Red Sox possibilities for 2018 from the baseball landfill
By Rick McNair
Hard throwers always get attention as a fastball that consistently pushes out near triple digits gets batter a bit nervous and the crowd eyeballing the radar numbers. With Josh Collmenter you could grab a beer while his fastball heads to home plate since his fastball registers in the mid-80s.
Collmenter has a winning MLB record (38-34) and a very respectable 3.64 ERA. Collmenter has what I always consider a positive reference for with a career 2.2 BB/9 and a career 8.6 H/9. Collmenter will mix it up with a curve and change with his curve being snail slow at 71 MPH.
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In 2014 Collmenter had his best season going 11-9, 3.46 ERA for the Diamondbacks and since then it has been the combination MLB/minors shuffle. The dual combination of injuries and poor performances has led the usual path of being released (D-Backs), signed (Cubs), traded (to Atlanta) and DFA (Atlanta). Collmenter is now a free agent and the 31-year-old right-hander may find another baseball home.
Collmenter is an interesting opportunity since he is not overpowering, but has managed to have some rather respectable numbers in the National League as a spot starter and out of the bullpen. That, however, is in the past and the present – meaning the last two seasons – have not been kind to Collmenter.
This is a player that would be an interesting signing based on his MLB experience and results. A good fit for a minor league contract and storage at Pawtucket. A higher level than Sean O’Sullivan who Boston took a chance on with moderate success in 2016.