What does Red Sox prospect Dorian Soto have in store for 2026?

Like other members of Major League Baseball’s 2025 international signing class, Red Sox infield prospect Dorian Soto is expected to make his stateside debut when the 2026 rookie-level Florida Complex Season begins on May 2.

Soto received the largest bonus ($.1.4 million) of any international free agent in Boston’s 2025 international signing class when he put pen to paper last January. The Dominican Republic native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League five months later and made a positive first impression.

As a 17-year-old, the switch-hitting Soto batted .307/.362/.428 with 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 28 strikeouts in 47 games (186 plate appearances) between DSL Red Sox Red and Blue last summer. That includes a .311/.372/.432 slash line from the left side and a .294/.324/.412 slash line from the right side of the plate.

Defensively, Soto saw playing time at three different positions last year. The 6-foot-2 infielder logged 230 2/3 innings at shortstop, 42 2/3 innings at third base, and two innings at second base, committing nine errors in 133 chances. He also made seven starts at DH.

Though he was named a mid-season DSL All-Star, Soto was unable to play in the All-Star Game itself in July due to a wrist injury that kept him sidelined for a little more than a week. Nonetheless, it was an all-around productive showing for Soto, who Baseball America’s Josh Norris ranked in September as one of the top prospects from the 2025 Dominican Summer League.

Soto, who turned 18 in February, entered 2026 ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 8 prospect. In his first spring training stateside, he impressed evaluators on the backfields in Fort Myers by impacting the baseball and demonstrating a sound approach at the plate.

“He had several batted balls with [exit velocities] well over 100 mph this spring, already shows solid bat speed, and does a good job incorporating his lower half in his swing,” Baseball America’s Ian Cundall wrote of Soto earlier this month. “There’s definite power in his future, though it might take some time for it to actualize in-game.

“Soto was prone to chasing in the Dominican Summer League last year, but he showed a distinct two-strike approach this spring,” added Cundall. “He widened his stance, abbreviated his leg kick, and shortened his swing, leading to more line drives up the middle.”

Elsewhere, it is worth noting that Soto has added significant muscle to his athletic frame since signing with the Red Sox as a 16-year-old in early 2025. He was listed at 180 pounds then, but is now up to approximately 207 pounds after working with the organization’s strength and conditioning team.

“He’s gotten really strong,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Soto in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “He’s still 18 years old and so really learning how to use his body. And I think that’s one of like the biggest parts. He’s done a good job of adding the weight. Now it’s having it kind of like transfer and keeping his agility and range over at shortstop.”

Given his physical projection, there is a chance that Soto eventually outgrows shortstop and shifts over to third base as he continues to fill out. He has the arm strength to handle such a move, as Baseball America grades that tool of his as a 55 (above-average) on the 20-80 scouting scale. His hands and footwork are also well-regarded.

“He’s got a long way to go developmentally,” Romero told Smith, “but we’re obviously excited about him.”

Now at extended spring training, it will be interesting to see if Soto’s stay in the Florida Complex League is short-lived. He could follow in the footsteps of fellow Dominican prospect Justin Gonzales, who played just one game in the FCL last season before being promoted to Low-A Salem and later reaching High-A Greenville.

(Picture of Dorian Soto: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Eduardo Rivera to Triple-A Worcester

UPDATE: The Red Sox will call up Rivera ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Yankees, according to multiple reports. He will be added to the 40-man roster and make his major league debut once he takes the mound without ever having pitched above Double-A.

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The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Eduardo Rivera from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Rivera is moving up to the minors’ highest level after making two starts for Portland to open his 2026 season. In those two outings, the 22-year-old left-hander posted a 0.90 ERA with 16 strikeouts to three walks over 10 innings in which opponents batted .167 against him.

Although the sample size is relatively small, it nonetheless illustrates how effective Rivera has been in the early going. Among 42 pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings in the Eastern League this year, Rivera ranks first in FIP (1.67), second in ERA, strikeout rate (41%), and xFIP (2.35), third in strikeouts per nine innings (14.40) and swinging-strike rate (16.7%), eighth in WHIP (0.90), ninth in batting average against and groundball rate (52.6%), 12th in walks per nine innings (2.70), and 13th in walk rate (7.7%), per FanGraphs.

A former 2021 11th-round draft selection of the Athletics out of high school in Puerto Rico, Rivera joined the Red Sox organization as a minor league free agent shortly after being released by the A’s in May 2024. The San Juan native spent the remainder of that season in the lower levels (Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem) before splitting the 2025 campaign between High-A Greenville and Portland.

Rivera was slated to reach minor league free agency at season’s end but instead re-signed with the Red Sox in October. He then pitched for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican Winter League, helping them win their 17th title. That success allowed him to represent the island in the Caribbean Series for a second straight year, as well as in the World Baseball Classic.

Listed at an intimidating 6-foot-7 and 237 pounds, Rivera is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 26 prospect. The hard-throwing southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph, an 87-89 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph slider, an 85-89 mph changeup, and a 78-80 mph curveball.

Rivera, who turns 23 in June, is now just one call away from the big leagues. Though he is viewed as more of a reliever in the long run, he should provide some much-needed depth to a depleted starting rotation in Worcester. To that end, it appears as though he is tentatively scheduled to make his Triple-A debut for the WooSox by following fellow lefty Alec Gamboa out of the bullpen on Thursday afternoon against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park.

Looking even further ahead, Rivera will be eligible for both minor league free agency and the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline. That is something to keep in mind as he navigates Triple-A for the first time.

(Picture of Eduardo Rivera: Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ John Holobetz named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect John Holobetz has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 13-19, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Holobetz was excellent in his last start for Double-A Portland this past Saturday. Going up against Altoona on the road at PNG Field, the 23-year-old right-hander allowed just one earned run on one hit and one walk to go along with a career-high 11 strikeouts over seven strong innings of work.

After retiring the first 13 batters he faced, Holobetz gave up a home run to Titus Dumitru with one out in the fifth to break a scoreless tie. He issued a two-out walk in the same frame, but escaped without allowing any further damage and put up two more zeroes in the sixth and seventh. Because of that solo shot, however, he was ultimately charged with the loss as the Sea Dogs fell to the Curve by a final score of 2-0.

Nonetheless, it was an impressive outing for Holobetz, who threw 74 pitches (54 strikes) and generated 14 whiffs, tied for the third-most at the Double-A level on Saturday. He is now 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 23-to-5 through his first three starts (16 innings) of the 2026 season for Portland. Opponents are batting just .113 against him thus far.

Among 31 qualified Eastern League pitchers in the early going this year, Holobetz ranks second in ERA and strikeout rate (39.7%), third in batting average against, FIP (2.85), line-drive rate (10.3%), and WHIP, fourth in xFIP (3.20), fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.94), seventh in groundball rate (51.7%), 10th in swinging-strike rate (14.2%), 12th in walks per nine innings (2.81), and 15th in walk rate (8.6%), per FanGraphs.

A former fifth-round draft pick of the Brewers out of Old Dominion in 2024, Holobetz was acquired by the Red Sox last May as the player to be named later from the Quinn Priester trade a month prior. The Pennsylvania native spent three months at High-A Greenville before rounding out his first full professional season with Portland. He opened the 2026 campaign ranked as Boston’s No. 14 prospect by all three of Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and SoxProspects.com.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Holobetz features a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96-97 mph, an 83-87 mph slider, a 79-82 mph curveball, and an 84-87 mph changeup. As noted in his MLB Pipeline scouting report, Holobetz “uses his athleticism to get down the mound very well, creating extension and a lower release height in addition to significant carry and armside run, making his heater difficult to barrel.”

Given his stellar start to the season, it would not be surprising if Holobetz — who turns 24 in July — emerges as a candidate for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future. He is not alone in that regard, as left-handers Hayden Mullins and Eduardo Rivera have also opened eyes in Portland this month by piling up strikeouts at an exceptional rate.

