Author: Brendan Campbell

Blogging about the Boston Red Sox since April '17. Also support Tottenham Hotspur.

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Connor Seabold signs with KBO’s Samsung Lions

For the second time this week, a former Red Sox pitcher elected to take his talents overseas for the 2024 season by signing with a team in the Korea Baseball Organization.

Just days after left-hander Kyle Hart joined the NC Dinos, the Samsung Lions announced on Friday that they signed right-hander Connor Seabold to a one-year contract. The deal comes with $900,000 in guaranteed money and an additional $100,000 in possible incentives.

Seabold, who turns 28 next month, spent the better part of four seasons in the Red Sox organization after coming over from the Phillies alongside fellow righty Nick Pivetta in the August 2020 trade that sent relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree back to Philadelphia.

Added to the 40-man roster later that year, Seabold was regarded as one of Boston’s top pitching prospects and rotational depth options entering the 2021 season. The former third-round draft selection out of Cal State Fullerton debuted for the Red Sox that September, allowing two runs over three innings as part of a 9-8 win over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Seabold did not see any additional big-league action again until last June. He made three starts into the early summer before being sidelined with a right forearm extensor strain and optioned to Triple-A Worcester upon activation from the 15-day injured list in late July. He returned to the Red Sox’ rotation nearly two months later and surrendered nine runs (eight earned) in his final two outings (seven innings) of the year.

Carrying with him a 10.55 ERA in 21 1/3 innings in the majors, Seabold was designated for assignment by the Red Sox in January to accommodate the addition of veteran starter Corey Kluber. Five days after being removed from Boston’s 40-man roster, Seabold was traded to the Rockies for cash considerations.

In 27 appearances (13 starts) for Colorado this past season, Seabold struggled to a 7.52 ERA and 5.75 FIP with 67 strikeouts to 28 walks over 87 1/3 innings. Interestingly enough, one of his better performances of the year came against the Red Sox on June 12, when he struck out a season-high of six and walked only one across six frames of one-run ball at Fenway Park.

Ahead of the Rule 5 Draft earlier this month, the Rockies released Seabold to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for right-hander Anthony Molina, whom they plucked from the Rays. It remains to be seen if Seabold had drawn interest on the open market from other big-league clubs in the weeks since he was cut loose by Colorado, but the California native ultimately opted to go abroad to South Korea.

All told, Seabold owns a lifetime 8.12 ERA (5.96 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 38 walks in 33 total appearances (19 starts) spanning 108 2/3 innings for his career at the major-league level. At the Triple-A level, he has produced a far more respectable 4.13 ERA with 177 strikeouts to 46 walks over 38 starts (172 inning) from 2021-2023.

Though a myriad of elbow and forearm injuries have all but hindered the likelihood of him being as a frontline starter in the big-leagues, Seabold could very well leverage his performance overseas into another opportunity with an MLB team at some point down the line.

In the more immediate future, Seabold joins infielder David MacKinnon as two of the three foreign players the Lions — and all KBO teams — are allowed to carry on their respective rosters. According to Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the Daegu-based club is in talks to bring back righty David Buchanan, which would round out their foreign-born contingent heading into the 2024 season.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox catching prospect Ronaldo Hernández agrees to minor-league deal with Diamondbacks

Former Red Sox catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

Hernandez, 26, spent the last three seasons in the Red Sox organization after originally being acquired from the Rays alongside minor-league infielder Nick Sogard in the February 2021 trade that sent pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs back to Tampa Bay.

At that time, Hernandez was viewed as one of the top catching prospects in baseball. The native Colombian had already been added to the Rays’ 40-man roster in 2019 and maintained that status going into his first spring training with the Sox. He opened the 2021 campaign at Double-A Portland and posted an .825 OPS in 92 games there before earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in late September.

Hernandez spent the entirety of the 2022 season with Worcester as well, batting .261/.298/.451 with 27 doubles, 17 home runs, 63 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 21 walks, and 92 strikeouts over 105 games (437 plate appearances) for the WooSox. The right-handed hitter was called up by Boston on two separate occasions last year (once in April and again in August) but never got into a game, so he has yet to officially make his major-league debut.

