Seattle is a larger market. But if Emerson is merely an average hitter and a good up-the-middle defender, $6.3 million a season for eight years is a bargain and allows the Mariners to retain stars such as catcher Cal Raleigh and center fielder Julio Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
Emerson had played only nine games in Triple-A at the time of the deal and isn\u2019t expected to make his major league debut until later this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to be a good player to garner this type of interest, this type of contract,\u201d Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said. \u201cBut you also have to be the type of person at 20-years-old you can say over the course of the next nine years, \u2018We trust you to go do this.\u2019 And if you spent any time around Colt, you know that he checks every one of those boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
It sounds a lot like what Craig Breslow said about Campbell a year ago at this time<\/a>. But after posting a .935 OPS through 28 games, Campbell hit .157 with a .462 OPS in his next 38 games and was demoted to Triple-A. He has yet to return and it\u2019s also unclear where he fits defensively.<\/p>\n The Sox would never admit publicly that signing Campbell could prove to be a mistake. But it was a bad sign that the 23-year-old wasn\u2019t in the running for a roster spot in spring training.<\/p>\n Campbell\u2019s contract includes bonuses based on where he finishes in voting for Most Valuable Player. That\u2019s a not a check the Sox will be writing any time soon.<\/p>\n The Sox were a little more cautious with Roman Anthony<\/a>, waiting two months after his debut before signing him to a nine-year, $130.5 million extension with a $30 million team option for 2034.<\/p>\n Shortstop Konnor Griffin, who turns 20 this month, was called up by the Pirates on Friday and started the home opener against the Orioles. Griffin was a sensation in spring training but ultimately hit .171 with a .261 on-base percentage and was sent to Triple-A, where he was 7 of 16 with 3 doubles, 2 stolen bases, and 5 walks in his first five games. <\/p>\n When Griffin made his debut in Pittsburgh, he was the first teenaged position player since 19-year-old Juan Soto for the Nationals in 2018 and the youngest position player to appear in the first week of the season since 19-year-old Andruw Jones in 1997.<\/p>\n \u201cToday is the first day of carving out a legacy that I want to build,\u201d Griffin told reporters. \u201cAnd I\u2019m ready to do that and try to be right up there with those top guys. This team is loaded. I get to come in here and just be a piece of this puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n The next step is expected to be the announcement that Griffin has agreed to a long-term extension. His deal would likely surpass Emerson\u2019s.<\/p>\n Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, who crushed the Red Sox<\/a> in the first week of the season, is an extension candidate. So is Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter, a 24-year-old who homered four times in his first four regular-season games after being on the postseason roster last fall and appearing in two games.<\/p>\n RETURN GAME<\/p>\n Not much to show for Devers deal<\/p>\n The Red Sox had little choice but to trade Rafael Devers once he refused team (and Globe) owner John Henry\u2019s request to move to first base for the sake of the team. They did well to dump all of Devers\u2019s remaining salary<\/a> on the Giants, but the rest of that deal is looking like a bust.<\/p>\n The Sox received lefthander Kyle Harrison and righthander Jordan Hicks along with two minor leaguers, righthander Jose Bello and outfielder James Tibbs III.<\/p>\n Bello is the only player still in the organization and isn\u2019t considered much of a prospect. Harrison appeared in three games for the Sox then was traded to Milwaukee in the deal that returned infielder Caleb Durbin. Hicks was terrible out of the bullpen in 21 games, allowing 17 earned runs over 18\u2154 innings before being dumped on the White Sox in February.<\/p>\n Tibbs played only 30 games for Double-A Portland before he was traded to the Dodgers for righthander Dustin May on July 21. May was 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in six games for the Sox, then left as a free agent and signed with the Cardinals.<\/p>\n Tibbs had a .900 OPS in 36 Double-A games for the Dodgers last year and started this season 12 of 22 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 3 walks, and 9 RBIs for Triple-A Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a thought: Stop making trades with the Dodgers.