Tag Archives: tyler thornburg

Meet Matt Barnes: Red Sox Closer

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When news crackled off the wire that the Red Sox had signed Jenrry Mejia it was confirmed: The Red Sox payroll problems are real, and they’re spectacular. The only relief help walking through that door is the thrice failed, suspended-for-life, then reinstated kind. While wandering eyes look for a free agent, there’s a stalwart right in front of us. Matt Barnes is the most reliable, time tested, experienced, and talented holdover whose time has come. Matt Barnes should be The Closer for the Red Sox.

Slow and steady wins the race

Let’s be honest: If Craig Kimbrel would sign a two year, $20 million deal he would be the closer. But he’s worth more, and the Red Sox won’t pay him. So we have Barnes.

Ryan Brasier came out of nowhere to deliver last year. But the book on him is still being written. You better believe the hitters will catch up with him this year. Then there is Matt Barnes.

Check out his three year progression in ERA/WHIP/K per 9/Ground Ball %:

  • 2016: 4.05/1.395/9.6/46%
  • 2017: 3.88/1.220/10.7/49%
  • 2018: 3.65/1.265/14.0/53%

Unlike Brasier, or even Thornburg, Barnes forged his record in the crucible of the AL East. Sure, he walks a few, that’s why his WHIP isn’t closer to 1.0, but his progression is one of an artist honing his craft. He has steadily produced more strikeouts and ground balls. That is the special sauce that creates a successful pitcher.

Opportunity

With the Red Sox looking down the barrel of paying Mookie, and the prospect of Sale, Porcello, Bogaerts, and Martinez becoming free agents after 2019, there is scant money left for the bullpen. Tyler Thornburg is coming off injury, Ryan Brasier is new, Durbin Feltman is untested. Matt Barnes has worked his way up to being the set up guy last year. He has been doubted and ridiculed, passed over for starters in the postseason despite pitching lights out.

The time is now for Matt Barnes to become the Red Sox closer.

Follow: @BostonsportSAHD

Bogaerts

The Brewers Are After Xander Bogaerts

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There are rumors out of Milwaukee that the Brewers are after Xander Bogaerts. Why would the Red Sox trade him, and what could they expect in return?

Salary

The Red Sox have painful salary issues coming after 2019. The MLB Luxury Tax is a big deal. The Red Sox are already losing draft positions and paying out millions.

Along with Bogaerts, Chris Sale and Rick Porcello will be free agents. JD Martinez has an opt-out, and will use it if he approximates his performance from last year. Mookie Betts’ arbitration numbers are going to exponentially expand.

Furthermore, Scott Boras represents Bogaerts, who just had a career year. Boras does not take hometown discounts. As for Bogaerts production, he hit the ball harder in 2018 than any year other than his 44 game cup of coffee in 2013. And he’s never hit it farther.

Is his 2018 a career year, or the natural progression of a top talent? It’s hard to take one year, that is an outlier against his other five in the majors, as the new baseline.

What The Sox Could Expect In Trade

Recently, Paul Goldschmidt was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Cardinals. Goldschmidt, like Xander, was in the last year of his deal.

Goldschmidt is the Diamondbacks all time leader in OPS, SLG, Walks, and WAR. In short, his is Arizona’s Mookie Betts. For this perennial MVP candidate, the Cardinals gave up Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, Andy Young, and a draft pick. Weaver has had a modicum of success in the majors, and Kelly was a highly rated catching prospect who had a poor showing in 2018, while Young is a middling prospect.

Because of that trade, and Xander’s impending free agency, the Red Sox can expect something less. Xander simply isn’t in the class of Paul Goldschmidt. Think 24 year old SS Orlando Arcia, a slick defensive player, but number 9 hitter. He had a .661 OPS last year in Milwaukee. Add to that perhaps Freddy Peralta, who is 22 and went 6-4 with a 4.25 ERA, including 11 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9, in 2018. Peralta also had a typically dominant and wild game in the playoffs against the Dodgers. He pitched 3 innings, walked 3, struck out 6, and did not allow a hit.

