Corey Kluber signs with Red Sox

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

@RedSox

To make room for Kluber on the 40-man roster, Boston designated RHP Connor Seabold for assignment.

 

Quick, sell him to Baltimore, where he can join Darwinzon and further boost our chances to climb out of the basement.

[moonslav59]

A bit surprising, to me. It's not like I had a lot of faith in him, but he put up some real good numbers in the minors.

 

I had Brasier and Ort higher on my DFA list.

[Hugh2]

Soxprospects identified him as a guy who could be DFA'd next. who knows, maybe he clears.

[mvp 78]

A bit surprising, to me. It's not like I had a lot of faith in him, but he put up some real good numbers in the minors.

 

I had Brasier and Ort higher on my DFA list.

 

Brasier is going through the ARB process. I don't think he's getting DFA'd.

 

Ort is replaceable for sure.

[mvp 78]

Soxprospects identified him as a guy who could be DFA'd next. who knows, maybe he clears.

 

No, he'll get picked up for sure.

[mvp 78]

@IanCundall

Connor Seabold hasn’t been the same pitcher since his elbow injury in 2021. Since he returned, he lost a grade of velocity & consistency w/his CH which was his best pitch. He’s been passed by other arms on the 40, so always thought there was a chance his spot could be in danger.

 

His stuff was good enough post injury to succeed in AAA, but couldn't make the jump any higher.

[moonslav59]

Brasier is going through the ARB process. I don't think he's getting DFA'd.

 

Ort is replaceable for sure.

 

I get it. I don't agree he is worth the arb process.

 

I had Seabold above Ort (and others) due to his .656 OPS Against. Only Bello and Keller had a better OPS and more IP than he did, unless you count Wikelman (.623 in A-/A+) and Encarnacion (.642 in A-/A+).

 

Seabold was at .646 in 2021- mostly at AAA (.667). (3rd best on Woo.)

[mvp 78]

Again, I'm not saying I agree with Brasier and Ort being on the 40 man. I would have DFA'd Brasier after the season. Ort still has options so I see some value in holding onto him for a little while.

 

My big complaint will be just handing Thaddeus Ward over for free.

[notin]

Again, I'm not saying I agree with Brasier and Ort being on the 40 man. I would have DFA'd Brasier after the season. Ort still has options so I see some value in holding onto him for a little while.

 

My big complaint will be just handing Thaddeus Ward over for free.

 

 

Ort and Hamilton made less sense than Ward, even with the current shortage of middle infielders…

[Jasonbay44]

I have no idea how Ort and Brasier are still on this team…

[moonslav59]

Again, I'm not saying I agree with Brasier and Ort being on the 40 man. I would have DFA'd Brasier after the season. Ort still has options so I see some value in holding onto him for a little while.

 

My big complaint will be just handing Thaddeus Ward over for free.

 

Maybe they saw the same thing on Seabold with Ward.

 

Without knowing all they know, it does look like a mistake.

 

Maybe we get lucky and trade Brasier. Afterall, we got McGuire for Diekman, so stranger things do happen.

 

If we sign someone like Andrus, we will need to DFA another player- or trade one. My guess is Ort goes.

 

I will add that once we get beyond #39 and #40, it's a much better "bottom of the list" than a year, two or three ago.

[mvp 78]

Ort and Hamilton made less sense than Ward, even with the current shortage of middle infielders…

 

Almost like they knew they'd need extra 2b's this year.

[mvp 78]

Maybe they saw the same thing on Seabold with Ward.

 

Without knowing all they know, it does look like a mistake.

 

Maybe we get lucky and trade Brasier. Afterall, we got McGuire for Diekman, so stranger things do happen.

 

If we sign someone like Andrus, we will need to DFA another player- or trade one. My guess is Ort goes.

 

I will add that once we get beyond #39 and #40, it's a much better "bottom of the list" than a year, two or three ago.

 

We repeat that last sentence every offseason. The bottom of the 40 man is just filled with hopes and dreams and Jeisson Rosarios.

[dgalehouse]

Ort has elite velocity on his heater. Duran has elite speed and some power. You are hesitant to give up on guys like this too quickly. You keep hoping , maybe in vain , they can put it all together. Most of these other guys are just hopeless jabronis with little or no chance of improvement.

[moonslav59]

I have no idea how Ort and Brasier are still on this team…

 

I actually see it as a sign of roster improvement to think there are now only 2-3 players we can say this about, now.

 

Here's a list I came up with for the bottom of the 40 lists from recent years:

 

2019:

Gorkys Hernandez

Chris Owings

Trevor Kelly

Bobby Poyner

Colten Brewer

Jhoulys Chacin

T-W Lin

Juan Centeno

Travis Lakins

Josh A Smith

Marcus Walden

Ryan Weber

Mike Shawaryn

Andrew Cashner

Hector Velazquez

That's 15 names we had along with Brasier, DHern, Brian Johnson, Hembree, Holt and Leon.

Half the roster handed to Bloom were these guys with nobody on the farm, but Houck, Dalbec and Duran.

 

2020: Some of the same names, but add Kickham, Covey, Brice, Triggs, Chavis, Arauz, Puello, Peraza, Grullo, Chatham, Leyer

 

Last season's bottom of the 40 at the end of the season included:

Arauz

Bazardo

Ro Hernandez

Cordero

PValdez

DSantana

TShaw

ADavis

Seabold

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Ort has elite velocity on his heater. Duran has elite speed and some power. You are hesitant to give up on guys like this too quickly. You keep hoping , maybe in vain , they can put it all together. Most of these other guys are just hopeless jabronis with little or no chance of improvement.

 

Duran is 26. Roberto Clemente didn't hit .300 in the bigs until the season he turned 26 (his 6th as a regular in the majors).