(Picture of John Holobetz: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox top prospect Franklin Arias stays hot, homers in second straight game

Top Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias continued his scorching hot start to the season in Double-A Portland’s 8-6 win over Altoona on Wednesday night.

Arias, starting at shortstop and leading off for the Sea Dogs at Altoona’s Peoples Natural Gas Field, went 2-for-3 with his second home run in as many nights, one RBI, four runs scored, one stolen base, and two walks. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old opened the game with a homer to left-center field, singled and scored a run in the third, walked and stole a base in the fourth, drew a 10-pitch walk and scored again in the sixth, and reached on a throwing error before scoring once more in the eighth.

After not recording an out on Wednesday, Arias is now 13-for-24 (.542) with two doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, four walks, and two strikeouts through his first eight games of the young season for Portland. Defensively, the sure-handed 5-foot-11, 180-pound middle infielder has committed just one error in six starts (25 chances) at shortstop. He has also made one start at DH.

Originally signed for $525,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2023, Arias is widely regarded as the top position-playing prospect in Boston’s farm system following last year’s graduations of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell. Baseball America has the Caracas native ranked as the No. 46 prospect in the sport, while MLB Pipeline is even higher on him, placing him at No. 26 on its top 100 list.

Following a solid professional debut in the 2023 Dominican Summer League, Arias took home MVP, Top Prospect, and All-Star honors in the 2024 Florida Complex League before arriving at Low-A Salem that July. He returned there for the start of the 2025 campaign, was promoted to High-A Greenville after 19 games, and then reached Portland as a teenager for a 10-game cameo in September.

After bulking up over the winter and getting some positive exposure in spring training, Arias — who does not turn 21 until November — opened the season with Portland as the youngest player in the Eastern League. If he continues to develop his power and maintains this level of performance, he could be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the not-too-distant future. He previously stated that his goal for 2026 was to “make it to the big leagues,” so a move to Triple-A would represent a logical next step.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera cracks Baseball America’s top 100 rankings

Coming off a dominant outing for High-A Greenville last week, Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera has entered Baseball America’s top 100 list for the very first time.

Valera was one of three new additions to Baseball America’s top 100 rankings on Monday, coming in at No. 100. The 19-year-old right-hander now joins fellow Red Sox prospects Payton Tolle (No. 11), Connelly Early (No. 33), Franklin Arias (No. 46), and Kyson Witherspoon (No. 66) on the esteemed list.

Valera’s inclusion in the top 100 should come as little surprise given his strong start to the season. As part of Greenville’s 2-0 shutout victory on the road against Hub City last Thursday, the hard-throwing righty scattered just two hits (both singles) and one walk while striking out a career-high of nine over five scoreless innings. He featured a fastball that topped out at 101.7 mph and threw 56 pitches (39 strikes) in total, generating 15 whiffs.

Through his first two starts of the year for Greenville, Valera has allowed two earned runs on four hits (one home run), three walks, and 16 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. That is a 2.16 ERA. Among 28 qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League entering play Tuesday, Valera ranked first in strikeouts per nine innings (17.28), second in strikeout rate (52%), third in swinging-strike rate (21.2%), fourth in xFIP (1.57), and seventh in batting average against (.143) and FIP (0.32), per FanGraphs.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Valera originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. Following a so-so professional debut in the 2023 Dominican Summer League, he burst onto the scene in 2024 by earning All-Star honors in the Florida Complex League and reaching Low-A Salem. He was rewarded with an aggressive season-opening assignment to Greenville last spring but was limited to just 10 starts (38 innings) due to elbow soreness in 2025.

Now healthy, Valera is evidently getting back on track in 2026. In addition to an upper-90s fastball that regularly reaches triple digits, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound hurler mixes in an 88-92 mph slider, an 86-88 mph sweeper, and a 91-94 mph changeup.

“He’s a monster physically,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Valera when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “He’s done a lot of work on his secondary pitches, but when you’re sitting 96 in your sides, that’s encouraging. And he can run it up.”