Could the Red Sox get someone like 21 year old Keston Hiura added to the haul? That might make it worth it. Hiura plays 2nd Base, and had a particularly impressive Arizona Fall League Performance: .320 batting average with a .911 OPS. He hit .272/.755 over High A and Double A ball last year. Dustin Pedroia isn’t getting any younger.

Who knows, the Brewers may feel they owe Dombrowski for that Tyler Thornburg/Travis ‘Mayor of Ding Dong City’ Shaw trade from 2016, and include more in a deal. Either way, trading Xander Bogaerts would be no easy deal. He hit 4th for the majority of the year one of the greatest Red Sox team of all time. However, the Luxury Tax bill is coming due. Something has to give, sooner or later.

Red Sox Shut Down Tyler Thornburg

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Red Sox manager Alex Cora made an unsurprising announcement earlier this week when he revealed that reliever Tyler Thornburg would be shut down for the remainder of 2018.

There were two glaring reasons for this call by Cora. First, Thornburg’s recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome is ongoing. That injury caused him to miss all of 2017 and much of 2018. While the 29 year-old righty made progress this season, his manager noted he was beginning to fatigue down the stretch.

“There’s no need to push him hard,” Cora told reporters prior to Wednesday’s doubleheader vs. Baltimore. Which, of course, makes perfect sense given the severity of TOS.

However, if Thornburg had performed at a high level in his return to the Boston bullpen mix, would Cora be singing the same tune?

The second obvious reason for giving Thornburg the rest of the autumn off renders that question moot. Thornburg simply hasn’t been effective this season. He posted a 5.63 ERA over 24 innings in 25 appearances, with unflattering peripherals. His last outing was on Sept. 14th, in which he allowed three runs in 2/3rds of an inning (and two HR).

Thornburg’s velocity never really bounced back to 2016 levels, either. Per Brooks Baseball, Thornburg’s average fastball velocity was two mph slower than his last year in Milwaukee.

Mix all of that together, and the smart move was clearly to shut down Thornburg for the year. You won’t get any qualms from me there. However, it does sting to have to mark up yet another effectively lost season for one of Dave Dombrowski’s premier bullpen acquisitions, especially with so many questions swirling about this group of relievers.

The Red Sox acquired Thornburg via trade from the Brewers in December 2016. At the time, the move made total sense. Outgoing Travis Shaw had proven to be a solid, yet unspectacular corner infield option. And, after striking out on Carson Smith Boston felt that another quality reliever was the missing piece to October success.

To his credit, Thornburg was coming off of an excellent 2016. He posted a 2.67 ERA with 12.1 K/9 and 13 saves as the Brewers set-up man in front of closer Jeremy Jeffress. The hope was to combine Thornburg with Smith, to provide a formidable 7th-8th inning duo come playoff time.

Unfortunately for the Sox, things went off of the rails almost immediately. Thornburg injured his shoulder that spring, which led to a war of words between him and the front office. Thornburg claimed that a new fitness program implemented by the Red Sox training staff caused the injury, which ruffled more than a few feathers around the organization. That shoulder fatigue/soreness only worsened as the year went along. The right-hander did not throw a pitch for the Sox in 2017.

Not helping matters in all of this: Shaw has turned into a strong infield power bat for the Brew Crew. In 293 games across two seasons, Shaw has slashed .258/.348/.497 with 62 HR and a 120 OPS+. He’s amassed 8.1 bWAR over that span, compared to Thornburg’s -0.1 bWAR. Any way you slice it, the trade has been a huge win for Milwaukee, and a difficult pill to swallow for the Red Sox.

Thornburg underwent surgery in June, after his shoulder pain continued into 2018. He was finally able to make his Red Sox debut on July 6th. While this season has been a step in the right direction, it hasn’t been enough to earn him a spot on the playoff roster.

The plan is that a full, proper offseason will go a long way toward’s Thornburg’s continued recovery, and ensure he’ll be a contributing member of next season’s roster. Although, as the Red Sox have learned: people plan, and the Baseball Gods laugh.

Red Sox Should Target Three Relievers This Offseason

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The bullpen has been a thorn in the Boston Red Sox’s side many times in 2018. To say that it is a bad bullpen is, quite frankly, a bad statement. However, it seems that they may not be a threatening bullpen to opposing teams. They can get the job done, but are they reliable to have a lock-down inning when needed? Red Sox fans loathe the moment when a relief pitcher comes in to a high leverage situation, in 2018.