The Red Sox removed Hernandez from their 40-man roster last December and subsequently outrighted him to the minor-leagues once he cleared waivers. He received an invite to big-league spring training, but was never really in consideration for a call-up this past season. Instead, he slashed .242/.336/.445 with 17 doubles, 17 homers, 70 RBIs, 49 runs scored, two stolen bases, 41 walks, and 69 strikeouts in 99 games (393 plate appearances) for Worcester while splitting time between catcher and designated hitter.

Hernandez, who became a free agent after hitting the open market last month, peaked as the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s farm system, according to SoxProspects.com’s rankings history. He carries with him a lifetime slash line of .279/.333/.461 with 91 home runs and 409 RBIs in 636 career minor-league games (2,616 plate appearances) dating back to 2015. At the Triple-A level specifically, Hernandez has batted .255/.319/.448 with 34 homers and 138 runs driven in across 211 games spanning 860 trips to the plate.

While defense has never been a strong suit for Hernandez, the 6-foot-1, 248-pound backstop should be able to provide the Diamondbacks with some bat-first catching depth in the upper-minors behind the likes of standout Gabriel Moreno and Jose Herrera (both of whom are currently on Arizona’s 40-man roster) heading into the 2024 season.

In the meantime, Hernandez has been playing winter ball for the Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Winter League. Coming into play on Wednesday, he has hit .245/.333/.283 with two doubles and three RBIs in 17 games (60 plate appearances) with the San Francisco de Macorís-based club.

(Picture of Ronaldo Hernandez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox lefty Kyle Hart signs with KBO’s NC Dinos

Former Red Sox left-hander Kyle Hart will be taking his talents overseas in 2024 after signing a one-year deal with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization on Tuesday. According to a team release, the contract includes a signing bonus of $200,000, a base salary of $500,000, and up to $200,000 in possible incentives.

Hart, 31, broke in with the Red Sox during the COVID-shortened 2020 season after originally being selected by the club in the 19th round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Indiana. The former Hoosier appeared in just four games — three of which were starts — but struggled mightily, allowing 21 runs (19 earned) on 10 walks and 13 strikeouts over 11 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted .429 against him and he ended the year on the injured list with a left hip impingement.

Boston removed Hart from its 40-man roster that November and subsequently outrighted him to the minor-leagues after he cleared waivers. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefty served as organizational depth for the next two seasons, spending all of 2021 with Triple-A Worcester and splitting 2022 between Worcester and Double-A Portland, before reaching minor-league free agency last fall.

Before the start of spring training this year, Hart inked a minors pact with the Phillies, reuniting him — to some degree — with former Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi. Hart, however, appeared in just one game for Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate in April and was released by the club shortly thereafter. He latched on with the Mariners in June and spent the rest of the 2023 campaign with Triple-A Tacoma, pitching to a 4.58 ERA with 85 strikeouts to 35 walks in 18 starts (88 1/3 innings) for the Rainiers.

It is unclear if other affiliated clubs had interest in bringing in Hart on a minor-league contract this winter, but the Ohio native has nonetheless elected to go abroad to South Korea. With the Dinos, who are based in Changwon, Hart will join fellow southpaw and recent signee Daniel Castano as the club’s two foreign-born pitchers to open the 2024 season.

(Picture of Kyle Hart: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox catching prospect Kole Cottam looking to get back into affiliated ball after strong season in Atlantic League

After a strong debut season in the independent Atlantic League, former Red Sox catching prospect Kole Cottam is looking to return to affiliated ball in 2024.

Cottam, a former fourth-round draft selection of the Red Sox coming out of Kentucky in 2018, asked for and was granted his release from the organization back in March. It was a difficult decision to make, but as the 26-year-old explained to Andrew Parker and Ed Hand on a recent episode of Beyond the Monster’s To The Show We Go Podcast, it allowed him to spend more time with his wife and newborn daughter as he explored the open market.

In search of a better opportunity elsewhere, Cottam ultimately signed with the Spire City Ghost Hounds, a newly-created ALPB club based in Frederick, Md., on March 20. The right-handed hitter got the chance to play everyday this season and made the most of it, batting a stout .290/.375/.578 with 24 doubles, 30 home runs, 75 RBIs, 65 runs scored, three stolen bases, 49 walks, and 90 strikeouts across 113 games spanning 455 plate appearances.

