Red Sox get Adams for bullpen depth

By Jim Callis
July 24, 2004

The Blue Jays hoped Terry Adams would bolster their bullpen when they signed him as a free agent during the offseason. Now the Red Sox are looking for Adams to help them in relief after they acquired him on Saturday for minor league third baseman John Hattig.

Adams, a 31-year-old righthander, was coming off arthroscopic elbow surgery when he signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal with Toronto. He struggled when the Blue Jays made him their closer for part of May but has pitched decently otherwise. He has a 4-4, 3.98 record with three saves in 42 games. He also owns a 35-22 strikeout-walk ratio in 43 innings, while opponents have batted .290 with four homers against him. Adams consistently has has more success against lefthanders, but he has taken his reverse platoon split to an extreme in 2004. Righthanders are torching him to the tune of .397/.444/.534 while he has held lefties to .208/.319/.313 production. A sinker-slider pitcher, Adams tops out in the low 90s. He has career totals of 49-60, 3.97 with 42 saves in 539 appearances (including 41 starts in 2001-02).

Hattig is trying to become the first Guam-born player to reach the major leagues after signing as a 25th-round pick in 1998. The 24-year-old switch-hitter has started to make progress the last two years after taking his conditioning more seriously. He has a good swing from both sides of the plate as well as emerging power, and the Red Sox envisioned him taking a Brian Daubach-like career path. Hattig missed time with back spasms earlier this year but pounded the ball when healthy, hitting .295/.411/.519 with 12 homers and 35 RBIs in 75 games at Double-A Portland. He must continue to watch his weight at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, and his lack of first-step quickness may eventually force him to move to first base. Hattig is a career .280/.365/.396 hitter with 28 homers and 241 RBIs in 486 minor league games.