The Red Sox signed free agent right-hander Aaron Nixon to a minor league contract on Tuesday. He has been assigned to High-A Greenville.
Nixon, 25, joins the Red Sox organization after spending three-plus years in the Yankees system. The native Texan, who began his collegiate career at Texas, originally signed with New York as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in July 2023. He made his professional debut the following April and spent the entire 2024 season with Low-A Tampa, posting a 5.40 ERA with 63 strikeouts to 48 walks across 39 relief appearances spanning 61 2/3 innings.
After spending all of 2025 on the full-season injured list while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Nixon made the jump to High-A Hudson Valley in 2026. In 16 relief appearances for the Renegades, the righty produced a 5.94 ERA with 16 strikeouts to 11 walks in 16 2/3 innings. He had fared better of late, allowing just one earned run over his last eight innings since June 23, but was still released in early August.
Altogether, Nixon owns a 5.51 ERA with 79 strikeouts to 59 walks in 55 career minor league relief outings (78 1/3 innings) across two seasons (2024 and 2026) between Low-A and High-A. Opposing hitters have slashed .222/.395/.368 in 366 plate appearances against him during that stretch.
Listed at 6-foot and 210 pounds, Nixon features a low-to-mid 90s fastball as well as a sinker and slider. He has also generated plenty of weak contact, owning a career 57.5% groundball rate. His 58.8% groundball rate this season ranks fourth among pitchers who have thrown at least 15 innings in the South Atlantic League, according to FanGraphs.
Nixon, who turned 25 last month, will remain in the South Atlantic League after joining Greenville’s pitching staff. He will likely make his Red Sox organizational debut in the Drive’s road series against Hub City this week.
(Picture of Aaron Nixon: Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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