Red Sox chief baseball official Chaim Bloom has reportedly addressed a number of questions about the offseason moves they have made (and have not) made so far this winter. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, en the Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. The call was prompted by the club’s recent (and rare) deal with their main rival. Bloom noted that they were looking ‘under the hood’ Adam Ottavino‘s 2020 numbers and believes that the assumption that he’s poor performance in 2020 could be deceived. In particular, he notices a particularly bad outing against the Blue Jays in which he surrendered six merits without taking up a thinning out. Take the appearance out on September 7, and Ottavino’s ERA drops from 5.89 to 2.95. Of course that outing done happen. Yet there is a positive reading in Ottavino’s 2020 state line: 3.52 FIP, 3.62 SIERA, 29.4 percent elimination rate and 10.6 percent walking rate indicate that the right-handers near for the same man he was in 2019, when he formed an important part of the Yankees’ bullpen. Ottavino figures to play a heavy role in the back of Boston’s bullpen, though the division of responsibilities between Ottavino and the current position is approaching Matt Barnes is TBD. More from Bloom …
- The Yankees have moved Ottavino to revamp enough salary to supplement the $ 210 million luxury tax line, but according to Bloom, it’s not a foregone conclusion that the Red Sox will do the same. With Ottavino in the kraal, the Red Sox payroll for luxury tax looks about $ 206MM, which certainly does not leave much room. While the plan is to avoid taxes, it is not a fixed mandate, Bloom says.
- Even if he takes Bloom at his word, it’s hard to imagine the Red Sox going to exceed the luxury tax when so many teams are working so hard these days to avoid it – especially in a season where the Red Sox are largely an afterthought for the rays are. , Yankees and Blue Jays in the AL East. The Red Sox are obviously not quite as quick to write off their 2021 season. It is reasonable to wonder if they still have the funds to bring back Jackie Bradley Jr. However, the team remains in touch with Bradley and plans to do so “until his free agency decides.” Your reading may differ, Bloom’s passive word choice does not project the image of an aggressive upcoming attempt to lure Bradley back to Fenway, although it is here that a reunion may remain.