Free agency has been ongoing for two weeks now, but for the most part, the big dominoes are yet to fall. While teams certainly have their sights set on the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger, the early offseason has been defined by smaller moves and signings made around the non-tender and Rule 5 protection deadlines.

The players being exchanged aren’t the most notable members of their respective rosters, yet they’ll still impact the quality of their teams in the upcoming season. We’ll be knocking out many of the more intriguing pitchers who have changed hands in this two-part series. Read the rest of this entry »

The non-tender deadline isn’t usually an event that screams star power. The players involved are pre-free agency, making them cheap and controllable — qualities that appeal mightily to big league GMs. So if there’s even a question about whether a player is worth retaining or trading, as opposed to cutting loose, that usually means the player is neither good nor particularly promising.

All that goes out the window, apparently, when it comes to a pitcher who just underwent shoulder surgery. The Atlanta Braves, who went all Marie Kondo on their 40-man roster as the weekend approached, sent Kyle Wright to the Royals in exchange for Jackson Kowar. The same day, the Milwaukee Brewers did them one better and flat-out non-tendered two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff. Read the rest of this entry »

Philly baseball fans didn’t even have to wait until the turkeys were in the oven for the first major Phillies news of the offseason, as Bob Nightengale and Jeff Passan reported Sunday that the team has brought back Aaron Nola on a seven year, $172 million contract that will keep their no. 2 starter in town until the end of the 2030 season. Read the rest of this entry »

My September 10 Sunday Notes column included Chris Antonetti addressing his team’s 2023 offensive struggles. According to Cleveland’s President of Baseball Operations, “The problem isn’t power, the problem is that we need to score more runs.” While I don’t necessarily disagree with the exec’s opinion, it is nonetheless true that the Guardians hit the fewest home runs of any team and finished fourth from the bottom in runs scored. Moreover, they finished 76-86 after going 92-70 in 2022.

I revisited the issue, at least in part, during this month’s GM meetings. I asked Antonetti’s second in command, Mike Chernoff, if the club needs to reassess some of its philosophies going forward.

“If you rewind the clock one year, we felt like we massively outperformed industry expectations,” Cleveland’s General Manager told me “We won 92 games with the youngest team in baseball. This year, we again had the youngest team in baseball. We hit a few unfortunate and untimely injuries with some of our starting pitching, but at the same time we transitioned three young starters in [Gavin] Williams, [Tanner] Bibee, and [Logan] Allen to the major-league team. We just didn’t perform as well offensively. So we don’t feel like wholesale changes are necessary. We feel like we have a really strong foundation off of which to continue building, but we also don’t have a lot of room for error as a small-market team.”

Industry expectations are one thing, in-house projection systems are another. With that in mind, I asked Chernoff if the 2022 Guardians outperformed their own projections, and if the 2023 club underperformed them. Read the rest of this entry »

Late Thursday night, after the final horn had sounded on the last West Coast NHL game, new White Sox general manager Chris Getz consummated his first trade in his new role, sending sinker-balling lefty reliever Aaron Bummer to Atlanta for a five-player variety pack of “second division” players and reclamation projects. The new White Sox are headlined by 26-year-old 2019 All-Star righty Michael Soroka, 28-year-old infielder Nicky Lopez, and 25-year-old lefty starter Jared Shuster, all of whom can be reasonably expected to impact the 2024 squad. Chicago also acquired 25-year-old infielder Braden Shewmake, who is also on the 40-man roster, and 2023 undrafted free agent starter Riley Gowens, who is more of a developmental project from the University of Illinois. Read the rest of this entry »

For the 20th consecutive season, the ZiPS projection system is unleashing a full set of prognostications. For more information on the ZiPS projections, please consult this year’s introduction and MLB’s glossary entry. The team order is selected by lot, and the next team up is the Tampa Bay Rays.

