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Chatting with Former Red Sox Jeff Frye

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I had the pleasure of chatting with former Red Sox second baseman Jeff Frye. Frye played in the Major Leagues for eight seasons, three of which came in Boston. He was a career .290 hitter, .295 with the Red Sox. Nowadays, Frye works as a sports agent at Frye McCann Sports and does some pre and postgame work for the Texas Rangers.

BSE: You began your career as a 30th round draft pick; what was it like clawing your way up to the Majors?

Jeff Frye: I never even thought I really had a chance of making it to the Majors to be honest. Every Spring Training I would drive down from Oklahoma with my buddies and wonder if this was the year I was getting released. Obviously, everybody’s goal is to play in the Major Leagues, but when you’re a 30th round draft pick and you don’t even start really your first season, it’s not looking too promising.

BSE: I actually saw a video of you online talking about how you changed your stance and upped your offensive production. That was pretty neat to see.

Jeff Frye: It was kind of a fluke deal. I’d done really well in A-Ball, won the batting title in low A-Ball and hit like .270 in high A-Ball. Went to AA and the defense was so much better, and the pitching was so much better at AA and I was struggling for probably two months. Just goofing around one evening after a game in the hotel, and I was imitating a lot of the Rangers star players at the time, Ruben Sierra and Juan Gonzalez, they had big leg kicks. I was imitating those guys and the guy I was playing with, who was actually my roommate, Rick Wrona, he says why don’t you hit like that in a game? The next day I started hitting that way and man, it gave me a huge boost in confidence. I started hitting, I could drive the ball and had more leverage. I just kept doing that the rest of my career.

1992: Jeff Frye of the Texas Rangers with his high leg kick. (Photo by Robert Beck/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

BSE: There’s been a lot of talk lately about the pay for Minor Leaguers, do you think they need to be doing something about that?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, I mean they should’ve done something about it a long time ago. My first year was 1988, and I started out at $700 a month. The Major League minimum was right around $100,000, or 109,000, something like that. Now the minimum’s over $500,000 and starting pay for a first year Minor Leaguer is $1,100 [a month]. It hasn’t progressed.

BSE: You made it to the Major Leagues in 1992 and played a decent amount. Your first Major League home run was actually leading off a game.

Jeff Frye: It’s actually funny, way back in 1992 there weren’t too many games on tv. I think it was a Saturday game, one of the few games that was actually televised. I actually led off the game off Arthur Rhodes with a home run. Our game actually wasn’t the one they were covering, but they clicked over and showed the start of our game. I actually became friends with Arthur Rhodes after that.

BSE: You missed all of ’93 right?

Jeff Frye: Yep, offseason basketball injury. I was playing basketball and tore my ACL, and I kind of lied about what happened to the Rangers. I didn’t have a guaranteed contract so I told them I was jogging.

BSE: In 1994 you came back and batted .327, you had a good season in ’95 and played in 90 games. How come you were in AAA in ’96 for Texas?

Jeff Frye: Well, the new manager they brought over, Johnny Oates from Baltimore, wasn’t a big fan of mine for some reason. He brought Mark McLemore over from Baltimore with him, who also played second base. He was trying to get his guy in there, the guy he felt comfortable with, and I felt like I had earned the spot with what I’d done the year before. Toward the end of the [’95] season I was so frustrated I went on a radio show and the guys were asking me what was going on. I told them how I felt and the Rangers got word of it; Johnny Oates got word of it, and I was pretty much banished after that.

BSE: You were released in June of 1996 and the Red Sox picked you up the very same day, so they must have seen something in you.

Jeff Frye: It was an arranged deal. Billy Martin Jr. is a longtime friend of mine, Billy Martin’s son, he was representing Kevin Kennedy. He called Kennedy up, the Red Sox were struggling, I think they had Wil Cordero and Jeff Manto playing second. Kennedy was looking for a second baseman and he was familiar with me. Billy Martin Jr. said, “well hey, the guy you need is in AAA.” So, they inquired about me, and the Rangers had the choice of either calling me up to the big leagues or letting me go, so they ended up letting me go.

BSE: Your Sox debut was the same day John Valentin hit for the cycle.

Jeff Frye: Funny thing is, Val and I played together in the Jayhawk League, a collegiate league back in the day. He came down to Fort Smith, Arkansas to play for our team. I grew up in Oklahoma so I was playing for that team and we became friends and then we were teammates in Boston….He taught me a lot, I was really raw. I hadn’t had much coaching to that point, I mean a routine grounder to second base was a bang-bang play at first, I didn’t know to charge the ball. Working with Val, he taught me a lot.

Jeff Frye from around the time he met John Valentin.

BSE: You mentioned how the Red Sox were struggling when they got you; they were 22-34. Went 63-43 afterwards and if I remember correctly had the best record in baseball after the All-Star Break.

Jeff Frye: Yeah, we had a great combination of me and Darren Bragg at the top of the lineup. I told Kevin Kennedy, I want to hit and run every single time there’s a runner on first base. I asked him if he’d allow me to put on my own hit and run with Darren Bragg, which doesn’t happen very often, you know? So, I developed a sign with Darren Bragg…because he was always hitting in front of me. I bet I had 30 base hits that year on hit and run, with Braggy running and me just hitting the ball in the hole.