 

The other thing they had in common in those years is hitting at least as many triples as homers. That's all I got...

[moonslav59]

We repeat that last sentence every offseason. The bottom of the 40 man is just filled with hopes and dreams and Jeisson Rosarios.

 

I honestly think it's better, but guys like Hamilton, EValdez and Dalbec may end up just like Rosario.

 

I don't think I'm kidding myself in thinking our bottom of the roster is greatly improving, thanks in large part to our farm's improvement over the last 3-4 years.

 

Is this our bottom 10, now?

 

Brasier

Ort

Hamilton

EValdez

Duran

Dalbec

Murphy

Mills

Winckowski

Paxton/Crawford/German

 

This was the bottom of the opening day 2019 40 man roster:

Chandler Shepherd

Sam Travis

T-W Lin

Lakins

Poyner

Walden

Denyi Reyes

DHern

Chavis

Brewer/Velazquez/BJohnson/Thornburg/Swihart

 

Now, I get that it's easier, in hindsight, to look at the 2019 list and say, "Yuck," but I still like the current bottom 10 better than even the 2019 team that had high hopes on opening day.

[Jasonbay44]

Ort has elite velocity on his heater. Duran has elite speed and some power. You are hesitant to give up on guys like this too quickly. You keep hoping , maybe in vain , they can put it all together. Most of these other guys are just hopeless jabronis with little or no chance of improvement.

 

Duran - I agree with. Ort is 31, and his fastball is about 96, that’s not elite in todays game.

[Bellhorn04]

I have no idea how Ort and Brasier are still on this team…

 

@RRyanmedeiros

Batted-ball data shows that Brasier was incredibly unlucky in ‘22.

 

He had the 8th-highest differential in MLB (1.80) between ERA and xERA (3.97).

 

But the Sox aren’t keeping just him around to show sympathy for his poor luck

 

Brasier's slider was the 10th most effective pitch on Boston’s staff (-5 run value) and the best offering in his arsenal by far (.262 xWOBA).

 

But he couldn't establish a strong secondary pitch - fastball was 8th worst pitch by a Sox P (+8 RV) and sinker wasn’t far behind (+7).

 

Brasier's 4-seam actually amassed a much better run value than his slider from 2018 until 2022 (4SM (-12) / SLD (-4)).

 

He entered the '22 season throwing 50% 4-seamers, but the early results were so poor (.385 BA / .692 SLG) that he began to mix in the aforementioned sinker.

 

In September, Brasier started throwing his fastball more often again (46%) and the results were excellent (.162 xWOBA on 73 deliveries).

 

Brasier had a 1.80 ERA and 0.50 WHIP in 11 September appearances.

 

The Red Sox front office recognizes the value he can bring if he continues to combine good fastball location with his plus slider.

 

Now you might too.

[mvp 78]

Duran - I agree with. Ort is 31, and his fastball is about 96, that’s not elite in todays game.

 

His velo is top 12% in MLB per Statcast.

[mvp 78]

Ort’s changeup is faster than Seabolds 4 seamer in some starts.

[Jasonbay44]

I mean if you guys want to have hope in a 35 year old Ryan Brasier and a 31 year old AAAA player, more power to you.

[Jasonbay44]

Ort’s changeup is faster than Seabolds 4 seamer in some starts.

 

Seabold is also a soft tosser who I’m not high on either. I’m not really concerned about losing him either.

[moonslav59]

I mean if you guys want to have hope in a 35 year old Ryan Brasier and a 31 year old AAAA player, more power to you.

 

The talk is which is more deserving of parting ways with the team.

[Bellhorn04]

I mean if you guys want to have hope in a 35 year old Ryan Brasier and a 31 year old AAAA player, more power to you.

 

If Bloom has hope in Brasier, I'm willing to hope along.

[Jasonbay44]

If Bloom has hope in Brasier, I'm willing to hope along.

 

I’d give him more of a shot than Ort, who really hasn’t shown anything.

 

I’m also not really sure how Duran was mentioned at all. I know he was bad last season but he at least has to carry a little trade value, unlike the others who are DFA candidates.

[moonslav59]

I’d give him more of a shot than Ort, who really hasn’t shown anything.

 

I’m also not really sure how Duran was mentioned at all. I know he was bad last season but he at least has to carry a little trade value, unlike the others who are DFA candidates.

 

He keeps putting up decent numbers in the minors, and now speed is more important.

 

He has just 335 PAs in MLB, spread out over 2 seasons and 3 call-ups.

 

His OPS in 2022 was .645, but in today's game, that's almost like the old .700.

 

It's his defense that just plain looks hideous, to me.

[Jasonbay44]

He keeps putting up decent numbers in the minors, and now speed is more important.

 

He has just 335 PAs in MLB, spread out over 2 seasons and 3 call-ups.

 

His OPS in 2022 was .645, but in today's game, that's almost like the old .700.

 

It's his defense that just plain looks hideous, to me.

Yeah his defense is shockingly bad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an outfielder with that speed be that awful at fielding. His comments/attitude after his bad defense definitely didn’t help his case either.

 

I still have hopes for Duran, even if they’re not as high as they once were

[moonslav59]

Yeah his defense is shockingly bad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an outfielder with that speed be that awful at fielding. His comments/attitude after his bad defense definitely didn’t help his case either.

 

I still have hopes for Duran, even if they’re not as high as they once were

 

He'll have to greatly improve his offense to be good enough to DH. I'm not sure the PR role is enough to carry him on anyone's 26 man roster.

 

Was he that bad at 2B? What about moving him back?

 

He's been in the OF long enough to start showing something. I can see why he was held back so long.

[mvp 78]

Everything stinks about Duran. Even hinting about him starting in CF is sad.