Red Sox Ratings: Ottavino, Luxury Tax, Bradley Jr.

Red Sox baseball manager Chaim Bloom has answered a number of questions about the offseason moves they’ve (and haven’t) made so far this winter, according to reporters in attendance, especially Chris Cotillo from MassLive.com, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, and Jen McCaffrey of Athletic. The appeal was prompted by the club’s recent (and rare) deal with their main rival. Bloom noted that they were looking “under the hood” at Adam ottavinoFigures for 2020 and believe that the assumption of its poor performance in 2020 may be wrong. In particular, he notes a particularly poor outing against the Blue Jays in which he handed in six earned runs without recording a strikeout. Remove this September 7th appearance and Ottavino’s ERA goes from 5.89 to 2.95. Of course, this exit made happen. Even so, there is a positive reading in Ottavino’s 2020 stat line: 3.52 FIP, 3.62 SIERA, 29.4% withdrawal rate, and 10.6% walk rate suggest that the right-hander was To close the same guy he was in 2019, when he was a big part of the Yankees’ pickup box. Ottavino is expected to play an important role in the back-end of the Boston relievers’ box, although the dispersion of responsibilities between Ottavino and the closer incumbent Matt barnes is to be determined. More Bloom …

• The Yankees have asked Ottavino to cut his salary enough to bypass the $ 210 million luxury tax line, but according to Bloom, it’s not a given that the Red Sox will do the same. With Ottavino in the fold, the luxury tax payroll of the Red Sox appears to be around $ 206 million, which certainly doesn’t leave much room to spare. While the plan is to avoid the tax, it’s not a firm mandate, Bloom notes.
• Even taking Bloom at his word, it’s hard to imagine the Red Sox going above the luxury tax as so many teams work so diligently to avoid it – especially in a season where the Red Sox are largely projected as an afterthought on the Rays. , The Yankees and the Blue Jays in AL East. The Red Sox are probably not that quick to write off their 2021 season, of course. Still, it’s fair to wonder if they have the remaining funds to bring back Jackie Bradley Jr. The team remains in contact with Bradley, however, and plans to do so “until his free agency resolves.” Although your reading may differBloom’s passive word choice does not project the image of an aggressive next attempt to woo Bradley to Fenway, although he argues here that a reunion remains possible.