Red Sox: Ranking potential impact of 2019 September call-ups
Ranking the potential impact down the stretch of the players called up to the Boston Red Sox when rosters expanded to begin September.
The Boston Red Sox clubhouse will be a bit more crowded for the remainder of the season as September brings roster expansion. Rather than limit themselves to the usual 25-man active roster, clubs are allowed to add anyone from their 40-man roster to the big league team for the final month of the regular season.
Boston took advantage of the September call-up policy by adding six players to their roster on September 1. This doesn’t include David Price, who was activated from the 10-day injured list in time to start Sunday’s series finale against the Angels in Anaheim.
Three of the new additions weren’t on the 40-man roster last month. To make room, the Red Sox transferred Chris Sale and Steven Wright to the 60-day inured list. First baseman Joey Curletta was outrighted off the 40-man roster and remains in Double-A Portland.
Expanded rosters allow managers to have a bit more flexibility. Deeper benches limit the risk of utilizing a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner. The bullpen won’t be burned out as easily with more options at their disposal.
While most of these September call-ups won’t see regular action down the stretch, each of them is capable of providing an impact as the Red Sox chase a Wild Card spot.
Hector Velazquez
The most familiar face among the players called up in September is Hector Velazquez. The former Mexican League standout has had some success since joining the Red Sox in 2017, going 10-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 55 appearances (11 starts) over the last two seasons.
The 30-year old hasn’t been nearly as effective this year. Velazquez is 1-4 with a 5.69 ERA in 49 innings. He was relatively stingy with the free passes in previous years but his walk rate has inflated to a career-high 4.3 BB/9.
Velazquez has been counted on as a spot starter at times but his 1-3 record and 6.95 ERA as a starter this season inspires little confidence. Even a rotation as thin as Boston’s can’t afford to give him another shot when their margin for error is razor thin.
His time in the bullpen hasn’t exactly been a smashing success this year either, producing a 4.67 ERA in 27 innings. Velazquez posted a solid 3.31 ERA in 16 1/3 relief innings for Triple-A Pawtucket but he walked nearly as many batters (11) as he struck out (14).
Velazquez is likely going to be relegated to mop-up duty this month. He’s capable of providing multiple innings and can help keep the top arms in the bullpen fresh by handling some of the low-leverage situations.
Ryan Weber
Ryan Weber has made three starts for the Red Sox this season but there isn’t much to take away from his limited track record. He was shelled for seven runs in four innings by the Cleveland Indians in one of those starts and treated as an opener who recorded only four outs against the Kansas City Royals in another.
Weber flashed some potential in his one other start, limiting the Toronto Blue Jays to one run over six innings.
A 1-5 record and 4.50 ERA in 16 starts with Pawtucket is uninspiring. Weber is another less than ideal candidate to fill the back of the rotation void.
He could be of use in a relief role though. Weber has thrived in limited bullpen action this year, posting a 2.08 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings of relief. His meager strikeout rate (6.0 K/9) stands out in a bullpen full of power pitchers but he’s making it work by limiting walks (1.6 BB/9) and home runs (0.8 HR/9).
He shouldn’t be cast into the fires of high-leverage situations but Weber can fill in some innings if a starter gets knocked out early – which happens quite often to the Red Sox rotation. Six of Weber’s nine relief outings this year have been multiple-inning efforts. That’s useful for extra-innings affairs or if the Red Sox turn to another bullpen game.
Juan Centeno
The journeyman catcher could soon make his Red Sox debut but he’s no stranger to the big leagues. Juan Centeno has 111 career games under his belt in stints with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers.
Centeno owns a career .227/.278/.331 batting line with six home runs and 45 RBI.
While he hit an almost respectable .248 with a .671 OPS in Pawtucket this year, his track record suggests those numbers won’t translate to the big leagues.
Centeno isn’t here for his bat but he may still be an upgrade at the plate over the anemic Sandy Leon, who is sputtering along with a .181 average and .536 OPS. Centeno is bad with a bat in his hands but not that bad.
Leon’s primary purpose as serving as the security blanket for Sale. Now that the ace is out for the season, there’s less incentive to give playing time to his battery mate. As long as Centeno can hold his own defensively behind the plate, the Red Sox may give him a look to see if he can be a potentially cheaper replacement for the backup catcher role next season.
If nothing else, Centeno’s presence will make Alex Cora more comfortable pinch-hitting for Leon. Christian Vazquez would then take over after a partial day off without leaving the Red Sox exposed without another catcher to call on if anything happened to Vazquez.
Gorkys Hernandez
The role that Gorkys Hernandez plays for this team depends on if they buy into a limited sample from this year or his overall body of work.
Hernandez was hitting a pitiful .219 with Pawtucket but there are a couple of things he did quite well. He’s got a bit of pop in his bat, bashing 16 homers in 123 games. More enticing is his .305 batting average and .941 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Hernandez bounced around to three other teams before joining the Red Sox organization on a minor league deal this year. He’s a career .234 hitter with a .650 OPS. His career splits also have us questioning his success at Triple-A this year against lefties – he’s been slightly better against right-handed pitching throughout his major league career.
Still, if the 31-year old has picked up some new tricks that make him a legitimate threat against southpaws, he could be useful. The Red Sox have a couple of regulars who are virtually unusable when the opposing team sends a lefty to the mound. Hernandez can play any outfield position reasonably well and could see playing time down the stretch at the expense of Jackie Bradley Jr.
Perhaps his success against lefties this year was a mirage but it’s not hard to imagine Hernandez stepping in to fill a role similar to what Steve Pearce provided last season. A part-time player who can mash lefties.
Travis Lakins
The Red Sox gave Travis Lakins his first taste of big league action this year. He’s allowed eight runs in 15 1/3 innings for an unappealing 4.70 ERA, walking eight batters while only striking out 10 over that span.
His time in Pawtucket was equally discouraging. Lakins posted a 4.60 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 45 innings this season.
It’s been a tough year for the right-hander yet it feels as though there’s untapped potential with Lakins. He broke out last year, posting a 2.32 ERA in time spent between Portland and Pawtucket. He struck out over a batter per inning and showed improved command after moving to the bullpen.
The success hasn’t carried over to this year but Lakins is still the No. 22 prospect in the Red Sox system. He’s now focused on working as a reliever where he can rely on his bread and butter cutter and mid-90’s fastball.
If any pitcher on this list has a shot at making a significant impact out of the bullpen, now or in the future, it’s Lakins.
Jhoulys Chacin
This has been a forgettable season for Jhoulys Chacin. He went 3-10 with a 5.79 ERA before mercifully being released by a Brewers team that was already thin on rotation depth.
The Red Sox are even more desperate for a starting pitcher to fill the void at the back of their rotation so they are taking a low-risk chance on Chacin.
As poorly as he’s pitched this year, Chacin was an above-average starter the previous two seasons. He was 28-18 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with the San Diego Padres and Brewers from 2017-2018.
Both seasons were spent in the National League without the threat of the designated hitter. His time in San Diego provided the luxury of one of MLB’s most pitcher-friendly parks. Chacin posted a stellar 1.79 ERA at Petco Park during his season with the Padres but a brutal 6.53 ERA on the road.
Boston doesn’t need Chacin to match his production from the previous two seasons. They need a fifth starter who can be counted on to eat some innings without imploding. He’ll need to be better than he was with the Brewers this year but his history implies that he’s capable of providing what this team needs.
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Chacin is far from a sure thing and comes with plenty of red flags but he can’t be much worse than the options the Red Sox have cycled through the back of their rotation. If he fills that role adequately well then he’ll be the most valuable addition the Red Sox make in September.