Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Nicholas Judice throws fastball that has reached triple digits, whiff-inducing slider

The Red Sox added to their 2023 draft class earlier this month by trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees.

In exchange for Verdugo, who is eligible for free agency next winter, Boston received three right-handers from New York who are all at different points in their respective careers. While Greg Weissert — with two seasons of big-league experience under his belt — and Richard Fitts — the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year — have each established themselves to varying degrees, Nicholas Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch.

Judice, the youngest of the four players involved in the rare swap between division rivals, was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of this past summer’s draft out of Louisiana-Monroe. A native of the Pelican State himself, the 22-year-old signed with New York for $185,500 in July but did not see any action with a minor-league affiliate after putting pen to paper.

In his fourth and final season at Louisiana-Monroe this spring, Judice posted a 3.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 66 strikeouts to 15 walks in 21 appearances (three starts) spanning 53 innings of work for the Warhawks. Baseball America tabbed the righty as the 420th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class while MLB Pipeline gave a much more favorable ranking at No. 175.

Based off scouting reports from both publications, Judice has drawn rave reviews for his athleticism and projectability. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Judice throws from a three-quarters arm slot and relies primarily upon two pitches: a low-90s fastball that reportedly touched 100 mph this spring and a whiff-inducing, mid-80s slider that was singled out by Baseball America as the best secondary offering in the Yankees’ 2023 draft class.

Although the bulk of his work in college came out of the bullpen, Judice made three straight Friday night starts for the Warhawks to close out their 2023 campaign and then started three more games for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer. Given his experience in both roles, Judice could be stretched out into a starter or fast-tracked as a reliever depending on how the Red Sox plan on utilizing him.

Having said that, Judice, who turns 23 in April, is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 57 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 26th among pitchers in the organization. He is currently projected by the site to begin the 2024 season — and therefore make his pro debut — with Low-A Salem.

(Picture of Nicholas Judice: University of Louisiana-Monroe Athletics)

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo saw his stock rise in 2023

Angel Bastardo was one of 11 minor-league pitchers in the Red Sox organization to reach the century mark in strikeouts this past season.

Bastardo, 21, split the 2023 campaign between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, posting a 4.68 ERA and 4.16 FIP with 149 punchouts to 55 walks over 24 total starts (119 1/3 innings pitched) in which he held opposing hitters to a .221 batting average against.

After spending all of 2022 at Low-A Salem, Bastardo broke camp with Greenville this spring. The right-hander initially got off to a rough start with the Drive and finished the month of April with a 6.63 ERA through his first four outings of the year. He began to turn a corner as the calendar flipped to May, however, and lowered his ERA by nearly two runs before going on a tear in July.

In his final full month for Greenville, Bastardo went 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA (1.48 FIP) and 42 strikeouts to just five walks across five starts spanning 28 innings of work. He threw back-to-back complete game shutouts (the second of which he struck out a season-high of 14 batters over seven innings) in that stretch and was unsurprisingly named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month as a result.

Shortly after earning that honor, Bastardo spent some time on the development list before receiving a promotion to Portland in late August. Tasked with facing more advanced competition in the Eastern League, the righty closed out his season by allowing nine earned runs on 12 hits, nine walks, and 10 strikeouts in three starts (16 innings) for the Sea Dogs.

While the ending may have been underwhelming to some degree, it was still a breakout year of sorts for Bastardo. Among the 177 minor-leaguers who accrued at least 110 innings on the mound this season, Bastardo ranked 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.24), 14th in strikeout rate (29.4 percent), 25th in batting average against (.221), seventh in swinging-strike rate (15.5 percent), and 42nd in xFIP (3.98), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Bastardo originally signed with the Red Sox for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron in July 2018. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that has topped out at 97 mph, an 84-88 mph changeup that he has an advanced feel for, an 81-84 mph curveball that features 11-to-5 break, and an 85-88 mph slider that has tight gyro-spin, according to SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall.

Unlike fellow righties Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales, who also recorded 100-plus strikeouts this season, Bastardo was not added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November and was therefore eligible to be picked up by another team in last month’s Rule 5 Draft. But while other notable arms like Shane Drohan (White Sox) and Ryan Fernandez (Cardinals) were plucked by other teams, Bastardo was not.

