the boston red sox friday, december 13, 2019 * the...
TRANSCRIPT
The Boston Red Sox Friday, December 13, 2019
* The Boston Globe
As Winter Meetings wrap up, Red Sox add lefthanded pitcher and a pair of infielders
Julian McWilliams
The Red Sox signed free agent lefthander Martin Perez on Thursday.
The 6-foot, 200-pounder spent seven years with the Rangers, and last year with the Twins. The 28-year-old
has a career record of 53-56 with a 4.72 ERA. Last season, he went 10-7 with a 5.12 ERA.
Perez agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with a club option for 2021 at $6.25 million.
Infielders added
Baseball is in an age of versatility.
The more positions you play, the more valuable you are to your club. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom
reiterated that over the course of Winter Meetings, and the Red Sox put their words into action Thursday
afternoon.
First, they plucked utility infielder Jonathan Arauz from the Houston Astros’ Triple A Round Rock affiliate
in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Then the team signed Jose Peraza to a one-year deal worth
$3 million and incentives.
The Reds recently non-tendered Peraza. He hit just .239 with Cincinnati last season in 403 plate
appearances and doesn’t get on base much (just a career .312 OBP). His 2018 campaign, however, was a
good one. Peraza hit .288 in 683 plate appearances to go along with 14 homers. More importantly, he
brings that infield versatility — even playing some outfield. Peraza is also just 25 years old and is
controllable through the end of 2022 season, which makes it easier for the Sox to part ways with Brock
Holt, who is a 31-year-old free agent and will have a solid market.
As for Arauz, he’s less proven and hasn’t produced much in the minors. He hit just .249 between Advanced
A and Double A last season with 11 homers, but he’s another depth piece and he’s just 21 years old.
“He came to us highly recommended from our scouts and our analysts,” said vice president of pro scouting
Gus Quattlebaum. “Younger guy, switch-hitter, versatile glove. He has some work to do physically to get
stronger but we like his bat-to-ball skills. We’re excited to give him an opportunity to compete for a utility
infield position.”
The Red Sox also took righthanders Raynel Espinal from the New York Yankees’ Double A Trenton
affiliate and Jose Espada from the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double A New Hampshire affiliate, in the Triple A
phase of the draft.
Espinal, 28, had a 4.32 ERA last season in 75 innings.
“Espinal is an older guy,” Quattlebaum said. “He’s recovering from Tommy John surgery. We came away
comfortable with what we saw in the medical review. We’re hopeful that he can come back, I would say
mid-summer. [He has] a power arm.”
The team believes Espinal has some starter upside.
Espada missed time last year with an elbow sprain, pitching in just 11⅔ innings. He’s 22, and like Espinal,
Quattlebaum said Espada also has a power arm.
“We like the fastball-slider combo,” Quattlebaum added. “We figured it was worth a shot.”
Remaining quiet
It was a relatively quiet Winter Meetings for the Red Sox other than the small transactions that took place
Thursday. Bloom said the team wouldn’t take a reactionary approach to any of the other moves being
made, and they didn’t — not even Gerrit Cole’s move to the Yankees.
This Winter Meetings for the Sox was more about starting the dialogue for moves to come before the 2020
season, as well as laying the foundation for future transactions.
“I think we did have a productive week,” Bloom said. “We were able to get pretty involved in
conversations that helped us flesh out our options and potentially some new options for us to look at. A lot
of these things are moving targets, but we feel pretty good about the conversations.
Song update
Vice president of player development Ben Crockett said Noah Song, a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft,
was assigned back to the Naval Academy and is awaiting word on whether he’ll go to flight training or be
given a waiver to pursue a baseball career. The righthander had a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings for short-season
Lowell last summer.
Red Sox stayed on sidelines, but Winter Meetings delivered big news
Peter Abraham
SAN DIEGO — The annual Rule 5 Draft, which wraps up the Winter Meetings, is a study on how to dress
comfortably for air travel without looking like a slob.
Baseball executives in their finest quarter-zip pullovers and sneakers masquerading as dress shoes gathered
in a Grand Hyatt ballroom to chat one final time before fleeing for the nearby airport as soon as the draft is
complete.
Unlike recent years, the exodus this time followed some actual accomplishments.
Fourteen of the top 20 free agents as determined by the indispensable MLB Trade Rumors website have
already signed. That group includes Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, and Zack Wheeler.
Agent Scott Boras, once notorious for working at a slow pace, is closing in on $1 billion worth of deals this
month alone after getting Cole, Rendon, Strasburg, and Mike Moustakas signed.
Boras can now turn to finding teams for Nicholas Castellanos, Dallas Keuchel, and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
“These Winter Meetings were the fast and furious,” Boras said.
This weekend could bring more action as Rendon signing with the Angels has clarified the market for third
baseman Josh Donaldson.
The Rangers have backed off Donaldson, but the Nationals, two sources said, see him as a lower-cost
alternative to Rendon who can still provide substantial lineup punch. The Braves could make a move to
bring Donaldson back, too.
Texas, which wants to build a contender as it moves into a new ballpark, is focused on Castellanos and
rotation upgrades.
With Cole, Strasburg, and Wheeler no longer available, Madison Bumgarner is the best free agent starter
remaining. He is seeking $100 million, which seemed outlandish a few days ago but not as much now after
Cole landed a $324 million deal with the Yankees.
The Twins, Dodgers, and Reds are possibilities for Bumgarner, who does not want to drag out the process.
The word is out this winter — don’t wait around.
The trades made in recent days have involved mostly helpful players, not stars. The White Sox got Nomar
Mazara from the Rangers. Jake Marisnick went to the Mets, who could regret they didn’t try harder for
Jackie Bradley Jr. Omar Narvaez is Milwaukee’s new catcher.
The big names are coming. Kris Bryant, Corey Kluber, Josh Hader, Francisco Lindor, and David Price
were among the players discussed in trade talks within the suites of the Hyatt.
This is good for baseball on several fronts. The slow-paced offseasons the last two winters infuriated fans,
especially when compared to how quickly the NBA and NFL work in their offseasons.
Transactions can be entertainment and promotion, and baseball finally got in on that action this week.
What seems like a reinvestment in free agency by teams also bodes well for the sport. Moustakas, who
settled for a one-year, $7 million deal with the Brewers last season, landed four years and $64 million from
the Reds.
Rick Porcello, coming off the worst season of his career with the Red Sox, was able to get a one-year, $10
million deal with the Mets.
Brett Gardner very much wanted to return to the Yankees, but they didn’t turn that leverage against him.
He has a one-year, $12.5 million contract at age 36.
Blake Treinen was non-tendered by the Athletics, who didn’t want to pay him $7.5 million. The Dodgers
signed him for $10 million and several other teams offered roughly the same.
Drew Pomeranz, Kyle Gibson, and Tanner Roark also did better than expected.
The Red Sox got involved on Thursday, signing lefthander Martin Perez for one year and $6 million, and
utility player Jose Peraza for one year and $3 million plus incentives.
The signing of Perez could be a step toward trading David Price to clear at least some of his salary off the
payroll.
The Sox also took 21-year-old infielder Jonathan Arauz in the Rule 5 Draft. He’ll compete for a job in
spring training.
Perez has a 5.49 ERA the last two seasons; Peraza was non-tendered by the Reds and Arauz was left
unprotected by the Astros. These are not exciting moves, but that’s where the Red Sox are as Chaim Bloom
works to bring their payroll under control.
Perhaps the most positive news of this week for the Red Sox was the complete absence of Mookie Betts in
trade rumors. The Sox appear determined to hold on to Betts and continue trying to sign him to a long-term
deal.
“It’s a non-starter with [Betts] right now,” one assistant GM said.
Any extension for Betts would almost certainly have to start with the 2021 season; otherwise the Sox would
sail over the luxury tax threshold again next season. So this will be a drawn-out process.
But it beats the alternative of letting their best player get away without a better fight.
Once Bloom wrestles the payroll down, the Sox can get back in the headlines at the Winter Meetings next
year in Dallas.
Why this could be the worst Red Sox offseason ever
Dan Shaughnessy
Pardon me while I heave into my official, team-sponsored 2020 Red Sox barf bag.
I have been following the Sox since 1962 and never found a Red Sox offseason more odious. Granted, it’s
still early, but this has potential to be the worst Sox winter of all time. Four days of Big Nothing at the
Winter Meetings only fortifies the financial teardown and impending Bridge Year that awaits.
This offseason narrative stinks. In the old days, we talked about ballplayers as trading cards. It was exciting
if the Sox dealt Don Schwall for Dick Stuart, or Al Nipper and Calvin Schiraldi for Lee Smith. We got
fired up about the Local Nine acquiring Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling, and Chris Sale in
offseason blockbuster signings/deals.
Today? We have the skull-imploding story line of “creative” team building and a “cost-efficient” roster.
A team could not try any harder to kill fan interest in the market.
Please, make it stop. This is not why we got into sports. This is not what the hot stove season is supposed to
be. This is bean-counting, nerd-indulging Geeks Gone Wild.
The Yankees sign Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324 million contract, and the Red Sox answer with more
pledges to lop $35 million from their payroll.
Whee!
The Sox finished 19 games behind the Yankees in 2019. New York just signed the best pitcher in baseball
to a $324 million deal and we’re supposed to be celebrating because Chaim Bloom trimmed Sandy Leon’s
$2 million from the payroll.
Seriously. The Red Sox are asking you to cheer for careful management of the luxury-tax threshold by a
young baseball boss who learned from the masters of cheap: the vaunted Tampa Bay Rays.
It’s just so dry and rational. And it has nothing to do with acquiring talented stars. Fans are asked to root for
the Sox to find cheap nuggets at the bottom of the talent pool. We are told that it will be a good thing if the
Sox can dump David Price and get someone to take Andrew Benintendi off their hands to sweeten the
hardship of assuming Price’s contract.
I hate it. This is not a hot stove winter. This is a hot air winter. And I’m not buying.
Day after day. Luxury-tax threshold. The Red Sox’ stated goal is to get from $243.5 million to $208
million. That means shedding Mookie Betts or J.D. Martinez, and probably a starting pitcher. Which does
not make the team better for 2020.
I’ve never seen a Boston team work harder to get fans behind a cost-cutting program. Imagine if the Bruins
tried this? The Patriots?
I read that getting under the luxury-tax threshold could save the ball club $90 million-$100 million over a
three-year period when revenue sharing is factored into the equation. Swell. When did fans start worrying
about ownership’s revenue-sharing ratios?
We understand the reality of the situation. Competitive penalties connected with being over the threshold
are a serious matter and impact the product on the field. Unfortunately, it’s become virtually impossible to
comprehend the potential punishments if the Sox don’t pare enough payroll.