Playing alongside former big-leaguers such as Starlin Castro, Jimmy Paredes, Raudy Read, Jose Marmolejos, Moises Sierra, and Chris Shaw, Cottam was named a 2023 Atlantic League Postseason All-Star. He finished in a two-way tie for the third-most homers in the league and also posted the second-highest slugging percentage.

Defensively, Cottam made a team-leading 75 starts at catcher for Spire City this season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder logged 635 2/3 innings behind the plate and threw out 30 of 119 potential base stealers while allowing six passed ball. He also started 18 games at first base, where he committed only two errors in 139 total chances.

Shortly after the 2023 ALPB regular season drew to a close, the Ghost Hounds announced in late September that they would be taking a one-year hiatus in 2024. The decision allows the Atlantic League, which is welcoming a new club based out of Hagerstown, Md. to its lineup in the spring, to maintain an even number of teams (10) for scheduling purposes next season.

Even though the owners of the Ghost Hounds said in that same announcement that they expected to return to action in 2025, the ALPB still held a dispersal draft in November for players whose rights were previously held by Spire City. Cottam surely would have been part of that process based on the success he enjoyed this year, but his rights were actually traded to the Long Island Ducks in October.

In a recent exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com, Cottam explained that he, like any other player who finished the season in the ALPB, is free to sign with an MLB (or any professional) team of his choosing right now. As such, the native Tennessean took to social media last month and posted a 47-second highlight reel featuring his best plays on both sides of the ball this year.

As of now, it remains to be seen how much interest Cottam is garnering from big-league clubs in minor-league free agency. The 2021 Arizona Fall League All-Star made it as far as Triple-A Worcester in his final season with the Red Sox and would provide his new organization with experienced catching depth.

That is an obvious area of need for all 30 teams, so one would have to assume that Cottam has a shot at landing a minor-league deal this winter. If things go in a different direction, however, and Cottam wants to play in the Atlantic League again next year, he would be in line do so for the Ducks since they currently own his rights.

(Picture of Kole Cottam: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Olympian Jamie Westbrook to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent utilityman Jamie Westbrook to a minor-league contract, the club announced earlier Monday evening. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

Westbrook, 28, spent the 2023 season with the Yankees organization after inking a similar minors pact with the club last December. In 117 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the versatile right-handed hitter batted .294/.400/.496 with 20 doubles, 21 home runs, 65 RBIs, 70 runs scored, six stolen bases, a team-leading 67 walks, and 81 strikeouts over 496 plate appearances.

A native of Arizona, Westbrook was originally selected by his hometown Diamondbacks in the fifth round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Basha High School in Chandler. He forwent his commitment to Pepperdine by signing with Arizona for $450,000 and made it as far as Triple-A Reno before reaching minor-league free agency at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.

Shortly thereafter, Westbrook latched on with the Giants but was released before the COVID-shortened 2020 season even began. With the pandemic putting a halt to Minor League Baseball, Westbrook instead spent the rest of his 2020 playing for the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths of the independent Constellation Energy League in Texas. He leveraged his performance there into a minors pact with the Brewers.

As part of an eventful 2021 season, Westbrook helped the United States win a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, where he was teammates with — among others — Triston Casas. Stateside, Westbrook spent most of the year with Milwaukee’s top affiliate in Nashville. He remained with the Brewers through the winter before being traded to the Tigers for cash considerations last April. With the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate) in 2022, he posted a .726 OPS in 120 games.

All told, Westbrook is a lifetime .279/.345/.434 hitter with 216 doubles, 28 triples, 120 home runs, 564 RBIs, 608 runs scored, 51 stolen bases, 352 walks, and 682 strikeouts in 1,110 career minor-league games (4,559 plate appearances). That includes a career .283/.376/.460 slash line with 50 homers and 184 runs driven in over 347 total games (1,431 plate appearances) at the Triple-A level.

