Boston Red Sox

Jeter Downs has been designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox, the team announced Thursday.

ESPN's Alden González was the first to report the move.

Downs was the top prospect Boston acquired in the deal that shipped star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020.

The decision to DFA Downs came after the Red Sox made the signing of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida official Thursday. Boston needed room on its 40-man roster for Yoshida, who inked a five-year deal through 2027.

Boston acquired Downs, outfielder Alex Verdugo and catcher Connor Wong from the Dodgers in the deal that sent Betts and left-hander David Price to L.A.

Downs was once ranked a top-five prospect in the Boston organization by MLB.com, but his stock took a nosedive over the last two seasons as he struggled to live up to expectations in Triple-A Worcester following the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to COVID-19.

In 2021, Downs hit .191/.272/.333 with 14 home runs and 39 RBI in 99 games with the WooSox. He followed that with an equally disappointing performance at the dish in 2022, slashing .197/.316/.412 with 16 home runs and 33 RBI 81 games.

Downs also appeared in 14 games for the Red Sox last season, hitting .154/.171/.256 with one home run and four RBI. He struck out in 21 of 41 plate appearances, an unacceptable 51.2 strikeout rate.

With only Verdugo and Wong left to show for the Betts deal, and just one playoff appearance since 2020, it's clear Boston lost the trade.

Betts, meanwhile, is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he slashed .269/.340/.533 with a career-high 35 home runs, in addition to 82 RBI in 142 games. The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and won the World Series in 2020.

The Red Sox still have a decent prospect pool headlined by Marcelo Mayer, Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela, but it still doesn't match up to some of the league's best.

Outfielder Bryan Reynolds requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this offseason. The winter meeting came and went without a deal, but that doesn't mean that Reynolds will still be a Pirate when spring training begins.

For the Boston Red Sox—a team looking to climb out of the AL East basement—Reynolds would make a lot of sense.

Boston is open to working the trade market, especially after losing top free agent Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres in free agency.

"I actually think the trade market could be a really good route to adding impact to our club," chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said, per The Athletic's Chad Jennings. "We are looking (into) a lot of significant moves there as long as we can do it in a way that isn't just robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's actually moving us forward in 2023 and giving us a chance to make a significant step forward from where we sit today."

A player who can help in 2023 and beyond? That's Reynolds. A 2021 All-Star, Reynolds will only turn 28 next month. He's also a financial fit for rebuilding Boston, as he'll remain arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season.

In 2023, Reynolds will carry a salary of only $6.8 million, according to Spotrac.

Naturally, Reynolds will want an extension at some point, but he would nevertheless come with three more years of team control.

Then, there's the fact that—according to Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal—the Red Sox have already looked into adding outfield and offensive help.

"In need of offensive help, the Red Sox have, according to a source familiar with the talks, made inquires about first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper," McAdam wrote. "The Sox have an opening in the outfield, with Alex Verdugo and Kiké Hernandez set to cover two of the three outfield spots."

Reynolds could help round out the outfield group while providing a boost at the plate. He has hit 74 home runs and 239 RBI over the last four seasons. He finished 2022 with a .262 batting average, 27 home runs and 62 RBI.

While Reynolds was more impressive during his 2021 All-Star campaign (90 RBI, .302 average), these were still strong numbers for a player just entering his prime.

In a vacuum, Reynolds appears to be a perfect fit for Boston. The question, of course, is how much a trade will cost. This is where the idea of trading for the 27-year-old becomes a bit less desirable.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, a bargain trade package won't get a deal done:

"One rival official, in what surely was an exaggeration, said the Pirates want a '[Juan] Soto-type package' for Reynolds. Another said Reynolds is 'super expensive.' A third described him as 'unlikely to move.'"

Soto, for the record, was dealt along with Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals to the Padres in exchange for C. J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell, James Wood, Jarlin Susana and Luke Voit.

While the Soto trade is an extreme comparison, the message is clear. Pittsburgh won't move Reynolds for a couple of draft picks and/or low-end prospects. The good news is that Boston has a farm system loaded with high-end talent.

Players like Ceddanne Rafaela, Nick Yorke and Bryan Mata could entice Pittsburgh—especially if Boston is willing to include a blue-chip prospect like Miguel Bleis or Marcelo Mayer.

The Red Sox would have to weigh the long-term potential of said prospects against their desire to turn things around this season. Ultimately, they might decide that Reynolds simply isn't worth what it would take to force Pittsburgh's hand.

However, Boston should at least inquire about Reynolds and come at the Pirates with serious intentions. The 2016 second-rounder has emerged as a bona fide rising star, and he checks just about every box Boston could hope to address in this offseason's trade market.

