ADAM OTTAVINO NEWS

Can't hold lead Ottavino allowed two runs on three hits and struck out one over one-plus innings in Saturday's 6-4 extra-inning win over Baltimore.

Impact Ottavino entered with one out in the seventh inning as Boston clung to a one-run lead. He and Matt Barnes were the main competitors for the closer role since spring training, but manager Alex Cora never made an official announcement. The manager brought Ottavino in to shepherd a lead through innings seven and eight. He retired both batters faced in the seventh with a man on second but ran into eighth-inning trouble. The game was shaping up to be the first that Boston would need a closer, and Cora made a decision to go with Barnes, but the save chance for Barnes never materialized.

APRIL 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Red Sox extend win streak to 5, beat Orioles 6-4 in 10

Rafael Devers homered and the Boston Red Sox scored twice in the 10th inning on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Christian Vázquez to extend their winning streak to five games wit...

APRIL 11, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bogaerts has 4 of Boston's 16 hits in 11-2 win over Rays

Xander Bogaerts had four hits and the Boston Red Sox got on the board with 16 hits and their first win of the season, 11-2 over the Tampa Bay Rays

APRIL 6, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Orioles-Red Sox opener at Fenway postponed because of rain

The Boston Red Sox have postponed their opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park until Friday because of rain that was forecast to continue through the day

APRIL 1, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Closer picture remains murky Ottavino won't have the clear path to serve as the Red Sox's Opening Day closer that it looked like he might have in recent days, as Matt Barnes' positive COVID-19 test was ruled a...

Impact There's been very little to separate Ottavino and Barnes in recent seasons, and they've been similarly effective this spring, so it was tough to say either of them had much more than a 50 percent chance to win the job. Barnes' positive test seemingly opened an opportunity for Ottavino to open the year in the role, which could make it his until he pitched his way out of it. Now that Barnes is back in camp, however, the job looks like it's back to being a coin flip.

MARCH 29, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Allows unearned run Ottavino allowed an unearned run on one hit in one inning of Sunday's spring game against the Twins.

Impact Ottavino was victimized by a Rafael Devers throwing error. He finished up the Florida portion of spring training with two unearned runs allowed over 6.1 innings and a chance to close games pending the status of Matt Barnes, who tested positive for COVID-19.

MARCH 29, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Could step in as closer Ottavino could step in as Boston's closer to begin the regular season after Matt Barnes tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican report...

Impact Manager Alex Cora announced Barnes' positive test result Saturday and said that the team hasn't yet determined its pitching plans to begin the regular season. However, Ottavino would be the most likely option to handle ninth-inning duties while Barnes is sidelined as long as Ottavino doesn't have to go through contact tracing. Ottavino was competing for the closer's job during camp and tossed 5.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts during five Grapefruit League appearances.

MARCH 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

The season’s getting closer, so who’s the closer, Matt Barnes or Adam Ottavino? - The Boston Globe Both have been effective in their limited work during spring training, but manager Alex Cora says there is no hurry to name either one of th...

MARCH 21, 2021 • BOSTONGLOBE.COM

Forget '20, Red Sox look to go worst-to-first (again) in '21

There’s no team in baseball more eager to forget the 2020 season than the Boston Red Sox

MARCH 17, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Red Sox reliever Adam Ottavino trying to create more life and shape to his slider - The Boston Globe Ottavino wants more movement to that pitch, which will fool hitters, as it did prior to 2020.

MARCH 13, 2021 • BOSTONGLOBE.COM

Red Sox Spring Training: Adam Ottavino should be Boston’s closer in 2021 Adam Ottavino dominates in Red Sox relief debut The Red Sox are working their way through the Grapefruit League with mixed results but plent...

MARCH 11, 2021 • BOSOXINJECTION.COM

Makes bid for closing Ottavino allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning in Wednesday's spring game against Atlanta.

