Brentz has point to prove with PawSox
OF was placed on waiver wire by Red Sox
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Bryce Brentz took a trip on the waiver wire just as the curtain was lowered on spring training.
It was a short trip as the power-hitting outfielder was bypassed by the 29 Major League Baseball clubs not named the Boston Red Sox. Any team could have put a claim in on Brentz, who was out of minor-league options and thus was staring at the possibly of his Red Sox tenure coming to an end after seven seasons with the organization.
In the end, the Red Sox succeeded in keeping Brentz in the fold. It wasn’t a surprise to see him placed on Pawtucket’s Opening Day roster. The different twist comes when you realize that for the first time since 2013, Brentz is not on Boston’s 40-man roster.
In many ways, the ball is back in Brentz’s court. Regardless of how everything went down, the 2017 season represents a prime chance to prove why he should be back in the Red Sox’s good graces.
“It’s all part of the business. Now it’s about doing your thing and seeing what happens,” Brentz said prior to Pawtucket taking on Lehigh Valley at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday. “Nothing is written in stone.”
What was a forgone conclusion was Brentz finding himself in baseball’s version of limbo before the first official spring-training workout. Boston’s starting outfield was set with Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Andrew Benintendi, with Chris Young serving as a more-than-capable fourth outfielder.
The injury that would have enabled Brentz to make Boston’s Opening Day roster never surfaced, thus the Tennessee native went from wait-and-see to possibly latching on with another team. In the end, he was outrighted to Pawtucket.
“I’m sure there’s a lot of self-evaluation that he’s going through,” PawSox manager Kevin Boles said. “Maybe there’s some pressure that’s off because he knew what his situation was. He’s a human being and anyone who says they’re not
I’ve certainly learned a lot about the human body in the last few years. It’s about staying in a good routine and I think I’ve been doing that.” – PawSox outfielder Bryce Brentz
thinking about it … that’s not the case. You can’t help but think about things like that.”
Why Brentz remains such an intriguing option was covered in full detail by Boles.
“He’s got that one tool. Right-handed power is a rare tool and hard to find. He has that,” Boles said. “We’re just looking forward to keep pushing him through.”
Along those lines, Brentz has slugged 96 home runs in 596 minor-league games since being drafted by Boston with the 36th overall pick in the 2010 draft. He acquitted himself quite nicely during the first prolonged big-league stint of his career last season. Brentz appeared in 25 games, starting 18, and batted .279.
With Brentz, the main issue is health. He hasn’t appeared in more than 100 games in a single season since 2012.
“It’s not about strength,” he said. “It’s about taking care of the small things. I’ve certainly learned a lot about the human body in the last few years. It’s about staying in a good routine and I think I’ve been doing that.”
Brentz wasn’t in the starting lineup on Saturday, one night after scorching several balls but not getting reward- ed with a base hit. He’s, once again, being looked upon to anchor the middle of the Pawtucket’s lineup. Should he stay healthy and produce in an eye-catching way, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think he could find a spot on a majorleague roster.
“I’m sure there’s been some disappointment, but he’s been great since he’s been here,” Boles said. “He’s focused on what he needs to do. The mission is still the same: Get to the big leagues.”