Red Sox notebook: Free agency officially begins; Bloom makes his first transaction

Just minutes after the Washington Nationals' Daniel Hudson struck out Michael Brantley of the Houston Astros to secure the final out of the 2019 World Series, free agency officially began Thursday morning.

That meant that six more Red Sox players became eligible for free agency. It's entirely possible that not a single one returns, with the club in payroll-cutting mode and many of the team's free agents of the role-player variety.

(Four Red Sox players had already qualified for free agency — -- outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, pitcher Josh Smith and infielder Chris Owings, while pitcher Steven Wright was released earlier in October.)

Additionally, of course, J.D. Martinez has the right to opt-out of his contract. He has until Monday to inform the Red Sox of his decision.

For now, here's a look at the free agents and their chances of coming back to the Sox in 2020:



RHP Rick Porcello
The skinny: Porcello had his worst season with the Red Sox, going 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA while allowing 31 homers.
2019 salary: $21 million.
The future: Porcello would jump at a qualifying offer, but given the season he had and the Sox' efforts to reduce payroll, there's no way they'd risk paying him $17.8 million. Still, the Sox have an opening in their rotation, Porcello loved his experience in Boston and a one-year pillow deal at sharply reduced money can't entirely be ruled out.

INF Brock Holt
The skinny: Holt rebounded from injuries in the first six weeks to enjoy a strong season, slashing .297/.369/.402, mostly playing second base. He's highly versatile, but probably not an everyday player for a contending team.
2019 salary: $3.575 million. His .402 slugging percentage is troublesome in today's power-obsessed game.
The future: Like Porcello, Holt has made clear his love for Boston, having been highly involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors. This will likely come down to his willingness to accept less -- both in terms of AAV and term -- to remain with the Sox as a super-utility option.

1B Mitch Moreland
The skinny: Moreland helped carry the team offensively in the early part of the season, but missed time on the IL during the middle of the year and appeared in just 91 games. His .502 slugging percentage represented a career high, but his .598 OPS against lefties makes him a platoon candidate.
2019 salary: $6.5 million
The future: Moreland, a strong clubhouse presence, will be missed by the Sox. But his age (34), durability and the presence of several other options at first base (Bobby Dalbec, Michael Chavis) make a return tough to envision.

1B Steve Pearce
The skinny: After being named 2018 World Series MVP, Pearce's year began with injuries in spring training....and never got better. He was limited to just 29 games and 89 at-bats. He spoke of the possibility of retirement in the final week of the season.
2019 salary: $6.25 million
The future: It's virtually impossible to see a fit with the Sox going forward. His five or so months with the Sox in 2018 were memorable, but that now seems like a long time ago.

P Andrew Cashner
The skinny: Obtained at the deadline as a No. 5 starter, Cashner face-planted in that role (8.01 ERA) before being moved to the bullpen, where he pitched relatively well (3.86 in 19 games).
2019 salary: $9.5 milion
The future: The Sox will be in the market for bullpen depth, but with younger and less expensive options available, it's tough to imagine them re-signing Cashner.

P Jhoulys Chacin
The skinny: So desperate were the Red Sox for healthy arms that they signed Chacin at the end of August based on a side session workout in Anaheim. He served as an "opener'' for the Sox in a number of bullpen games in September and finished with an 0-2 mark and a 7.36 ERA in six appearances.
2018 salary: (with Red Sox) prorated major league minimum.
The future: Chacin is a journeyman coming off a poor season and there exists no role for him with the Sox going forward.

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The Red Sox claimed lefty Josh Osich from the Chicago White Sox Wednesday, marking the first acquisition from outside the organization since Chaim Bloom was named chief baseball officer earlier this week.

Osich, 30, was 4-0 with a 4.66 ERA in 57 games. He had a 1.138 WHIP.

Osich performed best against lefties (.551 OPS), and might have some value as a specialist. However, MLB's likely plan to institute a rule which forces every reliever to face at least three hitters could well limit his appeal.

He's arbitration eligible for the first time with a projected salary of $1 million for 2020. He previously spent four years with the San Francisco Giants.

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The Red Sox officially rounded out their coaching staff with the announcement that Dave Bush will serve as pitching coach, Pete Walker assistant pitching coach and Pete Fatse as assistant hitting coach.

Bush replaces Dana LeVangie, who was re-assigned to the role of pro scout after two seasons as the Sox' pitching coach. Bush, 39, spent last year as the team's pitching performance coordinator after three previous seasons as a pitching development analyst. He pitched nine seasons in the big leagues and is known to be very analytically inclined, which is more in keeping with what the Sox want from the pitching coach's role.

Walker has been a minor league pitching coach in the organization for the last 11 seasons, having spent time with Lowell, Greenville, Salem, Portland, and for the last two seasons, Pawtucket. Walker pitched in the big leagues for six seasons with the Padres, Giants and White Sox.

Fatse was the Minnesota Twins minor league hitting coordinator last year. He's a Western Massachusetts native and played at the University of Connecticut.