(Image credits: Mike Stobe of Getty Images)
Time for Boston to dust off the zero-numbered jersey? In a surprising and rare exchange between the rival Red Sox and Yankees, Adam Ottavino has been traded to Boston in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, as first reported by Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.
Ottavino, on the third and final year of his contract with New York, set to make $8 million dollars this season plus a $3 million dollar signing bonus due in 2022, now finds himself headed to Boston alongside pitching prospect Frank German as a salary dump move for the Yankees. Per Buster Olney of ESPN, New York will contribute $850,000 to the Ottavino trade and the remaining $7,150,000 of his contract is for the Red Sox to take care of.
I absolutely love this move. A proven reliever for the late-innings is exactly what the Sox needed in their bullpen. A setup man throughout his career, one would assume the Sox will have him maintain that role in the bullpen with Matt Barnes as the closer, at least for the time being. I'll admit this whole offseason I've been eyeing relievers much less flashy than Ottavino because quite frankly I never thought a trade like this was in the cards for Boston. After all, the last time the Red Sox and Yankees traded with each other was in 2014 for STEPHEN DREW (I know, it makes me laugh too).
While a first glance at Ottavino's 2020 season stats might seem concerning, don't worry too much. That 5.89 ERA comes from a tough outing against the Blue Jays on September 7th in Buffalo. I'm talking 6 runs, 2 walks, and a 7.82 ERA in 0.0 innings pitched. Before that, his ERA was 3.55 with a 28.3 K% in the shortened season, and in his appearances following September 7th, a 1.59 ERA with a 38.5 K%. So seriously, don't let the looks of his 2020 stats scare you. Instead, take a look at his 2018 or 2019 stats. In his final year with the Colorado Rockies in 2018, Ottavino posted a 2.43 ERA, 0.991 WHIP, and struck out 112 batters in 77.2 innings pitched, a majority of those at the notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field. In his first year in pinstripes, Ottavino followed up in 2019 with another impressive season, posting a 1.90 ERA, 1.312 WHIP, and striking out 88 batters over 66.1 innings pitched. At 35 years old, he's a veteran guy with proven results. One down year skewed by a shortened season and one particularly bad outing should not scare anyone. If anything, it just means he's more motivated than ever to rebound and prove himself. It also should be noted Ottavino is a Northeastern baseball product, something I certainly don't hate as a Red Sox fan.
Like many people, my first reaction reading this trade was "why would the Yankees do that?" I understand the concept of a salary dump and no doubt the Yankees needed to free up some cash, but it just seemed incredibly lopsided initially, especially with the addition of pitching prospect Frank German all to save $7,150,000 from payroll on top of whatever "cash considerations" New York receives from Boston. However, for the Yankees, that $8 million they save is critical to make the necessary adjustments and additions needed for their roster. The Yankees' bullpen does not necessarily need Adam Ottavino, especially not in the way the Red Sox do. New York is seemingly determined to stay under the luxury tax and to keep it plain and simple, there are much more important pieces needed to be put together than a reliever who yeah, they overpaid in retrospect. Their rotation still could use some help, perhaps that $8 million is the difference-maker in bringing back Masahiro Tanaka or maybe signing a guy like Jake Odorizzi? One could also safely assume the Yankees plan to bring back Brett Gardner, presumably on a team-friendly deal, but it'll still cost them something.
On the other end, one might think the Red Sox are now the ones overpaying for one year of a reliever looking to rebound and a pitching prospect who might be good. Again, it all comes back to the team's immediate needs. In the last week, the Sox have improved upon their starting rotation. They have one of the best offenses in the American League. The only major glaring hole left in their roster was the same not-so-effective bullpen they had in 2020. Maybe he's not in the prime of his career anymore, but I will take Ottavino in the setup man role over someone like Josh Taylor or Darwinzon Hernández any day, and that's no knock on either of them! The fact of the matter is Red Sox fans have been begging for a strong veteran addition to the bullpen for a few years now and Ottavino fits the bill.
Up to this point, Chaim Bloom now has brought in Hunter Renfroe, Matt Andriese, Martín Pérez, Kiké Hernandez, Garrett Richards, and now Adam Ottavino, and still has about $6 million or so to spend. Though Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy recently went on the record to say, "it would be inaccurate to say we are going for it with an all-in approach that perhaps we did prior to the 2018 title," as reported by Dan Shaugnessy of The Boston Globe, they're seemingly shaping up to be a team at the very least attempting to contend. Expect more moves to come as the Red Sox 40-man roster currently sits at 39 without Hernandez, Richards, Pérez, or Ottavino on there. Chaim Bloom isn't done quite yet.
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