Red Sox need some roster exit velocity to jettison underachievers
Exit velocity is a statistical rage and the Boston Red Sox have that with startling numbers especially Rafael Devers. What they now need is roster exit velocity.
The opportunity is now ripe to get a kick-start for 2020 and cut the roster. To paraphrase The Godfather: “Nothing personal, just business.” Players know that, especially players who have bounced around organizations and even within the organization. The Red Sox have no qualms about choking down contracts and it should start now.
This season has clearly shown some players are like the appendix which has no known value. Some of the players may even be classified as above average, but the reality is most are below average, disappointing, and have careers that may soon end.
After a disappointing season, expect a housecleaning so this represents an early start with a look at who may go and who really should go. Most are rather obvious and the problem is limiting it.
Hector Velaquez
Is it luck or good scouting with Mexican League import right-hander Hector Velazquez? Velazquez was an important piece in 2017-18 with special emphasis on the championship of 2018. Velazquez would simply do what was required – start, long relief, short relief. But even those first two seasons had attention-getting stat in FIP.
Velazquez is no mystery to hitters with his lukewarm fastball (91.7v), a curve, slider, and split, but he moves the ball around, cuts his corners, and attempts to keep hitters off-balance. This season Velazquez has been hit hard (38.8%) and not kept the ball on the ground (38.4%). Hitters eyes become saucer plates when Velazquez takes the hill.
Velazquez is not a big-ticket item in baseball terminology with barely a minimum contract ($568,500) so if you need a pitcher to either mop up or get mopped up then Velazquez is your guy. At near 1-years-old what you see is what you get and that is not pretty. Just gives Velazquez an early send-off.
Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce
Both are done after 2019 and become free agents. Steve Pearce has contributed nothing this season and sits on a $6.25 MM contract that has produced a lone home run and a batting average that makes Sandy Leon look like a real hitter. Age, poor performance, and injury at 37-years-old means retirement.
Two things regarding Mitch Moreland: Moreland will hit and Moreland will get injured. Moreland has accomplished both in 2019 so he has continued to be consistent. With a contract of $6.5 MM to expire, Moreland’s days in Boston will end. Maybe an early gift and release Moreland so he could hook up with a contender.
Moreland carries a good glove – once winning a Gold Glove – and certainly has his moments with the stick, but at 34-years-old the Red Sox options look longingly to youth such as Michael Chavis who provides what Moreland does with more defensive versatility.
Brian Johnson
Need creates a roster spot and Brian Johnson will undoubtedly stay much to the elation of American League hitters. Now nearing 29-years-old, the former first-round pick (2012) has done little to ingratiate his left-handed hurling to the Red Sox fan base. Bluntly stated Johnson has done nothing in repeated opportunities offered to him.
Johnson’s personal and health issues have possibly affected his development, but the fact remains his “stuff” is just MLB borderline – a Blake Swihart of the pitchers. The only real positive is Johnson managed to outlast another dismal first-round failure – Henry Owens.
Johnson’s salary is just $575,000 for this season and his value is minimal in either trade or contributions to the team. Getting released now is not necessary, but expect Johnson to either be bypassed at contract time or traded, sold, or sent to Korean baseball.
Steven Wright
Now nearing 35-years-old and with an extensive and impressive list of injuries and personal failings, it is time to send Steven Wright elsewhere. The promise is long gone and may have started that way with an ill-advised managerial move by inserting the plump Wright on the base paths to pinch-run.
Being an All-Star one season certainly demonstrated the potential that the knuckleballer brought to the baseball table, but since then the downhill slide has been dramatic. Each season the hope springs up that Wright will be a serious piece in completing the Red Sox pitching jigsaw puzzle. And each season the results are the same – disappointment.
Wright is easily replaceable since his contributions have been minimal on the baseball field the last few years and just the opposite off the field. Wright’s decision-making skills are now matched by his pitching skills.
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Every year there are certain guarantees for me such as that damn woodchuck family invading my garden and Jackie Bradley Jr. hitting under the league average. The glove work is undeniable and so is the hitting work or lack of hitting. Bradley is the ultimate tease when JBJ goes into one of his extended offensive frenzies.
The downside is frenzied is followed by a freeze where Bradley’s bat becomes just an ornament as he sauntered back to the bench after another embarrassing attempt to hit the little white sphere. Enough is enough and time to put Bradley out to the trading pasture and hopefully get a bullpen arm of moderate talent.
Bradley is expensive ($8.55 MM) and savings are important to the suddenly parsimonious Red Sox. With another year or arbitration Bradley could easily exceed this years contract. Look elsewhere.
Colten Brewer and Heath Hembree
Another low-risk acquisition and that usually translates into low expectations and even lower performance outcomes. Colten Brewer did not disappoint and is now at Pawtucket (AAA). Attempting to find a positive in Brewer’s too long stay in Boston is his ability to keep the ball in the yard (0.9 HR/9), but the unfortunate part is Brewer was too busy giving up free passes (5.8 BB/9).
Heath Hembree has demonstrated the ability in his five Boston seasons to accomplish both – give up walks and the long ball. Hembree – like virtually the entire staff – was allowed to close. At this point, Hembree is clearly in the category of you know what you are getting and can do better elsewhere.
Brewer and Hembree are both symptomatic of the Red Sox inability to develop consistently reliable pitching. The result is either searching for bargains or making trades for someone else’s drafting mistakes.
Best (worst) of the rest
The good thing about Andrew Cashner is he will not reach his option to get the Red Sox another $10 MM burden on the payroll. The results have been to put it mildly – disappointing. Cashner will hook on somewhere and I hope it is with an AL East team so our offense can feast.
Josh Smith is a typical Red Sox reclamation project and his career -0.1 bWAR about sums it up. Maybe one of these days they actually will find another Luis Tiant? Smith will not be the one since he picked up in Boston where he left off in Cincinnati.
Bobby Poyner looked impressive in his early go around with the Red Sox. Darwinzon Hernandez is now far ahead of Poyner in any internal race for lefty out of the bullpen as Poyner is in the full 4A player mode.
The Red Sox have some talented utility players and I thought Tzu-Wei Lin would be one, but he seems to be locked out. Marco Hernandez has supplanted Lin and has a far higher upscale regarding hitting prowess. I still think Lin can be a more productive MLB player than Deven Marrero and it will have to be elsewhere.
Next. Free agents to target this offseason. dark
Someone has to fall on their sword for 2019 and it will not be Dave Dombrowski or manager Alex Cora. If you need a goat to look no further than pitching coach Dana LeVangie. Last season LeVangie was a refreshing positive – and surprising addition – and this season he will be sent packing around the first of October.