On the other side of the ball, Westbrook is listed as an outfielder but has past experience in the outfield as well. With Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this past season, the 5-foot-7, 193-pounder logged 602 innings at second base, 308 2/3 innings at third base, and 18 innings in left field. For his minor-league career, he has made at least one start at every position besides center field, pitcher, and catcher.

To that end, Westbrook — who does not turn 29 until June — figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced depth all over the field at Triple-A Worcester next year. He has yet to make his major-league debut, but will be looking to do so with Boston in 2024.

In addition to Westbrook, the Red Sox invited six other non-roster players to spring training on Monday in left-handers Helcris Olivarez, Jorge Benitez, and Cam Booser, right-hander Frank German, outfielder Mark Contreras, and infielder/outfielder Eddy Alvarez.

Benitez and Olivarez both signed minor-league contracts with Boston last month after spending the 2023 season with the Mariners and Rockies organizations, respectively. Booser, who made 48 relief appearances for the WooSox this year, re-signed with the Red Sox on a minors pact in late October while German, who debuted for Boston last September, returned to the organization over the summer after brief stints with the White Sox and Reds.

Contreras, as was previously reported, signed a minor-league deal with the Sox in November after spending the first sevens of his professional career in the Twins organization. Alvarez, another member of Team USA’s 2021 Olympic team, initially signed a minors pact with Boston in July after being let go by the Brewers. Just five innings into his first game with the WooSox on July 26, though, Alvarez suffered a fractured foot while running the bases and missed the rest of the season as a result.

Of the seven players the Red Sox invited to spring training on Monday, three (Alvarez, Contreras, and German) have prior big-league experience. Of course, the club will likely add more non-roster invitees to their spring training roster before camp opens in February.

(Picture of Jamie Westbrook: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Marvin Alcantara ‘carries himself confidently in the field,’ has everyday shortstop potential

Red Sox infield prospect Marvin Alcantara made a positive first impression this season while transitioning to professional baseball in the United States.

Alcantara, who signed with Boston for just $30,000 as an international free agent coming out Venezuela two years ago next month, enjoyed a strong pro debut in the Dominican Summer League last year. The La Victoria native batted .302/.406/.397 with 15 doubles, one home run, 29 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 29 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 53 games (224 plate appearances) for the DSL Red Sox Blue.

On the heels of that performance, Alcantara came into the 2023 season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 31 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter made his stateside debut as an 18-year-old in the rookie-level Florida Complex League this past June and slashed .240/.347/.307 with seven doubles, one homer, 21 runs driven in, 26 runs scored, six stolen bases, 23 walks, and 35 strikeouts over 40 games (176 plate appearances). He then received a promotion to Low-A Salem in early August.

Alcantara’s first taste of full-season ball did not go too well out of the gate. He tallied just two hits (including a double) in his first nine games with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate before turning things around and going 13-for-45 (.289) with one home run, three RBIs, seven runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and 13 strikeouts in his final 12 games to end the year on a more encouraging note.

Altogether, Alcantara posted a .228/.324/.290 slash line in 61 games (259 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem Red Sox this past season. While a combined OPS of .615 at the lower levels of the minor-leagues is far from head-turning, Alcantara did draw rave reviews for his defense. The 5-foot-10, 157-pounder split time between shortstop (his primary position) and second base at both stops, logging 377 2/3 innings at the former and 120 innings at the latter. He committed 10 errors in 243 total opportunities (translates to a .959 fielding percentage) and turned 34 double plays.

According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Alcantara is a “fluid defender at shortstop” who has a “quick first step.” He “moves well laterally and is comfortable charging the ball.” With soft hands, he is quick in “transferring the ball from his glove to his throwing hand.” He “carries himself confidently in the field” and — as previously mentioned — is capable of playing both middle infield positions well.

Earlier this summer, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen described Alcantara as “a potential everyday shortstop with very advanced feel to hit and a projectable frame.” Alcantara, per Longenhagen, “tracks pitches with laser-guided precision and moves his barrel all over the zone. It’s especially beautiful when he tucks his hands in and puts the barrel on inner-third pitches, à la Justin Turner. He has the power to spray doubles into the gaps right now and should add strength as his frame fills out.”