The Boston Red Sox lost their face of the franchise when shortstop Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres last week. Rather than look to replace him with a free agent, the team might explore another avenue to improve its roster.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told The Athletic's Chad Jennings that the team is "very, very actively exploring" the trade market in the wake of Bogaerts' departure.

The Red Sox addressed some areas of need by signing closer Kenley Jansen and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida. However, the team still has multiple holes to fill on its roster and Boston's front office has not spent big in free agency in recent years. Bloom acknowledged that the logical route for the franchise is to pursue trades.

"I actually think the trade market could be a really good route to adding impact to our club," Bloom said. "We are looking [into] a lot of significant moves there as long as we can do it in a way that isn't just robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's actually moving us forward in 2023 and giving us a chance to make a significant step forward from where we sit today."

Per Jennings, the Red Sox "still have a glaring need for a right-handed hitter and an ongoing desire to add a starting pitcher." The team has a deep farm system that Bloom said he hopes to keep intact for the future, but he added he's willing to give up some players for the right price.

"As I've said all along since getting here, we value being a consistent contender, and so guys that are in the pipeline are going to be a part of that in the years ahead, but what happens now matters," Bloom said. "And for the right impact, absolutely we would be willing to, and really look to, use that stockpile of prospects."

Jennings named Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong and Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario as potential trade targets for Boston.

If the team looks internally to replace Bogaerts, it could move Trevor Story from second base back to shortstop, which was his original position during his six seasons with the Colorado Rockies.

"We're fortunate that we have multiple guys on this team that are really capable shortstops," Bloom said. "And that gives us a really good place to start from as we continue to work through the offseason and put the best club together that we can."

The Boston Red Sox saw star shortstop Xander Bogaerts sign an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres in free agency this week, and they'll now shift their focus to Rafael Devers, who will become a free agent in 2024.

Boston never made Bogaerts a competitive offer, and, as it stands, Devers could be on his way out next winter if the Red Sox don't open their wallets and pay the star third baseman what he wants.

However, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said this week that the Red Sox are committed to building around homegrown talent—despite the departures of Bogaerts and Mookie Betts—and hope to sign Devers to a long-term deal.

Bloom said, via Chris Cotillo of MassLive:

"I've said it, and I know we haven't demonstrated this to the degree that we've hoped to, but we believe in building around homegrown talent. You want to do it in the right way. It's certainly something we want to do as often as we can. Raffy, for sure, is somebody we want to build around. I don't know that this situation (Bogaerts leaving) really changes that one way or the other.

"Obviously, the timing on him is a little different because he's not a free agent for another year. But he has been somebody that we love and want right at the center of everything we hope to accomplish, obviously in 2023 but more importantly, in the years beyond, because those are the years he's not under our control. We're hoping to change that."

The Red Sox have yet to make Devers a worthwhile offer. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported in November that Boston had offered the slugger about $220 million, which is around $80 million less than what he's asking for (h/t Beyond the Monster).

Additionally, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Dec. 8 that Devers and the Red Sox "remain far apart on extension talks."

Devers, who made his debut in 2017, has emerged as one of the best third basemen in baseball, earning two All-Star Game selections and a Silver Slugger award over the last two seasons.

The 26-year-old was one of Boston's best hitters in 2022 despite the Red Sox finishing last in the AL East. He slashed .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs and 88 RBI in 141 games.

Seeing Devers leave Boston in after next season would likely be a breaking point for many Red Sox fans as the team has seen the likes of Bogaerts, Betts and Andrew Benintendi, among others, depart since winning the 2018 World Series.

Locking him up to a long-term deal must be a priority for Bloom and Co. moving forward.

The Boston Red Sox raised some eyebrows on Wednesday when they signed outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contract, and many are still confused by the deal.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel spoke to "10 sources" who all "thought the Red Sox overpaid by a hefty margin." One executive went as far as to say, "We thought he was worth less than half of what they paid."

Yoshida played seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes, the reigning Japan Series champions. This past season, he hit .335/.447/.561 with 21 home runs, 80 walks and 41 strikeouts in 508 plate appearances. In his career, he's hit .326/.419/.538 with just 307 strikeouts in 3,251 plate appearances.

However, there are many around the league that believe Yoshida is simply not worth the price Boston paid, which included a $15.4 million posting fee to the Buffaloes. He will turn 30 in July and projects to be limited defensively. McDaniel stated that he played 79 games as a designated hitter against just 40 games in the outfield.

While there are question marks about his ability to be an every day outfielder, Yoshida's impressive hitting ability could make up for any defensive woes.

McDaniel stated: "Everyone I spoke with likes his swing and thinks he has average raw power, which if tapped into would translate to the 18-20 homer area that he has already demonstrated. A rival exec with a rosier projection put it this way: 'Our evals think he can really hit ... a little rich but not totally out of bounds if you're REALLY buying into the bat.'"

