Red Sox sign Brad Wilkerson

by ritz on Feb 3, 2009 6:49 PM EST Comment 31 comments

MLBTR has learned tonight that the Red Sox have signed outfielder Brad Wilkerson to a minor league deal with roster and playing time incentives. Wilkerson, 31, hit .220/.308/.326 in 309 plate appearances for the Mariners and Blue Jays in 2008. The Ms signed Wilkerson last year for $3MM but designated him for assignment before May.

Nice low risk signing again. Guess he will have a chance to make the roster, it will be interesting to see what the Sox are going to do with 3 major league ready outfielders, Kotsay, Baldelli, and Wilkerson.

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Yes!

Wait… Who?

This guy used to have some pop not too long ago. Injuries?

"Hey we got a lot in common here... I'm gonna rape you"

by MerryGoByeBye on Feb 3, 2009 1:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If this was three years ago...

we’d have a pretty good starting outfield on our bench

by beantownboy171 on Feb 3, 2009 1:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

BWilkerson had promise.

He was very much like Ryan Church: a guy with a bunch of potential who never really did anything, that is until Church broke out last year. Wilkerson’s had an injury-riddled career.

Maybe Brad will surprise everyone and hit well, but I doubt it.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Feb 3, 2009 1:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Two questions:

1.) Is there a Ryan Church fan club?

2.) Where do I sign up?

Talk about the reincarnation of Trot Nixon.

The rhythm is the bass and the bass is the treble

by DirtySouthSox on Feb 3, 2009 1:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He was the key piece in the Soriano trade...

but now he obviously sucks. I see him as a depth move, which is good considering we are depending on JD Drew and Rocco Baldelli. So he’ll be in Pawtucket until we need him for the big club.

by BTLove on Feb 3, 2009 2:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Snore

If Wilkerson is on the Sox, it’s a sign that the team is in trouble. In my opinion, it’s a nothing move.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Feb 3, 2009 2:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Eh

“Nice low risk signing again. Guess he will have a chance to make the roster, it will be interesting to see what the Sox are going to do with 3 major league ready outfielders, Kotsay, Baldelli, and Wilkerson.”

Unlike the other signings, this is low risk, ~~high~~ LOW reward. Also, it’s a simple solution to the 3 “major league ready outfielders”:
Wilkerson is the worst of the three.
Wilkerson has a minor league contract.
Therefore, Wilkerson spends the year in AAA.

He’ll only see time if two of our five OFers get injured at the same time.

by Schulz on Feb 3, 2009 2:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wilkerson has been on Theo’s radar for a long time. Kind of reminds me of a certain Designated Hitter….Papi!

"We're not going to give up," It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

by revigik on Feb 3, 2009 3:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Go Back to Last Year's Hot Stove

In Winter 07/08, Wilkerson was one of the names being bandied about as a fourth outfielder/backup 1B (google search showed me this among others — http://modernrooters.blogspot.com/2008/01/wilkersons-not-answer.html), but he didn’t want a backup spot and his asking price was too high, so we passed on him. He’s nothing special, but he’s been major league adequate until last year. So as a cheap backup backup, it seems like a decent signing.

by argo0 on Feb 3, 2009 8:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I read recently he's ahd shoulder problems.

I don’t see him beating out Kotsay. Strictly insurance, methinks.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Feb 3, 2009 8:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Just to be sure, this isn't the guy that the shoe sizing issues, right?

For those children who claimed they’ve been a fan of their favorite team all their life, or even since they were about four or five years old: bullshit. There’s always that certain event or certain player that draws to the sport and draws you to a team. For me, Nomar Garciaparra was that reason. - Nick Coviello: I Try To See Rocco, But All I Think Is Nomar; 1/9/09

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Feb 3, 2009 8:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nope, that was Mench.

"No... JD has been exposed as a kid who trades his remote-controlled helicopters for paper airplanes, then fails to consider the feelings of the paper airplane when he refolded it into a hat." -Telegraph.

by Kinslerhomer on Feb 4, 2009 9:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

in other news…manny sure seems screwed. Heard the dodgers have now offered him 25 million over 1 year and he of course turned it down.

by spinz on Feb 4, 2009 1:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

1y, $25M seems ridiculous …. and it’s even more ridiculous, if true, that Manny turned it down.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Feb 4, 2009 9:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

…and I guarantee he will not get a better offer.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Feb 4, 2009 9:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not for more money per annum

But he will get more money over the length of whatever contract he receives. I think Manny is looking for maximum return at age 40 and beyond.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Feb 4, 2009 4:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He was the same guy that played for Montreal at 1B or 3B? If true, he should be a good addition. I think he is slightyly better than Kevin Millar.

by GreenGrizz on Feb 4, 2009 11:43 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

no 3b, just OF and 1b

Used to play a lot of CF, but I don’t think he can do that too much anymore. His first few years in the league he was actually a really good player, but he fell off real hard.

by BTLove on Feb 4, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Really?

This guy is so bad that he doesn’t even have a starting spot in Pawtucket, nevermind Boston. Bailey, Carter, Van Every, and Ambres are better than him. Bailey, Carter, Van Every, and Ambres are probably better than Kotsay too, but even Kotsay will help the team out more than Wilkerson. Maybe he can provide some veteran leadership to the AA club or something.

by theantihippie on Feb 4, 2009 1:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This just in

Kotsay will miss the first month of the season.

by Schulz on Feb 4, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yup

It looks like the Sox knew Kotsay would miss time. Wilkerson is depth. But if he has to play a lot, the Sox are in trouble.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Feb 5, 2009 9:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Can’t say I’m all that upset. I really wanted to see Bailey and/or Carter get some consistent AB’s to see how they are. I wasn’t a big fan of the Kotsay signing to begin with. Maybe we’ll luck out, Bailey will tear the cover off the ball, and Kotsay won’t have a roster spot when he gets back.

by theantihippie on Feb 5, 2009 1:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Both are Quad-A players

Carter has no glove, and Bailey is a 30-year old minor leaguer. The fact that Bailey hit well in the minors isn’t all that impressive. At his age, he would be a major leaguer if he could hack it. Kotsay is far more suited to his role as 4th/5th OF-back-up 1B.

Unless you believe the Sox (and every other MLB team) some how missed something, I wouldn’t expect too much from Bailey. He has been granted free agency at least four times. Bailey’s minor league offensive stats weren’t impressive until he was in his mid-20s, when he was older than most of the opposing pitchers he faced. Even then, he has had a few stinky years.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Feb 5, 2009 2:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs