The Boston Red Sox's 2017 Payroll Has Lots of Dead Money

The Boston Red Sox are one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. Their consistent winning ways, playing in a big market and having a broad fan base all translate to them annually having one of the highest payrolls in the sport. As long as the team is winning the particulars of where the money is going never seems to matter as much. However, some of the players Boston will be cutting checks to in 2017, and the amounts, may come as a surprise.

Currently, the Red Sox are expected to pay out over $192 million in player salaries in 2017. This does not include some contract renewals, possible adjustments as the season wears on from trades, and additional free agent signings. That being said, a shocking amount of money will be spent on players who are not expected to have any impact on the team, or in some cases, are no longer still playing the game at all.

Rusney Castillo- $11.27 Million: The Cuban outfielder signed a massive $72.5 million contract in 2014 but has managed to hit just a combined .262 with seven home runs in 99 big league games since then. Now 29, the Red Sox’s level of confidence (or lack thereof) in him was made abundantly clear last year when he was removed from their 40-man roster. Although he is still with the franchise he is expected to be no more than Triple-A depth and has already made negative headlines by recently neglecting to run out a ground ball. By comparison, he is making only about $500,000 less than newly acquired ace pitcher Chris Sale.

Allen Craig- $11 Million: Formerly an All Star with the St. Louis Cardinals, the outfielder has been an unmitigated disaster since coming over to Boston in a 2014 trade. His results have been so putrid that he has managed just a .139 batting average, two home runs and five RBIs in 65 combined games. He never even saw the majors in 2016; instead scuffling in Triple-A in between injuries, mustering a .189 average in 29 games. His contract set to expire at the end of the year and it would be a major surprise if he sees any playing time in Boston this season.

Manny Ramirez- $1.99 Million: The mercurial slugger hasn’t had a major league at bat since 2011, and hasn’t donned a Boston uniform since 2008. However, he will receive a handsome sum from the team in 2017. Ramirez hit .312 with 274 home runs during an eight year contract in the Hub but saw his tenure spotted with occasional indifferent play and controversy. Signed for a total of $160 million by Boston, not all of the money was paid during the life of the deal, as $32 million was deferred over 16 years worth of payments starting in 2011. Last seen signing on with an independent Japanese team for 2017, Ramirez will be making slightly more with the Red Sox than Boston’s super sub Brock Holt this year.

Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford- $1.7 Million ($857,000 each): Ramirez is not the only former player that Boston is on the books for a princely sum in 2017. Ballyhooed free agent signings in 2011, Gonzalez and Crawford fell out of favor and were jettisoned via trade by mid-season the following year to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The move sent more than $250 million in future salaries across the country but did not completely end the team’s ties to the two players. The Red Sox assumed a small portion of the remaining money that is owed, which are still being paid to this day. Gonzalez is still the starting first baseman for the Dodgers but Crawford recently called it a career. Nevertheless, they persist in a small way as part of the Red Sox a half a decade later.

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Why Pablo Sandoval is in a Position to Succeed With the Boston Red Sox

Once a ballyhooed free agent signing, Pablo Sandoval’s 2016 season with the Boston Red Sox ended after a total of three games and an unacceptable number of trips to the dinner plate. Plagued with shoulder issues and an alarming weight gain, the third baseman barely made it on the field to try and follow up on a miserable 2015 campaign that was his first with the team. Now noticeably slimmer and reportedly healthy, his bid for a comeback is being aided by his team, which has put him in the best possible position to succeed.

The professional athlete reporting to training camp in “the best shape of their life” is a sports trope as old as time. Having paid fewer dividends than a Ponzi scheme during his first two years in Boston, it will be no small task for Sandoval to earn back even a little bit of the fans’ trust and respect. The biggest difference this year besides his newfound health and ability to see his toes without bending over is the way that the spotlight has significantly shifted off him. An offseason trade that netted left-handed ace Chris Sale gave Boston three legitimate Cy Young candidates for their rotation and made them early World Series favorites. Winning has amazing therapeutic powers, so as long as Boston is piling up tally marks in the left-hand column of the standings even continued transgressions should be regarded more lightly than in the past.

Despite the enormity of Sandoval’s contract, the Red Sox also don’t necessarily need to lean on him as a lynchpin for their offense. With young stars like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi, simply getting passable results from the erstwhile doughy third baseman would be a major coup and likely keep the naysayers at bay for the time being. Additional good news is that after hitting just .245 with 10 home runs in his only full season with Boston, it won’t take a Herculean effort to best that in 2017.

Despite there still being three years remaining on Sandoval’s contract, the fact that there is already a highly-touted heir-in-waiting lurking in the wings makes waiting to see what the veteran can do more palatable. Rafael Devers is just 20 and widely regarded as a potential future star. Although he has made steady progress through the minors he is still at least a year or two away. Nothing is ever guaranteed with young players but his anticipated impact provides a nice cushion for the dazed incumbent.

The disappointment that Sandoval has created since coming to Boston can’t be discounted. Then again neither can the possibility that the proper motivation (which one might cautiously say he has) and right setting (the Red Sox are a talented team poised for a successful season) might jumpstart the career of a player who is a two time All Start who has started for three World Series winners. Much like Stella, Kung Fu Panda just needs to get his groove back. Boston fans have been burned before and will likely not be played for fools again. However, the tough hand he largely dealt himself could be a lot worse if not for the extremely favorable position the team has him in as they embark on a new season.

