Red Sox acquire pitching prospect John Holobetz from Brewers to complete Quinn Priester trade

Exactly four weeks after dealing right-hander Quinn Priester to the Brewers, the Red Sox completed their April 7 trade with Milwaukee by adding some minor-league pitching depth on Monday.

Having already obtained outfielder Yophery Rodriguez and a competitive balance draft pick (33rd overall in this year’s draft) last month, Boston acquired minor-league righty John Holobetz from Milwaukee as the player to be named later (as opposed to cash considerations) in the deal to officially complete the swap.

Holobetz, 22, was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round (156th overall) of last summer’s draft out of Old Dominion (where he primarily pitched out of the bullpen) by way of Radford. The Pennsylvania native signed with Milwaukee for an under-slot $322,500 but did not make his professional debut until this April. He posted a 3.00 ERA (2.48 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to five walks in five outings (three starts) spanning 24 innings for Low-A Carolina to begin the 2025 season. Opposing hitters batted just .180 against him.

Among 15 qualified Carolina League pitchers, Holobetz currently leads the pack in strikeout rate (31.3 percent), batting average against, WHIP (0.88), FIP, and xFIP (2.71). He also ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.63), walks per nine innings (1.88), and walk rate (5.1 percent), and seventh in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Holobetz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and puts a lot of effort into his delivery. At present, he features a 92-94 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph this season, an 83-86 mph slider, and a high-80s changeup. According to Holobetz’s Baseball America pre-draft scouting report, “scouts believe the changeup is his best pitch, a potential weapon, but his breaking ball is more of a work in progress. Despite his reliever history, he throws enough strikes to potentially start in pro ball.”

Holobetz, who turns 23 in late July, was initially assigned to Low-A Salem but will instead report to High-A Greenville to begin his career as a member of the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of John Holobetz: Old Dominion University Athletics)

Red Sox’ Blake Aita named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for second time this season

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Aita has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 28-May 4, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

This marks the second time this season that Aita has earned Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors. The 21-year-old first took home the award last month after striking out four and walking only one over five scoreless, no-hit innings in his professional debut for Low-A Salem on April 4.

Aita was arguably even more impressive in his most recent outing for Salem at home last Thursday. Going up against the Fredericksburg Nationals at Carilion Clinic Field, the young right-hander gave up just one hit and no walks while fanning seven across six shutout frames. He took a perfect game into the top of the sixth before giving up a leadoff single, which was nullified two batters later when he induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to end his night.

Finishing with 67 pitches (45 strikes), Aita induced a game-high 14 swings and misses as the Red Sox ultimately held on to defeat the Nationals by a final score of 5-4.

Through five starts for Salem to begin his first full professional season, Aita has posted a 3.28 ERA (3.24 FIP) with 22 strikeouts to six walks over a staff-leading 24 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters have batted .220 against him. Among 15 qualified Caroline League pitchers, he ranks third in WHIP (1.05) and xFIP (3.47), fourth in walks per nine innings (2.19), walk rate (6.1 percent), and FIP, and seventh in groundball rate (45.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Aita is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 40 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 20th among pitchers in the organization. The Tennessee native was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round (177th overall) of last year’s draft out of Kennesaw State, where he was named 2024 First Team All-Atlantic Sun. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he signed for $300,000 but waited until this spring to make his pro debut.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Aita throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the intriguing righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph fastball (velocity increased in spring training), an 80-82 mph sweeper, an 86-89 mph cutter, and an 85-89 mph changeup.

“He’s been great so far,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham said of Aita. “Has worked hard all offseason and spring training to set him up for success throughout the year. He added velo to his fastball along with his secondaries and continues to pound the zone. His sweeper has been a big weapon, used for strikes and chase against both sides.”

Aita, who turns 22 next month, is seemingly a prime candidate to receive a promotion to High-A Greenville in the not-so-distant future. He can continue to strengthen his case for that move by stringing together more dominant outings for Salem in the meantime.