The Red Sox are known for their tight spending habits, so the fact that they broke the bank for Yoshida is telling of their belief in him. Only time will tell if Boston's gamble pays off.

The Boston Red Sox have a huge hole to fill after losing star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres. Fortunately, the team can pivot by pursuing one of the best free agents remaining on the market.

Carlos Correa, who spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins after playing the first seven years of his major-league career with the Houston Astros, would be a more-than-suitable replacement for Bogaerts in Boston's infield. He also has a strong relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was Houston's bench coach during its World Series championship run in 2017.

The only way I’m okay with letting Xander Bogaerts walk in free agency if I’m the Red Sox is if I give Rafael Devers a blank check to sign and bring in Carlos Correa.

Make it happen. pic.twitter.com/rfm729PQsN

— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) December 8, 2022

You have to think the Red Sox will pivot to Carlos Correa, who is extremely close with Alex Cora. https://t.co/Cz5cXCWW2x

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 8, 2022

As one of the more popular names in this year's free-agent class, Correa won't have a shortage of suitors. The Red Sox will face a ton of competition for the 28-year-old, and the team's recent spending habits indicate it's not looking to break the bank.

Bogaerts left for San Diego for a reported $280 million deal over 11 years. The four-time All-Star was considered the face of the franchise, but Boston deemed him too expensive and let him walk. Correa, who is younger and a better defender than Bogaerts, will likely command a similar price or higher.

If the Red Sox are looking for a cheaper option, they could turn to Atlanta Braves free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. The 28-year-old is coming off a career year in which he earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and first Gold Glove Award. Boston could look to offer him a short-term deal with a high average annual value in order to address other holes on its roster.

After shoring up their bullpen by signing closer Kenley Jansen on Wednesday, the Red Sox still need to add a reliable starting pitcher to its rotation. The team could look to bring back veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who is a free agent after spending the last four-plus years in Boston, but there are more attractive options on the open market.

Carlos Rodón is the best pitcher available and can be the ace of Boston's staff, but the question remains as to how much the team is willing to spend. Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt are both dependable starters and would be strong additions to any rotation. Veterans like Corey Kluber and Noah Syndergaard would be cheaper, but riskier, players to target.

The Red Sox have finished last in the AL East twice in the last three years, so this offseason will be crucial to bucking that trend. Boston's front office would be wise to loosen the reins on spending in order to land a big-name player this year. If it doesn't, it runs the risk of further disappointing an already restless fan base.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly were not willing to give shortstop Xander Bogaerts anywhere near the contract that the San Diego Padres were this offseason.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the National League West team agreed to an 11-year, $280 million deal with Bogaerts on Wednesday night.

According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox remained "really far" from that total and did not even reach the $200 million mark when it came to their offer.

This is another blow for Red Sox fans who watched their team trade Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2020 campaign. ESPN's Buster Olney suggested the loss of both Betts and Bogaerts means the team will likely have to overpay for Rafael Devers to avoid losing a third franchise cornerstone.

Devers is under contract through the 2023 season.

Boston's loss is San Diego's gain, as Bogaerts was one of the main free-agency prizes this offseason after slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI last season. He can impact the game in a number of ways, including with his glove considering he posted a total of five defensive runs saved above average as well, per FanGraphs.

He played for the Red Sox from 2013 through 2022 and was a five-time Silver Slugger and four-time All-Star selection.

The team won the World Series in his rookie season and again in 2018, meaning he will be pursuing a third championship during his first season in the National League.

And that will be the expectation for a Padres squad that reached the National League Championship Series a season ago and has star power that includes Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr. in the middle of one of the best lineups in all of baseball.

Battling the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West will not be easy for San Diego, but it also won't be easy for Red Sox fans to watch Bogaerts and Betts competing for a potential World Series run on other teams after they lost yet another star Wednesday.

The San Diego Padres have landed one of the best shortstops in Major League Baseball after agreeing to a deal with Xander Bogaerts.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the Padres, adding another superstar to their already loaded infield in the process.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on an 11-year, $280 million contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. A monster contract and the Padres, after missing Trea Turner and Aaron Judge, get the longtime Red Sox shortstop.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 8, 2022

The Red Sox added to their crowded middle infield last offseason by signing Trevor Story to a six-year contract. He shifted to second base because of Bogaerts, but this move allows to back to shortstop.

Story has been a disappointment so far in Boston. The two-time All-Star posted a career-low .737 OPS in an injury-plagued 2022 campaign that was limited to 94 games.

Bogaerts has been terrific at the plate over the previous five seasons for Boston. He posted a career-high .883 OPS in 2018 only to exceed that mark with a .939 OPS the following year. He also recorded new career bests in home runs (33) and doubles (52) in 2019.