BSE: I had Kevin Kennedy comment to me once about the rejuvenated team in the second half and he singled out you, Bragg and Reggie Jefferson for key contributors to that run.

Jeff Frye: Reggie was a hitting machine, we called him “the Hit Cat.” He was the one guy that I’ve ever seen…that actually worked on hitting the ball in batting practice to where it’d be a hit in the game. I’d never heard of that before, I was just trying to hit the ball hard. He was a great hitter.

BSE: What were some of the big changes coming from Texas to Boston?

Jeff Frye: Obviously the temperature was a big change. I think probably the biggest change was the pressure that you played under, and the excitement level. I never really had that in Texas, when I was there, we were never really in a pennant race. Coming to Boston we had the rivalry with the Yankees.

BSE: Speaking of the Yankees, I think you were the one on base in front of Trot Nixon when he homered off Clemens in that big Pedro vs Clemens game, right?

Jeff Frye: Oh yeah, there’s a great story to that if you want to hear it.

BSE: Oh, absolutely!

Jeff Frye: The at-bat that I got on base I got an infield hit, but earlier in that at-bat there was a pitch in on me that hit the knob of the bat and I acted like it hit my hand. I was jumping around and waving my hand, and Jimy Williams came out and argued with the umpire. Jimy called me over, and my nickname was Frito, and he goes, “Frito, did he get you?”

“No Jimy.”

“Alright, good try!”

I ended up hitting a one-hopper off Clemens’ glove that he probably should have fielded, and they gave me an infield hit. Trot hits the homer, so we go to the bottom of the ninth, I think we had a two-run lead and they scored a run. Then they had the tying run on third, groundball to me, and I’m getting ready to throw to first base, game over, and I look and Mike Stanley stepped on the base and slipped and was almost falling down. So, I double-clutched, and threw, and barely got, I think Paul O’Neill, by half a step. Joe Morgan was even commentating, I think it was an ESPN game or something, he commented about it. So the next day I talked to him about it and he said, “Oh, I didn’t realize that.” If I had thrown it, initially, it would have gone right by him.

Yankee Stadium– May 28 2000– Boston Red Sox second baseman Jeff Frye greets Trot Nixon at home after the right fielder slammed a two run homer in the ninth off NY Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens to win the game. Staff photo by Jim Mahoney

BSE: Any particular games from your playing career stand out?

Jeff Frye: The game where Darren Lewis and I hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth off Mike Trombley of the Twins in Fenway. He hit a home run to tie the game, then I hit a home run to walk-off the game. Two guys who aren’t known for hitting home runs. I remember the headline in the paper the next day; “Banjo Hitters Come Through for the Red Sox.”

In 2001 I hit for the cycle for the Blue Jays against the Rangers.

BSE: Second one in Toronto history.

Jeff Frye: Yeah, that was a little bit controversial because I could have had a double in my last at-bat but stopped at first. We were winning by nine runs in the eighth inning and I went up to Cito Gaston, who was our hitting coach, and said “what do I do here if I hit one into the corner, or the gap?” He said, “stop at first and tell them I told you to.” As I hit the ball I was so nervous. It was a really frustrating year for me, but to have the opportunity to hit for the cycle. I was always the guy who was unselfish, would move runners over and things like that. I finally had the chance in my career to do something a little bit selfish, instead of getting a double I stopped at first, man I got a lot of flak for it. The manager of the Rangers commented on it, and Tim Kurkjian.

BSE: I mean, it wasn’t a close game, what did they care?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, that’s kind of how I felt. Plus, I’d already asked Cito! Cito had already won four pennants as manager of the Blue Jays and two World Series, so.

BSE: I think the first base coach was yelling at you to stop too, right?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, Garth Iorg. I was screaming as I rounded first, “what do I do? What do I do?” And he goes, “stay here! Stay here!” So, I took a big turn and went back to first. Kelly Gruber walked onto the field, man it was a cool feeling.

Kelly Gruber, left, hugs Blue Jays’ Jeff Frye after he cycled with a single against the Texas Rangers in Toronto August 17, 2001. Gruber was the first Blue Jay to cycle twelve years ago. (Photo by Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

BSE: Was that your proudest accomplishment?

Jeff Frye: Yeah. I mean, I do remember a couple games in Boston when I first went there. I made an error on a routine groundball when Clemens was pitching. Man, the crowd was all over me and were yelling to go back to Texas. Not too long after that I had a game where I was 4-4 and I’d lined out my fifth at-bat and I got a standing ovation. One time Jimy Williams pinch-hit me for Trot Nixon. I was like, “man Jimy, are you sure?” They announced me in Boston, “now batting for Trot Nixon, Jeff Frye,” and the whole stadium booed. So, I’m walking to home plate, and I’m not happy, so I take my helmet off and tip it to the crowd as I’m walking to home plate. I got a base hit and got to first base and I tipped my hat to the crowd. I ended up scoring a run, and then I came up later in the game and hit a two-RBI double off the wall and they loved me.

BSE: Nowadays you are an agent for some of the ballplayers?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, I’ve been an agent for 17 years.

