Former Boston Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan threw pitches clocked at 93 mph during a showcase Thursday in Tampa, Fla., 11 months after he had Tommy John surgery.
Hanrahan reportedly captured the attention of quite a few scouts.
SB Nation cited a source in reporting that 32 scouts from about 20 teams attended Hanrahan’s showcase, including the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and even the Red Sox. No teams have been reported as favorites, although Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com tweeted that teams already are requesting Hanrahan’s medical records.
The Pittsburgh Pirates named Hanrahan their full-time closer before the 2011 season, and he had 76 saves between 2011 and 2012. However, Hanrahan appeared in just nine games for the Red Sox last season, posting a 9.82 ERA over 7 1/3 innings before going down with an elbow injury.
Sources told SB Nation the Mets were “definitely a possibility” and that the Red Sox or Yankees also could be in the running, but Hanrahan hasn’t started the negotiation process.
