Pitchers to watch this season?

[MongoLikeSox]

I'm beginning to smell a dumpster and a few of the morons running our organization are heading in that direction with knife and fork to sample the dredge of puke lying in there.

I do applaud him for at least making an effort so far to bolster the pitching infrastructure. That said, my patience will be greatly reduced on Thursday Morning if we wake up to another empty Winter Meetings.

We've already seen two things that we are not used to seeing. Signing Minor League Free Agents that are still somewhat young and have remaining upside. We made a trade on someone we were going to non-tender for a promising rookie reliever, albeit one with an elbow that Cora will be forced to limit. 

[Sea Dog 23]

I think there is going to be a lot of movement starting next week.It looks like the big signing is already lined up in Ohtani to Dodgers.  At the meetings the Sox seemed poised to do a trade with somebody like Seattle, again.  Logan Gilbert's name has been floated.  Yamamoto is going to take his time to drive up his value. 

Sox look good to get either Yamamoto or Montgomery.  Anything less than those two just isn't going to move the needle for a team floating around the basement for a number of years.

[SeaBeachFred]

I think there is going to be a lot of movement starting next week.It looks like the big signing is already lined up in Ohtani to Dodgers.  At the meetings the Sox seemed poised to do a trade with somebody like Seattle, again.  Logan Gilbert's name has been floated.  Yamamoto is going to take his time to drive up his value. 

Sox look good to get either Yamamoto or Montgomery.  Anything less than those two just isn't going to move the needle for a team floating around the basement for a number of years.

Yamamoto AND Montgomery!!!!!!!  Then add Merrifield and Hoskins, two RH hitters with sting. The time has come to end these stupid half-ass measures and start acting like a big market team. Henry had done enough damage the past five seasons to last a Red Sox fan's lifetime and has pretty much scuttled most of the good cheer he brought his way through the championships he helped together.   He now is looked upon as a screwball cheapskate who has clearly misread the fandom of the team he owns.  Prune Face---EITHER SHIT OR GET OFF THE POT!!!!!!!

[Sea Dog 23]

A writer named Susan Slusser (SanFrancisco Chronicle) says that San Fran may now have the edge with dealings for Yamamoto.  She says the feeling is coming from other teams that are bidding.  If at all true, I hope the Sox are strong on Montgomery.

Some are saying the market for Yammy is 7/$220m.  Plus, the lucky suitor is stuck with a $35mil posting fee.  Another Japanese pitcher, lefty Shōta Imanaga, could be on the wish list.   Also the Sox are kicking the tires on ex-NYY Domingo German, who was slapped with suspensions for spousal abuse and alcohol abuse for a couple years.  Please stop !!

[Sea Dog 23]

With the Sox revamping their approach to pitching from top to bottom of the organization, they have not analyzed what the combo of Wong-Guire can affect the pitching behind the plate.  Olney says the Sox may have inquired about Maldonado this week.

As the Red Sox move into the Craig Breslow era with a focus on pitching, they have interest in veteran catcher Martin Maldonado, renowned for his handling of pitchers. Maldonado, 37, played with the Astros the past five seasons, and in his time with Houston, his pitchers and managers strongly advocated for him to be behind the plate -- while the Houston front office looked for alternatives because of Maldonado's subpar offensive production. Last year, Maldonado hit .191 with 15 homers, a .258 on-base percentage and 66 adjusted OPS+. Maldonado has a longstanding friendship with Boston manager Alex Cora, who, like Maldonado, grew up in Puerto Rico. Last year, Connor Wong was the primary catcher for the Red Sox, playing in 126 games and generating an 80 adjusted OPS+. Reese McGuire (also with an 80 adjusted OPS+) was the backup. -

[longgame]

Lots of reports saying the Sox aren't among the front runners for Yamamoto, but I don't put too much stock on those reports as they're just trying to put something out there. See also the football reporter who made stuff up when she couldn't talk to the coaches during half time. Still, Breslow needs to make a move on the pitching front as they need more than one starter anyhow and Montgomery seems to be the next guy in the chute.  Go and get him Craig.

I wonder how long they project Teel to come up?  He's the #3 prospect in the system I believe I saw.  Probably not a 2024 candidate until late in the year so it makes a short term catching solution make sense.  But the FA catcher's market is led by Gary Sanchez and his 3.0 WAR.  No thanks!

[Sea Dog 23]

Merloni thinks he knows where the timetable probably falls with the FA pitchers.  Yamamoto has said he is having more meetings AFTER the winter meetings.  Montgomery's plan is to see Yamamoto's contract before he decides. 

Per Merloni, a fail safe for the Sox,  who are looking at two pitchers, might be left with just one of their Plan A's, and to get two in the next few weeks might grab Seth Lugo.  Lugo equates to a back end of rotation pitcher, who would dublicate Pivetta and Houck.  So the pickings could be slim, unless the Sox wine and dine one of the top two pitchers.

Personally I really hope they work out a trade for a top of rotation pitcher before they go the Lugo route.

[MongoLikeSox]

Yeah, the Winter Meetings is in pre-strike hurry up and wait mode.   sigh

I think Teel might be a late season call up in 2025 unless he proves the bat to be no fluke and the defense shines as brightly as it did this past Summer. He'd have to force his way up. It was a real treat to see him play on MiLB-TV. It looked like A+ Greenville was his team just a couple weeks after getting there, which was almost as long as he was even there before being promoted to AA. I wonder if Hickey will go to AAA to join Scott as a dual LHB catching tandem.