Considering that he only turned 19 last month, Alcantara still has room to grow both physically and developmentally. To that end, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall tweeted back in August that Alcantara could have the chance to “move up quickly” next year if he progresses physically this offseason. For now, Alcantara is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in the organization.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter, Alcantara is projected to return to Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season in April.

(Picture of Marvin Alcantara: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox acquire two-time Gold Glove winner Tyler O’Neill from Cardinals

The Red Sox have acquired two-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the Cardinals in exchange for right-handers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos, the club announced earlier Friday evening.

O’Neill, 28, was limited to just 72 games with the Cardinals this past season after spending time on the 60-day injured list with a lower back strain and the 10-day injured list with a right foot sprain. When healthy, the right-handed hitter batted .231/.312/.403 with 14 doubles, nine home runs, 21 RBIs, 27 runs scored, five stolen bases, 28 walks, and 67 strikeouts over 266 plate appearances.

As a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, O’Neill carries with him an impressive defensive pedigree. While he has experience at all three outfield spots, the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder saw the majority of his playing time this year come in left, where he recorded five assists and one defensive runs saved over 441 2/3 innings. He also logged 93 innings in center but did grade as well there.

A native Canadian who represented his country in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, O’Neill was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Garibaldi Secondary School in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The one-time Oregon State commit established himself as one of the top prospects in Seattle’s farm system before being traded to St. Louis for left-hander Marco Gonzales in July 2017. He then broke in with the Cardinals the following April.

Since debuting for St. Louis at the onset of the 2018 season, O’Neill has shown flashes of his potential but has simultaneously struggled to stay on the field. After being limited to 61 games in 2018 and 60 games in 2019, O’Neill appeared in 50 of 60 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and took home his first of two straight Gold Gloves. In 2021, he broke out to the tune of a .286/.352/.560 slash line with a career-high 34 home runs and 80 RBIs over a career-high 138 games played, which netted him an eighth-place finish in National League MVP Award voting.

Unfortunately, O’Neill has not been able to build off the success he enjoyed in 2021. Last year, he posted a .700 OPS in 96 games while missing time with a right shoulder impingement and a left hamstring strain. To go along with additional injury trouble this year, he was called out by Cardinals manager Oli Marmol in early April for a perceived lack of hustle on the base paths. O’Neill pushed back on that notion, but it appears as though that marked the beginning of the end as far as his time in St. Louis was concerned.

All told, O’Neill is a lifetime .248/.318/.458 hitter with 67 doubles, three triples, 78 home runs, 217 RBIs, 239 runs scored, 40 stolen bases, 136 walks, and 491 strikeouts in 477 career games (1,636 plate appearances) at the major-league level. He has accrued 24 defensive runs saved over 2,856 2/3 career innings in left field, negative-two defensive runs saved over 303 2/3 career innings in center, and two defensive runs saved over 151 2/3 career innings in right.

O’Neill, who turns 29 in June, can become eligible for free agency after the 2024 season and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $5.5 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. The Red Sox believe O’Neill is capable of playing all over the outfield, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. More importantly, he hits from the right side of the plate, which is a quality chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. have been in search of this winter given the club’s abundance of left-handed hitting outfielders (Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Masataka Yoshida) even after trading away Alex Verdugo earlier this week.

Whether O’Neill emerges as a regular in Alex Cora’s lineup or is used as more of a platoon option will likely depend on how the rest of the offseason plays out for Boston. Regardless, O’Neill — who possesses plus arm strength and speed — joins an outfield mix that currently includes the aforementioned Abreu, Duran, and Yoshida as well the right-handed hitting Ceddanne Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder.

As for who the Red Sox parted ways with in this deal, Robertson was one of two pitchers Boston had acquired from the Dodgers for Enrique Hernandez back in late July. After debuting for Los Angeles the month prior, the 25-year-old righty appeared in nine games for the Sox and flashed intriguing stuff in spite of allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 12 innings of work. He has two minor-league options remaining.

Santos, meanwhile, did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate in 2023 due to an elbow injury but has since returned to action in the Dominican Summer League. Entering play on Friday, the 23-year-old righty has pitched to a 2.96 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 23 strikeouts to six walks in seven outings (five starts) spanning 27 1/3 innings for the Leones del Escogido. He can become eligible for minor-league free agency at the end of the 2024 season.

