Adam Ottavino and the Crimson Sox have agreed to a minor league contract, as first reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Submit. Unsurprisingly, the deal comes with an invite to large league spring coaching. Certainly, in accordance with Nick O’Malley and Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the veteran reliever has already reported to camp. He’ll earn a $2MM wage in 2025 if he makes the MLB roster. Conversely, if Ottavino fails to make the 40-man roster out of camp, he could have the liberty to choose out of his contract and return to free company (per O’Malley and Cotillo). That is Ottavino’s second stint within the Crimson Sox group.
Ottavino, 39, made his MLB debut as a starter for the Cardinals in 2010. Nevertheless, the Rockies transformed him to a aid function after claiming him on waivers in 2012, and the right-hander has been probably the most prolific relievers within the recreation ever since. Over the previous 13 seasons with the Rockies (2012-18), Yankees (2019-20), Crimson Sox (2021), and Mets (2022-24), Ottavino has pitched 720 2/3 innings with a 3.33 ERA. In that point, he ranks fifth amongst all relievers in appearances and third in innings pitched. He has remained sturdy into his late thirties, making not less than 60 appearances in every of the previous 4 years. Much more spectacular, he has not been on the injured record since 2018.
With all that in thoughts, it’s straightforward to see why an MLB staff would nonetheless be keen on Ottavino, regardless of his superior age. His 4.34 ERA this previous season wasn’t significantly spectacular, however he is just one 12 months faraway from a 3.21 ERA season in 2023 and solely two years faraway from producing an unbelievable 2.06 ERA in 2022. Furthermore, his underlying numbers in 2024 counsel he can nonetheless be a back-end bullpen weapon. He pitched to a 3.19 xERA and three.27 SIERA because of a deep arsenal of pitches that helped him thrive as each a strikeout arm and a weak contact artist; his strikeout fee and hard-hit fee each ranked above the eightieth percentile, in accordance with Baseball Savant.
On the flip aspect, it’s price declaring that Ottavino struggled together with his management down the stretch final season. Whereas his 3.86 ERA in August and September was truly decrease than his 4.54 ERA over the primary 4 months of the season, his stroll fee shot up from 7.6% to 13.5% over the ultimate two months of the 12 months. Even worse, his strikeout fee dropped from 29.8% from April to July to 25.7% in August and September. That might clarify why the Mets didn’t use him in any respect within the NL Wild Card Sequence or the NLDS, and why they left him off of their NLCS roster totally. It may also clarify why the veteran was compelled to signal a non-guaranteed contract this winter.
Nonetheless, with a robust spring, Ottavino has a great probability to earn a job in Boston’s bullpen. Apart from free agent signing Aroldis Chapman and 2024 breakout arm Justin Slaten, the Crimson Sox have loads of uncertainty of their arm barn. Liam Hendriks and Garrett Whitlock are coming off of main accidents, whereas buy-low free agent signing Justin Wilson has not been an efficient bullpen arm for a number of years (5.34 ERA from 2021-24). In the meantime, names like Greg Weissert, Josh Winckowski, Brennan Bernardino, and Luis Guerrero are hardly locks to make the Opening Day roster. After signing Wilson and Chapman, Crimson Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow instructed reporters that upgrading the bullpen remained a precedence. If Ottavino continues to pitch the best way he has for many of his profession, he ought to definitely qualify as an improve for Boston’s ’pen.
