MLB Trade Rumors: Boston Red Sox Need Justin Masterson

Photo Credit: Boston Herald

It is no secret that the Boston Red Sox are a team in transition.

After posting their worst season in 47 years with a record of 69-93 and finishing last in the American League East for the first time since 1992, when they finished in 7th place, a change is imminent.

Thanks in large part is due to the Los Angeles Dodgers for alleviating a swelled payroll of bad contracts.

From the blockbuster mid-season trade, the Red Sox now have considerable capital to spend should they choose to do so.

Obviously the hope is that they spend wisely.

The biggest issue facing the free agent market for the Red Sox is the scarcity of players available to fit the team needs accordingly.

The team is in need of a starting pitcher, first baseman and corner outfielders. There is also uncertainty at the shortstop position once again. (Shocking, I know.)

For the first time since making the trade for Adrian Gonzalez back in the winter of 2010, the Red Sox have considerable depth in their farm system. They should use some of that depth to bring Justin Masterson back to Boston from the Cleveland Indians.

In 67 games for the Red Sox, Masterson posted a 9-8 record with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.279 WHIP. A majority of his appearances came out of the bullpen as he made only 15 starts while throwing for 160.1 innings.

For the Cleveland Indians, Masterson has been utilized as a starter and has transitioned well into the full-time role. In 106 starts he owns a career 30-45 record with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.420 WHIP in 659.2 innings pitched.

More important than his numbers in Cleveland is the fact that Masterson would be reunited with John Farrell, who was his pitching coach in Boston.

In his career pitching at Fenway Park, Masterson owns a  10-3 record in 39 games with 11 starts. He owns a 3.90 ERA with a 1.258 WHIP in 99.1 innings pitched and a nice 7.8 K/9 ratio.

Against American League East Opponents he is 13-14 with a 4.51 ERA in 47 career games, 27 starts and 190 innings pitched with posting a 1.434 WHIP and a 6.9 K/9 ratio.

However, looking at the aforementioned figures, the Tampa Bay Rays are the only team in the AL that has had his number. He is just 1-7 against the Rays with a 7.74 ERA and a 1.968 WHIP in 13 games and nine starts.

If we were to look at just his figures against the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, Masterson is 12-7 with a 3.43 ERA and 1.255 WHIP.

Masterson is under team control until the 2015 season. Adding another proven, quality arm to the rotation at a low cost is exactly the type of move the Red Sox need to do right now.

David Ortiz May DH Somewhere Not Named Boston

David Ortiz has been offered salary arbitration by the Boston Red Sox and he has yet to accept it.

Ortiz has until the December 7th deadline to accept the Sox offer and accept essentially a one-year deal to remain in Boston as the DH. He would likely be making roughly $14million next year, but the deal is not a guaranteed contract.

This could be cause for concern to Ortiz and his agent.

At the start of the 2009 season Ortiz was awful in the months of April and May. He did not hit his first home run of the season until May 20th against Toronto, at which point he was only batting .210 with a .319 OBP. He finished the season only batting .238 but did manage 28 home runs and 99 RBI's with an OPS of .794 (his lowest ever as a full time player.)

2010 started no different than 2009. While he managed to homer much earlier in this season (April 23rd to be exact) his bat was still a major concern. His batting average at the end of April was a dreadful .143 with an OPS of .524. Once again, he did rebound to have a fine statistical season, but in an arbitration year, he may not get a full season to turn things around.

Both years he was under contract, therefore his money was guaranteed. In an arbitration year, slow starts like in 2009 or 2010 could mean that the Red Sox would entertain the idea of cutting ties with Ortiz and have no obligation to pay him the salary.

Ortiz appears hesitant to sign the arbitration offer because he is currently seeking a 3-year deal. I doubt he is going to find that offer in Boston.

There are a few teams that come to mind that may want to utilize Ortiz's service for the next three seasons, but you have to look at the field of suitors and potential landing spots objectively. First of all, every NL team is out of the running.

David Ortiz won't be playing first base any time soon.

His talent is hitting, and only hitting, so wipe 15 teams out of contention. Now comes the issue of money; who can afford David Ortiz? The A's, the Indians, the Twins and Rays all can be counted out of the running, unless he opted for a pay cut. That narrows the field down to 11 possible suitors.

What teams are in need of a DH? You can count out the Yankees, as they have Alex Rodriguez pretty much primed to be the DH, if Jeter doesn't get the job first. The White Sox locked up Adam Dunn to fulfill that role for them. Boston has made it clear they have no interest in bringing him back for 3 seasons. So where is the need?

There are three teams that I believe could be serious suitors for Ortiz.

First, the Toronto Blue Jays have been rumored to have interest in Prince Fielder. I'm not so certain they can afford Fielder, but they are looking to add some offensive protection in the lineup behind Jose Bautista. Ortiz is historically known to be a clubhouse guy and would bring a nice veteran presence to the young Blue Jay squad. He would literally double the production the Jays are getting from their current DH, Edwin Encarnacion as well.

Encarnacion is a career .260 hitter with a .336 OBP, .453 SLG and .789 OPS. Over the past 3 seasons he has homered 13, 21, & 17 times respectively while driving in 39, 51 and 55 runs. For comparison sake, Ortiz is a career .283 hitter with a .378 OBP, .544 SLG and a .922 OPS. Over the past three seasons, he has homered 28, 32, and 29 times respectively while driving in 99, 102, and 96 runs.

Next up is the Baltimore Orioles, a team that I think is more likely to land Ortiz than many think. Having just signed Dan Duquette as their new general manager, I see the O's making a little noise. They are geared up with a young team with a stud catcher, a new/old logo back and in need of some star power to give the team a shot in the arm. Duquette is no stranger to making big signings or acquiring top tier talent (see Manny Ramierez, Pedro Martinez) and that brashness will pay off for him in Baltimore.

While the Orioles are realistically more than just one big signing away from being in the hunt for a World Series, it would be a step for them. This would be a spark to make them more competitive and help to even out the landscape in the harsh American League East.

Lastly, the Seattle Mariners could prove to be a dark horse in the David Ortiz courtship. Here is the deal with Seattle, they have excellent starting pitching, pretty good players on the roster, but they have no significant offensive threats on the team.

The Mariners are another team that has been rumored to have significant interest in Prince Fielder, and they have the cash to sign him. From what I have read on various websites, the Mariners want Prince to DH and not play first, opting to keep Justin Smoak there.

From what I've read, Prince wants to play first base, not DH.

This is why Ortiz would make perfect sense for the Mariners. They would get the slugger they are looking for at the position they are looking for, presumably for considerably less money than what they initially thought they would spend. Locking Ortiz up for those three years would allow the team to build up around him and develop some of their younger talent further, like Justin Smoak.

So Boston fans, don't be surprised to see another Red Sox favorite donning another teams laundry in 2012.