The Globe’s Alex Speier, our own Stat Masterson, wrote a very fine explanation of the consequences
earlier this week, and it made my hair hurt. There were passages about slow threshold growth, higher taxes,
draft/international signing penalties, lowered compensation for losing free agents (Betts, for example), draft
pick penalties, and the dreaded revenue sharing.
Speier explained, “If the Sox go past the luxury-tax threshold in 2020 with Mookie Betts on the roster,
watch Betts leave in free agency after the season, and to sign [for instance] fellow free agent George
Springer to replace him, the team would have to give up a second- and fifth-round pick while also losing $1
million in international bonus pool money to add Springer. If the Sox wanted to sign Springer after staying
below the threshold in 2020, their penalty would be a second-round pick and $500,000 in international pool
money.’’
Thanks, Alex. Anybody out there still following?
Me neither.
Like the late Lou Gorman, it just makes me want to give up and have lunch.
The rules are the rules, of course, and the Sox are smart to hire a young guy who can work within those
rules. But let’s not forget that Sox owners last winter helped put themselves in this horrible bind by
agreeing to reckless handouts to World Series heroes Sale (6-11 in 2019), Nathan Eovaldi (2-1 in 2019),
and Steve Pearce (.180, one homer in 2019). Blame Dave Dombrowski if you want. John Henry agreed to
it.
So now we talk about slow threshold growth instead of trading Manny for A-Rod, and Nomar to the White
Sox for Magglio Ordonez.
That was fun.
This is Algebra 2 homework.
* The Boston Herald
Five Red Sox takeaways from Winter Meetings
Steve Hewitt
SAN DIEGO — This year’s Winter Meetings will be remembered for a long time.
In the matter of three days in San Diego, baseball put the heat back in the hot stove, with one of the most
active and fun Winter Meetings in recent memory. It was Stephen Strasburg signing a record pitching deal
with the Nationals on Monday, Gerrit Cole breaking it in a day with the Yankees, before Anthony Rendon
topped it with his own monster contract with the Angels on Wednesday.
Three days, three players, $814 million in contracts, not to mention all of the other activity in between. If
baseball suffered from slow offseasons before, this was the opposite. The winter began with a big bang.
But for the Red Sox, it was a big bore.
There’s a lot on new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom’s plate as he works to get up to speed with his
new team while weighing some big roster-building decisions for 2020 and beyond. But all was quiet on the
Red Sox front as he and the rest of his staff came and went on the West Coast this week.
This certainly won’t be a memorable Winter Meetings for the Red Sox, who didn’t make any blockbuster
moves. But that doesn’t mean nothing progressed that will pave the way for what ultimately happens for
them this offseason. Here are some things we learned in San Diego this week:
— David Price emerged as a trade target.
Bloom said it himself on Wednesday: The story of the week was pitching. It’s really been the whole
offseason so far, with the likes of Zack Wheeler, Cole Hamels and Will Smith going for big pay days in
addition to Strasburg and Cole.
With high-impact options dwindling on the open market, that means teams are targeting David Price via
trade, with the Angels, Cardinals, White Sox, Reds and Padres reportedly in the mix. The three years and
$96 million remaining on his contract suddenly doesn’t look that bad — even for an injury-plagued 34-
year-old. As the Red Sox continue to exhaust their options in their goal of shedding payroll under the
competitive balance tax, finding the right deal with a suitor who will even eat a portion of Price’s
remaining salary will likely be a deal worth doing.
— No one knows what Mookie Betts’ future holds, still.
Though Bloom said he’s communicated with Mookie Betts consistently since he arrived in Boston, there’s
still no real clarity on what’s going to happen with the star right-fielder over the next year. A trade this
offseason seems increasingly unlikely, and talks about a contract extension have still been nothing more
than talks. But Bloom doesn’t seem to be too worried about it.
“Obviously the more you know about the total picture of your club, the better off you are, but I don’t think
it’s having a great bearing for us on a lot of the other discussions we’re having,” Bloom said.
— Red Sox are open-minded to how their bullpen looks next year.
Some of the Red Sox’ relief pitchers emerged late last year — most notably Brandon Workman — but it
remains to be seen what the bullpen will look like in 2020.
The Red Sox lacked a closer and depth in their bullpen going into last year, and the likelihood is Bloom
doesn’t fall victim to the same mistakes as his predecessor in neglecting their relief pitching, which needs
to improve. Most of the bullpen is coming back with Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor, who both
emerged as rookies, figuring to play big roles, and they could certainly use another arm or two.
“I think it’s too early to say for sure,” Red Sox GM Brian O’Halloran said. “We like the guys that we have
coming back and we know that a number of them can pitch in different roles or not having a defined role. I
think once we sort of get towards spring training and get our roster, and specifically our bullpen mix kind
of identified or at least what it could potentially look like, I think it will be easier to answer that question
but I think we’re open minded how that shakes out.”
— The right side of the infield remains a mystery, but the Red Sox have plenty of options.
Shortstop and third base are set in Boston for the foreseeable future. But it’s a total guess who will play at
first and second base next season.
Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce are unlikely to come back, meaning Michael Chavis, Bobby Dalbec and
Sam Travis will likely compete for the first base job. Bloom said they could go forward at that position
with their internal options, but it’s uncertain if they will. Either way, it seems that the offensive-minded
Dalbec will be a part of their plans next season.
“It’s a guy that we do believe controls the strike zone,” manager Alex Cora said. “Obviously, there are
going to be swings and misses, we know that. I do believe he doesn’t chase as much as people think and he
can have an impact sooner or later for us.”
Second base is more of a logjam, and with Brock Holt becoming increasingly unlikely to return, the Sox
are adding as many options as they can. They added Jonathan Arauz through the Rule 5 draft, and
reportedly signed Jose Peraza on Thursday. Chavis, Marco Hernandez and Dustin Pedroia round out the
other candidates in what will be an interesting competition at the position.
— Bloom seems more comfortable.
That seems obvious given he’s had more time in his new role, but it was apparent how much more at ease
he seemed this week during his two press availabilities. But he did admit he’s nowhere close to knowing
everything he needs to know.
“Some of these dynamics take a very long time to understand,” Bloom said. “I’ve tried to get up to speed as
quickly as possible. Certainly there’s going to be a lot to learn over the course of even the entire first year
and then beyond.”
Still, it’s notable that the transition, thus far, has seemed smooth. And he seems to be gelling great with his
new front office teammates, notably his sidekick O’Halloran. The two were extremely loose during their
joint availability on Monday and looked to be on the same page. It remains to be seen, of course, how that
continues to translate, but so far, Bloom seems to be a good fit.
Reports: Red Sox sign utility infielder Jose Peraza to one-year deal
Steve Hewitt
There seems to be a competition brewing at second base for the Red Sox.
The Sox made their first free-agent signing on Thursday, coming to an agreement with utility infielder Jose
Peraza, according to multiple reports. The one-year deal is worth close to $3 million in addition to
incentives, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
The 25-year-old Peraza was once considered a top prospect but hasn’t lived up to lofty expectations in his
first three big-league seasons. The Cincinnati Reds non-tendered him last week.
Peraza has versatility defensively, having played shortstop, second base and even outfield with the Reds but
will likely compete for a job with the Sox at second base, where they have no set starter going into 2020.
Brock Holt seems unlikely to return as the Sox have piled up options for the position. Candidates include
Peraza, Marco Hernandez, Michael Chavis, Jonathan Arauz, who they picked in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft.
Dustin Pedroia is also still trying to make a comeback.
At just $3 million, Peraza seems like a low-risk, high-reward option given his potential. He was once
ranked the Braves’ top prospect and was named the Braves’ minor league player of the year in 2014. They
traded him to the DOdgers in 2015, when he played in just seven games before being traded to the Reds.
Peraza showed flashes of potential over four years with the Reds, batting .288 with 14 homers, 31 doubles
and 58 RBI in 2018. But he regressed offensively in 2019, and he’s still improving defensively.
Red Sox select utility infielder Jonathan Arauz in Rule 5 draft
Steve Hewitt
SAN DIEGO — With some uncertainty facing the right side of their infield, the Red Sox selected utility
infielder Jonathan Arauz from the Houston Astros during the major-league portion of Thursday’s Rule 5
draft.
Arauz, a 21-year-old switch hitter who hit .249 with a .707 OPS, 11 homers and 22 doubles in 115 games
between High-A and Double-A last season, will be added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster, which now has 37
players. The Sox like his versatility on defense. He’s played mostly shortstop but can also play second and
third base.
“We think we can bounce him all around the infield,” said Red Sox vice president of professional scouting
Gus Quattlebaum. “Has some work to do physically to get stronger, but we like his bat-to-ball skills, can
use the field, so we’re excited to give him an opportunity to compete for a utility infield position.”
Arauz is the first player the Red Sox have selected in the Rule 5 draft since shortstop Josh Rutledge in
2016. They paid $100,000 to draft Arauz.
With no set starter at second base right now, Arauz can try to make a case to stick around.
“We had some questions on the right side of our infield and we’re looking for the most versatile athletes we
can bring in to the organization,” Quattlebaum said. “We have other guys internally that we believe in as
well, but we think he can come in and compete.”
The Red Sox also selected a pair of players during the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft — right-
handed pitchers Raynel Espinal from the Yankees and Jose Espada from the Blue Jays. Both will likely
head to Pawtucket.
Espinal, a 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic, had Tommy John surgery in July and Quattlebaum is
hopeful he can return by the middle of the summer. They see him as a starter.
“We came away comfortable with what we saw in the medical review,” Quattlebaum said. “Power arm,
chance to start. Wouldn’t draw it up as the most cosmetic of deliveries, but our scouts and our analysts feel
that he has some starter upside.”
Espada, a 22-year-old from Puerto Rico, missed some time with an elbow sprain last year, but the Red Sox
also like his upside.
“It’s a big arm, we like the fastball-slider combo and figured it was worth a shot,” Quattlebaum said.
The Red Sox did not lose any of their players to other teams in the Rule 5 draft.
* The Providence Journal
Red Sox sign left-handed pitcher Martin Perez
Bill Koch
The Red Sox have added what could be a member of their starting rotation in each of the next two seasons.
Left-hander Martin Perez agreed to a one-year deal with Boston late Thursday night, and a club option
could take the 28-year-old through the 2021 season. MLB.com reported the deal is worth $6 million in
2020 with an option for $6.25 million. Perez made 29 starts with the Twins in 2019, pitching to a 5.12
earned-run average and a 1.52 WHIP.
