Red Sox appoint diluent Hansel Robles for appointment, Reports Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Magazine. This step frees up an active place in the list for offering promotions Brian Bellowho will be called to make it For the first time in the major league Tomorrow against the rays. Boston’s 40-man squad will drop to 39.
Originally acquired from the Deadline Twins last summer, Robles has spent the last two months of the 2021 season in Boston. Despite erratic control, he was a generally serviceable arm late in the game for manager Alex Cora. By 25 innings, Robles has recorded a 3.60 ERA while over 30% of hitters have hit a showdown. After spending time away from staying in the open market, the right-handed returned to the organization for a minor league deal in spring training.
Robles made the opening day list in Boston, earning a $2.25 million salary in the process. He’s posting one of the worst seasons of his career, even though he’s battling for a 5.84 ERA across 24 2/3 frames. Robles continued to fight choppy control, leading 12.6% of opponents. However, the promise of swing and failure he showed late last season has effectively evaporated, with less than 19% of hitters exhibiting. Robles is also seeded to five home runs, a problem he has struggled with in the past due to his penchant for volleyball.
The 2022 season has been disappointing overall, and the extent of his struggles seems to have kept Sox going. The 31-year-old has been a huge success in the league on his résumé. He posted a sub-4.00 ERA in four of his first five campaigns in the league, including a mark of 2.48 during the 72 2/3 rounds with the Angels 2019. Prior to this season, Robles had produced swing hits and punches at an average or better rate in nearly every year of his career (apart from contracting with the Mets in 2017). It still has plenty of arm power, averaging 96 mph on its geyser and just under 89 mph on the slider that serves as a primary secondary.
Robles’ combination of pre-2022 action and resting arm strength is sure to catch the interest of other teams, although that will likely come after he clears up concessions. He’s still due about half of this season’s salary (just north of $1 million). Any team that demands waivers will take on the remainder of that obligation, a development that seems unlikely given their poor performance during the first three months of the year.
If he clears the waivers, Robles will have the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency while still collecting the remainder of his salary. (This is granted under the CBA to freelance players with five or more years of MLB service time.) At this point, another team can add them in exchange for only a prorated portion of the league minimums for any time spent in the major tournaments. The Red Sox will stay on the hook for the rest of the amount.
“Award-winning social media nerd. Food specialist. Amateur entrepreneur. Pop culture maven. Subtly charming explorer.”