BSE: Wow, that’s a long time. You think your playing days helped in this position?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, definitely. A lot of stuff I do is amateur recruiting, so if I go in and talk to the family about their son, I can basically tell them everything their son is going to experience, I’ve already experienced. Not many other agents can make that claim.

BSE: With the way free agency has gone the past couple years, what are your thoughts on that? Do you think it needs any fixing?

Jeff Frye: Absolutely, something’s going on. Now that Bryce [Harper] and Manny [Machado] have signed it’s like everything is back to normal, but we still have so many great players who haven’t signed. We have difference makers who don’t have jobs and spring training is already going on. This has been a couple years running now. I don’t want to say there’s collusion, but I saw a story about Mark Reynolds, he didn’t have any offers from anybody, then one day within like an hour he had a call from four different teams and the same offer from every team.

BSE: That’s pretty fishy.

Jeff Frye: Yeah, something’s going on. I’m kind of fearful of what we’re facing in a couple years with the player’s and the commissioner’s office.

BSE: Any thoughts on some of the new rules in the game? The change of pace?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, I’m not a fan of that at all. I don’t think the pace of play is why people aren’t watching baseball. I had a hard time watching the playoffs last year, it’s boring with everyone striking out, walking or swinging for the fences. They aren’t cutting down on their swings with two strikes. The Red Sox weren’t that way last year and look what happened; I think Cora did a great job. I don’t think we can look at all these stats, launch angle and exit velocity and things, and measure how valuable a player is. I would have never had a chance, my exit velocity and launch angle wouldn’t even register. I was told to hit the ball on the ground. Nowadays you’re not supposed to hit the ball on the ground….You know last year was the first year in the history of baseball where there were more strike outs than hits? And the shift; they’re talking about eliminating the shift or limiting shifts. Well, if you see four guys on the right side of the infield, hit the ball the other way! Why cater to the guys who can’t make adjustments? He can’t hit the ball the other way so let’s change the rules so it benefits him. Well, that’s not how it’s supposed to work.

BSE: So, you mentioned you’re not a fan of the stats, so called stats, they use nowadays.

Jeff Frye: No, not at all; that’s an understatement. I go round and round with Brian Kenny. I haven’t delved too deep into what stats are put into WAR, but I’m pretty sure if I’m up with a runner on second and move the runner over to third, I don’t get much credit for that. If the next guy hits a groundball to second and gets an RBI, that’s because I helped him get that RBI. I should be credited in some fashion, it’s all about winning.

BSE: Yeah, it was designed initially to just be a tool to help determine how good someone was, not be an and-all-be-all. The problem is, some guys now treat it like gospel, if one guy has a higher WAR than another it automatically means he’s a better player. That’s the big problem with it.

Jeff Frye: Yeah, I remember Tim Naehring said to me one time, way back in the day, the three most important stats are hits, runs and RBI, and the best players in the game average more than two per game. So, any combination of hits, runs or RBI over the course of the season, and if you look at the numbers at the end of the year, the guys who are the best players at the end of the year have the highest percentage.

BSE: I remember a few years ago I was watching MLB Network, and two of the guys were having a big conversation about WAR while John Smoltz just stood there quietly. Right before commercial Smoltz slides in, “Jason Heyward has a higher WAR than Giancarlo Stanton, that’s all you need to know about WAR.” It was perfect, just casually makes a short statement that exemplified a part of the problem.

Jeff Frye: I watch that all the time too, he’s my favorite; he and Billy Ripken, neither one buys into that. Look at the contract the WAR stat got Jason Heyward, and how has that paid off? Immediately it was bad.

BSE: I don’t know if it was the year before he was a free agent, but Heyward hit maybe .276 with 13 homers and was a top 10 player in all of baseball according to WAR. (He hit .293 with 13 HR in 2015).

Jeff Frye: Yeah, because his defensive stats were so great.

BSE: Yeah, which is important, but how does it make you better than someone hitting .310 with 35 homers or something?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, well obviously it doesn’t because look at what’s happened since he signed.

BSE: One last thing, you’re doing some pre and postgame work for the Rangers, correct?

Jeff Frye: Yeah, I started last year on Fox Sports Southwest and I did like 17 games I think last year. I’m scheduled to do, I don’t know how many this year, but that’s been a lot of fun.

BSE: Well, that’s all the questions I have for you, anything you’d like to add?

Jeff Frye: Still a Red Sox fan, happy they won they won the World Series. I’ve reached out to the Red Sox because I’d…like to do their fantasy camp, I thought that’d be cool to get to see some of my old buddies, so maybe down the road I’ll get to do that.

BSE: Well, I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today.

Jeff Frye: Yeah, no problem man.

Featured picture (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images)

Projecting the Red Sox: Mookie Betts

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The 2018 season is now just a few weeks away, and expectations are mounting once again for the Boston Red Sox. As the defending World Series Champions, a lot is once again expected from a team which is used to playing under pressure. With the powerful New York Yankees once again expected to provide the main threat in the division, the Red Sox will need contributions from the entire roster. However, they need their star players to lead from the front. Last week we looked at what we might expect from J.D. Martinez. This week it is the turn of star center fielder Mookie Betts.

The 2017 or 2018 Version?

