Red Sox Reportedly Agree To Deal With Mitch Moreland
Channel: nawal hamoch
Date: 2016-12-07

Report: Red Sox sign Mitch Moreland to a one-year contract

BOSTON (CBS) — After filling a need in their bullpen on Tuesday morning, and adding a major piece later in the day in starter Chris Sale, it appears the Red Sox have now added another bat to their lineup.

With Travis Shaw part of the package Boston sent to Milwaukee for reliever Tyler Thornburg, the Red Sox reportedly added first baseman Mitch Moreland to the mix.

Earlier in the day, Jeff Wilson of The Star Telegram reported that the Red Sox and Moreland were on the cusp of a deal.

Tuesday night, Ken Rosenthal reported that a deal had been reached.
The Cleveland Indians had also shown interest in Moreland this offseason, according to Wilson.

The 31-year-old Moreland fits the mold of the “lefty bat who can play first base” that Dave Dombrowski was reportedly seeking. A seven-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Texas Rangers, Moreland has hit .254 to go with a .315 OBP and .753 OPS, averaging about 15 homers per season.

He had his best year at the plate in 2015 when he posted career-highs with a .278 average with 23 home runs and 85 RBIs. His offensive production took a bit of a dip in 2016, hitting just .233, but he played stellar defense at first and won his first career Gold Glove award.

Moreland will likely split time with Hanley Ramirez at first, with Ramirez also likely seeing time at the now-vacant DH position.

The Red Sox continue to move on Tuesday. After acquiring Tyler Thornburg and Chris Sale earlier, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Red Sox have now agreed to a one-year deal with 1B/DH Mitch Moreland. The value of the deal is not yet known.

Moreland, 31, had a career year in 2015 but his numbers slipped quite a bit this past season. He finished with a .233/.298/.422 triple-slash line with 22 home runs and 60 RBI in 503 plate appearances.

The Red Sox haven’t confirmed, but it would make sense if Moreland took over at first base and Hanley Ramirez moved to DH.
Report: Orioles made offer to Mark Trumbo, but it’s now off the table

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Orioles made a four-year contract offer to slugger Mark Trumbo several weeks ago, but it’s now off the table. As a result, Heyman notes that the Orioles have called on Chris Carter, who was recently non-tendered by the Brewers.

Trumbo, 30, is coming off of a terrific offensive season. He led the majors with 47 home runs while knocking in 108 runs and hitting .256/.316/.533. The O’s, however, may balk at Trumbo’s asking price considering he was still only worth 1.6 Wins Above Replacement in 2016, according to Baseball Reference. That’s because his power is really his only above-average attribute and he cuts into his value by playing abysmal defense.

Carter, soon 30 years old himself, is similar to Trumbo in a lot of ways. He hit .222/.321/.499 with 41 home runs and 94 RBI in 644 plate appearances this past season. The O’s may feel they can come close to replacing Trumbo’s bat at a much cheaper price with Carter.

Diamondbacks name Dan Haren as pitching strategist
The Diamondbacks announced on Tuesday afternoon that former major leaguer Dan Haren has been named the organization’s new pitching strategist. The role will include working with the front office, the major league coaching staff, and the analytics department.

Haren, 36, ended his 13-year playing career after the 2015 season. He finished with a 153-131 record and a 3.75 ERA across 2,419 2/3 innings.

Since retiring, Haren has been one of the more enjoyable players to follow on Twitter. He promised to teach his disciples how to tweet as part of his new responsibilities.