Perez threw harder last season than at any other point in his career, averaging 94.1 mph on his fastball. He
also shelved his slider in favor of a cut-fastball, a pitch he delivered 30.8% of the time. Perez averaged 7.35
strikeouts per nine innings, a significant rise from the 5.48 he posted with the Rangers in 2018.
Perez was an international free agent from Venezuela signed by the Rangers in 2007. He debuted with
Texas in 2012 and went 10-6 with a 3.62 ERA in 20 starts the following season. Perez had a contract option
bought out by the Rangers in 2018 and another bought out by Minnesota following 2019.
Chris Sale, David Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez remain under contract for the Red Sox
into 2020. Rick Porcello signed a one-year deal with the Mets in free agency on Thursday, accepting a pay
cut to $10 million. He posted a career-worst 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last season.
Perez was the winning pitcher in what turned out to be one of the most damaging Boston defeats of 2019.
Rafael Devers was thrown out at the plate to end the game in a 2-1 loss to Minnesota on Sept. 6 at Fenway
Park. Eddie Rosario fielded J.D. Martinez’s double off the Green Monster and fired a one-hop strike to the
plate in time to retire Devers.
New Red Sox chief must carve his own path
Bill Koch
How much do we really know about Chaim Bloom?
Answering that question will go a long way toward explaining the Red Sox roster on Opening Day 2020.
This is Bloom’s first time as a top executive with a Major League Baseball club. We can trace his roots
through the Tampa Bay organization, one that operated on a shoestring budget out of necessity. Serving as
the chief baseball officer in Boston presents a different set of circumstances.
Value and player development are Rays’ hallmarks, and they’ve led to 186 wins over the last two seasons.
The casual fan couldn’t name five players on their team at a given time and certainly wasn’t filling the
empty seats at Tropicana Field. Red Sox baseball — with its gaudy payroll, profitable regional network and
a busy Fenway Park — is far bigger business.
Does Bloom have the conviction and personal gravitas to operate with something approaching similar
impunity? This week’s Winter Meetings offered us a couple of clues on how Bloom might conduct himself
going forward. Exploring trade possibilities for two veterans and reacting calmly to a trio of expensive
signings told us something about the 36-year-old Yale University graduate.
Bloom has come of age in an era where sentimentality and the game of baseball itself have been
increasingly pried apart. Gut feelings and cans of Copenhagen have been replaced on the scouting trail by
computer algorithms and future projections. Loyalty among players and clubs more often comes down to
dollars and cents.
It’s this new school that explains why Bloom would reportedly be laying the groundwork to trade David
Price and Jackie Bradley Jr. this offseason. Someone with what we believe to be Bloom’s principles
wouldn’t have signed a pitcher entering his age-30 season to a seven-year contract in the first place, and
he’s not going to pay a defense-first outfielder $11 million based on some sense of obligation. Creating
payroll and roster flexibility are the top two goals for Bloom and any other organizational architect in the
modern game.
Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg signed deals totaling $814 million this week. All three
are Scott Boras clients, and the agent to the stars left San Diego with enough commission to buy a healthy
slice of nearby Coronado. The Red Sox weren’t involved in bidding on any of them — utility infielder Jose
Peraza for $3 million and left-handed starter Martin Perez for $6 million were Boston’s lone signings.
Cole seems to give the Yankees the No. 1 starter they so desperately needed while Rendon could be the
long-awaited Robin to Mike Trout’s Batman with the Angels. Those are the type of moves Dave
Dombrowski would have made, and you could usually see him coming from a mile away. Future costs
weren’t his primary consideration, and that’s how we arrived at both his September firing and this period of
relative inactivity from the Red Sox.
We now occupy a place in time where the Nationals won the World Series without Bryce Harper and the
Phillies missed the playoffs with him. Trout logged another worthless Most Valuable Player season in Los
Angeles and remains stuck on 12 career postseason at-bats. Giancarlo Stanton managed just 18 games as
New York finished the 2010s without appearing in a World Series.
Those three players represent $1.08 billion in contract value. None of them have appeared in the Fall
Classic. Spending goes a long way toward winning championships in all professional sports, but it is far
from a guarantor of success.
Red Sox principal owner John Henry didn’t amass his fortune without spotting inefficiencies like these.
And he certainly wasn’t going to allow Dombrowski another winter to buy himself out of trouble. You
could detect a hint of professional jealousy when Henry spoke in late September about what other
organizations like Tampa Bay have built.
Henry also wouldn’t have hired Bloom if their personal philosophies weren’t closely aligned. That became
less and less the case with Dombrowski, particularly after he threw almost $220 million at Chris Sale,
Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce last offseason. The person signing the checks ultimately must take the
blame, and Henry is at fault for allowing Dombrowski to stray considerably off the path to success.
Hiring Bloom is the first attempt to put Boston back on course, and it will take more time. The Red Sox end
this week with the same tough questions to answer regarding Mookie Betts and a roster seemingly due for
considerable turnover. How, when and why Bloom makes his upcoming decisions will further reveal
exactly who he is and what he’s about.
If we’re being honest for right now, we really don’t know much.
Red Sox sign infielder Jose Peraza to a one-year deal
Bill Koch
The Red Sox continued to amass infield depth on Thursday, adding two players via free agency and the
Rule 5 Draft.
Jose Peraza signed a one-year deal and Jonathan Arauz was selected from Houston after being left off its
40-man roster by the protection deadline. Per MLB.com, Peraza’s contract is for $3 million plus incentives.
The 26-year-old Peraza was non-tendered by the Reds prior to this month’s arbitration deadline and granted
free agency. The former top-60 prospect per MLB.com slashed .239/.285/.346 in 141 games with
Cincinnati last season, notching 18 doubles and 26 total extra-base hits. Peraza wasn’t scheduled to reach
free agency until prior to the 2023 season.
Peraza was signed as an international free agent from Venezuela by the Braves in 2010. He was their Minor
League Player of the Year in 2014 after slashing .339/.364/.441 with 60 stolen bases. Peraza was part of
two three-team trades in 2015, spending time with the Dodgers and eventually the Reds before being set
free this offseason.
Peraza was handed the second base job in Cincinnati after Brandon Phillips was traded during the 2016
offseason. Scooter Gennett ultimately took the position from Peraza, who shifted to shortstop in 2018. He
appeared at six different positions last season, including third base, left field and center field.
The 21-year-old Arauz was one of three players selected via Rule 5 by Boston on Thursday, joining minor
league right-handers Raynel Espinal and Jose Espada. The switch-hitter played in 115 games between Class
A Fayetteville and Double-A Corpus Christi in 2019, batting .249 with 11 home runs. Arauz was initially
signed by the Phillies as an international free agent from Panama in August 2014.
The Red Sox now feature 10 infielders on their 40-man roster, with Peraza, Arauz, C.J. Chatham, Marco
Hernandez and Tzu-Wei Lin profiling as utility men. The additional options up the middle could mean
more time at first base for Michael Chavis. They also could spell the end of Brock Holt’s tenure in Boston,
as the 31-year-old is likely to command a multi-year deal in free agency.
* MassLive.com
Boston Red Sox, starter Martin Perez agree to 1-year deal (report)
Chris Cotillo
SAN DIEGO -- The Red Sox have agreed to sign starter Martin Perez to a one-year, $6 million contract
that includes a club option for 2021, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Perez’s option will be
worth $6.25 million.
Perez, 28, will likely replace new Met Rick Porcello in the rotation, slotting in behind Chris Sale, David
Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez. Though his traditional statistics (5.12 ERA and 1.518
WHIP in 165 ⅓ innings) finished ugly, his advanced metrics paint a different picture (85.4 mph exit
velocity, top 4% in MLB, min. 400 batted ball events; 29.7% hard hit rate, top 7% in MLB last year).
Perez spent the first seven years of his career with the Rangers, serving as a member of Texas’ rotation
until he signed with the Twins last winter. Minnesota declined its $7.5 million option over Perez at the end
of the season, making him a free agent.
Perez is the third addition of the day for the Red Sox, who also selected infielder Jonathan Arauz in the
Rule 5 draft and reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with free agent infielder Jose Peraza. Boston is
also reportedly shopping Price, meaning new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom may need to fill two
holes in his rotation after the departure of Porcello.
Boston’s 40-man roster will stand at 38 once the signings of Peraza and Perez are made official.
Boston Red Sox, Jose Peraza agree to 1-year deal; infielder spent last four seasons with Reds
Chris Cotillo
SAN DIEGO -- The Red Sox have reportedly agreed to sign free-agent infielder Jose Peraza to a one-year
deal, as first reported by Robert Murray. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that the deal is worth around
$3 million and includes incentives.
Peraza, 25, was non-tendered by the Reds after a down season in which he hit just .239 with a .631 OPS in
141 games. He played six different positions for Cincinnati in 2019, appearing at second base (78 games),
shortstop (39), third base (5), left field (33) and center field (5) while even pitching (twice).
Peraza is the second infield addition of the day for the Red Sox, who also picked up Jonathan Arauz from
the Astros in the Rule 5 draft. Boston suddenly has a plethora of second base options on the 40-man roster,
with Peraza and Arauz joining Michael Chavis, Marco Hernandez and Tzu-Wei Lin in the mix with Brock
Holt likely departing via free agency.
Peraza was originally a top prospect in the Braves’ system before being traded twice in a five-month span
in 2015-- from Atlanta to the Dodgers in a 3-team deal that involved Mat Latos and Alex Wood and then to
Cincinnati in a 3-team deal that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox. He emerged as a regular for the Reds
in 2017 before a breakout 2018 season (.288/.326/.416 with 14 homers) then regressed in 2019 and was
non-tendered at the beginning of the month.
Though Peraza’s deal is a one-year contract, the Red Sox will have him under team control for three
seasons as part of the arbitration process.
Boston Red Sox select INF Jonathan Arauz in Rule 5 draft; must keep him on active roster or offer
him back to Astros
Chris Cotillo
SAN DIEGO -- The Red Sox added to their infield mix Thursday morning, selecting infielder Jonathan
Arauz from the Astros in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft.
The Red Sox, who paid $100k to select Arauz, must keep him on the active 26-man roster (or injured list)
for the entirety of the season or be forced to offer him back to Houston. The team views him as a candidate
to fill a utility role, according to vice president of professional scouting Gus Quattlebaum.
“Younger guy, switch-hitter,” Quattlebaum said. “Versatile glove. We think we can bounce him all around
in the infield. Has some work to do physically, getting stronger, but we like his bat-to-ball skills, he can use
the field. We’re excited to give him the opportunity to compete for a utility infield position.”