“Very pleased with the consistency and constant improvement daily,” said Abraham.

(Picture of Blake Aita: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign former Seton Hall righty Jay Allmer to minor-league deal

The Red Sox purchased the contract of right-hander Jay Allmer from the Lake Country DockHounds of the independent American Association on Wednesday, per the league’s transactions log.

Allmer signed with Lake Country back in November but did not appear in a game for the club, as the 2025 American Association season does not get underway until next week. The 22-year-old went undrafted out of Seton Hall last summer after posting a 2.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts to 19 walks over 25 relief appearances (29 1/3 innings) for the Pirates as a senior.

Though he did not get picked in the draft, Allmer spent the remainder of his summer pitching for the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League and the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League. In 37 outings between the two summer ball teams, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound righty posted a 3.05 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 11 walks across 44 1/3 total innings of relief.

A native of North Carolina, Allmer originally committed to UNC Asheville out of high school. He spent the first two seasons (2021-2022) of his collegiate career with the Bulldogs, compiling a 14.95 ERA in 19 appearances (18 2/3 innings) before transferring to Seton Hall ahead of his junior season in 2023.

According to Mason Feole of Connected Performance, Allmer initially received little to no interest as a free agent in 2024 but “embraced the adversity” that came with that and worked diligently “to ensure that he was ready for the opportunity and locked in on making the necessary changes in order to make it happen.”

Allmer, as Feole noted in an Instagram post on Wednesday, increased the peak velocity of his fastball from 91 to 97 mph. In addition to a mid-90s heater, Allmer also features a lower-90s sinker, a mid-80s sweeper, an upper-80s changeup, and a 78-80 mph slider.

“At the end of the day, Jay is a Red Sox because he is simply good enough to be,” Feole wrote. “He has changed who he is as a player to be good enough, and now he’s achieved it. Incredibly proud of his mindset and approach to this progression and change.”

Allmer, who turns 23 in June, has been assigned to Low-A Salem and is active for Wednesday’s contest against Fredericksburg. He will presumably provide Boston’s Carolina League affiliate with right-handed bullpen depth behind the likes of Austin Ehrlicher, Joe Vogatsky, Nicholas Judice, Eybersson Polanco, and Nicolas De La Cruz.

(Picture of Jay Allmer: Seton Hall University Athletics)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Matt McShane (acquired in offseason trade) to High-A Greenville

In addition to shortstop Franklin Arias and left-hander Brandon Clarke, the Red Sox promoted pitching prospect Matt McShane from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville on Tuesday.

McShane, 22, opened his first season as a member of the Red Sox organization in Salem’s bullpen. The right-hander posted a 0.63 ERA (1.89 FIP) with 20 strikeouts to four walks over seven relief appearances (14 1/3 innings) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Opposing hitters batted just .185 against him.

Among the 59 pitchers in the Carolina League who have thrown at least 14 innings to this point in the year, McShane ranks second in ERA and FIP, third in xFIP (2.24) and swinging-strike rate (19.6 percent), fifth in strikeout rate (34.5 percent), seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (12.56), 11th in WHIP (0.98), 13th in walk rate (6.9 percent), 14th in walks per nine innings (2.51), 16th in batting average against, and 22nd in groundball rate (48.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

McShane was acquired by the Red Sox from the Pirates for fellow righty Chase Shugart (who had been designated for assignment) in January. The Pennsylvania native was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the 13th round of last summer’s draft out of St. Joseph’s. He received a $150,000 signing bonus but did not make his professional debut until April 6 of this year.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, McShane operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 82-86 mph slider, and a 79-81 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. He is not currently ranked by the site as one of the organization’s top 60 prospects.

McShane, who does not turn 23 until November, figures to provide Greenville with additional right-handed bullpen depth behind the likes of Isaac Stebens, Cooper Adams, Adam Smith, and Darvin Garcia. He will likely make his High-A debut at some point during the Drive’s series against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field this week.