Batters

With the sudden collapse of the Cardinals, the Rays are arguably the holders of the crown in the solid-but-not-spectacular department. With one problematic exception, just looking at the depth chart, you see a whole bunch of twos and threes but no obvious MVP candidates, unless Yandy Díaz finds yet another extra gear in him. But there’s also almost nowhere on the diamond where you expect a huge collapse if forced to find an emergency fill-in. Manuel Margot can capably take any outfield job handily, and elsewhere, Curtis Mead, Vidal Bruján, Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda can cover most anything needed outside of catcher. Read the rest of this entry »

Direct Links (Please see full job postings below):

Affiliate Development Coach
Assistant Athletic Training Coordinator/Latin American ATC Coordinator
DR Academy Athletic Trainer
Minor League Affiliate Dietitian
Nutrition Coordinator
Mental Performance Coordinator
Affiliate Development Coach – Dominican Republic Academy
International Scouting & Player Development Assistant
Scouting Assistant – Dominican Republic

Affiliate Development Coach

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Affiliate Development Coach will work within the Player Development department to ensure objective information is utilized to advance development goals of minor league players at the assigned affiliate. The position will work closely with Affiliate Staff, Roving Coordinators, and Baseball Analytics to help inform decision making related to player plan goals. The role will have a dual-reporting relationship with the Assistant Director, Player Development and Coordinator, Baseball Development, and will help oversee video associatesat the assigned affiliate. The ideal candidate is inquisitive, data-driven, open-minded, and possesses strong interpersonal skills.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
The Player Development department is dedicated to fostering the comprehensive growth of our minor league players. Our mission is to excel in optimizing talent and skill development while aligning with player and team objectives. Our approach involves the creation of world class player programs and efficiently scaling them across our player pool. Collaborating closely with baseball analytics, performance, and medical, we establish effective frameworks for experimentation and learning. Additionally, we work closely with Amateur Scouting, International Scouting, and Pro Scouting to ensure seamless player transitions into the Red Sox organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Aid in the implementation of new technology to collect information and improve player performance.
• Assist with the integration of information from the Baseball Analytics department.
• Ensure that on-field coordinators, coaches, andBaseball Analytics are aligned with goals for each individual player.
• Provide daily communication and periodic feedback reports to players, coaches, coordinators, and front office.
• Perform important quality control functions related to both data recorded and information delivered to players and staff members.
• Assist affiliate staff and coordinators with daily on-field practice and/or indoor training.
• Maintain, record, and report progress on individual player goals.
• Additional duties or projects assigned by upper management (Directors, VP’s, etc). 

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Assistant Athletic Training Coordinator/Latin American ATC Coordinator

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Assistant ATC Coordinator/Latin American ATC Coordinator will serve in a leadership role in the Boston Red Sox Minor League Medical Department and is primarily responsible for medical operations and oversight at the Red Sox Dominican Republic Academy with support to the Minor League Medical operation in Fort Myers, FL.

The primary responsibility includes working collaboratively with the on-field coaches/coordinators, strength & conditioning staff, nutrition, sport science, biomechanics, etc. to optimize for performance and development through ensuring the health and safety of the Red Sox Minor League player pool. The role will directly report to the Minor League Athletic Training Coordinator with oversight from the Director, Player Development and the Director, Sport Medicine Services.

As the Red Sox continue to build a team capable of being the standard in player AND Staff development, we are looking for candidates who are organized, inquisitive, intellectually curious, data-driven, and open minded. Due to the nature of the role the candidate must also possess strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork/leadership skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the DR Academy Medical Staff with ultimate responsibility of all players at the Academy.
• Oversight of the Florida Complex League (FCL) medical staff and provide support in Fort Myers as needed.
• Assisting the Rehab Coordinator with long-term rehabilitations.
• Frequent travel to the DR Academy and minor league affiliate locations to assist in coverage and oversight of minor league players.
• Coordinate the process for local physician examinations and follow-ups for FCL/Academy players (other org players as needed) along with Complex and Academy staff.
• Communicate consistently with appropriate leadership staff regarding the status of DSL players.
• Review medical profiles for potential international players.
• Daily input of medical data into internal tracking platforms.
• Assist the Director, Player Development and Minor League ATC Coordinator with ATC Staffing decisions including evaluations and performance reviews.
• Serve as a resource for staff development for those under their charge.

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• NATA Board Certified and in good standing.
• Eligible and in good standing for Florida State Licensure
• CPR/AED Certified and First Aid Certified
• Fluency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred.

LOCATION/TRAVEL:

• Role is based out of Fort Myers and is expected to make routine trips to the DR Academy including, but not limited to, DSL Early Report/Spring Training/Regular Season, International Signing Period, Dominican Instructional League, and Winter Programs.
• Representation at any events and meetings deemed appropriate by the Club.  Additional travel as assigned by leadership.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

DR Academy Athletic Trainer

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The DR Academy Trainer will serve on the medical staff at the Red Sox DR Academy in the Dominican Republic. The role is primarily responsible for daily oversight during all phases of the Academy’s yearly operation. This includes pre-season programs, the DSL season, fall programs, and off-season check-ins.