This season has been a fantastic one as of now. Currently at 103 wins and one win away from clinching their third AL East title in as many years. The writing seems to be already on the wall for this impending postseason. The bullpen is barely trustworthy.

This is a small cloud that is seen in a huge ray of sunshine. Not to be redundant, but this Red Sox team is legitimately good. However, every team has its weaknesses and this is one that can carry into next season if not addressed. Don’t expect a trade, as the Red Sox don’t have a lot of pieces they can afford to give away for the time being. Thus, it’s never too early to look at who the Red Sox could sign in the offseason. Here are three serious options they should consider:

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1. Craig Kimbrel

Hear me out on this one before you shoot me.

Yes, we all know that Kimbrel isn’t having a fantastic season. Yes, he is having the worst season of his career when it comes down to FIP. A statistic that is, of many things, very telling of how a pitcher could perform in the future.

When it comes down to who the Red Sox currently have that can take over in case of Kimbrel’s departure, it’s frightening. Currently the closer role would have to go to Ryan Brasier, who has been the most reliable pitcher this season for the Sox. Even then, Brasier is unproven (38.1 IP in his MLB career) and Kimbrel should not be replaced with Brasier just yet. Also, some current closers on the 2019 free agent market are not worth breaking the bank for.

Kimbrel knows what it’s like to pitch in Boston, experience the media, fans, ballpark and the pressure of a big market. He’s experienced success and struggles with this team. He knows what is needed of him, and he is the best available option in the 2019 free agency class. It’s time to trust Kimbrel again.

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2. Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller has been on my list of “Relief pitchers I want next season” and there are a lot of reasons as to why this still holds water. Since 2016, he is ranked first (high leverage situations) in average against, ERA, FIP, xFIP, WHIP, BB/9, and K/BB among all relief pitchers that will be a free agent in 2019.

He’s been to a World Series, seen success and failure throughout his career and is a seasoned veteran. Also to note, he has a 1.10 ERA in 32.2 Postseason innings pitched.

One final note is that he has also experienced what Boston has to offer, being that he was with the club for four seasons. He knows what is expected of him just like Kimbrel, and Miller can be the guy that can bring this bullpen to a new level if added.

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3. Jeurys Familia

Never would a former Mets player would be on a list of players that I would put my trust in, yet here we are.

Jeurys Familia has quietly put together a pretty good career up to this point. Albeit, he hasn’t looked unhittable since joining Oakland but that’s besides the point. His numbers in high leverage situations are very good and he does a great job at keeping the ball in the yard. Familia is someone that the Sox can potentially replace Kimbrel with if talks fall through. He’s proven to the world that he can close out games (51 saves in 2016) and can produce in a big market city.

One final note on Familia, is that he is younger than the aforementioned options. This is one less worry for when this team has to lock up some of the younger guys.

@ELJGON

Red Sox Predicted Playoff Roster

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With the MLB Playoff races still heating up, the Red Sox are guaranteed a spot in the hunt for October.  Who will be on the playoff roster?

While there are 40 games still to be played, the hunt for October glory has already crossed the minds of fans nationwide.  The postseason roster will look very similar to the active roster, but there will be some shake ups in my predictions.

Starting rotation:

1. Chris Sale: The Cy Young award candidate will be the ace of this team in the playoffs. While he has had more rest under new manager Alec Cora, fans hope to see a different Chris Sale than this time last season.

2. Rick Porcello: Probably one of the most underrated players on this team, the former Cy Young award winner has had a phenomenal year. He has had an excellent command of his sinker, and forced more groundball outs than last year.

3. David Price: Although Price has had zero success as a starter in the playoffs throughout his career, this year seems different. Price has been more efficient, and a overall better pitcher than in recent memory.

4.   Nathan Eovaldi: Although he has never been a prime time starting pitcher, he has proven to the Red Sox organization that he is ready to take on a big role throughout the duration of the playoffs. If he can even pitch as well as he has in his first 2 starts, don’t sleep on him.

Bullpen:

Although the bullpen has been under performing lately, they still have more depth than a lot of teams in the league.

Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg, Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Hector Velasquez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Craig Kimbrel ( closer).  

These guys have solidified their roles in the bullpen. It would be hard to imagine the team calling up someone from the minors to fill in, besides an injury or two, towards the end of the regular season.

Infield:

(Catchers) Christian Vasquez, Sandy Leon. ( First Base) Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce. (Second base) Ian Kinsler, Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez, Blake Swihart. ( Third Base) Rafael Devers, ( same utility guys from second and shortstop.) ( Shortstop) Xander Bogaerts. 

Designated Hitter:

J.d Martinez, ( Pearce and Moreland as rotates) 

Outfield:

Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr, ( Martinez.) 

As previously stated, my prediction looks similar to the current roster (besides a couple of minor tweaks.) What are your thoughts? Comment or simply tweet me @kyle_porch. Follow me and bostonsportsextra to stay in the news with the most up-to-date coverage.

Dave Dombrowski Has Killed The Farm System

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With only two prospects in the top 100, Dave’s win now philosophy has killed the backup plan If we cannot resign all these players.

Yes, Dave Dombrowski has brought in some serious talent to Boston over the years, but we simply cannot resign them all. Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel has done astonishingly well thus far, but what about the Drew Pomeranz, Carson Smith, and Tyler Thornburg? While Losing big name prospects such as: Anderson Espinoza, Travis Shaw, Manuel Margot, and Mauricio Dubon.

Not saying these trades weren’t beneficial, but with the cap room looking tight already, it is going to be a challenge to resign these guys. With guys already in line to ink up max deals. Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and Xander Bogaerts should all command huge contracts, which will spike up the luxury tax for sure. It makes it harder for the team to compete in free agency for guys like: Bryce Harper, and Manny Machado exclusively.

The farm system now ranks 15th in all of baseball. With Jason Groome ( Tommy john) and Micheal Chavis ( 80 game suspension) as the only two guys in the top 100. Leaving scraps for developed prospects. Guys like Tanner Houck, Trey Ball, and Josh Ockimey aren’t eye popping players yet. They need to restock the farm system in some way via trade or an over abundance of draft picks in coming years.

While nobody would expect a dominant regular season from the likes of Ben Cherington and John Farrell respectfully, Alex Cora has been a great compliment to dealing Dave. While we wait and watch another trade deadline come and pass, we can only imagine what him and the front office has in store.

What will the legacy be after it’s all said and done? Maybe we will find out about Hanley Ramirez too. Until then, we let the cards fold as they be.

Follow me on twitter! @porchie16

Sox Optimistic Following Tyler Thornburg’s Rough Outing

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After allowing three earned runs in the sixth inning during Saturday night’s 5-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers, right-hander Tyler Thornburg’s ERA rose to 10.38 in five games since making his long-awaited debut with the team on July 6.

The big blow off Thornburg was a two-run shot by light-hitting Jose Iglesias, who drove in four of Detroit’s five runs. The homer was Iglesias’ third of the year, and third overall against his former team.

A Decent Start

Prior to Saturday, Thornburg was coming off consecutive scoreless appearances after allowing a single run in each of his first two outings. Additionally, Thornburg’s allowed at least one hit in all five games he’s pitched. He is still looking for that clean inning.

It was certainly not the start Thornburg and fans were hoping for.

Working Out The Kinks

Despite Thornburg’s rocky start to the season after missing all of 2017, the Red Sox are optimistic he’ll turn things around. Following Saturday night’s loss, team coaches Dana LeVangie and Craig Bjornson studied video of Thornburg during the game. They compared it to video of him during his breakout 2016 campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, LeVangie and Bjornson identified a mechanical flaw with Thornburg. Manager Alex Cora chimed in, saying he’s hopeful it’ll be “the last hurdle” for Thornburg to overcome in his road back from thoracic outlet sydrome surgery.

Prior to Sunday’s series finale, Thornburg was working to correct the flaw with LeVangie and Bjornson.

Help Is On The Way

Assuming Thornburg fixes the problem, it should be nothing but good news for the Red Sox. The bullpen has gone through a stretch of unreliability as of late, and an effective Thornburg can no doubt help fix that situation.