The 2020 season wasn't quite up to those standards, but he hit .300/.364/.502 with 11 homers in 56 games. He was one of the few bright spots for a Red Sox team that finished last in the AL East with a 24-36 record.

Things went much better for Boston in 2021, finishing with a 92-70 record. Bogaerts was one of the key anchors for the offense with an .863 OPS and 23 homers in 144 games. He hit .307/.377/.456 with 15 homers in 150 games during the 2022 campaign.

The Red Sox signed him to a six-year, $120 million contract extension in April 2019 that included an opt out after 2022.

Bogaerts' struggles in the field—his minus-26 defensive runs saved from 2018-22 ranks last out of 19 qualified shortstops, according to FanGraphs—do open up the strong possibility that he might have to move off the position soon.

Bogaerts joins an infield that is as star-filled as any in baseball; third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. remain elite hitters and fielders, although there are plenty of question marks about how Tatis will fare after an injury-plagued 2022 campaign and after his 80-game suspension for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy. On top of that, shortstop Ha-Seong Kim emerged as one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, creating a potential logjam on the left side of the infield.

However, with another big name joining the fold, it's hard to think the Padres won't figure things out heading into the season and will enter 2023 as early favorites to make a deep playoff run.

The Boston Red Sox and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida agreed to a five-year deal worth $90 million on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Per that report, the deal will include a posting fee of $15.4 million to Yoshida's former club, NPB's Orix Buffaloes.

Yoshida, 29, hit .336 with 21 homers, 89 RBI, 57 runs and a 1.007 OPS in 121 games last season. Across seven seasons with Orix he's slashed .327/.421/.539 and won a Japan Series championship this past year.

He struck out just 42 times across 515 plate appearances last season.

"He has a talent to hit," Team Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama told MLB Network's Jon Morosi. "... He could hit for distance. He can hit for contact. He can adjust. He has a smaller build but the ability and talent to do anything."

Wednesday has been a big day for the Red Sox, with the team also signing closer Kenley Jansen to a two-year, $32 million contract. He led the National League with 41 saves for the Atlanta Braves last season, the eighth time in his career he's posted 30 or more saves.

And there were reports that the Red Sox were advancing in negotiations to bring back star free agent Xander Bogaerts:

Red Sox are in heavy discussions with star shortstop Xander Bogaerts

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 7, 2022

One Red Sox person, asked by someone today whether the Sox would re-sign Bogaerts, answered without hesitation: “Yes.”

— Sean McAdam (@Sean_McAdam) December 7, 2022

Momentum between the Red Sox and Xander Bogaerts according to a source.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 7, 2022

But Yoshida will be a major addition, bolstering an outfield that saw its fair share of turnover last year, outside of left fielder Alex Verdugo. Kiké Hernández battled injury, Jackie Bradley Jr. was released in August and young prospect Jarren Duran continued to struggle at the MLB level.

Yoshida should lock down one of the corner-outfield positions and potentially the leadoff spot in the Boston order, too.

"He's someone that we really like and spent a lot of time on," Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters before Yoshida's signing went public. "Really, really good hitter, quality at-bat. Great talent."

Should he hit the open market after the 2023 season, Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani will be on the radar for just about every team that can afford to sign him, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"I don't want to say he's going to the Dodgers next year because every team...listen, the Yankees are gonna be on him," Passan said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show. "Steve Cohen, the Mets owner, the Mets are gonna be in on him. The Cubs are gonna be in on him. The Pirates are not gonna be in. ... Yeah, Red Sox will be on him."

Ohtani is a truly generational two-way talent who followed up his 2021 Most Valuable Player season by being nearly just as good in 2022.

The 28-year-old had 34 home runs, 95 RBI and a .273/.356/.519 slash line at the plate. On the mound, he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings. He was runner-up to Aaron Judge in the MVP voting and placed fourth on the Cy Young ballot.

If he reaches free agency, then every single team in MLB should at least make overtures his way. Of course, his price tag will limit that pool substantially because The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported in June he might eclipse Max Scherzer's record-setting $43.3 million average salary.

There's still the chance Ohtani doesn't reach free agency.

General manager Perry Minasian told reporters in November the Angels have every intention of keeping him on the roster by Opening Day, and this is the same franchise that signed Mike Trout to the biggest contract in MLB history (12 years, $426.5 million).

Team owner Arte Moreno's exploration of a sale presents an obvious variable. But if he does truly intend to sell the Angels within the next few years, then he won't be the one paying Ohtani for a majority of the deal. And you'd think having Ohtani on the roster is something a new owner would prefer rather than trading him or letting him walk as a free agent.

In the event Ohtani plays out his final year with the Angels and doesn't agree to an extension, it could set off a bidding war for the ages next winter.