Impact Ottavino made his spring debut in Grapefruit League play, following starter Matt Andriese in the fourth inning. He's competing to be Boston's closer along with Matt Barnes, who was impressive in his spring debut earlier this week. Ottavino has 19 career saves over 460 relief appearances and briefly served as a closer for a couple of stretches with Colorado in 2015 and 2016. Boston manager Alex Cora reiterated to Ian Browne of MLB.com that a closer will not be named until later in spring training, but the manager said Ottavino will be given the ball for clean innings, facing both righties and lefties.

MARCH 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

New Red Sox RHP Adam Ottavino ‘would definitely embrace’ closing Alex Cora has yet to name a closer, but it appears to be coming down to two candidates: Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino.

MARCH 10, 2021 • BOSTONHERALD.COM

Yankees’ Brian Cashman knows his trading of Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox may come back to bite him Brian Cashman knows there is going to be a time this season when Adam Ottavino hurts him.

MARCH 5, 2021 • MCALL.COM

Yanks' Germán pitches 2 innings in 1st game since suspension

Domingo Germán pitched two scoreless innings for the New York Yankees in his spring training debut, a week after publicly apologizing for actions that led to his 2019 suspension un...

MARCH 5, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boston Red Sox: Celebrate the arrival of Adam Ottavino with this bobblehead The Boston Red Sox finally have their closer. Celebrate the arrival of Adam Ottavino with this new bobblehead from our friends at FOCO. Ever...

MARCH 4, 2021 • BOSOXINJECTION.COM

Side-arming O'Day joins Yankees thriving on guile, not gas

Darren O’Day laughed when he thought about the gas station, a new pitching barn on the Yankees minor league complex in Tampa, Florida

FEBRUARY 19, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

AL East teams at the start of spring training

A team-by-team look at the American League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catcher...

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sidearm reliever O'Day guaranteed $3.15M with Yankees

Side-arming reliever Darren O’Day is guaranteed $3.15 million in his contract with the New York Yankees, which has both player and team options for 2022

FEBRUARY 10, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Yankees view Kluber and Taillon as high risk, high reward

General manager Brian Cashman knows the New York Yankees are taking big risks by adding pitchers Corey Kluber and Jameson Tallion and letting go of Masahiro Tanaka

JANUARY 29, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kluber excited to join Yanks; LeMahieu relieved to remain

Limited to one inning in two years, Corey Kluber believes his ability will show with the New York Yankees

JANUARY 28, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Yanks finalize deals with Kluber, LeMahieu, agree with O'Day

The retooling New York Yankees have finalized a $90 million, six-year contract to retain AL batting champion DJ LeMahieu and completed an $11 million deal to add right-hander Corey...

JANUARY 27, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP source: Darren O'Day agrees to $2.5M deal with Yankees

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that the New York Yankees quickly found a replacement for their bullpen, agreeing to a $2.5 million, one-year con...

JANUARY 27, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Yankees send Ottavino to Boston in rare trade with Red Sox

The New York Yankees made a rare trade with the rival Red Sox, sending struggling reliever Adam Ottavino to Boston along with minor league right-hander Frank German for a player to...

JANUARY 25, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shipped to Boston The Yankees traded Ottavino along with pitching prospect Frank German to the Red Sox on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic rep...

Impact Ottavino was excellent in his first season in New York in 2019, with his 31.1 percent strikeout rate canceling out a 10.6 percent walk rate and leading to a 1.90 ERA. That ERA spiked all the way to 5.89 in a small sample of 18.1 innings last season, though his underlying numbers told a more optimistic story, as his strikeout rate fell only slightly to 29.4 percent while his walk rate came in at a more palatable 10.6 percent. Still, the Yankees evidently don't believe he'll be worth the $8 million he's scheduled to make this season, so they sent him to their top rival in what appears to be little more than a salary dump. The move potentially boosts Ottavino's fantasy value, as Matt Barnes is hardly an immovable object at closer in Boston should the 35-year-old return to his previous form.

JANUARY 25, 2021 • ROTOWIRE