[longgame]

So last night and this morning the buzz on social media was the Sox weren't in on Yamamoto.  Now they are saying he's a "top priority".  Apparently the thinking is he'll sign after Ohtani and before the end of December.

[Sea Dog 23]

In the Rule 5 Draft, the Sox lost a couple of pitchers, Drohan to the White Sox and Ryan Ammons, a recent draft pick to the Mets.  For the Sox they received relief pitcher Justin Slaten from the Mets in a trade for Ammons.  The Rangers made Slaten available in the Draft and was initially claimed by the Mets.

Slaten was a 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft out of the University of New Mexico. He was Rule 5 eligible last year, but unclaimed.  Slaten put up a 2.87 ERA in 59.2 IP in 2023, however, between AA and AAA, and was seen as someone who had   a strong likelihood of getting picked in this year’s draft. The Rangers added relief pitchers Marc Church and Antoine Kelly to the 40 man roster last month, as well as Grant Anderson and Jake Latz during the 2023 season, making it harder to justify also adding Slaten.



From Baseball America - " In a moment of unity between the Roboscout and the industry, the robot identified Justin Slaten as the top available player in the Rule 5 draft. He has the second-highest Roboscore, the highest among players who reached the high minors and the third highest Stuff+ score. Over the last week, Slaten’s name has been the buzziest of potential picks. Slaten was also one of five pitchers with intriguing stuff from the Arizona Fall League we identified last month."

[MongoLikeSox]

In the Rule 5 Draft, the Sox lost a couple of pitchers, Drohan to the White Sox and Ryan Ammons, a recent draft pick to the Mets.  For the Sox they received relief pitcher Justin Slaten from the Mets in a trade for Ammons.  The Rangers made Slaten available in the Draft and was initially claimed by the Mets.

Slaten was a 3rd round pick in the 2019 draft out of the University of New Mexico. He was Rule 5 eligible last year, but unclaimed.  Slaten put up a 2.87 ERA in 59.2 IP in 2023, however, between AA and AAA, and was seen as someone who had   a strong likelihood of getting picked in this year’s draft. The Rangers added relief pitchers Marc Church and Antoine Kelly to the 40 man roster last month, as well as Grant Anderson and Jake Latz during the 2023 season, making it harder to justify also adding Slaten.



From Baseball America - " In a moment of unity between the Roboscout and the industry, the robot identified Justin Slaten as the top available player in the Rule 5 draft. He has the second-highest Roboscore, the highest among players who reached the high minors and the third highest Stuff+ score. Over the last week, Slaten’s name has been the buzziest of potential picks. Slaten was also one of five pitchers with intriguing stuff from the Arizona Fall League we identified last month."

We also lost Ryan Fernandez in the MLB phase, one of the recent Worcesters bombs. At the end of the day, we now lost 10 guys this year between the two phases and a trade while adding an organizational type catcher(I think?) and now Justin Slaten. 8 pichers gone in all and we're bad at pitching. Gotta love baseball math.

[longgame]

E-Rod to D-Backs 4yrs./$80MM

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39060457/eduardo-rodriguez-diamondbacks-reach-4-year-deal

Things are heating up, Sox need to be making moves.

[longgame]

See also, Kimbrel to O's for a one year deal.

[Sea Dog 23]

I'm reducing my expectations for the Sox this winter in FA.  I don't see the urgency in getting front line pitchers or elite field players.  Philly, Atlanta, NY have gotten off to really good starts at targeting their guys, then sealing the deal.  Still lots of pitching to be decided, but the Sox have put themselves into a place where they get their A guy, or they lose and are left with more distant mid-to back of rotation pitchers.

More and more it looks like a two-year reset, 2024 being year 2.  Bloom paved the way for the minors, now Breslow, who has never been even an asst. GM in title, seems to be learning the ropes and getting to know the other GMs and earning their respect.  I sure hope they surprise me.

[MongoLikeSox]

I'm not trying to give Breslow a free pass or anything of the sort, but we are not "there" yet when it comes to our farm system. We don't have a crop of young stud arms and stud near-ready position players primed to make the jump from AAA to MLB. We're a year from that and maybe more for the pitchers. We want to be where the Orioles are. We COULD have been closer next year if we didn't cluster-f**k the '22 and '23  trade deadlines.

Simply put, 8 of the Orioles 11 top 11 prospects are in AAA or on their 40-man roster. We've got 3. All of their top guys have proven themselves in AAA with power and batting average. Plus they can play when they get here. We've seen it for two years now.

We do have 6 guys that CAN be at that state of readiness by this time next year. I mean some good ones, too. We've got other guys in our top-10 to top-20 we hope can turn the corner in AA and continue on to AAA to make some of the blue chippers expendable. On top of that, we have 2-3 others that need to get and stay healthy, 1 to get out of legal troubles, several more even to get over 2nd half slumps and/or finish learning how to throw runners out and/or field their positions.   

What do teams want at the trading deadline for their controllable talent? MLB-ready or near ready talent. We can't compete on the trade front yet, YET. We're a year from there, or 2 at the most. We are more than a couple starters and a 2B from being a 90-win team. I expect to be much more optimistic this time next year. A great foundation is almost in place. I would gladly give up a chance at an 85 win season in 2024 for sustained 90+ seasons starting in 2025 and even more wins beyond that. This is not far off.