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Dan O’Brien Jr. Joins Minor League Baseball Staff

For Immediate Release                                                  February 13, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Minor League Baseball announced today that longtime Major League Baseball executive Dan O’Brien Jr. has joined its staff as Senior Executive Advisor to Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O’Conner.

O’Brien, who is entering his 40th season in professional baseball, will advise O’Conner on various issues relative to the Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball relationship, Minor League Baseball business opportunities and industry topics relevant to Minor League Baseball’s future.

“Dan O’Brien is a highly respected baseball executive that understands the business side of the game, as well as the player development and scouting side of professional baseball, and we are very pleased to have him join our staff,” said Minor League Baseball President & CEO Pat O’Conner. “Dan knows Minor League Baseball from his years of working with affiliates from the Major League side. His extensive knowledge of the game at both levels will be a tremendous asset to Minor League Baseball moving forward.”

“I have always had a great appreciation and respect for the work of Pat O'Conner and the Minor League Baseball staff, and I look forward to the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the organization,” said O’Brien. “With over 35 years of experience working in professional baseball, I have genuine respect for the important role that Minor League Baseball plays in the development of our game and I look forward to the chance to help continue its growth.”

O’Brien joins Minor League Baseball after spending the last 39 years in various roles with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners organizations.

During the 2016 season, O’Brien served as the Senior Advisor for Baseball Operations for the Royals and Senior Vice President and General Manager Dayton Moore. Prior to his stint in Kansas City, O’Brien spent 10 years as a Special Assistant to the GM/Baseball Operations for the Brewers. From October 2003 to January 2006, O’Brien served as the General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds after serving seven years (1996-2003) as the Rangers’ Assistant General Manager/Baseball Operations. 

O’Brien got his start on the baseball operations side of the game with the Astros (1982-1996) where he rose through the ranks and ultimately served as the Director of Player Development and Scouting. He began his career in professional baseball in the sales and marketing department with the Mariners.

O’Brien graduated with honors from Rollins College in 1976, where he double majored in business and economics and was a Rhodes Scholarship nominee. He earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1977, where he also served as an assistant baseball coach. In 2005, he was honored with Ohio University’s Distinguished Alumni Award and previously served as a guest lecturer for Xavier University’s graduate-level sports administration program. O’Brien’s father, Dan O’Brien Sr., was a longtime Major League Baseball executive. 

The Columbus, Ohio native resides in the greater Cincinnati area with his wife, Gail.

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John Halama Looks Back on His Baseball Career

Some paths to the major leagues are longer and more winding than others. Just being drafted is far from a guarantee that any success will ensue. Hard work and an ability to take and adapt to instruction are just as important as having raw skill. Left-handed pitcher John Halama knows only too well what it takes to work his way up from a mid-round draft prospect to a successful major league career.

Halama, a native of Brooklyn, New York, had a successful collegiate career at his hometown St. Francis University. Despite not playing for a major school, his talent was enough to get him drafted in the 23^rd round by the Houston Astros in 1994.

Steady success in the minors earned the lanky lefty a trip to the majors with the Astros in 1998. Making six starts, he went 1-1 with a 5.85 ERA. He struck out the first batter he ever faced, getting San Francisco Giants outfielder Darryl Hamilton to go down swinging in an April 2^nd game. However, that offseason he was sent to the Seattle Mariners as the player to be named later in an earlier trade that had brought future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Randy Johnson over to the National League.

Halama won 11 games with the Mariners in 1999 and a total of 35 games in his first three seasons with the team. He went on to spend nine years in the majors, pitching for seven teams. He accumulated a 56-48 record and 4.65 ERA.

Although his final major league game came in 2006 with the Baltimore Orioles, he went on to pitch through the 2012 season with a variety of minor league, independent and international teams before finally calling it a career. All told, he won an impressive total of 172 games (against just 127 losses) during a 19-year professional career.

Halama recently answered some questions about his time in baseball. Keep reading for more on the southpaw.

Who was your favorite player growing up and why?: I grew up a Mets fan as a little kid. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were my favorite players. They were great players at that time.

What do you remember most about your major league debut in 1998 against the San Francisco Giants?: A lot was going on that day. I was very excited that I accomplished a dream of making the big leagues. I had my parents and brother in the stands that game. As far as the game itself; wasn’t that great for me. I took a beating.

You were the proverbial “player to be named later” in the 1998 trade that sent Randy Johnson from Seattle to Houston. What was that like for you and how did you find out you were part of the deal?: At the time of the trade I was just getting back on the field. I hurt my elbow and started pitching when the trade happened. I knew I was being scouted by the Mariners and I'm sure my health was their concern. After the Triple-A World Series I was flown to Seattle for a physical.

What is your favorite moment from your playing career?: Favorite moment, making the big league team. It's not as easy as people think. A lot of hard work.

What catcher during your career did you feel most comfortable throwing to?: I was fortunate to have great catchers everywhere I played.

Who was the best player you ever played with or against, and what made them so special?: I played with a lot of great players but Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriquez were probably the best. What they could do on the field was amazing.

What was your favorite team that you played on, and what made them stand out to you?: I enjoyed all the teams I played at but Seattle stands out the most. We had a great run into the postseason. Plus it's a great city with great fans that supported us.

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