The function of the DR Medical Staff includes working collaboratively with the on-field coaches/coordinators, strength & conditioning staff, nutrition, sport science, biomechanics, etc. to optimize for performance and development through ensuring the health and safety of the Red Sox Minor League player pool. The role will directly report to the Latin American Athletic Training Coordinator with oversight from the Minor League Athletic Training Coordinator and the Director, Sport Medicine Services.

As the Red Sox continue to build a team capable of being the standard in player AND Staff development, we are looking for candidates who are organized, inquisitive, intellectually curious, data-driven, and open minded. Due to the nature of the role the candidate must also possess strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork/leadership skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve the DR Academy medical operations which align with the organization and department’s needs under the direction of the Latin American Athletic Training Coordinator.  This includes various administrative duties and reporting procedures.
• Provide preventative care, evaluate, treat, and short-term rehabilitative care to all players at the DR Academy.
• Proper documentation within the MLB EMR system.
• Communicate consistently with appropriate leadership staff regarding the status of DSL players.
• Facilitate the scheduling and execution of athlete monitoring assessments and data collection under the direction of Strength & Conditioning, Health & Performance, Sport Science, and On-Field Staff.

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Certified ATC.
• Eligible for state athletic training licensure in Florida.
• Experience in baseball and additional certifications is preferred.
• English and Spanish fluency preferred.

LOCATION/TRAVEL:

• Role is primarily based out of the DR Academy in San Antonio de Guerra, DR and will be expected to spend time in Fort Myers during Spring Training and other events communicated by the club.
• Representation at any events and meetings deemed appropriate by the Club.  Additional travel as assigned by leadership.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Minor League Affiliate Dietitian

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Minor League Affiliate Dietitian will serve as a member of the Sport Performance team during Minor League Spring Training in Fort Myers, FL while also serving their assigned affiliates in the Affiliate Dietitian role throughout the affiliate season. The role is primarily responsible for providing on-site nutrition support –including the delivery of meals, developing and providing nutrition education, and creating player-specific nutritional plans.

Additionally, with a focus on cross-departmental collaboration, the Affiliate Dietitian will ensure execution of programming and support that is part of a comprehensive player plan to optimize for athletic performance, while ensuring the health and safety of the Red Sox Minor League player pool. The role will directly report to the Minor League Nutrition Coordinator.

As the Red Sox continue to build a team capable of being the standard in player and staff development, we are looking for candidates who are organized with uncompromising attention to detail, inquisitive, intellectually curious, data-driven, and open minded. Due to the nature of the role, the candidate must also possess strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork/leadership skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee all aspects of catering/ meal service for the affiliate – coordinate the development of menus, communicate expectations (e.g., food variety, quantity, and quality) with food service suppliers and/or caterers, and ensure food safety protocols are followed.
• Manage fueling and hydration stations – including ordering snacks and supplements, providing appropriate education, and ensuring any nutrition initiatives are in compliance with MLB policies. 
• Assess and analyze player dietary practices – including player testing and monitoring. 
• Develop individualized goals and nutrition and maintain records of player interactions and test results.
• Assist in the development of educational materials to support a structured, progressive educational program that grows with the athletes as they move through the minor league system.
• Serve as a reliable food and nutrition resource for athletes and staff, ensuring all content provided is in alignment with evidence-based research and the Boston Red Sox’s nutritional philosophy.
• Assist the Minor League Dietetics Coordinator in managing the budget for the team including organizing, planning, forecasting, purchasing, and tracking expenses.

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Exercise Science, or a related field.
• Certified as a Registered Dietitian. 
• Working toward CSSD credential (Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) preferred.
• First Aid/CPR is required.
• ServSafe Manager Certification will be required prior to the start of the position.
• Experience working as a dietitian in a multi-disciplinary performance team is preferred.
• Baseball or softball work experience is preferred.
• Ability to speak Spanish is preferred but not required.

LOCATION/TRAVEL:

• Attendance and participation at Spring Training in Fort Myers and ability to report to assigned affiliate are required.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Nutrition Coordinator

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Nutrition Coordinator is primarily responsible for the design, implementation, and execution of nutrition programming and support across the Red Sox Player Development system. Leadership oversight will include the Minor League Dietetics Staff and the position will also interface closely with the Major League Dietitian and Nutrition Staff.

