“We’re continuing to try to push his ceiling as high as we possibly can, which is as a starter. Now he’s on the injured list recovering from. “When you’re on the 40-man, you’re not just developing as a prospect you’re also direct support for the major league team,” said Haviland. Chang started 11 of the 13 games the Red Sox played from April 12-24 and drove in eight runs while playing above-average defense at shortstop. The Sox, meanwhile, face a developmental dilemma. Scouts with other teams are split, some suggesting that it’s imperative to exhaust starting as an option with such a pitcher - maybe with some delivery tweaks - and others seeing him as a future bullpen lock. But can he execute those pitches well enough to remain in that role? ![]() ![]() Still, the Sox remain mindful of a tantalizing talent whose sinker can generate high ground-ball rates, while using that to anchor a mix that includes a slider, cutter, curveball, changeup, and four-seamer. Having to balance that with his development and seeing where we can get the most impact is something we have to talk about.” “We see him as a starter, but there’s a roster piece and a time piece. “Anytime something like this happens, you have to look at how the player is best positioned to have long-term success,” said Abraham. While he continues to show good velocity - regularly topping out at 98-99 - and his sinker-heavy arsenal has minimized damage (just one homer), he hasn’t gotten the kind of swing-and-miss numbers expected from a pitcher who throws as hard as he does, and he has more walks (27) than strikeouts (26). The 27-year-old shortstop is right in the. That would be Xander Bogaerts, of course. Mata entered the year needing to make a qualitative jump in control to stick as a starter, but instead has a strike rate below 60 percent in all but one of his starts. Coincidentally, the Red Sox’s next great shortstop won a World Series in his first season in Boston. In seven starts at Triple A, he has a 5.61 ERA with the highest walk rate (20.6 percent) by a minor league pitcher with at least 25 innings. Yet that promise hasn’t carried over to the season. 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. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports the two sides have agreed on an 11-year, 280 million contract. ![]() He likewise impressed this year in spring training, both with his stuff and his purpose. The Boston Red Sox reportedly have lost their homegrown shortstop in free agency to the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals rotation (5.40 ERA, 7 quality starts in 38 games. A year ago, the Sox were encouraged by his midseason return from Tommy John surgery he’d undergone in early 2021. Both 6-8 to begin the year, the Red Sox have won 16 of 24 as the Cardinals have lost 17 of 24. Still, even a temporary interruption is significant against the backdrop of a ticking clock on Mata’s career. Going Deep: Dan Shaughnessy on future of Boston sports
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