If you take a look at the last two years of Betts’ career then you may come away with mixed feelings. After a strong 2016, in which Betts hit 31 home runs with a .318 batting average, 2017 was somewhat underwhelming. In 712 plate appearances Betts managed just 24 home runs and a career low .264 batting average. However, 2018 took things to a new level entirely. Betts finished last season with 32 home runs and a .346 batting average in 614 plate appearances. If you look at the balance of his career, then 2017 is the outlier.

One thing that has been consistent has been his ability to steal bases. The last three years have seen Betts average 27.3 stolen bases. Getting to 30 again in 2019 might be a push, but somewhere between 25 & 30 feels like a safe bet.

The Change in Approach

There is no other way to phrase it that Betts hit the crap out of the ball in 2018. Having never had an average exit velocity above 90 mph, Betts averaged a whopping 92.3 in 2018. Part of that is down to just how cleanly he hit the ball. Prior to last season, Betts averaged a Barrel % of around 5%. Last season that was an incredible 14.1%, the 16th best mark in the majors. If we look at his barrels compared to plate appearances he ranks as high as joint 4th (9.9%). Combine that with a nearly four degree increase in launch angle and the career best HR/PA rate of 5.2% makes a lot of sense.

That increase in exit velocity also explains why we saw a career high batting average. When you hit the ball that hard and that cleanly you are always going to have a chance to have a good batting average. However, expecting another .340 performance might be a stretch. Last season Betts expected batting average was back down at .311. That was second best in the league, behind just Christian Yelich, but it is a long way from that .346 number. In fact Betts had the 20th biggest difference in the between his expected and actual batting average. That kind of separation is unlikely to be sustainable.

One Dimensional?

There is no denying that Betts is a great all around player. However, there is some fear that his hitting has become a little predictable. 2018 saw Betts hit the lowest percentage of balls in his career to the opposite field (18%). Correspondingly, it also saw him get shifted again the most times in his career. In 2018 Betts saw as many plate appearances against the shift as he had in the rest of his career combined. Additionally, nearly 75% of those came in the last three and a bit months of the season. It will be fascinating to see if that trend continues into 2019.

On the plus side, Betts hit the ball so well in 2018 that he actually had a .375 batting average against the shift. However, if some of that exit velocity drops off then Betts could be a victim of the shift next season. Hopefully, both Betts and the Red Sox are aware of the situation and can adjust accordingly if an issue starts to arise.

The Final Expectations

Taking a look at the various different projections available for Betts on Fangraphs a clear patter begins to emerge. The general expectations are around 30 home runs, 25-30 stolen bases, a .300-.310 batting average and at least a combined 200 runs and RBI. They may not be quite as good as 2018, but they are more than good enough from one of your two marquee hitters.

Featured photo courtesy of David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Projecting the Red Sox: J.D. Martinez

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As we creep closer to the start of the baseball season it is time to start thinking about what we might see from the Red Sox players. As a team that won a World Series in 2018, expectations will be high. Those expectations will be boosted even further by how the Red Sox performed in the regular season. To kick off my look at what we can expect I am starting with the 40 home run superstar J.D. Martinez. In 649 plate appearances in 2018, Martinez hit 43 home runs with a .330 batting average a combined 240 runs and RBI. If we dig deeper into Martinez’s performance, can he sustain those numbers in 2019?

The Power

Martinez came into Boston off the back of one of the best second halves of a season in baseball history. In the back half of 2017 with the Diamondbacks, Martinez hit an incredible 29 home runs in 257 plate appearances. To put that into context, that is a home run every 8.86 plate appearances! The numbers behind that incredible number are also impressive. Across the whole of 2017, Martinez had a 91 mph exit velocity and a barrel percentage of 19.5%. Many people felt the only way was down in 2018, but they were mostly wrong.

Yes his PA/HR numbers dropped from that incredible second half, but it was a still home run in every 15.1 plate appearances. His barrel % dipped to 16%, which is still incredible, and his launch angle dropped 4.6 degrees. However, we actually saw his exit velocity increase by 2 mph to 93 mph. All told, Martinez ranked right up among the top 2% in the league in all the right metrics for power, hard hit rate, exit velocity and barrel %.

Getting On Base

Something that Martinez took to a new level in 2018 was his ability to get on base. Martinez set a career high in OBP, with a .402 mark, thanks to a career high in batting average, and pretty much matching it for walk rate. When you are getting on base over 40% of the time you are absolutely killing it for your team. Those numbers are the reason he had 110 runs and 130 RBI last season.

Focusing on the batting average, which sat at .330, it is a number he could come close to repeating. A good indicator of whether a batting average is true or not is expected batting average. Expected batting average is calculated based on the % chance of success of each batted ball event. Well, Martinez had an expected batting average of .310, which is extremely impressive. In fact, it ranked in the top 1% of the league. If I had to bet I would say .330 is something he will not repeat, but I would definitely bet he is right around the .300 region, which is still extremely impressive.

The Final Product

Martinez is now 31 so he may be coming towards the end of his prime. However, the numbers from last year did not suggest a drop off, and it would be unfair on him to expect anything less than a 90% return on what we saw last season. If I had to put numbers on it I would say 37-40 home runs, a batting average in the .300 region and a combined 220 runs and RBI.

