Under the radar Red Sox players ready to make big contributions in 2019
After winning the World Series in 2018, the Red Sox have been forced to be quiet in free agency due to a high payroll. Because of this, some unknown players are ready to make a big impact in 2019.
Every season, teams rely on a few under the radar players to fill in spots and contribute. For the Red Sox last year, it was Ryan Brasier. In 2017, it was Joe Kelly.
With the Red Sox current huge payroll, they cannot afford to bring in top free agents to fill holes. They will likely sign one cheap reliever and possibly make a trade elsewhere and call it an off-season. How much can you really do after a 108 win season and a World Series?
Luckily for the Red Sox, they do have some depth in positions of need, like relief pitcher. With a team that has most of its roster solidified, there is not a huge need for under the radar players, but the Red Sox do have guys that make contributions. Despite the farm system being one of the worst in baseball, they have some MLB ready talent at AAA and have made some minor league signings who could make the big league roster.
Unless some surprise moves happen this off-season, expect these four players to see the field often this year, and possibly make some big contributions.
Tzu-Wei Lin
In 2012, the Red Sox signed 17-year-old Tzu-Wei Lin from Taiwan. He spent numerous years in the minors as a marginal prospect before seeing an uptick in power in 2017.
Lin appeared in parts of 2017 and 2018, but never really carved out a significant role. In 2017, he was behind Deven Marrero on the depth chart, who got the majority of the backup utility infielder innings. In 2018, Marrero was gone, but the Red Sox super utility man Brock Holt was back and healthy, making it difficult for Lin to find innings again.
In 2019, Red Sox longtime second baseman Dustin Pedroia is supposed to be healthy and starting at second, with Eduardo Nunez and Holt backing him up, which would seemingly make it difficult for Lin to find innings. However, this is not the case. At this point, it is really difficult to rely on Pedroia to stay healthy all season, and Nunez has dealt with his own injury issues the past two seasons. In addition to this, Nunez’s production really fell off last season, and there is a chance Lin is just a better player. If Pedroia does manage to stay healthy, it is also likely he sees a limit in innings to keep him fresh, considering how little he has played over the last two years.
Stats wise, it is hard to judge Lin. As a prospect, he was considered to have a ceiling of a slightly above average hitter with a solid glove around the field. However, he showed some encouraging signs in limited time in 2018. In just 73 plate appearances, he had a hard contact percentage of over 40% which is very good. If his defense is as advertised, then he could be more than the Red Sox could have hoped for.
No matter how this plays out, it seems the departure of Ian Kinsler opens a spot up for Lin somewhere on the roster, where he will have a much bigger role than the last two years. He also has played some center field in the minors, and he could help out there. There is a lot to like with Lin, he is cheap, under control for a while, and is a solid player. Watch out for him this season.
Travis Lakins
Travis Lakins was a 6th-round pick in 2012 and struggled as a starter. Going into his 5th minor league season, he got his last chance to start. As his struggles continued, he was moved to the bullpen, where he flourished. He had a terrific 1.21 ERA with a 3.06 FIP. In 37 innings he allowed just 1 home run as well. He also showed the ability to go multiple innings out of the bullpen. Those 37 innings were across just 30 games.
For a Red Sox bullpen that needs help, Lakins could be a huge add. There are very few guys who currently have guaranteed spots in the bullpen, so a strong spring from Lakins could earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. The only guarantees currently seem to be Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Ryan Brasier, and if health permitting, Steven Wright.
Lakins took the first step towards making the roster this off-season when he was added to the 40-man roster to avoid getting taken in the Rule 5 draft. Clearly, the Red Sox intend to use him at the major league level.
If Lakins does make the Opening Day roster, he will likely be eased into a more substantial role. If he can pitch multiple innings in big spots, it would be a huge boost to the Red Sox bullpen. The highest he can get in the bullpen calling order is probably the 7th inning, with Brasier and Barnes ahead of him.
Regardless of when he pitches, if he can be a solid bullpen arm, he would be a huge addition to the Red Sox bullpen, that will likely be trying to fill holes left by Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly, which will need to be filled with a bunch of pitchers. Lakins has not accrued any service time and figures to be a piece of the bullpen for a while. He will either be on the opening day roster or get called up at some point during the season.
Bobby Poyner
In 2018, Bobby Poyner won the battle for the lefty spot in the bullpen in Spring Training. After a strong start to the season, he got hurt and was sent down to the minors. He came up again briefly a month later. This trend continued for the remainder of the season and he was called up eventually for September.
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Despite being in contention for the playoff roster, Poyner was left off as the Red Sox opted to carry no lefties until the World Series when Drew Pomeranz was added and never made an appearance.
However, Poyner should see the mound more consistently in 2019. It is unlikely they carry lefties as little as they did last year considering one of the relievers who had good splits against lefties, Joe Kelly, is gone and the other, Matt Barnes, may be closing next season.
Now to Poyner’s stats. For the majority of the season when he was up, he was really solid. Until a rough appearance in game 162, Poyner had a 2.53 ERA. After allowing 2 runs in 1 inning in the final game, his ERA was up to 3.22. His final season stats were a 3.22 ERA, 4.01 FIP, and a 3.90 xFIP. His FB% being 50% and his HR/FB% being 13.3% is a bit worrisome, especially at Fenway. However, his hard contact percentage was at just 26% which is not bad.
A year of experience, and not having to deal with the call-ups and demotions should help Poyner in 2019.
Zach Putnam
Zach Putnam was drafted in the 5th round of the 2008 draft by the Indians. The Red Sox signed Putnam to a minor league deal on December 19th.
Putnam had spent the majority of his career with the White Sox and has been a solid reliever for a while. Over his career, he has a 3.20 ERA with a 3.37 FIP and a 3.42 xFIP over 152 innings. He was non-tendered by the White Sox after missing 2018 following Tommy John Surgery.
If Putnam can return to form, he could be a big piece of the Red Sox bullpen in 2019. This means that he will have to show the Red Sox he is still the same pitcher following TJS in order to make the roster. He is on a minor league deal with an invite to the big league camp, so he will get a fair shot at making the major league roster, and will get plenty of opportunities to pitch in the spring.
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Putnam features 3 pitches, a 4 seam fastball, cutter, and a splitter. His fastball sits in the low 90s, as he relies on location to get batters out, rather than velocity. His splitter has been his most effective pitch throughout his career. He is a groundball pitcher, which makes him an ideal fit for Fenway Park.