the plate appearance in question. The severity of Turner’s injury isn’t known at this time but Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports that Turner was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
With so little info about the extent of Turner’s injuries, we can’t know what to expect in the near future in terms of an absence. It’s possible that there will be on-field implications for the club at some point, but for now, the primary concern will be his health. Turner has been in the majors for over a decade, is now in his fifth different organization and seems to be generally respected and beloved throughout the league. There will surely be dozens of people throughout the game holding their breath until more information is forthcoming.
Turner, 38, had been a mainstay of the Dodgers for many years. He broke out with that club in 2014 and was with them through last year. They could have retained him for 2023 via a $16MM club option but they went for the $2MM buyout instead. Turner became a free agent and garnered interest from the Marlins, Diamondbacks and Twins before signing with the Red Sox. The deal is officially for two years and $21.7MM, though with a complicated structure. He will make $8.3MM this season before deciding between a $13.4MM player option for 2024 and a $6.7MM buyout. There’s also $1MM in potential incentives available to him based on plate appearances, getting $200K for 480, 500, 520, 540 and 560.
Turner has primarily been a third baseman in his career but spent about half his time as the designated hitter for the Dodgers last year. The Red Sox have Rafael Devers at the hot corner and seemed likely to deploy Turner as a DH or perhaps spelling rookie Triston Casas at first base on occasion. Those plans may have to change if Turner is significantly hurt, though the Red Sox and Turner’s many friends throughout the game will be hoping that’s not the case.
Wilyer Abreu Out With Hamstring Strain
- Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, including Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, that outfielder Wilyer Abreu will “be out for a while” after he sustained a left hamstring strain. Abreu was not seen as likely to make the Opening Day roster given he has yet to play above the Double-A level in his big league career, but as a player on the 40-man roster, it’s possible he reaches the big leagues at some point this year once he manages to return to the field.
James Paxton Suffers Hamstring Strain, Unlikely To Make Opening Day Roster
Red Sox left-hander James Paxton suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain during his Spring Training outing yesterday, manager Alex Cora told reporters, including Ian Browne of MLB.com. Since Paxton will be shut down temporarily, it doesn’t appear as though the southpaw will be ready for Opening Day, though Cora is hopeful a larger injury has been averted.
“If we need imaging, we’ll do it. Right now, we don’t feel that way,” Cora said. “He’s going to fall behind a little bit here. But worst case scenario, you know, it’s actually a best case scenario. It doesn’t look that bad.”
A Grade 1 is the least-serious type of strain, so if Paxton did miss only a minimal amount of Grapefruit League prep while recovering, he might be back in action after a 15-day injured list placement and be on track for a mid-April debut. Of course, any type of injury is particularly notable in Paxton’s case given the long list of issues that have sidetracked his career, though the large majority of those past injuries were arm-related.
Since the start of the 2020 season, Paxton has only thrown only 21 2/3 big league innings — none of those with the Red Sox, despite signing with Boston over a year ago. Tommy John surgery was responsible for much of that layoff, but Paxton was also waylaid by a flexor strain in 2020, and then a lat strain set back Paxton’s rehab last season and kept him from getting on the mound whatsoever in 2022.
Paxton is entering the second season of what has turned out to be a two-year, $10MM deal with the Red Sox, albeit with a complicated set of steps to reach that total. The deal paid Paxton $6MM in 2022, and he then exercised a $4MM player option for 2023 after the Sox declined a pair of club options that would have paid the southpaw $13MM in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Naturally, Paxton’s absence in 2022 made it an easy call for the Red Sox to decline those club options (the team had to decide on both options simultaneously), and likewise it wasn’t a surprise that Paxton opted to lock in that $4MM after a season of such uncertainty.
Paxton’s hamstring strain creates another injury concern for a Red Sox pitching staff that has already run into issues with Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello. Whitlock has been limited to bullpen sessions as he recovers from hip surgery, though Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) yesterday that if Whitlock is indeed not ready to break camp with the Sox, “he’s not going to lose too much time….it’s not because he’s hurt or whatever. It’s just the progression of where we’re at, especially moving around.” Bello was temporarily shut down due to some forearm soreness early in camp, but the young righty has resumed throwing off a mound.
Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Corey Kluber now look like the only pitchers penciled into the Opening Day roster, with Tanner Houck as the logical candidate to step into one of the spots left open if Paxton and Whitlock are absent. However, Boston has a busy April schedule with only two off-days in the month, so a fifth starter will be needed if Paxton or Whitlock don’t make a quick recovery. This could open the door for Josh Winckowski to make some more starts in a fill-in capacity, or the Sox could opt for bullpen games or an opener/bulk pitcher tandem.
Latest On Red Sox’s Catching Situation
The Red Sox could soon be faced with a choice to make behind the plate. Boston catcher Connor Wong suffered a left hamstring strain in today’s Spring Training action, manager Alex Cora informed reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). The severity of the injury and a possible recovery timetable won’t be known until Wong undergoes further testing tomorrow, though Cora said the issue “doesn’t look great right now.”
If Wong requires a layoff that lingers into the regular season, Boston will have no choice but to make a roster move at the position by Opening Day. He and Reese McGuire are the only two backstops on the Sox’s 40-man roster. Obviously, the club isn’t going into a season with only one catcher. If Wong’s injury necessitates a season-opening injured list stint, they’ll have to select another player’s contract or acquire someone from outside the organization.
An internal promotion would be the more straightforward move. The Red Sox have a trio of non-roster catchers who were recently on a club’s 40-man. Veteran Jorge Alfaro signed a minor league pact with a Spring Training invitation in January after being non-tendered by the Padres at season’s end. Caleb Hamilton and one-time top prospect Ronaldo Hernández each occupied spots on the Boston 40-man at recent points but were outrighted off the roster this winter. Both players remain in the organization and are in camp after going unclaimed on waivers.