Arauz, 21, has the ability to play second base, shortstop or third base and played at least 20 games at each
position last season. With Brock Holt likely departing in free agency, Arauz will join Marco Hernandez,
Tzu-Wei Lin and Michael Chavis as internal options at second base while providing insurance behind
Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers on the left side of the infield. The addition of the 26th roster spot for
the 2020 season was a consideration, according to Quattlebaum.
“We have some questions on the right side of our infield and we’re looking for the most versatile athletes
we can bring into the organization,” Quattlebaum said. “We have other guys internally we believe in, but
we think he can come in and compete.”
Arauz, ranked by MLB.com as Houston’s 25th-best prospect entering the Rule 5 draft, split time between
Houston’s High-A and Double-A affiliates in 2019, hitting .249/.319/.388 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs in
115 games. He originally signed with the Phillies for $600k in 2014 before being traded to the Astros in the
2015 trade that sent closer Ken Giles to Houston and starter Vincent Velazquez to Philadelphia.
The Red Sox can offer Arauz back to the Astros at any time if they do not believe he can contribute in the
majors. He can not be optioned to Triple-A without being offered back to the Astros or exposed to waivers.
“Any time you have a young kid you’re pushing to the big leagues, the fact he can bounce all over the
infield helps his chances of sticking,” Quattlebaum said.
Arauz is Boston’s first pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft since 2016, when the Sox took
infielder Josh Rutledge from the Rockies. Boston’s 40-man roster currently stands at 37.
Two pitchers taken in Triple-A phase
Boston also acquired two right-handed pitchers in the Triple-A portion of the draft, taking Raynel Espinal
from the Yankees and Jose Espada from the Blue Jays. Both are expected to begin the year at Pawtucket.
Espinal, 28, was 5-7 with a 4.32 ERA in 75 innings for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019 before
undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Sox were comfortable enough with his medicals to select him.
“We’re hopeful he can get back sometime mid-summer,” Quattlebaum said. “Power arm, chance to start.
Wouldn’t draw it up as the most cosmetic of deliveries but our scouts and our analysts feel he has starter
upside.”
Espada, 22, was selected out of Puerto Rico in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He reached Single-A in
2019, posting a 3.86 ERA in 11 ⅔ pro innings (between rookie ball and Single-A) but missed significant
time due to an elbow strain.
“Big arm,” Quattlebaum said. “We like the fastball-slider combo and figured it was worth a shot.”
David Price trade rumors: Cardinals, White Sox among 5 teams in on Boston Red Sox starter
(report)
Chris Cotillo
SAN DIEGO -- The Red Sox have held trade talks about left-hander David Price with five different teams,
according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Feinsand lists the Padres, Cardinals, White Sox, Reds and Angels
as clubs with varying degrees of interest in the veteran starter.
Price, who has three years and $96 million remaining on his contract, is the perfect trade piece for a Sox
club looking to shed significant payroll to get under the $208 million competitive balance tax threshold in
2020. Boston might have to get creative to offload the 34-year-old, potentially attaching an enticing young
pitcher or paying down some of Price’s salary to facilitate a trade.
The Angels, who made the aggressive move to sign third baseman Anthony Rendon to a seven-year, $245
million contract Wednesday, are looking for a front-end starter after losing out on Gerrit Cole. The White
Sox, Padres and Reds are all looking to add pieces in hopes of contending in 2020. The Cardinals, who
strongly pursued Price before he signed his seven-year, $217 million deal with Boston four years ago, have
had strong interest in him for years.
A Price deal would drastically increase the chances Boston holds onto Mookie Betts, who was considered a
trade candidate one year before hitting free agency. Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who is projected to earn
$11 million next season, is still a candidate to be dealt.
* RedSox.com
Sox leave Meetings with decisions to make
Ian Browne
SAN DIEGO -- For the Red Sox, there was a lot of dialogue at the Winter Meetings and just a little bit of
action, with the club agreeing to one-year contracts with lefty starter Martin Perez ($6 million plus a $6.25
million option in 2021) and infielder Jose Peraza ($3 million). Both pacts have yet to be announced by the
club, but were confirmed by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
All in all, it was a productive few days for new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom as he looks to tweak
the roster this winter.
"There has been a ton of conversation," Bloom said. "I think it's hard to handicap exactly what the pace of
those will be and if and when any of those will turn into some kind of news. You can see around the
industry the pace has picked up. That's been reflective in the amount of the conversations that we've been
having."
Without question, there will be more moves coming for the Red Sox, and some of them will involve
shedding payroll. By now, it is well-documented that ownership would like Bloom to get the club's payroll
below the Competitive Balance Tax threshold of $208 million. The club's CBT payroll currently stands at
approximately $234 million, meaning the Red Sox would need to shed roughly $26 million in order to
accomplish the goal.
The Red Sox have discussed trading David Price to a handful of teams. It doesn't seem likely Boston will
trade star player Mookie Betts as he enters the final season of his contract, but nothing can be ruled out in
this unpredictable offseason.
BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1. Pitching: Even after the deal with Perez, who essentially replaces Rick Porcello in the rotation, Bloom is
still going to be on the hunt for more arms. It will become an even bigger priority if Price gets traded.
Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez are all back in the bullpen, but
Boston could use some additional relief help.
2. First base: Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce are both free agents, and the latter is likely to retire. Two
young players -- Michael Chavis and prospect Bobby Dalbec -- are both in the mix to earn playing time,
along with Peraza. Chavis can also play second. Don't be surprised if the Sox add a left-handed bat to add
to that equation. Travis Shaw, who was recently non-tendered by the Brewers, is an intriguing option to
return to the Red Sox, who drafted and developed the infielder before dealing him three years ago.
3. Catcher: Sandy Leon was recently traded to the Indians, meaning the Sox still need a backup for
Christian Vázquez. There are a lot of backup catchers on the market, so there is no cause for concern about
getting this spot filled. The expectation is that the Sox will prioritize defense for their backup.
RULE 5 DRAFT
The Red Sox created more competition for their utility infield spot with the selection of Jonathan Arauz
from the Astros with the 10th pick in the Rule 5 Draft. The switch-hitter from Panama can play second,
short and third.
The Sox were also active in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 Draft, taking righty Raynel Espinal from the
Yankees' Double-A affiliate, as well as right-handed pitcher Jose Espada from the Blue Jays' Double-A
affiliate. Boston didn't lose any players in either phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
GM'S BOTTOM LINE
"You know, I think you can see the conversations kind of progressing. Obviously, the more guys go off the
board, the more it narrows, I think, what every team is looking to do, what every team is able to do -- both
for the teams that make those moves and then for other teams that weren't involved. I don't think there's
been a seismic shift. But I think as you see, more and more things happen, it, just, for everybody, kind of
closes some doors." -- Bloom, on how early movement on pitching market could impact the pace of the
offseason
Red Sox, LHP Perez agree to deal (source)
Ian Browne
BOSTON -- The Red Sox achieved a goal of adding some depth to their rotation on Thursday when they
agreed with left-hander Martin Perez on a one-year, $6 million contract, a source told MLB.com's Mark
Feinsand.
The deal, first reported by MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal, also includes a $6.25 million club option
for 2021. The club has not confirmed the agreement.
The move to add Perez came on the same day that Rick Porcello agreed to a one-year contract with the
Mets, leaving at least one opening in the Red Sox's rotation. Boston has also discussed trading left-hander
David Price with a handful of teams, which could potentially open up another spot on the starting staff.
Perez, who will turn 29 in April, went 10-7 with a 5.12 ERA over 32 outings (29 starts) with the Twins in
2019. That came after the southpaw recorded a 6.22 ERA across 22 appearances (15 starts) with the
Rangers in '18.
As it stands now, Perez would join an already lefty-heavy rotation that includes fellow southpaws Price,
Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez, along with right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.
It's unclear whether the Sox will use Perez as a starter or a swingman. Boston has also mentioned the
possibility of using an opener, so Perez could factor into that as well.
Perez produced double-digit wins three times for Texas, where Perez had spent his entire career until
signing with the Twins as a free agent last January.
In 173 career appearances, including 157 starts, Perez is 53-56 with a 4.72 ERA.
Earlier in the day, the Sox agreed with infielder Jose Peraza on a one-year, $3 million contract. That also
hasn't been announced by the club, and is pending a physical.
This is where Red Sox stand in Price talks
Mark Feinsand
SAN DIEGO -- In the weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings, much of the talk surrounding the Red Sox
involved the possibility of trading Mookie Betts.
As the meetings get set to conclude on Thursday, it appears that a different Boston star might be the one on
his way out of town.
According to a source, the Red Sox have held trade talks with at least five clubs about David Price, the
2012 American League Cy Young Award winner who helped lead Boston to the 2018 World Series title.
Among the teams in play for Price are the Padres, Cardinals, White Sox and Reds, while the Angels have
also been in contact with the Red Sox, according to sources.
Price has three years and $96 million remaining on his deal, a seven-year, $217 million pact he signed with
the Red Sox four years ago -- at the time, the biggest pitching contract in the game's history. Price -- who
does not have a no-trade clause in his deal -- is set to earn $32 million in each of the next three seasons.
The Red Sox are trying to reduce their payroll to get below the $208 million Competitive Balance Tax
threshold, though a source said that ownership has not made it an absolute mandate for the front office.
The club's CBT payroll currently stands at approximately $225 million, meaning the Red Sox would need
to shed roughly $18-20 million in order to accomplish the goal. Betts has been a popular name on the trade
market given that he's expected to earn at least $27 million in his final year of arbitration-eligibility.
But with only one year of club control remaining for Betts before he hits free agency -- and the fact that
he's Boston's best player and one of the elite players in all of baseball -- it's going to be difficult for the Red
Sox to get the return they're seeking to trade the 2018 AL Most Valuable Player.
Moving Price might actually be easier, despite the remaining financial commitment and the left wrist injury
that cost him most of the final two months of the 2019 season. Prior to the wrist injury, Price was having a
terrific year, going 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA through his first 17 starts.
While many viewed Price's contract as being a significant impediment to a potential trade, the recent
activity on the pitching market has aided Boston's cause. Stephen Strasburg's deal has an average annual
value of $35 million over seven years (albeit with approximately $11 million in deferrals each year), while
Gerrit Cole will earn $36 million over the next nine years in his deal with the Yankees.
"This market is only helping the Red Sox," a Major League executive said. "All of a sudden, Price's deal
doesn't look so crazy."
One scenario that has been floated in recent weeks would have the Red Sox attaching a young player --
Andrew Benintendi's name has been mentioned often -- to Price in order to dump the pitcher's contract. The
Angels made a deal of that nature on Tuesday when they shipped Zack Cozart and his $12.7 million salary,
along with 2019 first-rounder Will Wilson, to the Giants in exchange for a player to be named later or cash
considerations, essentially allowing Los Angeles to free up payroll by giving San Francisco a young
prospect.