Additionally, with a focus on cross-departmental collaboration, the Nutrition Coordinator will ensure that the programming and support is part of a comprehensive player plan to optimize for athletic performance, while ensuring the health and safety of the Red Sox Minor League player pool. This will include working closely with Minor League coordinators/coaches/staff, and PD leadership.

As the Red Sox continue to build a team capable of being THE standard in player AND staff development, we are looking for candidates who are organized with uncompromising attention to detail, inquisitive, intellectually curious, data-driven, and open minded. Due to the nature of the role, the candidate must also possess strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork/leadership skills.

ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Set the vision and strategy for the Minor League Nutrition team, including building an infrastructure to collect and track data related to performance and health, and to design and deliver timely interventions.
• Collaborate across departments to provide interdisciplinary service in support of player performance while ensuring the health and safety of the players.
• Collaborate with the Major League Head Dietitian to develop and promote a consistent, evidence-based nutrition philosophy throughout the Red Sox organization.
• Manage seasonal affiliate dietetics assistants and the Complex Dietitian who oversees nutrition at the Fort Myers Complex and DR Academy.
• Stay abreast of the latest nutrition research and serve as a resource for players and staff.  Develop and maintain a professional network to support your work in baseball.
• Build and execute staff development, evaluation, and education systems for the staff under their charge.  This includes in-season and off-season development systems for staff growth, with an expectation of building relationships while investing in the development of their staff by providing clear, candid, and actionable feedback.
• Oversee the development of a comprehensive Red Sox Nutrition Educational Plan and develop materials to increase player nutritional knowledge and skills throughout the Red Sox organization.
• Oversee and manage the Red Sox Minor League Nutrition budget.
• In conjunction with the Complex Dietitian, provide hands on nutrition support to all programs throughout the year, including during the competitive season.

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s or PhD in Nutrition, Exercise Science, or another related academic field of study. 
• Certification as a Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN).
• Certification as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) is preferred.
• State licensure for Florida (or required upon hire).
• At least three (3) years of hands-on experience of working as a dietitian. 
• Experience working with a high-performance sport organization is preferred.
• Experience as a RD preceptor/mentor is preferred.
• Experience using technology, tools, and techniques related to sport nutrition.
• First Aid and CPR certifications.
• Baseball or softball experience preferred.
• Ability to speak Spanish is preferred.

TRAVEL:

• This is a full-time position and will be based at the Boston Red Spring Training Facility, JetBlue Park, in Ft. Myers, FL.  It will require travel to each of the Red Sox minor league affiliates throughout the year along with occasional trips to Boston.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Mental Performance Coordinator

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
Behavioral Health (BH) is a performance enhancement, assessment, and clinical service for players and staff in the Red Sox major and minor league organization. The BH service is provided by a team of graduate level mental skills coaches, counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists that fall under the umbrella of sports medicine. There are three main domains of Behavioral Health: Performance Enhancement, Assessment, and Clinical.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
Mental Performance Coordinator (MPC) will serve as a member of the mental performance team during Minor League Spring Training and throughout the season at the assigned affiliate(s). The MPC will provide dedicated care to the assigned player groups and/or affiliate(s) and will be involved in collaboratively supporting the care for players and staff across the system. Additionally, with a focus on cross-departmental collaboration, the MPC will ensure execution of programming and support that is part of a comprehensive player plan to optimize athletic performance, while ensuring the health and safety of the Red Sox Minor League player pool. The role will directly report to the Director, Player Development and the Director, Behavioral Health. As the Red Sox continue to build a team capable of being the standard in player and staff development, we are looking for candidates who are organized with uncompromising attention to detail, inquisitive, intellectually curious, data-driven, and open-minded. Due to the nature of the role, the candidate must also possess strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork/leadership skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop strong relationships with players and conduct ongoing one-on-one mental performance sessions that support organizationally established performance goals.
• Work collaboratively with coaches to establish appropriate mental performance goals tied to on-field outcomes and apply mental performance exercises as part of physical training and baseball activities. 
• Execute Red Sox mental health and performance-related player and staff educational programs designed to enhance leadership, communication, and performance enhancement.
• Integrate personality and cognitive assessments into program development plans to better understand and impact players.
• Participate in special projects related to departmental enhancement by utilizing research, curriculum-building, objective feedback loops, and other opportunities related to mental health and performance.
• Work collaboratively with Behavioral Health Director, Player Development Director, mental performance staff and affiliate coaches on relevant player and staff issues, including regular scheduled and ad-hoc communication and reporting.
• Maintain detailed mental performance and mental health documentation and record keeping. 