(Picture of Matt McShane: St. Joseph’s University Athletics)

Red Sox’ Marcelo Mayer named International League Player of the Week

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of April 21-27, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Mayer put together an impressive week at the plate in Worcester’s series against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park. Appearing in six games, the left-handed hitting 22-year-old went 9-for-20 (.450) with three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs, seven runs scored, three walks, and four strikeouts. He crushed a 401-foot homer on Tuesday, a 445-foot homer on Wednesday, and a 419-foot homer on Sunday.

After getting his first season at the Triple-A level off to a relatively slow start, Mayer has been on an offensive tear as of late and is now batting .280/.324/.548 with four doubles, seven home runs, an International League-leading 34 RBIs, 17 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 20 strikeouts through 23 games (102 plate appearances) for the WooSox thus far.

Among 134 qualified hitters in the International League, Mayer ranks 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in isolated power (.269), 23rd in OPS (.872), 35th in wOBA (.376), 37th in wRC+ (125), 41st in strikeout rate (19.6 percent), 43rd in swinging-strike rate (9.9 percent), 46th in batting average, and 58th in line-drive rate (25.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer has added to his defensive profile by seeing playing time at three different positions to this point in the season. In addition to logging 135 innings at shortstop, the 6-foot-3, 188-pound infielder has made three starts at second base (a first for him professionally) and three starts at third base. Between those three spots, he has committed two errors in 75 total chances. He has also made one start at DH.

Mayer, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft coming out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif., is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 12 prospect in the sport. Shortly after making his second straight trip to the All-Star Futures Game last summer, he was promoted from Double-A Portland to Worcester for the first time in mid-August. Due to a lumbar strain in his lower back, however, he did not appear in a game for the WooSox and instead spent the remainder of the 2024 campaign on the injured list.

After standing out at his first big league camp in Fort Myers this spring, Mayer has seemingly carried over that momentum into the early stages of the season with Worcester and is showing how impactful he can be when healthy. As MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day recently highlighted, the Red Sox are prioritizing durability when it comes to Mayer’s remaining development.

“Number one with Marcelo is his health. We want to see him withstand the ups and downs of the season from a health standpoint,” WooSox hitting coach Doug Clark told Morrison-O’Day. “And that’s not only physically, but mentally. These kids are not 30 years old. They’re very young, and they’re very susceptible to ups and downs and how they deal with them. And that’s where we come into play as coaches…but that’s something that he does well already.”

Mayer, who does not turn 23 until December, is undoubtedly on the cusp of being called up for his major league debut. Though he is currently blocked at shortstop by Trevor Story, at second base by Kristian Campbell, and at third base by Alex Bregman, Mayer — much like top outfield prospect Roman Anthony — could force the issue for the Red Sox if he continues to produce the way he has in recent weeks.

“He’s a tremendous talent,” Clark said of Mayer. “We can’t wait for him to get what he deserves, and that’s to be a champion up there with Boston.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Trennor O’Donnell named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Trennor O’Donnell has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 21-27, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

O’Donnell shined for Low-A Salem in Sunday’s series finale on the road against Hickory. The 23-year-old right-hander scattered three hits over five scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking none en route to notching his first win of the season. He retired the final eight batters he faced and finished with 56 pitches (40 strikes), generating four swings and misses on the afternoon.

The Red Sox ultimately defeated the Crawdads by a final score of 19-1 at L.P. Frans Stadium to salvage a series split and improve to 8-13 on the young season.

O’Donnell, Boston’s eighth-round selection in the 2023 draft, has appeared in four games (made two starts) for Salem so far this year. The Ball State product has posted a 4.20 ERA (3.96 FIP) with 19 strikeouts to nine walks over 15 innings in which opposing hitters have batted .271 against him.