Injuries will always be a concern for Martinez, but he will play the bare minimum in the outfield. Therefore, he will be at the plate causing havoc once again for the Red Sox. 2019 should be another great year for this late blooming slugger.

Bold Predictions For The 2019 Red Sox

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It seems like only yesterday millions of Red Sox fans cheered as Chris Sale brought Manny Macedo down to one knee with a nasty slider down and in to win the World Series. Now it is officially time to close the book on the 2018 Red Sox as spring training is underway. In two days the Sox will play their first game of spring training against the New York Yankees. Before the first pitch of 2019 is thrown here are some bold predictions for the defending world series champions.

Xander Bogarts Will Be A 30 HR 100 RBI Player

Xander Bogarts is coming off the best season of his career in 2018. Bogarts batted .288 with and ops of .833 with a career high in homeruns 23, and RBI 103. It seems like Bogarts has turned a corner in his career entering the final year of his deal. With the young shortstop in line to make big money at the end of the year everything is set up for Bogarts to have a huge year. With Manny Macedo setting the market with his huge 10 year, 300 million dollar contract with the Padres. Bogarts will have some extra motivation to get those power numbers. This will be the season he finally reaches his true potential.

Rodriguez Will Emerge As The Number Three Starter

Since he arrived in Boston the story with Eduardo Rodriguez has always been about his potential. So far he has not lived up to the hype and has struggled with health and control for most of his career. Reports out of spring training have been centered around Rodriguez bulking up and his new “knockout” pitch. Putting batters away has always been a problem for the lefty as his fastball at around 93mph doesn’t set up his inconsistent breaking balls. Every year a starter emerges that and has a great year that no one expects. Whether it was Rick Porcello winning the cy young, or Drew Pomeranz actually knowing how to pitch. This year its Rodriguez turn to shine.

A Cheaper Closing Option

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As the Red Sox struggle to avoid massive penalties from the luxury tax, the question of who will be the team’s closer remains. Many of the top free agent relief pitchers have already been signed. Craig Kimbrel is still on the market, but the contract he would command would be much larger than the Red Sox will go. Ideally, the Red Sox could find a cheap closing option to avoid even stiffer penalties than they already face.

The Early Years

Greg Holland was once one of the most dominant late-inning bullpen options in the game. His rookie season of 2011 he went 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. The next season he went 7-4 and saved 16 games as he morphed into the closer’s role in Kansas City.

Over the next two seasons, Holland was as good as anyone. Between 2013 and 2014 he saved 93 games. He had a 1.32 ERA and 0.89 WHIP over that two year stretch and struck out 13.4 batters per nine innings. The results were staggering.

Holland faded a bit in 2015 but still put up serviceable numbers. It was then revealed that he needed Tommy John Surgery, which may have explained some of his drop-off in production.

Post Tommy John Surgery

The days of Holland being one of the best closer’s in baseball may be a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a good one. Fresh off his Tommy John Surgery and missing the entire 2016 season, Holland signed with the Colorado Rockies. Probably not the best place to sign for someone coming off an arm surgery. Nevertheless, Holland was an All-Star for them.

In 2017, Holland led the National League with 41 games saved. He had a solid 1.15 WHIP and 11 strike outs per nine innings. Not quite what he was in his best years, but certainly effective. His ERA of 3.61 doesn’t tell the whole story. At the end of July, after four months of pitching, Holland had a 1.64 ERA. Opponents were batting just .169 against him with a .268 on-base percentage and .262 slugging percentage. His numbers weren’t far off from his dominant seasons.

Holland was far more hittable from that point forward, but you must remember, he hadn’t pitched in over a year following surgery. On top of that, he was pitching in Coors Field and the high altitude of Denver, Colorado. The high altitude has been known to put extra stress on a pitcher’s arm. He likely was just running out of a gas.

The Ups and Downs of 2018

2018 tells the story of why Holland can likely be had on the cheap. He turned down the Rockies contract offer and hit the open market. Many players remained unsigned late into the offseason, and it seemed to affect the pitcher’s the most. Holland did not sign until March 31st, missing the entire Spring Training. This likely threw him out of whack and had a huge detriment on his pitching.

Holland was a total disaster for the Cardinals. Over 25 innings he walked as many batters as he struck out (22). He was extremely hittable, allowing 12.2 hits per nine innings. His previous career high since his 15-game stint in 2010 was under eight hits per nine. His ERA and WHIP were unsightly, at 7.92 and 2.24. Nothing went right in St. Louis. As a result, he was ultimately released on August 1st.

When the Nationals picked him up on the cheap later that month, they got the Holland of old. In 24 appearances in DC, Holland allowed just two runs on nine hits. He was 2-0 with a 0.84 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 10.5 strike outs per nine innings. Those results are much more what people had come to expect from Greg Holland. Leading us into this offseason, where he comes off a mixed bag of a season.

Greg Holland of the Washington Nationals pitches in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on August 17, 2018(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Conclusion

Is Holland going to be one of the best closers in all of baseball? No, probably not. But he was still an All-Star and led the league in saves just two years ago. After not having a normal offseason, and no spring training last year, he did not have a peak performance. However, with a change of scenery, he looked like the Greg Holland he used to be. Therefore, it would seem likely that if he were to sign a contract earlier in the offseason this year, that team would likely be getting a good pitcher for the back end of their bullpen.