If Valera, who turns 20 next month, continues to build on this encouraging start to his season, it would not be surprising to see him climb Baseball America’s top 100 list and receive a promotion to Double-A Portland before long.

(Picture of Juan Valera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Devin Futrell named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Devin Futrell has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 6-12, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Futrell was nearly perfect in his first start (second appearance) of the young season in Low-A Salem’s series finale against Wilson on Sunday. The 23-year-old left-hander allowed just one walk and struck out four over five scoreless, no-hit innings.

After issuing a leadoff walk to begin his afternoon, Futrell retired the final 15 batters he faced and needed all of 52 pitches (33 strikes) to get through five efficient frames. He generated eight whiffs and improved to 2-0 as the RidgeYaks routed the Warbirds, 16-3, at Salem’s Carilion Clinic Field.

Through his first two outings of the season for Salem, Futrell has yielded just one hit and two walks while striking out 10 of the 30 batters he has faced over nine innings of work. Among 31 qualified pitchers in the Carolina League, Futrell leads in both batting average against (.036) and WHIP (0.33). He also ranks ninth in swinging-strike rate (16.5%) and 10th in FIP (2.30), per FanGraphs.

A former 10th-round draft pick (297th overall) out of Vanderbilt who signed for an over-slot $250,000 in 2024, Futrell is not currently ranked among Boston’s top pitching prospects. The Florida native spent most of his first full professional season with Salem before receiving a promotion last August to High-A Greenville, where he posted a 1.09 ERA over five starts spanning 24 2/3 innings.

Despite the strong results there, Futrell did not break camp with Greenville this spring after being knocked down the pitching depth chart by 2025 draftees Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson. Instead, he has returned to Salem and has evidently not skipped a beat. In fact, it is fair to wonder if he is even being challenged at the level he is at right now.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 218 pounds, Futrell operates with a four-pitch mix that includes an upper-80s fastball that has reached the lower-90s, a 76-78 mph changeup, a 74-77 mph curveball, and a 79-83 mph changeup. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lefty lacks velocity but makes up for it with pitchability.

Futrell, who turns 24 in September, is undoubtedly gunning for a tougher assignment in the form of a return to Greenville. If one of Witherspoon, Phillips, or Eyanson — or perhaps even hard-throwing righty Juan Valera — were to move up to Double-A Portland in the coming weeks, Futrell would be an obvious candidate to take their place in the Drive’s starting rotation.

UPDATE: Futrell has indeed been promoted to Greenville, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker.

(Picture of Devin Futrell courtesy of the Salem RidgeYaks)

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the week of March 31-April 5, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Tibbs, now a member of the Dodgers organization, had a monster week for Triple-A Oklahoma City in its series against Las Vegas. Appearing in all six games, the left-handed hitting 23-year-old went 10-for-25 (.400) with one double, five home runs, five RBIs, nine runs scored, four walks, and seven strikeouts. He doubled and homered on Tuesday, recorded two more hits on Wednesday, homered again on Thursday, singled and scored one run on Friday, went deep three times on Saturday, and drew one walk on Sunday.

Even after going hitless in Sunday’s series finale, Tibbs is still slashing a ridiculous .474/.535/1.184 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 13 RBIs, 15 runs scored, five walks, and nine strikeouts through nine games (43 plate appearances) for Oklahoma City to begin the season. That includes a .500/.563/1.357 line against lefties and a .458/.519/1.083 line against righties, albeit in a limited sample.

Among those who have made at least 40 trips to the plate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League early on in 2026, Tibbs ranks first in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS (1.719), isolated power (.711), wOBA (.716), and wRC+ (336), second in on-base percentage, and seventh in line-drive rate (24.1%), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Tibbs has made seven starts in right field and two starts at first base for Oklahoma City thus far. At the former, the 5-foot-11, 201-pounder has recorded one assist and committed one error in 12 chances. At the latter, he has yet to commit an error across 18 defensive innings.