Following Friday’s trade, the Red Sox now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.

(Picture of Tyler O’Neill: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Red Sox lose versatile prospect with intriguing profile to Cardinals in minor-league phase of Rule 5 Draft

Of the three position players the Red Sox lost in the minor-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft, Johnfrank Salazar — who was scooped up by the Cardinals — may have the highest ceiling.

Salazar originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in August 2019. The Barcelona native came into the 2023 season ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 37 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Despite making his way to Low-A Salem last year, Salazar began his season in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. That likely had something to do with the fact that the Red Sox were working on converting the 20-year-old infielder into a catcher.

Having already faced FCL competition in 2022, Salazar unsurprisingly batted a stout .374/.408/.593 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and 12 strikeouts in 25 games (103 plate appearances) for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate. The right-handed hitter then earned another promotion to Salem in late July and slashed .228/.307/.374 with three doubles, five homers, 17 runs driven in, 13 runs scored, 14 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 34 games (137 plate appearances) for the Red Sox.

While a .681 OPS is certainly far from eye-opening, Salazar was at least able to end the 2023 campaign on a strong note by batting .304/.385/.464 with two doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs, seven runs scored, nine walks, and 12 strikeouts in his final 18 games (78 plate appearances) of the year.

Among the 171 hitters in the Carolina League who made at least 130 trips to the plate this past season, Salazar most notably ranked 14th in strikeout rate (16.1 percent), 47th in isolated power (.146), and 61st in line-drive rate (22.2 percent), per FanGraphs. He also produced a 49.5 percent pull rate, indicating that he makes plenty of contact.

As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, though, Salazar rarely misses pitches in the strike zone but still “needs to improve his pitch recognition and quality of contact.” That being the case because he “gets caught out in front too easily by secondary pitches” and “has the tendency to get himself out” as a result.

On the other side of the ball, Salazar made his professional debut as a shortstop in the Dominican Summer League two years ago but has since diversified his defensive profile. In 2022, for instance, the 6-foot-1, 159-pounder started games at all four infield positions. This past season, he started four games at catcher in the FCL and threw out two of seven would-be base stealers while allowing two passed balls. According to SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Salazar mainly played first base, second base, and third base upon moving up to Salem because of his struggles behind the plate. At the Red Sox’ fall performance program in September, he was treated as a super-utility player.

To that end, it remains to be seen how the Cardinals will utilize Salazar moving forward. Salazar, who does not turn 21 until next August, had been projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem in 2024, so he could be headed for St. Louis’ Low-A affiliate in Palm Beach, Fla. when the minor-league season begins in April.

Salazar is the older brother of Kleyver Salazar, a 17-year-old catcher who signed with the Red Sox for $175,000 back in January. A right-handed hitter like his big brother, Kleyver batted .240/.378/.347 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 36 games (151 plate appearances) for Boston’s DSL Blue affiliate. He put up those numbers while gunning down 20 of 55 potential base stealers.

(Picture of Johnfrank Salazar: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox add catcher with local connections from Yankees system in minor-league phase of Rule 5 Draft

The Red Sox added catcher/first baseman Mickey Gasper from the Yankees in the minor-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft. He has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester.

Gasper, 28, spent the last five seasons in the Yankees organization after originally being selected by New York in the 27th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. As a senior, the Merrimack, N.H. native signed with the club for just $5,000 and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Appalachian League that June.

Never touted as a top prospect in New York’s farm system, Gasper split the 2023 campaign between Double-A Somerset (where he caught Richard Fitts) and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 52 games with the Patriots, the switch-hitter batted .269/.388/.423 with six doubles, six home runs, 24 RBIs, 30 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 26 walks, and 27 strikeouts over 188 plate appearances. With the RailRiders, he slashed .191/.295/.265 with two doubles, one homer, four runs driven in, seven runs scored, two stolen bases, eight walks, and 16 strikeouts across 22 games spanning 78 trips to the plate.