Currently, the Red Sox don’t have anyone with closing experience on their roster. The top candidates on the roster to close at the moment appear to be either Matt Barnes or Ryan Brasier. Barnes has been a relatively effective setup man, but he isn’t one of the best in the game. Brasier on the other hand has very little experience, and was on the verge of retirement last offseason. The Red Sox could use a guy with experience on the team, and Holland could maybe be just as good as Craig Kimbrel was last year for far less money.

Holland is likely searching for a one-year deal to restore his value. He will want to have a good season and enter free agency again next offseason coming off a good year, looking for one final big payday. The Red Sox should jump.

Featured picture from Royalsreview.com

Red Sox Offseason Lacking Fireworks…And That’s Okay

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I was making the rounds on the Red Sox news circuit yesterday when I came to a sudden realization. This is going to be a boring offseason.

Granted, it’s still incredibly early on. The non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players (the first major offseason date) is later tonight at 8 pm ET. The Winter Meetings don’t kick off until December 9th. MLB’s hot stove has been relatively cool thus far, outside of a handful of moves ranging from “Indifferent Shrug” to “Okay, That’s Interesting”. Both New York teams have led the charge by shopping at the Great Seattle Mariners Fire Sale of 2018. The Yankees acquired lefty James Paxton on November 20. Meanwhile, the Mets traded for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. The Red Sox, for their part, haven’t really been involved in much of the early action. There haven’t been any rumors of that changing any time soon.

That makes total sense for a 108-win champion coming off of the best season in franchise history. Boston will likely be returning most of the core group that led 2018’s title run. It has already brought back World Series MVP Steve Pearce on a team friendly 1-year deal and restructured/extended Alex Cora’s current deal through 2021. Both moves were no-brainers, and the Sox moved quickly to tie up those loose ends. The Red Sox also took a flyer on 25-year-old reliever Colten Brewer. Beyond that, the only real questions with this roster involve Craig Kimbrel, Nathan Eovaldi, and which of their homegrown core they can lock up long-term.

It’s a change of pace from last year’s eons-long pursuit of JD Martinez. It’s also a far cry from splashy offseasons like 2014 and 2015. I didn’t hear any reports of Dave Dombrowski sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner with Madison Bumgarner like Theo Epstein did with Curt Schilling in 2003. Trying to decide which sub-70 OPS+ catcher to move on isn’t a fun conversation to have on sports talk radio. The minutiae of sussing out a 6th or 7th reliever don’t really move the needle for many fans. There is some intrigue around second base and Dustin Pedroia’s status moving forward. And, while I personally think first base is an area to upgrade, the team seems happy with their Peace/Mitch Moreland platoon.

Winter can be fickle, and Dombrowski has never been shy about making blockbusters happen. Standing pat after a season where nearly everything went right can be risky, too. However, should the Sox choose to mostly shuffle some minor pieces around while keeping most of a championship roster intact, it will be hard to complain. This team doesn’t feel quite as one-hit-wonder-y as 2013, and doesn’t have as many players set to depart as 2004. The best comparison is 2007. That offseason, a strong mix of young, homegrown talent and veteran stars made it easy to roll things over to 2008.

Besides, next offseason looms large. Some key players that are up for extensions in 2019: Moreland, Martinez (player option) Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, and Xander Bogaerts. Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley become unrestricted free agents the following year. It may be best for Boston to keep its books as clean as possible, with that in mind. That is unless they plan on acquiring a player with the intent to replace one of those guys over the long term.

As is always the case, we’ll have no choice to wait and see what happens. But if push comes to shove, I’m fine if the only offseason addition the Red Sox make is another World Series trophy to their display case.

World Champions: How the Red Sox Persevered​

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The 2018 Boston Red Sox were unlike any other Sox team, or any other Boston Sports championship team we have seen in a very long time. Not only did this team defy the odds set back in March to win the World Series (entered as 10-1 favorites, behind NYY, WAS, HOU, CLE, LAD), but they did it in a way that was exceptional to witness, not only as a Boston sports fan but as a fan of the way baseball should be played. They showed pride for one another, pride for their first-year manager Alex Cora, and pride for the most loyal fans in baseball, Red Sox Nation.

All the concern and pessimism surrounding this ballclub before the season even began had Red Sox Nation worried about how far the team could really go. We expected a playoff team with a possibility of a deep run, but how many of us actually imagined this team outlasting the Yankees in 4 games to win the ALDS, dethroning the Astros in 5 in the ALCS, and just to top it off, completely outclassing and slaughtering the defending National League champion, the Dodgers, in 5 to win the World Series?

The answer: none of us.

A Look Back at the Season

During Spring Training, the Sox were looking like they were going to have a content regular season with the guys they had on their roster. They had big names such as a newly acquired J.D. Martinez and a blossoming young superstar in Mookie Betts bolstering the offense. Aspirations of being able to defeat the Yankees, Indians, and Astros in a series of 5 or 7 in October was an afterthought. Not with this team. Not with guys like David Price who always seemed to fold under pressure every time he toed the rubber in the postseason. Boy, were we ever wrong?