Among the 33 pitchers in the Carolina League who have thrown at least 15 innings to this point in 2025, O’Donnell most notably ranks seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (11.40), ninth in strikeout rate (27.5 percent), and 11th in xFIP (3.83), per FanGraphs. He also ranks 25th in BABIP (.385), which suggests that he may be the victim of some poor luck.

O’Donnell, who turns 24 in June, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The imposing 6-foot-7, 240-pound hurler throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, he features an 89-91 mph fastball, a 79-81 mph sweeper, an 85-86 mph slider, and an 86-87 mph changeup. He has also begun throwing a splinker (splitter-sinker hybrid), according to Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker.

Since making his professional debut last April, O’Donnell has pitched exclusively at the Low-A level, compiling a career 4.04 ERA (3.33 FIP) with 90 strikeouts to 30 walks over 78 total innings for Salem. Taking that into consideration, it would not be too surprising if the native Texan received a promotion to High-A Greenville in the not-so-distant future.

Regardless of his outlook, though, O’Donnell becomes the second member of the 2025 Salem Red Sox to earn Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors. He joins fellow righty Blake Aita (March 31-April 6) in accomplishing that feat.

Looking outside of the organization, former Red Sox prospects Brandon Walter (signed a minor-league contract with the Astros after being released last August) and Elmer Rodriguez (traded to the Yankees for Carlos Narvaez in December) were named the Pacific Coast and South Atlantic League Pitchers of the Week for the week of April 21-27, respectively.

(Picture of Trennor O’Donnell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote prospects Franklin Arias, Brandon Clarke to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting infield prospect Franklin Arias and pitching prospect Brandon Clarke from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Arias, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 72 prospect in the sport. The right-handed hitter batted a stout .346/.407/.397 with four doubles, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases, six walks, and 12 strikeouts in 19 games (86 plate appearances) for Salem to open the season. He did not play in Sunday’s series finale against Hickory.

Among 93 qualified hitters in the Carolina League coming into play on Sunday, Arias ranked third in swinging-strike rate (6.1 percent), sixth in batting average, 11th in strikeout rate (14 percent), 13th in line-drive rate (29.2 percent), 21st in on-base percentage, 29th in wOBA (.401), 30th in OPS (.804), 34th in slugging percentage and wRC+ (128), and 46th in speed score, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Arias has seen the vast majority of his playing time to this point in the season come at shortstop. With Salem, the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder logged 135 1/3 innings at short, where he committed just one error in 70 defensive chances. He also made one start at second base and two starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Caracas in January 2023. He put forth a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that season, then caught fire in the Florida Complex League last year. To go along with being named the FCL’s 2024 MVP and top prospect, he was rewarded with a promotion to Salem in late July and was later recognized as Boston’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year.

“I definitely want to be the best player I can be. [But] I try to take it day to day and try not to look too far in the future,” Arias told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (through a translator) earlier this month. “I feel that’s what helped me get that MVP last year, and I think if I can take that day-to-day approach this year, I can have some similar results.”

Arias, who does not turn 20 until November, also told Speier that he is aiming to make it to Double-A Portland or even Triple-A Worcester before his age-19 season draws to a close. If he were to receive a promotion to Portland at some point this winter or fall, he would join Roman Anthony (2023) and Xander Bogaerts (2012) as the two most recent Red Sox prospects to reach the Double-A level as teenagers.

In Greenville, Arias is slated to join a middle infield mix that already includes the likes of Marvin Alcantara, Nazzan Zanetello, Fraymi De Leon, and Justin Riemer (on the injured list). It would not be terribly surprising if he emerged as the Drive’s primary shortstop moving forward, though he could spend additional time at second base to get others reps at short.

Clarke, meanwhile, is not yet ranked by Baseball America as one of Boston’s top pitching prospects, though that will likely be changing soon. The 22-year-old left-hander was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (148th overall) of last summer’s draft out of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. He forewent his commitment to transfer to South Carolina by signing for $400,000, but did not pitch for an affiliate after putting pen to paper.