That, for all intents and purposes, likely had something to with Bastardo’s lack of experience in the upper-minors as well as his struggles when it comes to commanding the strike zone. As noted by Cundall, Bastardo currently “lacks the fastball quality and command to stick as a starting pitcher.” And while his secondary offerings are ahead of his fastball, he “needs to further refine his two breaking balls, which can run into each other at times.”

Bastardo, who does not turn 23 until next June, ended the 2023 season ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 17 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Baseball America had him listed 28th on its list while SoxProspects.com currently has him ranked 27th (ninth among pitchers) in the organization.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter and into the spring, Bastardo is projected to return to Portland for the start of the Sea Dogs’ 2024 season in early April.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox infield prospect Chase Meidroth fare in first full professional season?

Of all the Red Sox prospects who made it up to Double-A Portland this year, Chase Meidroth is far from the most highly touted. Still, the 22-year-old infielder made the most of his time with the Sea Dogs and ended the first full season of his professional career on an encouraging note.

Meidroth, Boston’s fourth-round selection in the 2022 amateur draft out of San Diego, made the jump to High-A Greenville this spring after playing in the Florida Complex League and at Low-A Salem in his pro debut. The right-handed hitter promptly got off to a quick start, batting .338/.495/.460 with three doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks, and 20 strikeouts over 20 games (97 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Shortly after being named the Red Sox’ Minor League Hitter of the Month for April, Meidroth earned a promotion to Portland alongside catching prospect Nathan Hickey in early May. Though he proceeded to record at least one hit in his first four games with the Sea Dogs, life in the Eastern League proved to be more challenging for Meidroth. By the time the calendar flipped from July to August, the native Californian found himself slashing a pedestrian .259/.380/.381 in his first 55 games (237 plate appearances) against upper-level pitching.

The first few weeks of August proved to be somewhat laborious as well, but Meidroth began to turn a corner offensively as September approached and rode that momentum into the final month of the 2023 season. In his last 19 games of the year, Meidroth went 19-for-63 (.302) with five doubles, one homer, eight RBIs, 17 runs scored, two stolen bases, 19 walks, and 13 strikeouts. His .519 on-base percentage in September was the top mark in the Eastern League.

All told, Meidroth slashed .255/.386/.375 with 16 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 43 runs driven in, 59 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 59 walks, and 78 strikeouts in 91 games (396 plate appearances) for Portland. Among qualified hitters in the Eastern League this season, Meidroth ranked sixth in walk rate (14.9 percent), eighth in strikeout rate (19.7 percent), eighth in batting average, second in on-base percentage, 17th in OPS (.762), first in swinging-strike rate (5.7 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (119), per FanGraphs.

“My game is to put the ball in play and have competitive at-bats to help give our team the best chance to win,” Meidroth said of his offensive approach when speaking with FanGraphs’ David Laurila earlier this summer. “I’m trying to provide opportunities for the guy behind me to drive me in, whether that’s by hitting a single, walking, or getting hit by a pitch. It’s kind of the whole pass-the-torch mentality, which I’ve had my whole life. In college, we really zoned in drawing our walks and staying in our zone. That’s kind of created the hitter I am, and that I want to be.

“It’s not so much that as I view at-bats as there being a lot of ways to win them,” he added. “For instance, if you see 10 pitches, that extends the inning for the pitcher. As for [Luis] Arraez, I’d like to say him [as a comp], but that guy is on a whole other level. Obviously, you’re seeing what he’s doing this year. But I mean, I grew up watching guys like Dustin Pedroia and Justin Turner. They’re both very smart hitters with great approaches, so I’ve always tried to try to model my game after theirs. Obviously, I’ve got a long ways to go to be at that level.”

On the other side of the ball, Meidroth started games at every infield position besides first base between his two stops this season. With the Sea Dogs specifically, the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder logged 133 2/3 innings at second base, 461 1/3 innings at third base, and 144 innings at shortstop, committing a total of seven errors in 214 defensive chances. In addition to being named Portland’s Defensive Player of the Year, he was also tabbed as the best defensive third baseman in the Eastern League by league managers in Baseball America’s Best Tools survey.