A source said that concept has not been considered by Boston's front office -- nor will it be, especially not
with Benintendi.
"That's not going to happen," the source said.
Just how much of Price's contract the Red Sox would need (or be willing) to pay down would depend on
the return from the other club. The Padres have discussed a deal that would include Wil Myers -- who has
three years and $67.5 million remaining on his contract -- going back to Boston. That would save the Red
Sox roughly $10 million per year, which means they would still need to shed at least one more player --
Jackie Bradley Jr., for example -- to get below the CBT threshold.
St. Louis could include Matt Carpenter in a deal, meaning Boston would assume the $37 million he's owed
over the next two seasons (plus an $18.5 million option for 2022 with a $2 million buyout), potentially
shrinking the Sox payroll by more than $13 million in the process. Both Myers and Carpenter make some
sense for the Red Sox, who would be able to fill their first-base spot with either player.
Boston has actually received calls from multiple teams on all of its pitchers, though it appears highly
unlikely that the Red Sox will trade Chris Sale. Nathan Eovaldi has also drawn some interest, though
Boston would likely need to pay down a significant portion of the three years and $58 million remaining on
his deal in order to move him.
That leaves Price as the most likely trade candidate, one who could very well be on the move before too
long to his fifth team since 2014.
Red Sox agree to deal with Jose Peraza (source)
Ian Browne
SAN DIEGO -- The Red Sox erased some uncertainty at second base by striking an agreement with José
Peraza for one year at roughly $3 million, a source told MLB.com on Thursday. The club has not
confirmed the deal, which is still pending a physical.
One significant part of the pending transaction is that it likely signals the end of popular utility player
Brock Holt's time with the Red Sox.
Holt, a fixture in the community and a key contributor on the field in Boston since 2015, is a free agent.
Not only are the Sox adding the 25-year-old Peraza to their infield mix, but they also claimed Jonathan
Arauz from the Astros with the 10th pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. Arauz, a switch-hitter, can play
second, short and third.
Peraza has similar versatility (he can play second, short and the outfield) and has been a regular in the
lineup for the Reds the last three seasons.
The right-handed hitter from Venezuela had a career year for Cincinnati in 2018, slashing .288/.326/.416
with 14 homers, 58 RBIs and 23 stolen bases over 157 games and was Cincinnati's starting shortstop.
After the Reds acquired Jose Iglesias during Spring Training last season, Peraza lost his regular lineup spot
and shifted to a utility role, where he was not as effective. In 376 at-bats, Peraza had a line of
.239/.285/.346 with six homers and 33 RBIs. Last season, Peraza started 50 games at second, 22 at
shortstop, one at third base and 15 in the outfield.
Peraza lost playing time and at one point in late August was optioned back to Triple-A. He will try to
regain his groove in Boston.
He still showed 75th-percentile sprint speed (28 feet per second) last season, according to Statcast, and has
primarily played shortstop over five big league seasons. Obviously, the Red Sox have that position covered
with Xander Bogaerts signed for the next six years.
But Peraza should have a golden opportunity to earn playing time at second base. Michael Chavis could
also be part of the mix at second.
Dustin Pedroia is again recovering from left knee surgery and his future is uncertain at best.
The Red Sox are clearly compiling a variety of options in the infield. Marco Hernandez and Tzu-Wei Lin
are also in the mix and Arauz, 21, will need to win a roster spot to prevent Boston being forced to offer him
back to the Astros, per rules of being a Rule 5 pick.
"He came to us highly recommended from our scouts and our analysts," Red Sox vice president of
professional scouting Gus Quattlebaum said. "Younger guy. Switch-hitter. Versatile glove. We think we
can bounce him all around the infield. Has some work to do physically to get stronger, but we like his bat-
to-ball skills. We're excited to give him an opportunity to compete for a utility infield position."
It remains to be seen where Holt will wind up, but there will likely be a strong market for his services,
considering all he can do both on and off the field.
With the Red Sox trying to cut $17 million to $18 million from their payroll this offseason to achieve
ownership's goal of getting the below the luxury tax threshold of $208 million, it's hard to see Holt fitting
into the team's plans.
"I know how much he means to the community. You could see just recently, he's still active in the
community, even as a free agent, I saw he made a nice donation recently," said Red Sox chief baseball
officer Chaim Bloom. "That says something about who he is and how much this community means to him.
I've kind of gotten a taste of it coming here that certain players just really seem to bond with the fan base.
He's certainly been one of those. That's not something that's lost on any of us."
* ESPN.com
Chaim Bloom brings change to Red Sox despite lack of moves
Joon Lee
SAN DIEGO -- The Boston Red Sox came and left the 2019 winter meetings with the foundation of their
roster unchanged. Despite the unending discussions among fans for months about the future of outfielder
Mookie Betts, the team's best player remains slotted in to roam right field at Fenway Park. Despite inquiries
from other teams, as reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, David Price and his hefty contract (three years, $96
million) remain on the books. For all of the talk about a messy offseason requiring lots of creative roster
management, Boston has remained quiet so far.
But the lack of player movement isn't indicative of the growing change within the Red Sox front office.
Based on conversations with multiple executives around baseball and staffers within Fenway Park, newly
minted chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is establishing his vision for the baseball operations
department. Bloom entered an organization that features front office mainstays such as general manager
Brian O'Halloran and the trio of executive VPs/assistant general managers Raquel Ferreira, Eddie Romero
and Zack Scott, all of whom have spent more than a decade with the team and recently signed contract
extensions. Manager Alex Cora said the transition has been smooth.
"It's been good. Like I said a few weeks ago, had the pleasure with Dave [Dombrowski, Bloom's
predecessor]. You know, Dave has been in the business for, what, 40 years," Cora said. "You're in the
business for 40 years, you're not lucky -- you're good. Chaim, who's, what, 36? It seems like he's been in
the business for 20 years."
MLB trade tiers
Mookie. Lindor. Arenado? We examine the stars who will (or should be) in offseason trade talks. Jeff
Passan
Under-the-radar trade candidates
Many around Fenway Park have noticed an immediate cultural change within the baseball ops department
with Bloom in charge. While Dombrowski mostly relied on the opinions of veteran executives Tony La
Russa and Frank Wren, shutting much of the rest of the department out of the decision-making process,
Bloom has sought advice from a much wider circle in seeking creative solutions to the team's goal to cut
payroll and sneak under the $208 million luxury tax threshold. Several Red Sox staffers noted a happier
working environment, in which baseball ops people up and down the organization's ladder feel their
opinions are valued, a feeling that slowly evaporated over the course of Dombrowski's tenure.
"[Bloom] is basically the direct opposite of Dombrowski," according to one rival front-office executive.
Sure, sure, sure, it's easy to sing praises at the beginning of a new tenure, when the rosy-eyed honeymoon
period is still intact, especially when Bloom has yet to make any major roster moves. But the praise for
Bloom extends down to Tampa Bay, where he built an unusually positive reputation among other front-
office executives. Those who spent significant time around the Rays noted his strong people skills,
something Bloom says he is always working on, and his ability to connect with people from the front office
to the clubhouse to the media.
"It's super important to me. The reason we were able to have the success [at Tampa Bay] that we did was
the people and how we all worked together," Bloom told ESPN. "I hope that an appreciation has something
to do with how I was raised both by my parents and then also how I was raised in this game with the people
I was around. The value of that was something that was shown to me by a lot of the mentors around this
game.
"You just see how much more you can accomplish when people work together when they feel valued, when
everyone recognizes that no one person has a monopoly on the truth and nobody has all the answers. We
are only going to achieve our full potential if we're willing to work together and willing to be vulnerable
and acknowledge that we can all learn from each other."
Bloom's influence will extend onto the field, given his fundamental role in normalizing the shift and the
opener among the Rays' various innovations over the course of the past decade. Cora noted in his winter
meetings press conference that he and Bloom see the game from a similar perspective.
"One thing we're going to talk about with Chaim coming from an organization that's very aggressive as far
as defense, is why they do it, how they do it and if that aggressiveness is going to -- he can help us out,"
Cora said. "And that's something that I'm looking forward to sitting with Chaim and see where it takes us."
But Bloom doesn't intend to turn the Red Sox into Tampa Bay 2.0, though Cora noted that using an opener
instead of a regular fifth starter is an option for the team heading into 2020. Different circumstances
demand different approaches; and the vast financial resources, the rabid Red Sox fan base and a demanding
media market -- from sports radio to the newspapers -- separates Boston from the situation at Tampa Bay
and has led to Bloom adapting his approach for his new work environment.
"There's nothing that I want to bring that's like, 'This is the way the Rays did it or do it.' But that's actually
something that in a lot of the times we've been around each other that [Cora] and I have talked about. I
know that he's very passionate about being able to use information to put players in the best position to
succeed. What that means specifically, that's where the rubber meets the road.
"There's a lot of room to see that differently, but it also needs to be based around the strengths of your own
players and the tendencies of the opposition, but that's something that we already talked about, and I don't
want to predict if it will be more or less."
According to multiple sources, Bloom's focus is less on creating a top-heavy roster than on building more
depth at both the major and minor league level, valuing versatility. Thursday's signing of Jose Peraza
illuminates some of what Bloom values in a player: someone who can play multiple positions and has
shown the ability to make an impact with the bat. Peraza hit .288/.326/.416 in 157 games in 2018 before
dropping off to .239/.285/.346 in 141 games in 2019. Peraza reportedly signed for about $3 million, less
than what Brock Holt will likely make on the open market after hitting .297/.369/.402 in 87 games.
Bloom said that finding the right balance between analytics and the human element is key to accomplishing
what he was brought to Boston to do: Build a long-term sustainable franchise, with a strong farm system,
that can contend for a World Series title every year.
"I've never felt that [numbers and people] were categorical opposites. The best process is going to allow
you to take into account as many sources of information as possible and try to paint a complete picture,"
Bloom said. "People with different backgrounds see the world differently, and that can lead us into some
debates, but I've never seen it as one side is going to win or the other side is going to win.
"I think it's really all about trying to understand the questions you want to ask about a player. What are we
trying to figure out here, and we're going to need the best tools to figure that out. And even in terms of
things that don't lend themselves as easy to quantify and being put into numbers, you still need to learn how
to put some context to them, so you still have to figure out what we might think about this particular player
that might not be a number."