Clarke, instead, waited until April 10 of this year (his 22nd birthday) to make his professional debut. The Virginia native then posted a 0.93 ERA (1.20 FIP) with 17 strikeouts to just two walks in his first three starts (9 2/3 innings) for Salem. He only gave up two hits in that stretch as two of his three outings to kick off the 2025 campaign were both scoreless and hitless.

Among the 118 Caroline League pitchers who entered Sunday with at least nine innings under their belts early on, Clark ranked first in FIP and xFIP (1.55), second in strikeout rate (47.2 percent) and groundball rate (68.8 percent), batting average against (.061), and WHIP (0.41), third in line-drive rate (6.3 percent) and swinging-strike rate (21.3 percent), 13th in ERA, and 17th in walk rate (5.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Clarke stood out in spring training not just because of his large stature, but because of his arsenal as well. As highlighted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic lefty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. He operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 96-99 mph fastball that tops out at 100 mph, an 87-90 mph slider, an 81-85 mph sweeper, and an 87-89 mph changeup that is still considered a work in progress.

Much like Arias, Clarke is in line to face more advanced competition at the High-A level with this promotion. Presumably taking the place of fellow southpaw Hayden Mullins (promoted to Portland) in Greenville’s starting rotation, Clarke will join a talented pitching staff headed by 2024 second-round draft pick Payton Tolle, Juan Valera, and Jedixson Paez. He will likely make his Drive debut in the team’s upcoming series against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Hayden Mullins to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Hayden Mullins from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Mullins, 24, has certainly gotten his season off to an encouraging start. In four outings (three starts) to open the 2025 campaign for Greenville, the left-hander posted a 1.06 ERA (2.22 FIP) with 27 strikeouts to three walks over 17 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .186 against him. He fanned six across four scoreless frames in his last time out against Hub City this past Thursday.

Entering play on Sunday, Mullins was one of 31 qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League. Among those 31, he ranked first in strikeout rate (42.9 percent) and xFIP (2.10), second in strikeouts per nine innings (14.29), third in FIP and swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), fifth in ERA, eighth in walks per nine innings (1.59) and walk rate (4.8 percent), 10th in WHIP (0.82), 13th in batting average against and line-drive rate (20 percent), and 15th in groundball rate (44 percent), per FanGraphs.

A former 12th-round draft selection of the Red Sox coming out of Auburn in 2022, Mullins received a $97,500 signing bonus but did not make his professional debut until August 2023 due to Tommy John surgery recovery and rehab. The Tennessee native spent all of 2024 with Greenville and has since compiled a 3.48 ERA (3.81 FIP) with 145 strikeouts to 45 walks over 106 total innings at the High-A level.

Listed at 6-foot and 194 pounds, Mullins throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the under-the-radar lefty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that reaches 95 mph, an 81-85 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 81-83 mph changeup. He has flashed bat-missing ability with most, if not all, of his offerings.

Mullins, who turns 25 in September, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 14th among pitchers in the organization. He is not included in Baseball America’s or MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Red Sox prospects list at the moment, but that could soon change if he shows that he can adjust and hold his own against more advanced competition in the upper-minors.

As he prepares to make the leap from High-A to Double-A for the first time, it is worth noting that Mullins can become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline. The Red Sox will presumably use this promotion to help determine if Mullins is worthy of such a spot, though he could emerge as a possible trade candidate well before that decision needs to be made.

Regardless, Mullins is slated to join a talented pitching staff in Portland that– as of this writing– includes the likes of David Sandlin, Yordanny Monegro, Blake Wehunt, and fellow southpaw Connelly Early, among others. He will likely make his Double-A debut at some point during the Sea Dogs’ upcoming series on the road against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this coming week.

(Picture of Hayden Mullins: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia recognized for productive week with Double-A Portland

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was named to MLB Pipeline’s Prospect Team of the Week for April 14-20 on Monday.

