Red Sox Hot Stove: Should Chaim Bloom target DBacks reliever Joe Mantiply in a trade?
Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Joe Mantiply had an All-Star season and was one of the few bright spots for the club.
The left-handed reliever had a breakout campaign pitching in 69 games posting a 2.85 ERA, converting two saves, 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.083 WHIP.
Mantiply was tough against lefties, they only hit .247 against him in 2022. Righties we’re better hitting .262, opponents hit .252 against him in 2022. While on the surface those aren’t eye popping statistics, however, Mantiply was one of the better relievers earning his first All-Star nod.
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The former Virginia Tech pitcher has put together back-to-back consistent seasons in the desert. Due to his success in Arizona, could the Red Sox try and pry away the DBacks top reliever this offseason?
Arizona finished last season 74-88, fourth in the National League West. Despite their record, the DBacks are a team loaded with young talent.
The DBacks window to begin contending could be opening soon. General manager Mike Hazen will likely hang on to his All-Star lefty but the Red Sox should try and acquire him nonetheless.
Mantiply is 31 and will turn 32 during Spring Training.
He offers a four pitch mix, featuring a sinker which he threw 42% of the time, curveball, changeup and four-seam fastball that sits around 90 mph.
The Virginia native was drafted three times but ultimately signed with the Tigers after being selected in the 27th round in 2013.
After he was drafted, FanGraph’s wrote that Mantiply has “solid average stuff, feel and moxie from 6’4/200 lefty gives high probability to reach middle relief ceiling that’s a nice 27th round find from Virginia Tech, will open 2015 in the upper levels.”
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Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom must address the bullpen this winter. What better way to do that then land an All-Star caliber reliever in a trade?
He would offer the Red Sox a consistent left-handed option out of the bullpen.
Boston’s top lefty last season was Matt Strahm, however, he’s a free agent following the conclusion of the World Series. Strahm also has a desire to convert back to a starting pitcher for 2023. Mantiply could occupy the vacancy left by Strahm even if he was to return to Boston.
The Red Sox have another lefty in Josh Taylor but he missed the entire season with a back injury. He is a candidate to be non-tendered in the winter.
Darwinzon Hernandez is another lefty option, but he failed to deliver last season. Hernandez pitched in seven games and yielded a 21.60 ERA. The lefty does hold a career 5.06 ERA and if he can harness his ability on the mound, he could be a viable option.
The bullpen already has John Schreiber and Matt Barnes as true locks for 2023. If the club decides that Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock belong in the bullpen again for 2023, adding Mantiply only deepens manager Alex Cora’s options.
The veteran lefty is under Arizona team control through 2027, he’s arbitration eligible in 2024 and still holds three club options. All factors that will increase his trade value outside of his performance on the mound.
A reliever with that kind of team control coupled with two consecutive consistent seasons will cost the Red Sox something significant in return.
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Hernandez was mentioned earlier and feels like a change of scenery candidate. Could Bloom package Hernandez with Jeter Downs and Connor Seabold?
Another trade package idea is sending Hernandez, Thad Ward who is pitching in the Arizona Fall League right now and outfield prospect Gilberto Jimenez?
It feels slim that Arizona would trade Mantiply. Too many cost effective factors are ideal for Arizona especially that the 6-foot-4 lefty only made $717k last year.
Bloom has the ammo to land Mantiply and could save some of his financial resources for free agency. It takes two to tango and Bloom needs to build a deeper bullpen.
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