 

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J.D. Martinez and Brock Holt hugging it out. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

This Red Sox group went back to their original roots when playing baseball. They portrayed class, honor, and pride when putting on their uniforms, night in and night out. This team played for one another even in their darkest days, whether it was David Price constantly getting booed out of Fenway and scrutinized for pitching like he is worth $10 million rather than $217 million, or whether it was Dave Dombrowski never finding an answer to his habitual behavior of never building a successful bullpen.

Ignoring the Noise

Unlike most Boston teams in the past, this one shut out the critics as they continued to manifest their bonds with their manager and with one another as the season progressed. This determined squad brought fire and passion on a daily basis, dictating a foreseeable run to greatness. Each member thrived off picking one another up in critical situations, as the unlikeliest of heroes stepped up all postseason long, whether it was Jackie Bradley Jr, Steve Pearce, or the entire bullpen. Alex Cora did an excellent job rallying his troops, showing them the true identity of Red Sox baseball and the values that come with putting on a Red Sox uniform.

A key example of this was Game 5 of the World Series, with Mookie Betts and J.D Martinez struggling immensely trying to find their groove at the plate. Mookie was hitting an unfavorable .181 before clobbering a solo shot off Clayton Kershaw to extend their lead in the pivotal series clinching game 5. Subsequently, two batters later, J.D Martinez came up to the dish only hitting .235 in the World Series and dealing with a nagging ankle injury. He repeated exactly what Mookie did, smashing a solo shot to dead center to put the dagger in the heart and soul of the Dodgers.

Passion and Selflessness Won Out

Staying calm, cool, and collected even in the heat of the moment was the story of the 2018 Boston Red Sox. It was championship or bust for this team, even when the thoughts of winning a championship were absurd. They did not doubt for one second that this team could contend for a World Series, and instead of playing for the name on the back of the uniform, these men showed true character. Each player put their ego to the side and gave their all to win for Boston and each other. This ultimately shows how remarkable the team truly was.

 

The Mookie Betts Scenario

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Almost two weeks have passed since the 2018 Boston Red Sox were finally crowned champions of the World. We now have to begin to look towards the future, both short term and long term. Short term, Mookie Betts isn’t going anywhere. His entry level contract runs through 2020, making him eligible to roam free following that season. At that time Betts will be looking ahead to his age 28 season. Which most see as or close to, the prime of one’s athletic ability.

He already has two MVP caliber level seasons in the books. So now is the time to lock up Mookie Betts with an offer he cannot deny. A lot has been made over the past couple winters that Betts isn’t overly eager to discuss a long term deal. The long term is what this Red Sox front office needs to be looking at. Making sure Mookie is here for the long haul, should be close to priority number one this winter.

The Length

Many people point to the Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as reasons to avoid long term deals in today’s day and age. I would be quick to point to you that both of those players were over 30 when they took those contracts. Mookie Betts just turned 26, only 26! It seems obvious to me that if Bryce Harper and Manny Machado have earned 8+ year contracts, than so has Betts. Mookie’s resumé is just as strong, if not stronger than both members of this year’s illustrious free agent class. So why is a ten year deal out of the question for Betts? It shouldn’t be.

Ten years keeps Betts locked up through his age 36 season. This makes him happy as he’s set for basically his entire career, on one, big contract. The Red Sox also will enjoy the benefit of the first six years of that deal being MVP-type seasons from Betts. After that, his defense and his brilliant plate approach will keep him productive. Keeping him as a contributing veteran in the last few years of that deal.

Sox fans may be weary of shelling out a big deal, just because of the injury woes of Dustin Pedroia. If I’m ownership however, I know that Mookie may very likely want to test the waters come free agency time. I would think a ten year deal might change his mind.

The Cash

This topic is a little more wide open than the last. He’s going to get somewhere between eight and eleven years, that’s just a fact. When it comes to the money, and how much per year Betts is going to get, that is up for debate. Some would say the 300-350 million range is fair which is understandable. That is most likely what the Red Sox front office would be pursuing. However, once Harper and Machado secure their bag and get 300+ million, it’s going to inflate what Mookie Betts (and his agent) may think of him. If those guys can get that much, couldn’t Betts fetch 400+?

If I’m GM Dave Dombrowski, I’m starting at 400 million (at 40 a year) and I’m even willing to negotiate. Mookie was such a special player this year, and he’s been showing this culminating over the past few years. Not only have his regular season statistics been great. He’s one of the main guys in that locker room and among the fan favorites on this team. He was clutch in the playoffs and even had a home run to seal the clinching game.

With a new daughter having just arrived, I feel Betts could be allured by the offer of a big, juicy contract. Now is the time to sign Mookie before his value goes up even more. Had the Sox done this after 2016, they probably could’ve locked him up for 200 million or even less over a ten year span. So unless they want to keep waiting to pay more money, they better get on the phone this winter and lock up Mookie Betts.

Which Sox Players are Going to Win Awards?

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The biggest trophy of them all was already captured by the 2018 Red Sox. However, there is still some hardware yet to be determined for members of our World Series team. From the major awards like MVP and Cy Young, to the position based awards like the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, Boston has candidates. They have guys that should be locks to win awards, and they also have dark horses that could end up taking home some of these awards too. For a team that won 108 games, they were bound to have some of the best players in the league. We take a look at who should win each award that has a Sox player in contention.