Garcia, Boston’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, appeared in five of Double-A Portland’s six games on the road against the Hartford Yard Goats this past week. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 9-for-19 (.474) with two doubles, one home run, five RBIs, five runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and two strikeouts.

Batting out of the three-hole in all five games he got into at Hartford’s Dunkin’ Park, Garcia doubled and drove in two runs on Tuesday, recorded three hits and drove in two runs on Wednesday, singled twice on Thursday, sat on Friday, went hitless on Saturday, and homered for the first time this season in Sunday’s series finale.

Through his first 11 games for the Sea Dogs in 2025, Garcia is batting .308/.429/.462 with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 11 strikeouts over 49 plate appearances. Among 84 qualified Eastern League hitters, he ranks eighth in on-base percentage, ninth in walk rate (18.4 percent) and batting average, 10th in wOBA (412), 12th in OPS (.890) and wRC+ (156), 15th in line-drive rate (28.6 percent), 20th in slugging percentage, 29th in swinging-strike rate (10.1 percent), 32nd in strikeout rate (22.4 percent), and 34th in isolated power (.154), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia has seen all his playing time to this point in the season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder has logged 99 errorless innings in center for Portland thus far, recording one outfield assist in the process of doing so. He also has past experience in the corners, with MLB Pipeline grading his field tool as a 50 and his arm tool as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native was a lesser-known prospect at this time a year ago, but he put together a breakout 2024 campaign that saw him soar from Low-A all the way to Double-A while clubbing an organizational-leading 23 home runs in 107 games.

Garcia, the older brother of Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia, was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft and subsequently took part in his first major league camp this spring. Though he was not competing for an Opening Day roster spot, the elder Garcia still had the chance to showcase himself (at the Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South games) and impress manager Alex Cora in Fort Myers.

“Good swing,” Cora said of Garcia when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) back in February. “He moves in the outfield, too. He’s a big dude, but he moves. … So he’s impressive.”

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told Smith in camp that his goal for the season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.” For as lofty as that may seem, it could become feasible if Garcia continues to produce with Portland and forces his way up to Triple-A Worcester before long.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote Rule 5 addition Jack Anderson to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox promoted right-hander Jack Anderson from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on Friday, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker.

Anderson opened his first season in the Red Sox organization with Portland as a member of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen. The 25-year-old appeared in two games for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate out of the gate, allowing one unearned run on four hits, zero walks, and 10 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of relief.

A former 16th-round draft pick of the Tigers coming out of Florida State in 2021, Anderson switched organizations for the first time in his professional career over the winter when the Red Sox plucked him in the minor-league phase of December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Anderson appeared in three Grapefruit League games for Boston as a minor-league call-up this spring, yielding two earned runs on seven hits, one walk, and five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. He also retired the lone batter he faced (former Red Sox farmhand Esteban Quiroz) in the club’s exhibition finale against the Sultanes de Monterrey in Mexico on March 25.

In that particular outing, which only required five pitches (four strikes), Anderson threw three four-seam fastballs, one cutter, and one slider, per Baseball Savant. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-3, 197-pound righty reached 91.6 mph with his heater, 84.6 mph with his cutter, and 80.1 mph with his slider.

Anderson, who does not turn 26 until November, has previous experience at the Triple-A level. The Florida native appeared in eight games (made one start) for Detroit’s top affiliate last season and posted a 5.82 ERA (4.98 FIP) with 10 strikeouts to six walks over 17 innings with the Toledo Mud Hens.

With the WooSox, Anderson seems likely to join a righty-heavy bullpen mix that consists of Luis Guerrero (on the 40-man roster), Bryan Mata, Nick Burdi, Isaiah Campbell, Jose Adames, Wyatt Mills, Jacob Webb, and lefty Brendan Cellucci. Hobie Harris, who was also taken in the minor-league phase of December’s Rule 5 Draft, is currently on Worcester’s 7-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

(Picture of Jack Anderson: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)