<\/p>\n A few other observations on the Red Sox:<\/p>\n \u25aa Manager Alex Cora doesn\u2019t believe it was a factor in the team\u2019s slow start, but the World Baseball Classic may have been a detriment to the club. The Sox had 13 players off their 40-man roster \u2014 more than any other team \u2014 in the tournament<\/a> and spent much of spring training with members of the team scattered around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just played bad baseball,\u201d Cora said. \u201cI don\u2019t think bad baseball has to do with the WBC.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the Sox weren\u2019t able to play their regular lineup together until the final week of spring training and it looked like it when the season started.<\/p>\n \u25aa The only Red Sox players who have World Series rings are closer Aroldis Chapman and first baseman Willson Contreras. They played together with the 2016 Cubs and Chapman won a second ring with the 2023 Rangers.<\/p>\n Both play with a bit of attitude, too. Chapman stares down hitters after striking them out while Contreras features slow home run trots and an array of bat flips.<\/p>\n Contreras even found a way to make an automated ball-strike challenge look good during Friday\u2019s game against the Padres<\/a>. After taking a called third strike in the second inning facing Michael King, Contreras tapped his helmet to challenge. Before the challenge was played on the scoreboard, he walked to first base confident he was in the right and was proven correct.<\/p>\n \u201cHe brings an attitude,\u201d Cora said. \u201cHe brings an attitude that I think will gel well with what we expect here from players.\u201d<\/p>\n Contreras, 33, trusts his experience as he chases a second ring.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a game and I\u2019m trying to have fun out there,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to embarrass anybody else. I enjoy the game and being with my teammates and I want to win.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25aa Nick Punto, who played for the Red Sox in 2012, is happy to be back in baseball. He retired after the 2014 season and was a full-time dad for 10 years before he joined the Padres staff last season. He\u2019s now the infield coach.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it,\u201d Punto said. \u201cIt\u2019s great being around the game again. I\u2019m having a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n The Padres also have former Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki<\/a> (2020-22) on their staff as catching coach. Plawecki was the originator of the laundry cart home run celebration in 2020.<\/p>\n It will not be a surprise if Punto or Plawecki becomes a manager.<\/p>\n \u25aa The Red Sox need a new plan with Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. Maybe rolling the ball to the plate will help. Counting the 2021 ALCS, Alvarez is 48 of 115 (.417) in 32 career games against the Sox with 23 runs, 24 extra-base hits, 31 RBIs, and 16 walks.<\/p>\n Alvarez is a three-time All-Star with a career .967 OPS. But a 1.305 OPS in 32 games against one team is outrageous.<\/p>\n \u25aa At 21, Roman Anthony<\/a> was the fourth-youngest player on an Opening Day roster in the majors. The youngest was 20-year-old Braves righthander Didier Fuentes. <\/p>\n \u25aa The \u201cBuildSubmarines.com\u201d ads from last season were missing from the Fenway Park grass on Opening Day, a refreshing change. Maybe all the subs were built.<\/p>\n \u25aa Triple-A Worcester drew 20 walks in a 19-3 victory at St. Paul on Tuesday. All nine players in the lineup drew at least one walk, with Mickey Gasper having four and Kristian Campbell and Jason Delay three each. The Saints used seven pitchers who threw an incredible 258 pitches, only 126 for strikes (48.8 percent). The 20 walks were a franchise record.<\/p>\n ETC.<\/p>\n Special souvenir for Francona<\/p>\n Terry Francona\u2019s office at Great American Ball Park is at least four times larger than the tiny office he once had at Fenway Park. It\u2019s loaded with memorabilia including a photo of Francona and Pete Rose when they both played for the 1984 Montreal Expos.<\/p>\n There is a conspicuous lack of Red Sox keepsakes with one notable exception: Francona has a large Green Monster scoreboard plate with \u201c2000\u201d on it. It was a gift from the Sox in recognition of Francona winning his 2,000th career game last season<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Reds had an on-field ceremony for the milestone last season and asked the Red Sox if they wanted to join Francona\u2019s other former teams in helping to mark the occasion. With the approval of ownership, the plate was made and shipped to Cincinnati.