Bloom will face many tough decisions before the 2020 season begins, and he hopes to have his roster
finalized heading into spring training. That will require tough decisions, something Bloom was part of with
Tampa Bay, involving players such as David Price and Evan Longoria, franchise superstars who were
traded by the Rays. While a trade involving Betts is "unlikely to happen," as reported by Passan, Bloom's
mindset in approaching the Price trade while at Tampa Bay is illustrative of his mentality toward the value
of star players in trades.
"Especially when you spend time around guys, you really get to know them and attached to them. You also
recognize you have a responsibility to do what's best for your organization. That's what our jobs are,"
Bloom said. "To a certain degree, you have to separate those things. But I think that basically allowed us to
make some of the deals we made with the Rays. And I think that's no different here in terms of getting
acclimated in a new environment and working with new teammates; you just want to make sure you are
prioritizing what's best for the organization and achieve the objectives that you have.
"If you determine that something is more or might be, you want to vet it very closely because these
decisions are difficult. But at the end of the day, you have to do something that you think is best."
Bloom spent much of the winter meetings bonding with his employees in a slightly different setting than
the offices on Jersey Street. He still is getting used to the ins and outs of being a Bostonian, noting how his
drenched socks serve as a regular reminder to buy a pair of boots to combat the New England winter.
Across baseball, Bloom has gained a reputation as the type of leader who asks a lot of questions and tries to
get as many perspectives as possible. Bloom finds himself at the head of a baseball operations department
at the tender age of 36, and he notes there's a lot for him to learn, both about the Red Sox organization and
the sport as a whole.
"Whether we like to admit it or not, there's a lot about this game that we don't know, and I think there
always will be," Bloom said. "Our job is just to continue making forward progress and learning as much as
we can and recognizing there's a lot of things we don't know and attacking our jobs with the appropriate
humility that comes from that. It might be a little unsettling, but I don't think it's that different from a lot of
the challenges we face on a daily basis."
* WEEI.com
Red Sox reportedly agree to terms with LHP Martin Perez
Ryan Hannable
The Red Sox made their second deal of the day Thursday, but like the first, it wasn't a huge one.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the team has signed left-hander Martin Perez. It is a one-year,
$6 million deal with a club option for 2021.
Perez, who will be 29 years old next season, pitched for the Rangers in his first seven seasons in the league
and then spent last year with the Twins. In 32 games (29 starts), he went 10-7 with a 5.12 ERA.
Overall for his career, the lefty has a 4.72 ERA in 173 appearances, which include 157 starts.
It seems like he will compete for a spot in the backend of the rotation.
Red Sox take shortstop Jonathan Arauz in Rule 5 Draft
Rob Bradford
The Red Sox punctuated the Winter Meetings by actually doing something. They made a pick in the Rule 5
Draft.
With the 17th pick in the Rule 5 process, the Red Sox plucked shortstop Jonathan Arauz out of the Houston
organization. The 21-year-old reached Double-A in 2019, totaling a .700 OPS in 28 games at Corpus
Christi.
Arauz will be in spring training with the Red Sox, but if he is not on the active roster (or major league
disabled list) for the entire season he will be placed on waivers and then returned to the Astros if no other
team claims the shortstop's Rule 5 rights.
In short, it is a longshot Arauz will be in the Sox' organization when the season rolls around unless Boston
strikes a deal with Houston to keep him in its minor league system.
The infielder, who can play multiple positions, originally signed out of Panama for a $600 signing bonus
before being shipped to Houston in a trade involving closer Ken Giles. He was ranked as the 25th-best
prospect in the Astros' minor league system by MLB.com.
The Red Sox didn't have any of their unprotected players taken in the Rule 5 Draft.
* NBC Sports Boston
Red Sox select possible Brock Holt replacement in Rule 5 draft from Astros
John Tomase
The Red Sox didn't leave the winter meetings empty-handed after all.
On Thursday, they selected infielder Jonathan Arauz from the Astros in the Rule 5 draft. The switch-hitting
infielder must spend the season on the big league roster or be offered back to the Astros for $50,000. He
will compete for a roster spot as a utilityman, with the Red Sox likely moving on from free agent Brock
Holt.
"He came to us highly recommended from our scouts and our analysts," VP of pro scouting Gus
Quattlebaum told reporters in San Diego. "Younger guy, switch hitter, versatile glove, we think we can
bounce him all around the infield. Has some work to do physically to get stronger, but we like his bat-to-
ball skills, can use the field, so we're excited to give him an opportunity to compete for a utility infield
position."
Arauz, 21, is a lifetime .243 hitter in the minors. Signed by the Phillies in 2014 out of Panama, he went to
the Astros in the 2015 trade that sent closer Ken Giles to Houston and former No. 1 overall pick Mark
Appel, among others, to Philadelphia.
He split last season between High A and Double A, hitting .249 with a career-high 11 home runs. He has
spent the bulk of his minor league career at shortstop, but he also appeared in 86 games at second and 32 at
third.
"We feel he can play short," Quattlebaum told reporters. "Anytime you have a young kid that you're
pushing to the big leagues, the fact that he can bounce all over the infield, I think that helps his chances of
sticking."
Added Quattlebaum: "We had some questions on the right side of our infield and we're looking for the most
versatile athletes we can bring in to the organization. We have other guys internally that we believe in as
well, but we think he can come in and compete."
The Red Sox used to be active in the Rule 5 draft in the early days of Theo Epstein, taking players like left-
hander Javier Lopez, who went on to have a long career as a specialist, or speedy outfielder Adam Stern. A
deep roster and farm system had left them out of the Rule 5 market in recent years, but the combination of a
shallow farm system and the 26th man that will be added for the 2020 season made diving back in more
palatable.
In the minor league portion of the draft, the Red Sox selected a pair of Double-A right-handers: Raynel
Espinal from the Yankees and Jose Espada from the Blue Jays.
"Espinal's an older guy, he's 26 years old out of the Dominican," Quattlebaum said. "He's still recovering
from Tommy John surgery, so credit our medical staff, our scouts, our analysts, they've all spoken up on all
these guys that we've selected, and we came away comfortable with what we saw in the medical review.
We're hopeful that he can get back, I would say sometime mid-summer. Power arm, chance to start.
Wouldn't draw it up as the most cosmetic of deliveries, but our scouts and our analysts feel that he has
some starter upside."
As for Espada: "Power arm," Quattlebaum said. "Missed some time last year with an elbow sprain, so not
all of our scouts were able to lay eyes on him, but it's a big arm, we like the fastball-slider combo and
figured it was worth a shot."
* Bostonsportsjournal.com
Report: Red Sox sign Twins LHP Martin Perez
Sean McAdam
At a time when there are rumors of the Red Sox intensifying trade talks involving David Price, the team
moved Thursday night to line up some back-end starters.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $6-million deal for Martin
Perez, with a club option for $6.25 million in 2021.
Perez, 28, pitched for Minnesota last season and was 10-7 with a 5.12 ERA in 32 games — all but three of
them starts. Previously, he had spent parts of seven seasons with the Texas Rangers, for whom he was 53-
56 with a 5.17 ERA.
Perez has a history of giving up a lot of hits (10.1 per nine innings over his career) and that was the case
again in 2019, allowing 184 in 165.1 innings. His WHIP (1.518) and his FIP was 4.66.
But beyond those numbers, the Red Sox may have been attracted to the fact that
Perez was the victim of some bad luck. The average exit velocity on balls hit against him was just 85.4
mph, putting him in the top four percent in baseball. Meanwhile, just 29.7 percent of the balls hit against
him came at a hard-hit rate, placing him in the top seven percent in MLB.
The Red Sox apparently believe that, with some adjustments and better luck, Perez can at least be a
serviceable, back-of-the-rotation starter.
The timing of Perez’s signing is something of a surprise since the free-agent starting pitching market has
been, other than a handful of front-line starters at the top of the class, slow to develop. The expectation was
that the Red Sox would wait until perhaps after the first of the year and then choose from among the less
expensive starters remaining, putting themselves in position to perhaps find a bargain as free agents tend to
lower demands with the approach of spring training.
Then again, Perez’s $6 million salary — and an option for 2021 — would seem to indicate that, despite a
sub-par year when he earned $3.5 million, there were other suitors for Perez and the Sox felt the need to
move quickly to secure him.
As currently constituted, the Sox have four lefties in their rotation, with Perez joining Chris Sale, David
Price, and Eduardo Rodriguez. For the moment, Nathan Eovaldi is the team’s sole righthanded starter in the
wake of Rick Porcello’s departure from the team. Porcello, a free agent, signed a one-year deal with the
New York Mets Thursday for $10 million.
In the meantime, the Red Sox remain engaged with a number of teams who have an interest in trading for
Price, who, until earlier this week, was the game’s highest-paid pitcher. The Red Sox are intent on reducing
payroll to get under the $208 million threshold, to avoid paying a Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) again,
and moving Price would go a long way toward reaching that goal.
Price has three years and $96 million remaining on his original, seven-year $217 million pact, which was
eclipsed twice this week at the Winter Meetings — first by Stephen Strasburg ($245 million) and, the
following day by Gerrit Cole ($324 million).
It seems a given that the Red Sox will have to take back some of the money remaining in order to facilitate
a trade of Price. They could also take a significant contract back in return to help make Price’s money less
burdensome to his new team.
Should the Sox succeed in dealing Price, it would presumably send them back into the market for another
starter, since the lefty’s absence would leave them with just four established starters. Then again, the Sox
could opt to use the concept of the opener, in which a reliever pitches the first inning or two before giving
way to a younger starter who is being brought along slowly.
Red Sox add infield depth with free agent signing, Rule 5 pick
Sean McAdam
It would seem that the Red Sox are intent on having competition for second base next spring.
As the Winter Meetings wrapped in San Diego Thursday, the Red Sox signed their first free agent of the
winter: infielder Jose Peraza.
According to a baseball source, Peraza will receive a $3 million salary plus incentives on a one-year deal.
Peraza, 25, was non-tendered by the Cincinnati Reds earlier this month.
Peraza has played three full seasons in the big leagues, shifting mostly between shortstop and second base.
He’s also played some occasional outfield.
In 2019, Pereza played 78 games at second, a season after serving as the Reds’ everyday shortstop. He had
a down year at the plate (.239/.285/.346 with six homers and 33 RBI’). In the previous year, Peraza had a
.742 OPS with 14 homers.
Over his career, he’s hit .297 against lefties and could be a platoon candidate. The Sox have a handful of
candidates for second, including Michael Chavis, Tzu-Wei Lin, Marco Herandez and, nominally, Dustin
Pedroia, who’s intent on making yet another comeback from multiple knee procedures.
