Tyler Thornburg Avoids Arbitration With The Boston Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox have been quiet so far during the winter baseball meetings.  They haven’t signed any free agents, but decided to keep one of their own.  In order to avoid salary arbitration, the team agreed to a one-year, $2.05 million contract with pitcher Tyler Thornburg.

Thornburg was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on December 6th, 2016.  The Red Sox were hoping he would be a late-inning pitcher, one they could count on when games were tight.  Thornburg had the ability to strike batters out to keep the Brewers in games with 220 in his career.  The Red Sox were planning on Thornburg being a large part of the bullpen.

Unfortunately, it did not work out last year.  Thornburg spent the season on the disabled list due to an impingement on his right shoulder.  Even with him shelved, the  Sox still went 93-69 and won the American League East Division.

But the team missed Thornburg in the playoffs, losing the American League Division Series to the Houston Astros in 4 games.  The relievers had a 3.18 ERA and couldn’t stop the Astros from advancing.  If Thornburg had been healthy, the series may have turned out differently.   Thornburg would have been able to shut down the Astros but that might not have been enough.  The Red Sox might have lost the series anyway.

The Red Sox haven’t seen Thornburg pitch in a game that matters.  The club watched him pitch in Spring Training but that was not the same as a regular season appearance.  The Red Sox want him to be a late-inning reliever who can set up games for the closer.

Thornburg is on schedule for Spring Training.  According to masslive.com Red Sox President of Baseball Operation Dave Dombrowski said, "He's doing fine.  He's in a position where he's been throwing.  He's where the doctor feels he should be.  He's now in a position where he needs to strengthen his shoulder, which is normal.  The anticipation is that he should be ready to go for spring training, but as we also know, thoracic outlet syndrome is a major surgery.  There's been no setbacks."

The Red Sox are overpaying for Thornburg, but they had to.  If they hadn’t, they would have gone to arbitration and may have been forced to pay him more.  For Thornburg this gives him another year in Boston.  He must find a way to see the field this upcoming year and stay away from the disabled list.  If he is injured, this will turn out to have been a big waste of money for the Red Sox.