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master level sport psychology (or similar) degree is strongly preferred.
• Coaching or clinical experience in an elite or professional sport environment preferred.
• Certified Mental Performance Coach (CMPC) certification preferred.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.
• Attendance and participation in Spring Training, off-season programs, and assigned affiliate responsibilities are required.  Travel to spring training and off-season programs throughout the year.  Significant travel to affiliate(s) during regular season. 

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Affiliate Development Coach – Dominican Republic Academy

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
International Scouting
The Boston Red Sox International Scouting Department is committed to identifying the most talented amateur and professional prospects globally and integrating them into our player development system. We empower our staff to grow as individuals while we strive as a team to be at the forefront of the industry’s best practices in relation to evaluation, data analysis, and continuing education efforts.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Red Sox Dominican Republic Affiliate Development Coach is a core part of our International Operations Department. In this role, you will assist in all aspects of data collecting at our Dominican Academy. This includes Trackman, Rapsodo, Video, and other aspects of our sport science operation. You will also serve as a key alignment point between Red Sox coaching staff and academy players, ensuring that each data point is interpreted and implemented correctly. This person will a key cog in the ground-level day-to-day operations of our academy and assist in scouting operations as needed. The position allows for interactions with players, coaches, coordinators, scouts, and directors. This position is an ideal entry point to anyone interested in a future in scouting, player development, or international operations and is a highly valued position within the Boston Red Sox.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Aid in the implementation of new technology to collect information and improve player performance.
• Assist with the integration of information from the Baseball Analytics and Sports Science departments.
• Ensure that on-field coordinators, coaches, Baseball Analytics, and Sports Science are aligned with their goals for each individual player.
• Provide daily communication and periodic feedback reports to players, coaches, coordinators, and front office.
• Perform important quality control functions related to both data recorded and information delivered to players and staff members.
• Assist affiliate staff and coordinators with daily on-field practice and/or indoor training.
• Additional duties or projects assigned by upper management (Directors, VP’s, etc). 

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants are expected to fulfill the duration of the position
• High level of interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with wide range of departments, seniority levels and personalities.
• Video, coaching, playing, scouting, baseball technology experience preferred.
• Prior baseball experience and bilingual are a plus but not required.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

International Scouting & Player Development Assistant

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
International Scouting
The Boston Red Sox International Scouting Department is committed to identifying the most talented amateur and professional prospects globally and integrating them into our player development system. We empower our staff to grow as individuals while we strive as a team to be at the forefront of the industry’s best practices in relation to evaluation, data analysis, and continuing education efforts.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Red Sox Dominican Republic Scouting & Player Development Assistant position is an entry level role providing access to the two core aspects of our International Operations Department. In this role, you will provide a core administrative role in the day-to-day workings at our Dominican Republic Academy. The daily functions of this role will vary and include Roster collation, data collection, special projects, assisting in the setup of baseball technology, and more. This person must be ready to serve a wide variety of roles simultaneously in a fast-paced work environment. The position allows for interactions with players, coaches, coordinators, scouts, and directors. This position is an ideal entry point to anyone interested in a future in scouting, player development, or international operations and is a highly valued position within the Boston Red Sox.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Aid in the implementation of new technology to collect information and improve player performance.
• Perform administrative functions (Rosters, Lineups, data collation) as assigned.
• Assist on-field scouts, coordinators, coaches, Baseball Analytics, and Sports Science with administrative functions.
• Send out collected data, rosters, and other assigned research projects to supervisors as assigned.
• Assist in the setup of complex technology and data collection (Trackman, video, Rapsodo)
• Additional duties or projects assigned by upper management (Directors, VP’s, etc). 

CHARACTERISTICS/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants are expected to fulfill the duration of the position.
• High level of interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with wide range of departments, seniority levels and personalities.
• Microsoft Office, video, coaching, playing, scouting, and baseball technology experience preferred.
• Prior baseball experience and bilingual are a plus but not required.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

Scouting Assistant – Dominican Republic

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:
International Scouting
The Boston Red Sox International Scouting Department is committed to identifying the most talented amateur and professional prospects globally and integrating them into our player development system. We empower our staff to grow as individuals while we strive as a team to be at the forefront of the industry’s best practices in relation to evaluation, data analysis, and continuing education efforts.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Boston Red Sox International Scouting Assistant is an exciting entry-level position. It provides the opportunity to develop an intimate knowledge of baseball technology and scouting technique, collecting data and interacting with Area Scouts, Crosscheckers, and Directors. In this role, this person will spend most of their time collecting video, assist in physical testing of prospects, and potentially setting up Rapsodo and Trackman and collecting key data. The Assistant will also have the opportunity to learn about player evaluation at the ground level and gain valuable experience by seeing a large volume of players. The position is a core step into Area Scouting or Player Development and this person will be afforded every opportunity to develop professionally to build a foundation for a bright future with the Red Sox. This role is an invaluable part of our goal of building the most impactful International Scouting staff in the industry.

Video/Technology Responsibilities:

• Setup and record data via portable Trackman unit or other baseball systems. Upload data and collect into reports for Immediate Supervisors as well as Baseball Systems department.
• Provide updates to supervisors on standout players in the Dominican Republic.
• Assist appropriate staff in Physical Assessments of players where needed.
• Develop a working knowledge of emerging/new technologies as well as how to apply to your role in the future.
• Observe best practices amongst similar roles around the industry and provide feedback on how role can improve.

Other Responsibilities:

• Submit expenses in a timely manner per the policies set-forth by the Boston Red Sox.
• Be cognizant of International Scouting policies as dictated by MLB, make sure you are compliant with rules set forth by MLB and the Boston Red Sox.
• Help in coordination of Red Sox tryouts as needed.
• Submit reports into Red Sox system as assigned by supervisors.
• Be available to work on weekends, nights, and on multiple-day trips as needed.

Reporting Responsibilities:

• Submit reports on data collected.
• Maintain a checklist on players to track video and data collected as well as video and data needed.
• Participate in any professional development exercises as assigned by supervisors.

To Apply:
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Boston Red Sox.

This week’s 40-man roster deadline was less eventful than usual (we only had one trade on deadline day), but as always, a number of young players became big leaguers in a certain sense, and teams had no choice but to indicate what they think of lots of fringe prospects who they either did or did not choose to roster. This day of clerical activity is the culmination of the efforts of the players themselves, the people in player development who have helped turn them into big leaguers, and the scouting and decision-making portions of each org that put their stamp of approval on the prospects. Is any one move here as impactful as signing a Yoshinobu Yamamoto or a Matt Chapman? No, but when your favorite team experiences a rash of injuries in June, whether or not they have the depth to scrap and compete is often dictated by the people and processes that surround this day. I’m more focused on analyzing roster depth, fit and flexibility in this space than on scouting players (especially when they’re star prospects you already know well). I’ll have a separate post on the National League. Read the rest of this entry »

This post is part of a series covering the 2024 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Managers/Executives/Umpires ballot, covering candidates in those categories who made their greatest impact from 1980 to the present. For an introduction to the ballot, see here. The eight candidates will be voted upon at the Winter Meetings in Nashville on December 3, and anyone receiving at least 75% of the vote from the 16 committee members will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 21, 2024 along with any candidates elected by the BBWAA.

In the rules for Era Committee voting published on the Hall of Fame’s web site, the provision regarding eligible candidates reads in part, “Those whose careers entailed involvement in multiple categories will be considered for their overall contribution to the game of Baseball; however, the specific category in which these individuals shall be considered will be determined by the role in which they were most prominent.” In theory, this makes sense, but in practice, the various Era Committees have produced rather inconsistent results when it comes to weighing candidates with contributions in multiple areas.

For example, the elections of Gil Hodges and Jim Kaat as players via the 2022 Golden Days ballot suggest an additive effect via their additional contributions — the former as a manager, the latter as a broadcaster — atop long, good-to-great playing careers that didn’t quite measure up as Hall-worthy in the eyes of BBWAA voters or previous committees (to say nothing of JAWS). Yet managers haven’t been treated similarly in the recent past, with Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella each falling short twice and seeming to get less credit for solid playing careers atop stronger (but hardly unassailable) qualifications as skippers. Should those careers put them ahead of similarly qualified managers with no major league playing experience, such as this ballot’s Jim Leyland? Does Felipe Alou, whose career WAR is greater than those of Johnson and Piniella combined but whose managerial record is limited by years spent with the impoverished Expos, belong in the same discussion? You can see how this quickly gets messy. Read the rest of this entry »

For the 20th consecutive season, the ZiPS projection system is unleashing a full set of prognostications. For more information on the ZiPS projections, please consult this year’s introduction and MLB’s glossary entry. The team order is selected by lot, and the first team up is the New York Mets.

