In this March 22, 2021, photo, Larry Lucchino, chairman and principal Owner of the Worcester Red Sox, poses at Polar Park as construction work continued in preparation for the club’s opening day. According to reports, the WooSox have been sold. Elise Amendola/Associated Press
It didn’t take long for Worcester Red Sox principal owner and chairman Larry Lucchino to find a new ownership group for the Red Sox’s minor league affiliate.
An industry source told The Boston Globe’s Michael Silverman that Diamond Baseball Holdings has “reached an agreement” to buy the WooSox. The deal, per Silverman, still needs to be approved by MLB.
Other Red Sox affiliates under Diamond Baseball Holdings include the Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox. In total, they own and operate 25 minor league teams.
The team moved to Worcester three years ago after 47 years in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The WooSox played their first season at Polar Park in April 2021 after signing a 35-year lease. They’ll still continue to play in Worcester for the next 32 years.
Lucchino was part of the ownership group that bought the then-PawSox in 2015 and helped relocate the team in a deal reached in 2018. But he announced on the “UnAnchored Boston” podcast earlier this month that it “was time” to sell the team.
“I’m now 78. I’ve been at this for over 40 years so it’s time to sell this team and move on to a blissful retirement,” said Lucchino.
RED SOX: Baseball America lists four Red Sox prospects – including left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan – as potential players who might be taken in the Rule 5 Draft next week at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.
Drohan is the biggest name among Red Sox prospects. He throws a mid-90s fastball and plus change-up while also adding a cutter. Baseball America ranks him Boston’s No. 3 pitching prospect behind Luis Perales and Wikelman Gonzalez, both of whom the Red Sox added to their 40-man roster in November to prevent them from being available to other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft.
It was a surprise Boston decided to leave the 24-year-old Drohan unprotected. He dominated in his first six starts at Double-A Portland this past season, posting a 1.32 ERA. But he then struggled at Triple-A Worcester with a 6.47 ERA in 21 outings (19 starts). He averaged 6.4 walks per nine innings (89 innings, 63 walks) at Triple A and opponents batted .293 against him.
Baseball America also mentioned catcher/first baseman Stephen Scott and relievers Ryan Fernandez and Brendan Cellucci as potential Rule 5 Draft picks.
The 26-year-old Scott posted an .812 OPS, 19 homers, 16 doubles and two triples in 100 games (403 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester in ’23.
Fernandez, a 25-year-old righty, has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and reaches 98-99 mph. He dominated at Portland during the first two months of 2023 but he then struggled after a promotion to Worcester (6.16 ERA, 302/3 innings).
The 25-year-old Cellucci posted a 5.29 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and .291 batting average against in 51 relief innings for Portland last season.
RADIO: Major League Baseball and Sirius XM extended their broadcast agreement by five years through the 2028 season.
The deal announced continues a relationship that started in 2005.
Sirius carries broadcasts of all regular-season and postseason games and produces the MLB Network Radio channel, which airs 24 hours daily.
AWARDS: Shohei Ohtani was voted the majors’ best designated hitter and joined David Ortiz as the only players to win the award three years in a row.
Ohtani won the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award after hitting .304 with an AL-high 44 homers, 96 RBI, eight triples and 20 stolen bases for the Los Angeles Angels in a season at the plate that ended Sept. 3 because of an oblique injury. The two-way star was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 167 and walking 55 in 132 innings before tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Aug. 23.
Ortiz won the DH award five years in a row from 2003-07.
Ohtani finished ahead of Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez in voting by beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments.
RANGERS: The World Series champion Texas Rangers will bring back their entire on-field coaching staff for Manger Bruce Bochy next season.
General Manager Chris Young said he is excited to keep the entire group together after winning the franchise’s first World Series title in Bochy’s first season. It was the organization’s 63rd season overall and 52nd since moving to Texas.
Third base coach Tony Beasley will return for his 10th season since first joining the Rangers in 2015 after Jeff Banister became manager. Beasley served as interim manager the final 48 games of the 2022 season after Chris Woodward was fired and before Bochy was hired.
Also returning are first base coach Corey Ragsdale, bullpen coach Brett Hayes, catching coach Bobby Wilson, bench coach Donnie Ecker and hitting coaches Tim Hyers and Seth Conner.
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