Earlier on Thursday, the Sox had added yet another infielder to their 40-man roster. Dipping into an area
that they’ve traditionally avoided, the Sox selected a player in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
The Sox chose switch-hitting infielder Jonathan Arauz from the Houston Astros’ organization. Arauz, like
any player taken in the Rule 5 major league draft, will have to stay on the Red Sox’ 26-man major league
roster for all of next season — or, be placed on waivers or offered back to the Astros.
Arauz, 21, last season split time between High A and Double A, and posted a line of .249/.319/.388 with
11 homers and 55 RBI in 115 games. MLB.com slotted him as the Astros’ 25th best prospect.
Originally signed out of his native Panama by the Philadelphia Phillies, Arauz was traded to Houston in
2014 along with Ken Giles. He also was handed a 50-game suspension in 2017 for testing positive for a
banned substance.
Arauz has played three different infield positions in his career — third base, second base, and shortstop —
and will conceivably be given a chance to win a spot as a utility infielder. That role has been largely filled
with Brock Holt the last few seasons, but Holt is a free agent and, looking for a multi-year commitment,
may have priced himself out of a return to the Sox, who are attempting to slash payroll.
Typically, the Red Sox have passed on making selections in the annual Rule 5, since the team has been in
contention the last handful of years and finding a roster spot for an untested player can be problematic.
But the team has more potential jobs available as it enters something of a bridge year, to say nothing of
some available spots on the organization’s 40-man roster. The selection of Arauz puts the Red Sox at 37.
Two other factors may have contributed to the pick. MLB rosters will expand to 26 next season, providing
an additional spot with which to play and devote to a young player still in need of development.
Additionally, the arrival of new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who is known to be creative in his
attempt to find talent, undoubtedly played a role.
The Sox also chose two players from the Triple-A Rule 5 draft — righthanded pitcher Raynel Espinal from
the New York Yankees’ organization and righthanded pitcher Jose Espada from the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Red Sox didn’t lose any players in the major league Rule 5 draft, though the likes of Brian Johnson and
Josh Ockimey were available.
Position-by-position look at Red Sox roster: Right field
Sean McAdam
TODAY: Right field
INCUMBENT: Mookie Betts
CONTRACT STATUS: Eligible for final year of salary arbitration, with a projected salary of $27.7
million.
THE SKINNY: Having set the bar impossibly high with a 2018 season in which he was named A.L. MVP
and had one of the best seasons in franchise history, Betts almost certainly was going to see his numbers
regress somewhat in 2019 — and they did. At times, he was hugely frustrated — especially in the first half
— as he tinkered with his swing and bounced between the No. 2 and leadoff spot in the Red Sox lineup.
But he rebounded nicely in the second half (.992 OPS) and still managed to post a 6.8 WAR, good for
seventh in all of MLB. He also led the game in runs scored and was awarded both a Silver Slugger and
Gold Glove. Most of the “counting stats” — doubles, homers, and RBI — were almost identical to the
previous season.
Even after a season in which he fell off somewhat, Betts remains one of the half-dozen best players in the
game and, having apparently given up on the idea of trading him this winter, the Sox will still get at least
one more season out of him. There’s great value to having a player of that caliber, in his prime, in your
everyday lineup.
Looking ahead to 2020, it will be interesting to see how Betts deals with the potential distraction of his
pending free agency. Will he place undue pressure on himself to perform up to his 2018 standard? Will the
inevitable trade rumors bother him?
THE BACKUPS: Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Martinez
As noted with both the left field and center field positions, the Red Sox lack an actual, honest-to-goodness
backup in right field. On days in which Betts gets a day off or is shifted to DH, the Sox can always swing
Bradley over and know that the position will be covered more capably. That’s less true when Martinez gets
the occasional start there. Right field at Fenway is perhaps the most demanding outfield spot in the league
and Martinez is a liability in terms of how much ground he can cover. For now, however, the Sox lack for
other alternatives.
THE PROSPECTS: Gilberto Jimenez.
The Sox are shockingly thin on outfield prospects in general, and that’s doubly true for right field, where
teams generally prefer power bats and plus arms. Jimenez, who has the potential to develop into a five-tool
outfielder, could one day fit this profile. But he’s likely three or more years away from being ready to
contribute at the big-league level. Someone like Jarren Duran could perhaps handle the defensive
responsibilities soon, but as a slap hitter who relies largely on speed for his offensive contribution,
wouldn’t be the answer long-term.
OVERALL
For 2020, the Red Sox are well-covered at the position. But given the consensus that Betts will leave the
organization — either via trade at the deadline, or next winter as a free agent — they’re soon to have a
gaping hole in right field, with no in-house alternatives currently in the pipeline or, at least, ready to make
contributions in 2021.
* The Athletic
In Martin Perez, Red Sox add depth option with potential for upside to rotation
Chad Jennings
Back in May, a blog called Twinkie Town announced in a headline: “The Martin Perez experiment is
paying off.” Three days later, The Athletic itself detailed the overwhelming success of Perez and his new
cutter. Within a week, the Dallas Morning News declared Perez the “best story in baseball.”
If the narrative hadn’t changed dramatically in the following four months, Perez would never have wound
up in the Red Sox rotation.
Perez was ultimately cut loose by the Twins this offseason, and as Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday night,
the 28-year-old has agreed to a one-year deal to fill the open spot in the Red Sox rotation. The $6 million
agreement comes with a team option for 2021.
Much like the earlier signing of infielder Jose Peraza, the Red Sox believe there’s more to Perez than his
final 2019 numbers. After a brilliant first two months – including eight shutout innings against the Astros –
Perez stumbled in the middle of the season and occasionally fell apart in the end. He had a 2.95 ERA on
May 23 but finished with a 5.12.
So, why sign him?
According to a source, the Red Sox liked some of the changes Perez made last season, and they believe
there’s room for more. The Red Sox also felt that Perez represented good value at the back of the rotation,
something they clearly needed after their depth was exposed last year.
Perez previously spent seven years with the Rangers, rarely with great success but also rarely with total
failure. With the Twins last season, he saw his fastball velocity spike from 92-93 mph to 94-96 mph. He
added the cutter, and his strikeouts also went up. His hard-hit rate and average exit velocity were among the
best in the game according to Statcast. Even as his season was going downhill later in the year, Perez had
good starts against the Brewers, Rays, Rangers and Red Sox (who managed two hits in six innings against
him on Sept. 5). Many of his 2019 numbers are similar to Rick Porcello, who’s reportedly signed with the
Mets for $10 million.
Perez is a back-of-the-rotation addition. He’s depth with upside. He’s also a new assignment for the first-
year pitching coach duo of Dave Bush and Kevin Walker, each of whom joined the major-league coaching
staff this offseason after previously working in the minors. They’ll be tasked with getting Perez to look
more like the guy who dominated early in the season, and less like the guy who pitched so poorly in the
second half that the Twins declined a $7.5 million team option for 2020.
For now, Perez fills out the Red Sox rotation. They were without a fifth starter after Porcello hit the open
market, and now they have that spot taken. It’s a rotation that currently has four lefties with only Nathan
Eovaldi from the right side, but that alignment might be short-lived. There is still an expectation that the
Red Sox could eventually trade David Price for salary relief, which could be the first of several falling
dominoes.
Given the assumption of spending restraint and a stated goal to get beneath the luxury tax threshold, the
Perez and Peraza signings seem to fit for the Red Sox this winter. Both are relatively young and relatively
cheap. They bring a risk-reward element in the short term, and the potential to stick around if things go
well.
But they are not, on the surface, difference-makers to bridge the gap between missing the playoffs in 2019
and wanting to contend in 2020. The Red Sox are starting to make moves, but there’s surely more to come.
After Winter Meetings, one thing is clear for Mookie Betts: His price is still going up
Jen McCaffrey
SAN DIEGO – With the Winter Meetings wrapping up on Thursday, the conversation has shifted for the
Red Sox from a potential trade of Mookie Betts to one of David Price.
The first half of the offseason was dominated by the notion the Red Sox might end up moving Betts this
winter to shrink their payroll under the $208 million luxury tax threshold. It sounds more and more like the
Red Sox are planning to keep Betts this winter as he enters his final year before free agency. The idea of
moving Price instead has gained much more traction over the past week, especially with massive deals for
Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole making Price’s remaining three years and $96 million remaining look
like a bargain.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the club doesn’t necessarily need to know if Betts will re-
sign to move forward with other moves this winter.
“You always want to know as much as you can,” he said. “I don’t think that specifically is going to have
that great an impact on most of the options we would look at. Obviously the more you know about the total
picture of your club, the better off you are, but I don’t think it’s having a great bearing for us on a lot of the
other discussions we’re having.”
Though it appears from the outside the talks with Betts have plateaued thanks to the idea Betts wants to test
the free-agent market next winter, Bloom indicated that’s not the case.
“You guys know that obviously over the course of time, there’s been a lot of conversations with him,” he
said. “I think just because those conversations haven’t resulted in a deal, I don’t think it’s fair to say he
hasn’t been open to it. I don’t want to get into exactly what we might be talking about right now or have
talked about since my arrival.”
One thing they likely will talk about is Anthony Rendon’s seven-year, $245 million deal signed with the
Angels this week. The average annual value of $35 million means Betts has quite a bit more leverage in
negotiating his contract.
Last spring, Mike Trout inked a 12-year, $430 million deal that came with a $35.8 million average annual
value. At the time of that deal, there was plenty of debate about Betts’ value compared to Trout and if Betts
could fetch a deal in the $400 million range or one with a similar AAV. But now that Rendon has hit the
$35 million average value, Betts’ camp is surely pleased.
Rendon, who turns 30 in June, had a breakout year, hitting .319 with a 1.010 OPS in 146 games for the
Nationals and finishing third in the National League MVP race. Over his seven-year career, he’s posted a
.290 average and .859 OPS with a 27.3 career WAR, according to Baseball-Reference.
In six seasons, the 27-year-old Betts has a .301 average and .893 OPS with a 42.0 career WAR.
The massive deals for Cole and Strasburg help Betts, too. The more massive deals on the market, the more
bargaining power Betts has to make a case he should get one too. A 10-year, $350 million deal for Betts
now seems on the lower end of the market with his camp surely pushing for $400 million.
“We know that players and agents are very aware of the market,” Bloom said. “We all look at the market
and try to see what we can infer from it, what that means for everybody else.”
Either way, it means Betts is in for a big pay at some point, this winter or next.
Here’s what the Red Sox saw in José Peraza and why they signed him as a free agent
Chad Jennings
For a Red Sox team without a clear starter at second base, this free-agent market offered plenty of choices.
There were no real standouts at the position, but there were a lot of familiar names with considerable
experience: Starlin Castro, Jason Kipnis, Ben Zobrist, Jonathan Schoop and fan favorite Brock Holt just to
name a few.
