Winter may be showing no signs of slowing down, but the
impending 2019 Major League Baseball season, is about to kick off with the
commencement of spring training. The Boston Red Sox are riding high coming off
their dominant 2018 season that culminated with a resounding World Series
victory. Outside of their bullpen there aren’t many roster questions. However,
like any team, they bring a number of non-roster invitees each spring to camp,
who may well end up playing a valuable role in the upcoming season. Let’s take
a look at some of the most interesting non-roster players this year.
Gorkys
Hernandez, Outfielder: The
31-year-old right-hander is nothing to get excited about. However, he plays all
three outfield position adequately and would be able to hold his own if
Boston’s already stacked outfield (spearheaded by 2018 American League MVP Mookie
Betts) were beset by injuries.
A light-hitting speedster in the past, Hernandez never received
regular work in the majors until the past two years, where he has played as a
partial regular with the San Francisco Giants, accumulating 724 at bats during
that time. He no long possesses the same speed that saw him steal as many as 54
bases in a single minor league season. However, he has come into some power, as
evidenced by the career-high 15 home runs (almost doubling his previous high of
eight) he hit last year to go along with a .234 batting average and 40 RBIs in
414 at bats. Signed to a minor
league deal, he is a solid insurance policy for the team with lofty
expectations like the Red Sox.
Zach
Putnam, Relief Pitcher:
With Boston’s 2019 bullpen facing many questions, it’s possible that
opportunities could exist for those who are barely on the radar at this point.
One such candidate is the 31-year-old right-handed Putnam. He missed the entire
2018 season recovering from Tommy John Surgery and is joining Boston on a minor
league deal.
Putnam spent the previous four seasons before his surgery
with the Chicago White Sox. An unfortunate close acquaintance with injuries, he
has pitched well when he is able to take the mound. During his tenure in the
Windy City, he was a combined 9-6 with a 2.71 ERA and six saves in 130 relief
appearances. He struck out 149 in 139.1 innings, while yielding 56 walks and
just 108 hits.
Never a hard thrower, his average fastball
velocity has typically been around 90 MPH. He relies on a split-finger
pitch that he throws more than half the time. That has all contributed to him
getting a lot of swings and misses and softer contact. If, and that is a big
if, he can come in healthy he could be a pleasant surprise in middle relief.
Carson
Smith, Relief Pitcher: Excitement was high when Boston obtained the right-hander
after a standout 2015 season with the Seattle Mariners in the Wade Miley
trade. That season, just 25 years of age, he had posted a 2.31 ERA with 13
saves in 70 relief appearances with 92 strikeouts in 70 innings. In the three
years since, significant injuries have limited him to a 2.66 ERA in just 29
appearances, spanning 23.2 innings with the Red Sox.
Possessing a fastball in the low 90s and a wipeout slider,
he could go a long way to shoring up the pen if he could only stay healthy. He
was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster after the World Series, but the team
remains intrigued enough by his potential to have brought him back to give him
another crack to fulfill the confidence they showed in him when he was first
acquired. Don’t hold your breath on Smith’s health, as he will not play in any
spring games and it could be a while before he sees the field due to his most recent
recovery. However, don’t be surprised if he pops up at some point later in
the year and proves himself to be an asset down the stretch.
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