Batters

At the very least, there’s a good sense of clarity when looking at the Mets depth chart. Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo are plug-and-play options — just stick them in, and if they’re your biggest problem, you’re doomed anyway. Pete Alonso qualifies as that as well, though the Mets are not long from having to make a decision on whether it’s better to offer him a potentially ludicrous contract extension or find a new polar bear (they’re endangered after all!). Jeff McNeil will likely have a season somewhere in between his 2022 and 2023. Francisco Alvarez has a hold on the starting catching job now that he’s outlasted his predecessor (Tomás Nido) and the guy who really, really liked playing said predecessor (Buck Showalter). It’s also obvious that this is a crucial season for Mark Vientos and Brett Baty; the Mets don’t have infinite patience. There likely need to be better solutions in left field, and it’s time to start thinking about a post-Starling Marte right field.

While people are looking for the Mets to make big, splashy signings, it’s also a team that could use an extra bat or two in reserve. With questions at third and in left and right, it’s really hard from a roster standpoint to keep a platoon DH with no defensive value hanging around unless he absolutely crushes his side of the platoon (and Daniel Vogelbach really doesn’t). Eduardo Escobar was traded for good reasons, but he was handy to have around. The fixes to the offense might be low-key because of the need in the next section of this article. There aren’t any young phenoms really threatening to seize a roster spot from any of the offensive stragglers; the Mets have four offensive prospects in our Top 100 who are about a year away from making a real impact in the majors. The fifth, Ronny Mauricio, certainly has upside at second, but then the question becomes how much value McNeil really has as a corner outfielder.

Pitchers

There’s a lot of work to be done here. Kodai Senga is written in with permanent marker, and while ZiPS is very lukewarm — to be nice — about José Quintana, he’s certainly going to be in the rotation as well. After that, the Mets have a deep stable of just-a-guy types; the rotation is probably the biggest hurdle preventing the team from having a nice little bounce-back season. Not to pick on Mike Vasil, who I think will be a serviceable fourth/fifth starter for a while, but if Mike Vasil is this high in the projections, you’ve got some slots to fill. The Mets may have been relieved of the worry of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander’s inevitable aging curve cliffs, but even if their time with the team didn’t go exactly to plan, without them, the rotation looks like a smoking crater. The good news is that while the free agent market has a real lack of impact bats, starting pitching is well-stocked, even before you consider the availability of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shōta Imanaga.

A healthy Edwin Díaz is a boon for the bullpen, though he’s not enough to single-armedly make this a plus unit. The relief corps is less of a smoking crater than the rotation, and ZiPS is more or less is cool with the rest of the group in Brooks Raley, Drew Smith, Trevor Gott, and Phil Bickford. ZiPS sees Josh Walker as a pretty decent swingman option, if a very low-ceiling one. Still, there’s room to improve. I don’t think the starters who fail to make the rotation next spring have electric enough stuff to be overly enthused about their bullpen chances, so the Mets will likely need to find an arm or two here. It doesn’t have to be a Díaz-like arm — good luck finding that — but a couple of mid-tier relievers might keep the wheels from coming off this apple cart.

Ballpark graphic courtesy Eephus League. Depth charts constructed by way of those listed here.

Players are listed with their most recent teams wherever possible. This includes players who are unsigned or have retired, players who will miss 2024 due to injury, and players who were released in 2023. So yes, if you see Joe Schmoe, who quit baseball back in August to form a Belgian Death Metal Skiffle Band that only plays songs by Franz Schubert, he’s still listed here intentionally. ZiPS is assuming a league with an ERA of 4.33.

Hitters are ranked by zWAR, which is to say, WAR values as calculated by me, Dan Szymborski, whose surname is spelled with a z. WAR values might differ slightly from those that appear in the full release of ZiPS. Finally, I will advise anyone against — and might karate chop anyone guilty of — merely adding up WAR totals on a depth chart to produce projected team WAR.

As always, incorrect projections are either caused by flaws in the physical reality of the universe or by the skillful sabotage of our friend and former editor. You can, however, still get mad at me on Twitter.