Needless to say, Tibbs is on quite a heater to begin his second full professional season. A lot has happened since the Georgia native was selected by the Giants with the 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Florida State. Despite his first-round pedigree, Tibbs was traded to the Red Sox as part of last June’s Rafael Devers blockbuster. Then, after just six-plus weeks in Boston’s system, he was dealt again, this time to the Dodgers alongside fellow outfielder Zach Ehrhard for starter Dustin May on July 31.

While the Red Sox did not get much in the way of production from May, who struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 28 1/3 innings before being shut down with right elbow neuritis in September and leaving for the Cardinals via free agency in December, the Dodgers have to be pleased with what they have seen from Tibbs.

After taking part in his first major league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring, Tibbs opened the 2026 season ranked as Los Angeles’ No. 26 prospect by Baseball America. Even if not entirely sustainable, this strong start at Triple-A should help him climb the rankings and has put him firmly in position for a potential big league debut if the need arises for an otherwise loaded Dodgers team.

(Picture of James Tibbs III: Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Who did Red Sox send to Cardinals to complete Sonny Gray trade?

In late November, the Red Sox made their first of two significant offseason trades with the Cardinals, acquiring veteran starter Sonny Gray and cash considerations for right-hander Richard Fitts, left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke, and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

On Monday, Boston completed the deal by sending minor league righty Patrick Galle to St. Louis, per announcements from both clubs. Galle will report to the Cardinals’ Low-A affiliate in Palm Beach, Fla.

Galle, who turned 22 on Sunday, gets a belated birthday present in the form of a new organization. The Mississippi native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round (508th overall) of last year’s draft out of Ole Miss. He received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus.

Following a solid summer (1.04 ERA in 8 2/3 innings) with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League, Galle made his professional debut for Low-A Salem last August. He appeared in three games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate to end his 2025 season and then returned to the rebranded RidgeYaks to open the 2026 campaign. Altogether, he owns a 4.91 ERA with seven walks to four strikeouts through the first four relief outings (7 1/3 innings) of his pro career.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Galle operates with a 95-97 mph fastball that has reached 99 mph, an 89-93 mph cutter, and an 85-88 mph slider. SoxProspects.com, which did not have him ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects, describes him as a “pure relief prospect with intriguing fastball velocity” who “needs to throw more strikes to be successful in pro ball.”

While sending Galle to the Cardinals completes the Gray deal, the Red Sox still have unfinished business involving players to be named later. They are due to send two players and receive one from the White Sox to finalize the February trade that sent righties Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to Chicago.

(Picture of Sonny Gray: Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

Red Sox get Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez back from White Sox

Three days after getting 2024 Rule 5 Draft pick Angel Bastardo back from the Blue Jays, the Red Sox got 2025 Rule 5 Draft pick Jedixson Paez back from the White Sox on Saturday.

Unlike Bastardo with the Blue Jays, Paez made the White Sox’ Opening Day roster out of spring training last month despite allowing eight earned runs in 11 1/3 Cactus League innings. As a member of Chicago’s bullpen to open the 2026 season, however, the 22-year-old right-hander surrendered six earned runs on four hits (two of which were homers), three walks, and no strikeouts in his first three big league outings (three innings) before being designated for assignment on Wednesday.

Upon clearing waivers, Paez was offered back to the Red Sox for $50,000 and was officially returned by the White Sox on Saturday. He does not need to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster and is expected to join Double-A Portland, likely as a member of the Sea Dogs’ starting rotation, in the coming days.

That Paez struggled in his first taste of big league action is not necessarily surprising considering his lack of upper-minors experience. Before being selected with the second overall pick in December’s Rule 5 Draft and making his major league debut in Milwaukee on March 26, the young righty had never pitched above the High-A level. That presumably played a role in the Red Sox’ decision to leave him off the 40-man roster after last season ended.

Even with that in mind, the White Sox took a chance on a high-upside arm by paying the Red Sox $100,000 for Paez’s services. It evidently did not work out, as Chicago was unable to keep Paez on its active roster for at least 90 days. As such, Paez is back with the organization he originally signed with for $450,000 as an international free agent in July 2021.

