Red Sox faced with significant roster changes with Rule 5 additions
The time is approaching for the Red Sox to make decisions regarding which players to protect from the Rule 5 draft which is explained here. Boston has 53 roster candidates and needs to shrink that to 40. The possibilities have been discussed by Chris Cotillo on MassLive, but they are merely the possibilities.
Players that are eligible for Rule 5 are two acquired by recent trade – catcher Connor Wong and pitcher Connor Seabold who are both relatively easy calls. Former first-round draft pick pitcher Jay Groome will most certainly be on the roster along with high ranked prospect Bryan Mata. Third base prospect Hudson Potts, outfielder Jeisson Rosario, and outfielder Marcus Wilson were in the Red Sox Player Pool for the recently concluded season and should be safe.
When someone says hello someone must say goodbye and there is certainly an extensive list to possibly bid adieu. Jackie Bradley Jr.is a pending free agent so that is not an issue, but the remainder for designated for assignment (DFA) is possibly extensive considering the plight of the last-place Red Sox.
Disappointing Jose Peraza is no novice to DFA and being eligible for arbitration makes the potential $3M savings an easy decision. Not so easy would be the status of Dustin Pedroia who is on the books for $12.5M in 2021. Will that money join that of David Price’s $16M? Conversely, would the Red Sox pass on Matt Barnes and save a possible $4.5M?
Ryan Weber (1.0 fWAR) would certainly be a keeper as will Marcus Walden who was awful in 2020 but outstanding in 2019 (9-2, 3.81). Then there is Chris Mazza who is certainly on the cusp. Showing enough is Phillips Valdez, a most pleasant surprise.
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The pitching list is a treasure trove of possibilities based on just how the Red Sox staff performed during 2020. Andrew Triggs, Jeffrey Springs, Robert Stock, and Domingo Tapia all had their moments of positives and equal moments of negatives. Matt Hall did nothing to impress and add Zack Godley and Mike Kickham to the sayonara club. In fact, it just may be simpler to say who should be kept – a far shorter list.
The position players besides Peraza and possibly Pedroia have a list who stopped by and are forgettable. Tzu-Wei Lin is expected to go – no stranger to that process. Outfielder Cesar Puello made Boston his fifth organization and will be in the market for a sixth. Jonathan Arauz hit .250 in 25 games and may have earned a stay of roster execution.
The Red Sox could also look to cut C.J. Chatham – a once-promising infield prospect and catcher Deivy Grullon who they picked up from Philadelphia. I doubt the Red Sox will scuttle Christian Arroyo and Yairo Munoz who both impressed.
Being DFA does not necessarily mean cutting ties with the Red Sox as the process allows other options. Potentially any of the DFA players could return to the Red Sox as a minor league player if they are not claimed by another team, elect to be a free-agent, or become part of a trade. Boston’s roster will change as it does every season only this offseason it may be more extensive than in the past.