<\/p>\n \u201cI really love it,\u201d said Francona. \u201cIt\u2019s a cool thing to have.\u201d<\/p>\n Francona and the Red Sox had a rancorous separation in 2011, something that remains an issue. But he still has friends in the organization. He is planning to have the plate hung up in his office, which will take some work because of its weight.<\/p>\n Francona recorded 744 of his victories with the Sox. He\u2019s one of 13 managers with at least 2,000. No active manager has even half as many. <\/p>\n Umpire CB Bucknor did not get off to a good start. After getting six calls at the plate overturned during the Red Sox-Reds game on March 28<\/a>, Bucknor badly blew a call during the Rays-Brewers game Tuesday. Milwaukee\u2019s Jake Bauers reached on an infield single in the sixth inning only to have Bucknor call him out, saying he missed the base. The Brewers challenged the call and the replay showed Bauers stepped on top of the bag while Bucknor was looking the other way. Both managers, the Brewers\u2019 Pat Murphy and the Rays\u2019 Kevin Cash, were laughing. It was already one of the worst calls of the season \u2026 The Dodgers bucked tradition and added a blue jersey to their rotation<\/a> of road uniforms. It has Los Angeles across the front in script with red numbers in gray trim and a Dodgers patch on the left sleeve. There is no interlocking \u201cLA\u201d logo \u2026 Counting the managers, the Padres and Red Sox have 31 people on their coaching staffs this weekend. The 1986 Red Sox, who were honored Friday, had four coaches: Bill Fischer (pitching), Walt Hriniak (hitting and first base), Rene Lachemann (third base), and Joe Morgan (bullpen) \u2026 Did you know that automated ball-strike system challenges<\/a> are not allowed when a position player is pitching? Yes, Shohei Ohtani is considered a pitcher \u2026 Max Scherzer struck out four in his first start of the season for the Blue Jays. That gave him 3,493 strikeouts in his career, seven shy of becoming the 11th pitcher in history with 3,500. He needs 17 to pass Walter Johnson for 10th place and 42 to move past Gaylord Perry into ninth \u2026 The Orioles beat the Rangers, 8-3, on Wednesday at Camden Yards. The game ended when Albert Su\u00e1rez struck out Evan Carter on a pitch that was initially called a ball by umpire Manny Gonzalez. Catcher Samuel Basallo challenged the call and it was overturned by ABS. \u201cSo I thought, \u2018Why not use it?\u2019\u201d Basallo said via an interpreter. \u201cBetter to use it and see what happens.\u201d Jayson Stark of The Athletic dubbed it a tap-off victory \u2026 The Yankees had Jack Hughes and Aerin Frankel throw out first pitches at their home opener Friday to celebrate the United States men\u2019s and women\u2019s hockey teams winning Olympic gold medals. Frankel, who played at Northeastern, is the Boston Fleet goalie<\/a>. She is from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., about 25 miles from Yankee Stadium, and grew up a Yankees fan. Frankel\u2019s nickname among Fleet fans is the Green Monster \u2026 The always entertaining Boston Braves Historical Association newsletter reports that the Paddock Building at 101 Tremont St. is being renovated into a residence hall for Suffolk University. The building is where Braves owner James E. Gaffney had an office and announced in 1914 that he would build Braves Field. The ballpark hosted the Braves from 1915-52 at the site of what is now Nickerson Field at Boston University. Baseball history in Boston is a lot more than Fenway Park \u2026 June 6 is Jimmy Fund Day at Fenway Park. Supporters can get up to 20 pitches at the plate and play 30 minutes in the field while spending time in the dugouts and the visiting clubhouse. Packages start at $750. Go to JimmyFundDay.org<\/a> or call (617) 632-4215 \u2026 Happy birthday to Blaine Neal, who turns 48 on Monday. The righthanded reliever appeared in 113 major league games from 2001-05, including eight for the 2005 Red Sox. Neal was acquired from the Padres during spring training for outfielder Adam Hyzdu, made the Opening Day roster, and gave up two runs against the Yankees in a 9-2 loss. He was claimed off waivers by the Rockies that May and played pro ball through 2010. He now lives in New Jersey.<\/p>\n![\"Konnor](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AUMJNF6PZ5EUZJBR3GBHMNYNQA.jpg\")
Konnor Griffin started at shortstop and hit an RBI double in his first career at-bat for the Pirates on Friday.Justin K. Aller\/Getty<\/p>\n![\"Trevor](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4F3TV2MWPRHIDG7BC5GQ6WTJRU.jpg\")
Trevor Story was one of many Red Sox teammates to be given a ride in the home run laundry cart in the dugout by Kevin Plawecki.Jim Davis\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n