Alfaro would appear the likeliest of that trio to land a season-opening job. He’s by far the most experienced at the MLB level, having appeared in parts of seven campaigns. Alfaro was a regular backstop for a few years in Miami and has flashed intriguing power upside and arm strength throughout his professional career. That’s been undercut by huge strikeout totals and inconsistent marks as a receiver, leading him to need to reclaim a 40-man spot for the first time since the 2014-15 offseason. The 29-year-old owns a .256/.305/.396 line with 47 home runs but a lofty 34.1% strikeout rate in 478 career MLB games.
In addition to his greater experience than either Hamilton or Hernández, Alfaro would have more flexibility to explore opportunities elsewhere if the Sox don’t promote him this spring. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that Alfaro’s minor league deal contains an “upward mobility” clause that’d go into effect on March 25.
The Red Sox have until then to add him to their 40-man roster to supersede that clause. If they decline to do so, Alfaro would have to be made available to the league’s 29 other teams to determine whether any would devote him an immediate MLB spot. Should another team offer him a big league job, the Sox would have a 72-hour window to “match” that by promoting him themselves or allow him to leave the organization. If no other team is willing to offer Alfaro a big league job, he’d remain with the Red Sox as a non-roster player into the season. He’d have opportunities to opt out of his deal on June 1 and July 1 to test free agency if he’s still not in the majors.
Alfaro has over five years of major league service time. That gives him the right to refuse any optional assignment to the minor leagues. That essentially means that if he secures a 40-man roster spot, he’d have to stick in the majors or be designated for assignment.
Hamilton and Hernández don’t have any contractual leverage to force a call-up. Both players will start the year at Triple-A Worcester if they’re not added to the 40-man. Hamilton made a brief MLB debut with the Twins last season after hitting .233/.367/.442 over 62 games for their top affiliate in St. Paul. The 25-year-old Hernández has still yet to play in the majors and has seen his former prospect shine wear as he’s gotten to the upper minors. He’s coming off a .261/.297/.451 showing with 17 longballs in 105 games for the WooSox.
The Red Sox’s Catching Question
For the first time in a half-decade, the Red Sox enter a season with questions about who’ll take the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate. Christian Vázquez has been their Opening Day starter in each of the last five years. His trade to Houston at last summer’s deadline and subsequent three-year free agent signing with the Twins ensures Boston will have to find a new solution in 2023.
The Sox currently have just two catchers on their 40-man roster. Boston brought in Reese McGuire in a trade with the White Sox just hours after shipping Vázquez out last August. The former first-round draftee finished the season well, hitting .337/.377/.500 with a trio of home runs in 36 games with Boston. It was an excellent first impression for the 27-year-old (28 tomorrow) but an outlier in the broader context of his career. In 566 plate appearances between the Blue Jays and White Sox prior to the trade, McGuire had hit .241/.286/.359 with only nine longballs.
McGuire hasn’t had many consistent opportunities to get into a groove against MLB pitching. Before last season, he’d never appeared in even half a team’s games. He’s generally had a strong defensive reputation, though. McGuire has rated as an above-average pitch framer in each of the past two seasons, per Statcast. In just under 1600 career innings behind the dish, he’s thrown out a very strong 31.4% of would-be basestealers.
Connor Wong looks like the early favorite to split time with McGuire at Fenway Park. The other catcher on the 40-man, he’s only played in 33 big league games over the past two seasons. Part of the Mookie Betts trade return from the Dodgers, the 26-year-old Wong has put up an impressive .276/.327/.471 line in 131 games for Triple-A Worcester. That included a particularly strong .288/.349/.489 showing with 15 homers across 355 plate appearances for the WooSox last season.
There’s reason for optimism regarding both McGuire and Wong, though there’s obvious risk in relying on either as a regular considering neither have proven themselves over a full season against MLB competition. McGuire hits left-handed and Wong swings from the right side. That’d seemingly raise the possibility of mixing and matching based on pitcher handedness, though manager Alex Cora pushed back against that this afternoon. “It’s not a strict platoon situation,” Cora said (link via Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe). “Wong can hit righties, too, and Reese can hit lefties. We’ll see how we do it. We’ll see what the roster is and we’ll make decisions.”
The Sox shied away from any significant catching additions this offseason. Boston didn’t add anyone on a major league free agent deal or via trade. Former Marlin and Padre Jorge Alfaro was brought aboard via non-roster pact. Alfaro brings some more experience to camp and looks like the top depth option in the organization. That he was limited to minor league offers this winter hints at the strikeout and defensive questions that have dogged him throughout his career. Alfaro is a .256/.305/.396 hitter with a 34.1% strikeout rate in parts of seven MLB campaigns. He has excellent arm strength but typically posts below-average marks as a receiver.
Former top prospect Ronaldo Hernández and Caleb Hamilton, claimed off waivers from the Twins at the start of the offseason, are also in the organization as non-roster players. Each has upper level experience but has gone unclaimed on waivers this winter and seems clearly behind McGuire and Wong on the roster.
It’s possible Boston looks to augment the catching depth before Opening Day, perhaps by targeting a veteran currently on a minor league deal elsewhere but who doesn’t crack an MLB roster. The Guardians, as one example, have each of Cam Gallagher, Meibrys Viloria and Zack Collins on non-roster pacts battling for a backup job this spring. Gary Sánchez is the top remaining free agent catcher. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported last week the Red Sox hadn’t had any contact with their longtime division rival.
