MLB rumors: Grady Sizemore likely to pick new team this week
Free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore will likely decide on his new team this week after sorting through several inquiries, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
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Sizemore, 31, became a free agent last week after being designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox. Signed to a short-term deal by Boston after missing the previous two seasons due to injury, Sizemore looked outmatched facing MLB-caliber pitching in his time with the Red Sox this season.
That hasn’t stopped a number of teams from pursuing Sizemore, which may be the result of his track record. From 2005-08, Sizemore was one of the best players in baseball with the Cleveland Indians, earning MVP votes each year while making the All-Star team on three occasions. He was worth over 6 WAR annually during that time span, per Baseball-Reference.
So while Sizemore is nearly six years removed from that peak, teams remain intrigued by the possibility of a resurgence. The Indians stuck with him through 2013, finally bailing after watching the outfielder play just 104 games in his last four seasons.
The Red Sox took a cheap gamble on Sizemore during the offseason, then gave him consistent playing time in the outfield earlier this season. He struggled badly, hitting .216/.288/.324 with two homers in 205 plate appearances before Boston pulled the plug last week.
It’s a testament to Sizemore’s past that teams keep lining up with chances, and Cafardo says several teams reached out to the outfielder. He’s looking for the “best opportunity,” which at this point likely means the team that will actually give him MLB playing time, as hard as it might be to believe anyone wants to do that.