By Brian MacPherson and Tim Britton Journal Sports Writers
The Red Sox have officially replaced David Ortiz.
On Thursday, the team announced its one-year deal with first baseman Mitch Moreland, formerly of the Rangers. The acquisition of Moreland means that, more often than not, Hanley Ramirez will be Boston’s designated hitter in 2017.
Manager John Farrell said on a conference call Thursday that Moreland would play first against right-handed starters with Ramirez serving as the DH. Against lefties, the Red Sox could “rotate some guys through the DH slot,” though outfielder Chris Young may make the most consistent sense in that role. Farrell left open the possibility that Moreland, who actually performed better against southpaws than righties last season, could earn more at-bats against lefties as the season progressed.
Ramirez appeared to be the logical long-term successor for Ortiz, ever since the Red Sox signed him in November 2014. His competence at first base this past season — as well as the way Farrell and other Boston coaches credited his “engagement” in the game with his bounceback season — suggested the Sox would go more outside the box to replace Ortiz’s production.
Instead, they’ve chosen to beef up their defense with last year’s American League Gold Glove winner at first base in Moreland and hope that Ramirez’s small-sample production as a DH — in 36 games there, he’s hit .331 with 10 home runs — is no fluke.
Moreland was a top target of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski this offseason — and has actually been on Dombrowski’s radar since his Detroit days.
“It’s a long time period of knowing what a gamer he is, how good a player he is,” Dombrowski said. “He’s a good hitter. We love his makeup. We like all those things.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Boston, the fans, the background, history of the team. Playing against them is just a fun atmosphere to be in,” said the 31-year-old Moreland. “It really just reinforces the love of the game when you’re out there on the field. That’s one thing that helps you a little bit more and brings the kid out in you when you get to do it at a place like this. That’s what makes it fun. This place is one of the best at it.”
Moreland is right to like Fenway. In 14 games there, he’s 14-for-41 with four home runs.
“Comfortable is the only word I’ve got for it. I feel good in the box, like I don’t have to do too much,” Moreland said. “I feel like going the other way and staying up the middle is one of my strengths when I’m going well, and you know you’ve got a little help out there.”
Rutledge back with Sox
Nearly a decade had passed since the Red Sox had made a Rule 5 draft pick with the intention of keeping the player on their roster. Too many obstacles prevented a contending team with a top-end payroll from saving a roster spot for a lottery-ticket player who couldn’t be stashed in Triple-A.
In Josh Rutledge, however, the Red Sox found a Rule 5-eligible player with a clear path to a defined role on Boston’s major-league roster. The Red Sox selected Rutledge with their lone pick in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft, a draft in which teams could select eligible players from other organizations not protected on a 40-man roster.
Boston originally acquired Rutledge in exchange for Shane Victorino just before the 2015 trade deadline. He hit.276 with a .338 on-base percentage and a .358 slugging percentage in 67 games over two seasons, seeing time mostly at second base and third base. He underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee in August, and the Red Sox outrighted him off their 40-man roster in November. Rutledge signed a minor-league contract with Colorado just weeks ago, but that left him off the Rockies’ 40-man roster.
“We did try to re-sign him,” Dombrowski said. “He just thought his opportunity to play at the big-league level at this point would be more [elsewhere].”
Barring injury, Rutledge won’t play regularly in Boston, but he has the inside track on a major-league roster spot. Before Thursday, the Boston bench projected to be catcher Christian Vazquez, infielder Brock Holt and Young along with, perhaps infielder Marco Hernandez the fourth bench bat. But Hernandez and Holt offer some redundancy, both being lefthanded hitters, especially with third baseman Pablo Sandoval a better hitter from the left side.
Relievers demanding big bucks
A pair of teams that came up short of the playoffs last season have spent nearly $150 million combined to sign two of the three best relievers on the free-agent market in Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon. Whatever contract Kenley Jansen signs almost certainly will push that figure north of $200 million.
Viewed for years as too unreliable to merit significant investment, relief pitchers are finally getting paid.
“They’ve always been valuable, but, for some reason, that’s been a market that has never jumped up,” Dombrowski said. “All of a sudden, it’s jumping up.”
But Dombrowski was tasked with keeping the Red Sox under the $195-million luxury-tax threshold if possible. He instead turned to the trade market to acquire his relief pitcher — ex-Milwaukee closer Tyler Thornburg. Dombrowski added Thornburg to a group that already includes Craig Kimbrel and the hard-throwing Joe Kelly and could get Carson Smith back by midseason.