Rudy Seanez Signing Official; Chad Bradford Gone

by Randy Booth on Dec 20, 2005 10:13 PM EST in News

Put another fork in my heart, why don't ya'?

The Red Sox made the Rudy Seanez signing official today, while also cutting ties with Wade Miller and Chad Bradford.

Seanez signs a one-year contract that guarantees $2.1 million, but can jump to $5.3 million based on incentives. ESPN.com breaks it down:

Seanez has a $1.9 million base salary next year, and the Red Sox have a 2007 option at $2.1 million plus whatever performance bonuses he earns in 2006. If the option is declined, Seanez would get a $200,000 buyout.

In 2006 only, Seanez would get $25,000 each for 10 and 15 games, $50,000 each for 20, 25, 30 and 35 games and $100,000 for 40 games and each additional five games through 60.

If he becomes Boston's closer and has 30 games finished next year, the option becomes a player option. He also can earn $500,000 annually based on games finished.

Not too shabby for a strikeout relief pitcher. We'll see what he's got. Hopefully he doesn't turn out like a John Halama or Mike Remlinger.

Miller is one of two casualties from today. We all know my thoughts on the Miller situation, however.

The final casualty is Bradford, a reliever that I really liked having on the team. Bradford pitched well after coming from Oakland in a trade that sent Jay Payton to the West Coast. He pitched 23.1 innings and compiled a 3.86 ERA while performing like the normally-unseen "ROOGY."

I enjoyed watching Bradford pitch. Not just because of his crazy windup which I sometimes replicated in my KSC Whiffle Ball League (though I did throw a nasty curveball like David Wells himself), but because everything seemed so effortless to him. He would just sling his rubber arm back and make the ball look like it's flying in fifty different directions. He was a joy to watch, and it's a shame we won't have the ROOGY to fall back on.

Though I don't like the fact we're losing Bradford, I understand why. Having guys like him and Mike Myers really limit not only the bullpen, but the roster. The Sox were in some sticky situations last year with Bradford and Myers in their bullpen and it cost us. Other times, it helped us.

The logjam of relievers is starting to shape up into a more conceivable bullpen. Here's how it breaks down now:

CL Keith Foulke (Cherington: "He'll go into spring training as the closer and he'll have every opportunity to be the closer for 2006.")
SU Mike Timlin
SU/MRP Guillermo Mota
MRP Rudy Seanez
MRP/LRP Lenny DiNardo
A(nything)RP Bronson Arroyo

Everything really is shaping up. It all relies on some of these pitchers living up to their hype. Foulke needs to get back to his version of 2004. Timlin and Seanez need to continue their hot streaks. Mota needs to find his stroke from his LA days. And DiNardo and Arroyo just need to pitch to their best ability.

This brings me to a fact: relief pitching is so hard to predict because it's rarely ever stable.

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Comments

Ouch

I bet Bradford puts up better numbers than Moto. The Dodger's burned out his arm a few years ago, and he hasn't bounced back.

I also bet Meyers puts up better numbers than whoever we end up with as a LOOGY. And I don't count DiNardo. Given the wau he pitches, I don't expect him to have a strong L/R differential; so far the numbers agree with that expectation.

Signing Miller still seems like it would be a good idea, but there is enough that I am not privvy to to give the front office the benefit of the doubt here. They just be pretty certain that he is toast at this point.

by cdamon @ Over the Monster on Dec 20, 2005 10:28 PM EST reply actions