A depth signing was made by the Boston Red Sox four days before to the pitchers and catchers report date.
Former Yankees pitcher Lucas Luetge was signed by the Red Sox on February 10. Luetge made the announcement on his personal Twitter. Although the details of the agreement are unknown, MLB Trade Rumors surmises that the southpaw inked a minor-league contract that entitles him to spring training in Boston.
Throughout his career, Luetge has experienced many highs and lows. Before being outrighted in 2015, he pitched for the Mariners and Triple-A Tacoma from the time of his MLB debut in 2012 with Seattle. Throughout his four seasons with the Mariners, Luetge pitched 89 innings, recording a 4.35 ERA and 74 strikeouts.
Luetge was shut out by Seattle, and he didn’t play in the major leagues again until 2021. Earlier that year, the Yankees inked him to a minor-league contract, and the reliever performed so well in spring training that he was included on the Opening Day roster. During his two seasons with New York, Luetge pitched 72.1 innings with a 2.71 ERA.
The next offseason, the Yankees designated Luetge for assignment and signed Tommy Kahnle. After being traded, he pitched poorly for the Braves. After just 13.2 innings pitched and a 7.24 ERA, he was promptly designated for distribution.
The Red Sox sign former Yankee Lucas Luetge and have interest in Michael A. Taylor, Tommy Pham, Adam Duvall, and Randal Grichuk.
The Red Sox still need to fill out the outfield to complete their roster for the season in addition to providing depth to the bullpen. Four outfielders—Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham, Michael A. Taylor, and Randal Grichuk—are being watched by the front office.
For a few weeks now, Boston has been considering a reunion with Duvall (the Red Sox and Angels were reportedly in the running for the outfielder, according to MLB source Jon Heyman). But as the summer draws to a close, it appears like more teams are getting involved.
The Cubs, Giants, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Twins are all in the market for an outfielder, and any of these possibilities might be taken into consideration by the teams, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Given that Duvall was a member of the team the previous season and had a successful debut before suffering a wrist injury in April, he would be the best option given the lineup in Boston. In the end, he made 92 Sox appearances and batted.247/.303/.531.
Without a doubt, Taylor is the team’s top defender. In 2023, he achieved a 9 OAA, and according to Baseball Savant, his arm strength is within the 90th percentile. As a career player, Taylor’s bat is inconsistent.10 major league seasons as a 239/.294/.389 hitter.
Pham was a member of the Red Sox in the second half of 2022, but in 2023, he performed better at the plate while playing for the Mets and Diamondbacks. The right-hander improved from.236/.312/.374 in 2022 to.256/.328/.446 in the previous season. Though not as good as Taylor, he’s a respectable fielder. Pham had an OAA of -1 last season, and Baseball Savant places his arm strength in the 69th percentile.
In 2023, Grichuk performed for the Rockies and Angels. In contrast to the other Boston possibilities, he has a weaker defense with a -7 OAA from the previous season and arm strength that is in the 67th percentile. He had his third-best batting season in his ten-year career in 2023 with a.267/.321/.459 line.
Should Boston have a favored candidate among the outfield prospects it is examining, it ought to promptly sign one of them. Some clubs won’t have anything left if every team Rosenthal mentioned selects Pham, Duvall, Grichuk, and Taylor to bolster their outfields. Again, the Red Sox cannot afford to fall behind.