A native of Venezuela, Paez was Boston’s 2021 Latin Program Pitcher of the Year following a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. He spent all of 2022 in the Florida Complex League and parts of the next two seasons with Low-A Salem before first reaching High-A Greenville in May 2024.

Paez returned to Greenville for the start of the 2025 campaign but was sidelined for more than three months (late April until mid-August) due to a severe right calf strain. When on the mound for the Drive, the 6-foot-1 hurler posted a 2.79 ERA with 23 strikeouts to just three walks over seven starts (19 1/3 innings) in which opponents batted .228 against him. He was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 21 prospect before briefly taking his talents to Chicago.

Lauded for his advanced feel of command and control, as evidenced by a career 3.9 walk rate in 307 2/3 minor league innings, Paez featured a five-pitch mix in his first big league stint. He averaged 91.9 mph and reached 93.4 mph with his four-seam fastball while also mixing in a changeup, cutter, sinker, and curveball, per Baseball Savant.

Like Bastardo, Paez — who does not turn 23 until next January — figures to strengthen Boston’s upper-minors pitching depth moving forward.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Red Sox get Rule 5 pick Angel Bastardo back from Blue Jays

The Red Sox got former Rule 5 Draft pick Angel Bastardo back from the Blue Jays on Wednesday, per announcements from both clubs. The 23-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment last week after failing to make Toronto’s Opening Day roster and was offered back to Boston for $50,000 upon clearing waivers.

Bastardo was left off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster at the conclusion of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery that June. That decision made him available to other clubs in that winter’s Rule 5 Draft, and the Blue Jays plucked him with the sixth overall pick (and paid Boston $100,000), knowing full well that he would be sidelined for the foreseeable future while rehabbing.

Upon switching organizations for the first time in his professional career, Bastardo spent all of 2025 on Toronto’s 60-day injured list as he continued to rehab. While he accrued a year’s worth of big league pay and service time, he was still bound by Rule 5 restrictions and therefore needed to spend at least 90 days on the Blue Jays’ active roster heading into 2026.

In his return to the mound this spring, Bastardo showed some signs of rust after a long layoff, allowing four earned runs on five hits, seven walks, and five strikeouts over 7 2/3 Grapefruit League innings (all out of the bullpen). Stuff-wise, the 6-foot-1 righty featured a mid-90s fastball that topped out at 97-98 mph and complemented it with a changeup, slider, and curveball.

Despite the intriguing arsenal, the Blue Jays determined they would be unable to carry Bastardo on their roster to open the season and elected to designate him for assignment when finalizing things last Wednesday. Another team could have claimed him off waivers or traded for him, but they would have been subject to the same Rule 5 stipulations and likely decided against it because of that.

With that being said, the Red Sox do not need to commit a 40-man roster spot to Bastardo, who returns to the organization he originally signed with for $35,000 as an international free agent in July 2018. The native Venezuelan reached the upper-minors for the first time in 2023 and returned to Double-A Portland out of camp in 2024. He posted a 5.36 ERA with 53 strikeouts to 21 walks in 10 starts (45 1/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs before blowing out his elbow and going under the knife that June. At that time, he was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 27 prospect.

Bastardo, who turns 24 in June, will now report to Fort Myers for extended spring training before any next steps are determined, according to a team source. From there, he will presumably join one of Boston’s upper-level affiliates (like Portland or perhaps even Triple-A Worcester) in the weeks ahead.

In related news, fellow Venezuelan right-hander Jedixson Paez, who was selected by the White Sox in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, was designated for assignment on Wednesday. Paez made Chicago’s Opening Day roster out of spring training but — having never pitched above the High-A level — surrendered six earned runs in three relief outings spanning three innings for the South Siders.

Paez could be claimed off waivers or acquired via trade by another team within the next week. If not, like Bastardo, the 22-year-old might soon find himself back within the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)