Boston Red Sox Want to Get a Lot Out Of This Small Transaction With C.J. Cron
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive (X links), veteran slugger C.J. Cron accepted a minor-league contract in exchange for an invitation to Boston’s major-league camp.
Two seasons prior, in the first year of a two-year, $14.5 million contract, Cron led the Colorado Rockies with 29 home runs and 102 RBI. Back problems kept him on the injured list for a large portion of 2023. At the trade deadline on July 30, Cron was dealt back to the Los Angeles Angels, where he played in just 15 games and hit.200 with one home run.
His 2023 totals now stand at 32 RBI and 11 home runs. Those were the lowest totals of his career since he started with the Angels in 2013, with the exception of 2020, when he only played 13 games because of a knee sprain.
The 34-year-old Cron was selected in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft and has only ever played first base. It is planned for Triston Casas to start first. The 24-year-old is considered an emerging power source after hitting 24 home runs in the previous season. Given that Cron is a lefty hitter, platooning with Casas against lefty pitchers makes sense. In his brief career, Casas is hitting.214 against lefties and.263 against righties. Cron’s splits are superior to lefties, but they are also much more balanced.
Since 1912, the secret to signing any right-handed basher by Boston has remained the same. That’s when the left-field wall of Fenway Park started to beckon batters, especially righties, to swing for the fences.
Cron might also take turns being the designated hitter. Masataka Yoshida, a left-handed hitter, is currently projected as the DH. In 2023, he played in the first season of a four-year contract worth $18.6 million a year and hit.272 with 15 home runs.
Playing half of his games at Fenway in a part-time role could revitalise both Cron and the Red Sox, who are looking to bounce back from a tough American League East final standing of 78-84. Furthermore, even with Cron’s strong performance, if the Red Sox continue to struggle in the loaded division, he would be a
For the team, it’s a prudent, low-risk, and potentially pleasant reward scenario.
An Additional Tale
Trevor Story’s return is expected to give the Red Sox a boost. He signed a $140 million, six-year contract in 2022, but he hasn’t played for Boston as much as he has been on the injured list. Due to contusions in his left heel and right hand, he missed 68 games in 2022. He had surgery on his right elbow in January of last year, which kept him out of Boston’s first 112 games.
Story spent his first six MLB seasons in Colorado, averaging.272, 26 home runs, and 75 RBI. The same year Cron received $1,467,000 after being selected 25 spots earlier, the Rockies offered him $915,000 to sign as a first-round selection.
Is There Any Assistance Upcoming?
The farm is not entirely overgrown with weeds and desolate.
Quick Ceddanne Rafaela has an opportunity to secure a position in centre field. After signing for a pitiful $10,000 at the age of 17, he left Curacao in 2018 and went on to amass 41 home runs, 165 RBI, 64 stolen bases, and a.300 average in the previous two minor league seasons.
52 walks and 216 strikeouts were recorded by the free swinger. He fanned 28 times, with 4 walks, 2 home runs, 5 RBI, and 3 steals in a 28-game MLB trial last season. He also played a little second base and shortstop. In centre field, the Red Sox adore his defence. He needs to control his desire to hit every pitch he sees, even though he frequently fails.
Quick Additionally, David Hamilton fills all three roles. After totaling 112 stolen bases and 29 home runs in the previous two years in the minors with slightly better plate discipline, he hit just.121 in 15 games for Boston.
In the minor leagues in 2023, 24-year-old Corey Rosier hit.285 with 49 steals and a.351 on-base percentage. Wilver Abreu, another 24 year old outfielder, hit.274 with 22 home runs. He played in 28 MLB games, batting.312 with 14 RBI. One could be a reliable stealth and defence partner, while the other could be a strong bench bat.
And Still Further Ahead
Marcelo Mayer, a shortstop, is generally thought to be Boston’s best prospect. The 21-year-old was selected fourth overall in 2021 and received a franchise-record bonus of $6,664,000. Scouts believe that his left side offers 25 home run potential. In Double-A ball last season, he hit.330 before suffering a left shoulder injury, and he only hit.190 after he got back.
Scouts are also impressed by the athleticism of 2022 second-round pick Roman Anthony, an outfielder, and 2023 first-round selection Kyle Teel, a catcher who hit.407 with 13 home runs at Virginia as a junior before receiving $4 million from the Sox. The swinging lefty played in 28 minor league games, batting.363.
In 2024, those three most likely will still be minors.