The Red Sox picked one Thursday, agreeing to a one-year, $3 million deal with former Reds infielder José
Peraza. Of the 28 free-agent second baseman listed by MLB Trade Rumors, Peraza was the youngest. He
also was one of the most versatile but also one of the least established. The Red Sox believe there is
immediate value, plus some upside.
“A better hitter than (he) showed last year,” one source said. “Good bat-to-ball skills.”
And because he was non-tendered earlier this month after just one year of arbitration, Peraza will retain
arbitration eligibility the next two years. If the signing works out, the Red Sox will have the ability to keep
him. It’s a short-term fix with potential long-term value.
Peraza is the first significant Red Sox addition of the winter. They added a young utility infielder, Jonathan
Arauz, through the Rule 5 draft earlier in the day, but Peraza projects as a far more significant piece of the
puzzle. He fits most naturally at second base but can also back up Xander Bogaerts at shortstop — that’s
been Peraza’s primary position most of his career — and he has major league experience at third base and
all three outfield positions, including 136 1/3 innings in center field. He’s not necessarily being handed the
everyday job at second, but the presumption is he will help fill that void. He’s expected to compete for
second base playing time, but the team also values his versatility.
Not so long ago, Peraza was seen as one of the top young talents in the game. He solidified that status with
a good 72-game rookie season in 2016, and though he regressed in his first full season, Peraza seemed to
establish himself with a strong 2018 when he was a league-average hitter with a 2.3 WAR, according to
Baseball Reference. He regressed last season, with a .631 OPS and a negative WAR. Even in that down
year, he had a .744 OPS against lefties.
The Red Sox are betting on the upside while believing he brings value regardless.
Peraza’s addition does not have to eliminate a potential reunion with Holt — the two could fit in some sort
of platoon situation — but Peraza does seem to fill the role Holt has occupied in recent years. Signing him
only reinforces a belief that Holt might find a better contract elsewhere.
Even without Holt, the Red Sox now have Peraza, Michael Chavis, Marco Hernandez, Tzu-Wei Lin, C.J.
Chatham, Arauz and possibly Dustin Pedroia factoring into the equation at second base. It’s still a position
without a standout or a definite everyday player, but the Red Sox have found one more piece to fill that
puzzle.
18 Red Sox takeaways from Winter Meetings: Be prepared to say goodbye to David Price
Chad Jennings
SAN DIEGO – Winter Meeting hotel suites are assigned based on seniority. Veteran general managers get
the best rooms in the house. New guys get stuck with smaller, less spectacular spaces. The Red Sox did not
have one of a premier spot at the Grand Hyatt this week.
Under Dave Dombrowski, they were always upgraded. Under rookie chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom,
they were bare bones. Microwave. Mini fridge. Small bar. Long conference table of dullest yellow, a big
couch on one side of the room, and 27 chairs scattered throughout. When the room wasn’t full, a half-dozen
chairs were stacked near the side door. When media were out of sight, the big white board was used to jot
down trade proposals and various roster ideas. The visual, Bloom said, sometimes helped make sense of it
all.
For more than 72 hours, that room was home base for the Red Sox front office. They talked trade, they
talked free agency, but they wrapped up on Thursday with nothing to show for it beyond a Rule 5 pick.
They kept a lot of balls in the air, though. Two team executives said it was reminiscent of the Theo Epstein
days. At least, the approach was similar.
Under Dombrowski, the Red Sox selected specific targets and went after them. Under Bloom, they’ve been
exploring possibilities and keeping their options open.
“Really make sure you’re not unprepared for any possibility,” Bloom said. “And with that, I think comes at
least considering, to some degree, a wide variety of guys who are out there.”
So here are 18 takeaways from this week:
1. The gut feeling is that David Price will be traded. The Red Sox likely will have to pay down his salary,
but as the pitching market took shape, and free agents scored massive contracts, a Price trade felt more and
more realistic. As the days went by, it became a bigger part of the regular conversations.
2. If the Red Sox do trade Price, they might not follow the Angels model of including a prospect to offset
the cost (the Angels traded a 2019 first-round pick in order to dump Zack Cozart’s salary). Bloom pretty
much shot down that idea, or at least made it seem like a last resort. “I don’t think we’d ever want to rule
anything out,” Bloom said. “But so much of what we’re always going to be trying to accomplish, but
certainly now, is to make sure we have as strong a farm system as possible.”
3. That doesn’t mean the Red Sox couldn’t include a younger player – or perhaps a more established player
like Andrew Benintendi – to sweeten the pot and improve the return. Doing that might bring different
teams into the mix and open fresh possibilities, and right now, the Red Sox seem to be all about
possibilities. But if they’re going to trade a guy like Benintendi, I think they would have to get significant
prospects in return. I don’t think Benintendi is going to be used strictly to make Price’s contract more
palatable.
4. Ultimately, if the Red Sox can get a team to take on roughly $20 million of Price’s salary, it would put
their payroll right around the luxury tax threshold. While the team still maintains resetting luxury tax
penalties is a goal but not a mandate, it did seem telling this week when Bloom called it a “realistic” goal.
The trick is getting far enough below it to still have room to add pieces.
5. The Yankees got below the luxury tax threshold in 2018, resetting their penalties and perhaps setting the
stage for this week’s Gerrit Cole bombshell. After resetting in 2018, the Yankees immediately began to
spend again with a series of high-profile additions last winter and now the record $324 million deal with
Cole. If the Red Sox reset this winter, will that make it easier for them to re-sign Mookie Betts next winter?
An extension seems to be a non-starter, but the Red Sox could position themselves to be the strongest suitor
if/when he hits the open market.
6. Trading Betts this winter still seems like a real longshot, and I maintain it makes more sense to open the
season with him, try to win this year, and trade him at the deadline if the season doesn’t go well. Whether
Betts is open to an extension, Bloom said, has no real impact on his offseason decision making. At this
point, an extension seems out of the question.
7. Speaking of Betts’ next contract, Anthony Rendon’s new seven-year, $245-million deal with the Angels
sets a pretty high bar. That’s $35 million per year, an average annual value only Mike Trout had reached
before this week’s flurry of Scott Boras activity. Without doing a single thing, and without being in town,
Betts had a really good week in San Diego. It might be lining up for him to get the second-largest deal in
baseball history.
8. The Rendon signing might have kicked the position player market into gear. Before Wednesday night,
the offseason had been consumed by pitchers. It was Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Wheeler, Cole Hamels,
Will Smith, Blake Treinen, even next-tier guys like Drew Pomeranz, Kyle Gibson and Tanner Roark. Big
position player signings, though, were pretty much limited to Yasmani Grandal, Mike Moustakas and Didi
Gregorius. With Rendon off the board, Josh Donaldson could move, which might lead teams looking for
offense to start finalizing offers for guys like Marcell Ozuna and Nick Castellanos. Everything should be
primed to move now.
9. Until and unless they make some trades, it’s hard to see the Red Sox going after a particularly big-name
position player. They could obviously use a second baseman and first baseman, but the market is thin at
those positions. And a backup catcher is hardly going to be a particularly impactful addition. Getting the
market moving, though, could finally solidify any trades they have in the works.
10. Speaking of position players, the infield market does seem to favor the Red Sox in this regard: it offers
a boatload of potentially helpful second basemen, which will surely drive down the price and leave the Red
Sox signing a veteran at a discount. Jonathan Schoop, Yolmer Sanchez, Starlin Castro, Eric Sogard, Jason
Kipnis, Cesar Hernandez, Ben Zobrist, Brian Dozier, Joe Panik, Jose Peraza – someone is inevitably going
to be in Red Sox camp competing for a job.
11. In an ideal world, second base would still belong to Dustin Pedroia, but that ideal world went out the
window years ago. For now, the Red Sox say Pedroia is still expected to be in spring training, and he seems
determined to try to play. It seems the organization is rooting for him and supporting him, but they’re not
counting on him. If Pedroia can actually play, it will be an incredible addition to his legacy in Boston. If
not, there will be alternatives in place.
12. A writer this week was working on one of those magazine previews – the kind that lists a projected
lineup for every team – and asked my opinion of his guess at the Red Sox lineup. He had Marco Hernandez
at second base and Michael Chavis at first. Right now, I’m more inclined to project Chavis at second base,
someone else at first – Bobby Dalbec or a free agent – with Hernandez in the minor leagues to start the
season. The Red Sox signed him to a split contract specifically to save a little money when Hernandez is in
the minors. They’ve prepared themselves for him to need more time.
13. Part of that preparation might be Thursday’s selection of Jonathan Arauz in the Rule 5 draft. I’m told
the Red Sox view him as a true utility guy who can play shortstop and hit a little, plus he’s still awfully
young at just 21. Just a guy competing for a bench role in spring training. Not much risk, nothing sexy,
probably minimal reward, but helps with depth and youth. It’s the very definition of a Rule 5 pick.
14. The new 26-man roster is coming at a good time for the Red Sox. That extra roster spot could give them
an extra pitcher (if they need an opener or a fifth starter who can’t pitch deep) or it could give them two
first basemen (to platoon at the position without limiting another piece of the puzzle) or it could give them
two or three active second basemen (to mix and match and see who can really play).
15. One other idea for that 26th spot: If Pedroia somehow can play a little bit, then maybe that last roster
spot is a way to keep him active while protecting him with extremely limited playing time. Don’t forget,
the Red Sox carried Blake Swihart for months in 2018 without a real use for him. It’s still hard to imagine
Pedroia will be able to play this year – not his fault, just a really tough injury – but it would be pretty cool
to see him actually do it, and maybe the expanded roster makes it just a little bit easier.
16. One of the other changes for next season is the three-batter minimum for pitchers. It’s meant to speed
up pace of play by basically eliminating lefty specialists, but it shouldn’t affect the Red Sox very much.
Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor weren’t really one-batter guys to begin with.
17. Rick Porcello got a $10-million, one-year deal to reestablish value with the Mets. Kevin Guasman got a
$9-million, one-year deal to reestablish value. Treinen got $10 million to reestablish value out of the
bullpen. Michael Wacha got $3 million with incentives that could push to $7 million. Rounding out the Red
Sox rotation isn’t going to come cheap unless they really dive into the bargain bin. This is a significant
difficulty in getting below the luxury tax threshold this year. They’re going to need pitching at some point,
and it’s just awfully expensive.
18. Finally, just an observation based on multiple conversations with many members of the Red Sox front
office: the transition to Bloom seems to have been smooth. Bloom was brought into a close-knit group of
long-time Red Sox decision makers, and they seem to genuinely like the new guy. Too early to say whether
Bloom will be successful, but his style and personality seem to work within the existing Red Sox
framework. That’s a good first step.