Meidroth, who does not turn 23 until next July, ended the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline had him slightly lower at No. 20 on its list while SoxProspects.com has him ranked 13th heading into the new year.

Along with 10 other Red Sox prospects, Meidroth has been invited to participate in the club’s 2024 rookie development program in Boston next month. He is also scheduled to take part in Winter Weekend at the end of that week in Springfield.

Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter and into the spring, Meidroth is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to move up to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2024 campaign in late March.

While that is still months away, one thing to watch with Meidroth moving forward, regardless of the level, will be how he fares against advanced pitching in the upper-minors. There is some concern when it comes to his ability to impact the ball, so he will need to show that he can make hard contact more often and, in turn, do damage against pitches in the strike zone.

(Picture of Chase Meidroth: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign veteran catcher Mark Kolozsvary to minor-league deal

For the second time in as many weeks, the Red Sox signed a veteran catcher to a minor-league contract.

After adding two-time Gold Glove Award winner Roberto Perez last Wednesday, Boston inked Mark Kolozsvary to a similar minors pact on Friday, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. Like Perez, Kolozsvary also received an invitation to major-league spring training.

Kolozsvary, 28, broke in with the Reds last April after originally being selected by the club in the seventh round of the 2017 amateur draft out of Florida. The right-handed hitter appeared in 10 games across four separate stints for Cincinnati, going 4-for-20 (.200) with two doubles, one home run, three RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and nine strikeouts.

The Reds designated Kolozsvary for assignment last October before losing him on waivers to the Orioles. Baltimore, in turn, successfully outrighted the Florida native in November to keep him in the organization without occupying a spot on its 40-man roster.

Kolozsvary served as upper-minors catching depth for the first three months of the 2023 season. His contract was then selected from Triple-A Norfolk on June 13 as a corresponding move for Ryan Mountcastle hitting the injured list with vertigo. He made his Orioles debut that same night but did not register a plate appearance, instead serving as a defensive replacement for Adley Rutschman in the ninth inning of an 11-6 win over the Blue Jays at Camden Yards.

The following afternoon, Kolozsvary was designated for assignment by the Orioles. He cleared waivers shortly thereafter and elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment to the minor-leagues, which he had the right to do after already being outrighted once before in his career. Kolozsvary then signed a minors pact with the Twins on June 20 and spent the rest of the year at Triple-A St. Paul.

For his big-league career, Kolozsvary has logged 61 total innings at catcher and has thrown out one of five potential base stealers while allowing two passed balls. In 29 games between Double-A Bowie, Norfolk, and St. Paul this past season, the 5-foot-8, 185-pound backstop accrued 234 innings behind the plate and threw out seven of 34 would-be base stealers without allowing a single passed ball.

Offensively, Kolozsvary is a lifetime .211/.320/.341 hitter with 57 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs, 113 RBIs, 144 runs scored, five stolen bases, 117 walks, and 347 strikeouts in 325 career minor-league games (1,211 plate appearances). That includes a .174/.282/.301 slash line with 10 doubles, one triple, seven homers, 20 runs driven in, 34 runs scored, one stolen base, 22 walks, and 98 strikeouts in 87 games (300 plate appearances) at the Triple-A level.

Kolozsvary, who does not turn 29 until next September, figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced catching depth at Triple-A Worcester in 2024. As things stand now, Boston has just two catchers on its current 40-man roster in Connor Wong and Reese McGuire. While Perez and Mark Kolozsvary are the only two backstops to receive non-roster invites to spring training thus far, Stephen Scott and minor-league Rule 5 pickup Mickey Gasper are among those who project to be in the mix for reps once camp begins in February.

To that end, Kolozsvary should already be familiar with some of his new teammates on the Red Sox. Like first baseman Triston Casas and fellow non-roster invitees Eddy Alvarez and Jamie Westbrook, Kolozsvary helped the United States take home a silver medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

(Picture of Mark Kolozsvary: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

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)