Tomase: Potential Red Sox targets after MLB non-tender deadline
Wednesday's non-tender deadline had been painted in apocalyptic terms, but the bloodletting never reached Red Wedding levels. While 59 players under team control were not offered contracts, that was only a slight bump from last year's 53.Kris Bryant stayed put. Gary Sanchez stayed put. Tommy Pham stayed put. A slew of players, including Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, agreed to one-year deals.That doesn't mean the market is bereft of intriguing names, however. The Cubs cut ties with former No. 4 overall pick Kyle Schwarber, who could draw interest as a DH just one year after slamming a career-high 38 homers.Schwarber is unlikely to interest the Red Sox, however, since he mans a position already filled by J.D. Martinez. There are a handful of other names who could appear on Boston's radar, however, so let's break them down.
The Reds acquired Bradley from Arizona at the trade deadline and he delivered during Cincinnati's playoff push, allowing just one run in six appearances. The No. 7 pick in the 2011 draft, he was considered a potential top-of-the-rotation starter before shifting full-time to the bullpen in 2017 and earning MVP votes on the strength of a 1.73 ERA in 63 games. A closer with the Diamondbacks, he's sure to draw considerable interest.
Here's where the screwy 2020 season did some damage. In 2019, Robles posted a 2.48 ERA and saved 23 games, riding a 97 mph fastball to late-game success. In 2020, however, the burly right-hander went 0-2 with an ERA over 10.00 while his fastball dipped to 95 mph. The Angels let him go rather than pay him roughly $5 million in arbitration.
The Robles of 2018-19 would be worth that money, especially with closing experience. The pitcher who struggled last year is a different story, but he'll nonetheless attract the attention of organizations that believe they can get him back on track.
There's certainly ammo if you believe Dahl to be a creation of Coors Field. He has posted a lifetime average of .318 and OPS of .918 at altitude, vs. .248 and .722 on the road. The former numbers helped make him an All-Star in 2019. The latter may help explain why the Rockies couldn't find a willing trade partner for the left-handed hitter before setting him free.
Also hurting Dahl is the fact that he's rehabbing from shoulder surgery and has never played more than 100 games in a season. He's still 26, though, and can play all three outfield spots.
Last year's Red Sox outfield of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Alex Verdugo is entirely left-handed. The slugging Duvall could provide some balance from the right side after slamming 16 home runs in only 57 games with the Braves. Three of those blasts came in one game at Fenway Park.
Duvall has a history of perseverance. An All-Star in 2016 with the Reds, he spent most of 2019 in the minors before joining the Braves and hitting 10 homers in 41 games. With 26 home runs in his last 339 plate appearances, he's got the kind of power that will land him a job somewhere.
The 29-year-old is familiar to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who selected him for Team Puerto Rico at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Red Sox fans might remember him from the perfect throw he made to nail Rafael Devers at the plate to end a 2-1 Minnesota win in September of 2019.
If he played in a bigger market, Rosario likely would've been retained. He received MVP votes in each of the last two seasons, and is only one year removed from setting career-highs in home runs (32) and RBIs (109).
Mazara has been the definition of average over the first five years of his career, hitting exactly 20 homers in each of his first three seasons with Texas before slipping to 19 in season four. He's yet another left-handed hitting outfielder, which doesn't necessarily fit in Boston, but he's only 25 and a candidate in the next two years to make the age-27 leap that has transformed any number of pretty good players into All-Stars.
The third pick in the 2014 draft, Rodon reached the big leagues less than a year later, going 9-6 with a 3.75 ERA and allowing the White Sox to daydream about a future rotation fronted by ace Chris Sale and Rodon. Alas, the left-hander never managed to hold up his end of the bargain before undergoing Tommy John in 2019. He returned last year to post an 8.22 ERA in four appearances, but he's still only 27 and could entice someone as a reclamation project.
Middleton looked like a find for the Angels in 2017 when he went 6-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his debut. A year later he underwent Tommy John, however, returning at the end of the 2019 season. He posted a 5.25 ERA in 13 games this season, but his velocity rebounded to pre-surgery levels, with his fastball averaging 97 mph alongside a 90 mph changeup. Power arms will always have a home in big league bullpens, and Middleton definitely qualifies.