On the other side of the ball, Gasper has varying levels of experience at four different defensive positions. As a catcher this past season, the 5-foot-9, 205-pound backstop threw out three of 30 potential base stealers while logging 91 total innings behind the plate. He also appeared in 26 games as a first baseman, 16 as a second baseman, and one as a third baseman.

Gasper, who does not turn 29 until next October, becomes the latest ex-Yankees farmhand to join the Red Sox via the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He will look to join right-handers Kaleb Ort and Raynel Espinal as those in that group who made their respective big-league debuts with Boston.

While the Red Sox welcomed Gasper to the organization, they also bid adieu to several of their own players in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. Ryan Fitzgerald, a fan favorite in Worcester, was most notably plucked by the Royals while Jose Ramirez (White Sox), Johnfrank Salazar (Cardinals), Alexis Hernandez (Blue Jays), Railin Perez (Astros), Ryan Miller (Angels), and Brock Bell (Reds) were all scooped up by other clubs as well.

(Picture of Mickey Gasper: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts was named 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year

Richard Fitts, one of the newest members of the Red Sox organization, is coming off a very impressive 2023 season.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in Tuesday night’s Alex Verdugo trade, Fitts earned Pitcher of the Year honors in the Eastern League after putting up solid numbers for New York’s Double-A affiliate in Somerset, N.J. In a team-leading 27 starts for the Patriots, the 23-year-old right-hander went 13-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 152 2/3 innings of work.

Among 14 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League this year, Fitts ranked sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.61) and strikeout rate (25.9 percent), second in walks per nine innings (2.53), walk rate (6.8 percent), and batting average against (.227), first in WHIP (1.14), fifth in swinging-strike rate (13.1 percent) and FIP (3.92), third in ERA, and fourth in xFIP (3.55), per FanGraphs.

Fitts, who turns 24 later this month, was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn, where he was teammates with Red Sox draftees Hayden Mullins and Tyler Miller. The Alabama native had briefly pitched for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League prior to being drafted and later signed with New York for $346,800. He took the rest of the year off and then made his professional debut at the Low-A level last April.

Between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley last year, Fitts forged a 3.70 ERA and 3.52 FIP with 131 strikeouts to 20 walks across 22 starts (112 innings). He was recognized by MiLB.com as an organizational All-Star and came into the 2023 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. At that time, his scouting report read, in part:

“The improvement [from Low-A to High-A in 2022] was due in large part to a delivery alteration that allowed him to keep his front side firm so he could better drive the ball down in the zone. The change also helped his velocity increase and made his slider sharper. His four-seamer sat around 93 mph, touched 96 and posted an excellent average spin rate of 2,439 rpms. Fitts backed the four-seamer with his typical nasty slider, which sat in the low 80s and peaked at 88 while flashing plus potential. He rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s changeup that could get to average with increased usage.”

Following Tuesday’s four-player trade between the Red Sox and Yankees, Fitts is now regarded by another prominent publication in MLB Pipeline as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Wikelman Gonzalez.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound hurler “shows the potential for two plus pitches that have intriguing metrics. His 91-97 mph four-seam fastball features natural cutting and riding action, as well as quality induced vertical break that gives it tremendous carry up in the zone, while his 83-86 slider features the big sweep that the Yankees covet. He also can turn his slider into a harder cutter and occasionally will use an upper-80s two-seamer to give hitters a different look.

“Fitts doesn’t completely trust his fading mid-80s changeup, which shows promise but also needs more work,” it continues. “He has a sound arm action and a delivery that he repeats well, allowing him to pound the strike zone and average just 2.1 walks per nine innings in his first two years as a pro. The next step toward becoming a possible mid-rotation starter will be refining his command because he’s hittable when he doesn’t locate his pitches well.”

Fitts has been assigned to Double-A Portland for the time being but should be a candidate to start the 2024 season out with Triple-A Worcester depending on how things shake out the rest of the winter and into the spring. He can become eligible for next year’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

In addition to Fitts, the Red Sox also acquired righties Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice from the Yankees on Tuesday night. While Weissert has major-league experience as a reliever, Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch after being drafted by New York in the eighth round out of Louisiana-Monroe this past June.

(Picture of Richard Fitts courtesy of the Somerset Patriots)