Gold Glove Award

The Red Sox have players nominated for Gold Gloves at five different positions. Mitch Moreland was solid at first, but I don’t believe he’s going to beat out either Justin Smoak or Matt Olson, who were both superior. Second base is a close race between all three horses, and I actually believe our guy gets it. Ian Kinsler was tied for the American League lead amongst second baseman for defensive runs saved (DRS). He’s also the only one of himself, Jed Lowrie and Rougned Odor to have won an award, which is most likely going to help swing things in his favour.

I believe Andrew Benintendi has a good shot to win in left field, but knocking off Alex Gordon is no easy task. Gordon again was one of the best defenders in baseball, and should pick up another Gold Glove. As much as it feels like Jackie Bradley Jr. may deserve this, or even Mike Trout, it’s going to Adam Engel. He was so impressive with both the eye test and by the metrics, and should win the award. Finally, is Mookie Betts in right field. Mookie Betts is going to win the Gold Glove in right field, take it to the bank, it’s Mookie Betts.

Silver Slugger Award

Finalists have yet to be named for any of the positions, but the Red Sox have some very strong candidates. Let’s start with those who are mortal locks to take home this trophy. J.D. Martinez was one of the best hitters in the entire sport, and trailed only Khris Davis‘ in home runs. Martinez and Davis will go head to head for this award, but J.D. was the better all around hitter by far. That should be enough to take the award home for him.

Mookie Betts has a pretty good chance at taking home an even bigger prize. The Silver Slugger should join the Gold Glove in comfortably being his. Unfortunately for Xander Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor is alive and well in the American League as a shortstop. If it weren’t for Lindor, Xander would likely be snagging another Silver Slugger. He should finish right behind Lindor, as Bogaerts put out arguably the best season of his career.

Cy Young Award

The Red Sox do have a solid candidate for this award as well, Chris Sale. However, even the most biased Red Sox fan could tell you that Sale isn’t going to win this award. Nor does he probably deserve to. Not to diminish his season, as it was one of the best of his already dominant career. He went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA, but shoulder fatigue caused him to miss time down the strecth. The lack of innings will obviously hurt Sale, who is still in search of his first Cy Young. With the seasons that Blake Snell and Justin Verlander posted, it’s going to be tough for this to be Sale’s year of finally overcoming this specific milestone.

MVP

Last, but certainly not least, is the Most Valuable Player. The Red Sox have both a candidate, and a favorite for this award. J.D. Martinez is absolutely a candidate, and has a good chance to finish in the top five. However, as a designated hitter, he’s highly unlikely to win. His offensive numbers were outstanding, but not enough to put him above the likes of Trout, Jose Ramirez or his own teammate. Mookie Betts was oh so close to capturing this award a couple years ago, when Mike Trout snatched it from his hands. This year however, this year is different. Betts was better than Trout in almost every category. Plus, he propelled his team to the best record in the entire league. This award is Mookie’s to lose, and there is no chance that he loses.

One Huge Move the Sox Have to Make

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Well, we did it. The team we all knew would eventually flourish as champions, did. With the rings from 2018 secured, it is time for us all to start looking ahead at the possibility of repeating. There won’t be a huge roster overhaul, but there are some key players likely departing. For general manager Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox, they’ll have to pick and choose who they want to move forward with, and who they’re okay with losing. Big names like Craig Kimbrel, Joe Kelly, Ian Kinsler and Steve Pearce all face pending free agency. There is a good chance one or two of those guys return but the likelihood of all four is bleak. There’s another big name from this championship winning team that I believe is the most crucial than any other in resigining.

Throughout the postseason, and into the World Series, there were many heroes for this team. On both sides of the ball, the stars to the bench players all played a role. One of the largest heroes that came from almost nowhere, ended up being Nathan Eovaldi. Whether it be a big start against New York or Houston, or a dominant effort out of the bullpen against Los Angeles, Eovaldi did it all this October. Every single time he came onto the mound, he effortlessly finessed through the brute opposing lineups.

A 1.61 ERA over 22 innings is a fairly good postseason if you ask me. No matter the scenario, Nate wanted the ball. He threw 97 pitches in game 3, and came in the next day begging manager Alex Cora to let him pitch out of the bullpen. This is a guy you want on your team no matter what, no matter the price. This is the guy that the front office needs to keep around. He has the attitude and mentality to pitch in Boston, and has already shown he has the clutch gene. Regardless of whether the team wants him as a starter or as a reliever, they must resign Eovaldi at all costs.

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A couple players come to mind that commanded contracts of similar length and value to what Eovaldi is bound to get. Alex Cobb was 30 last winter when Baltimore gave him a four year deal, with 57 million being earned over that contract. Tyler Chatwood was 28 last winter when he earned a 3 year, 38 million dollar deal with the Cubs. I see Eovaldi falling somewhere in in the mix with these players, possibly earning a little more than either simply due to his performance this October. Whether it is 3 or 4 years, it will end being around 15 million a year. To me, that’s a price you have to pay for a stud like Nasty Nate.

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