Tag: 2024 season

After one season in Red Sox organization, hard-throwing pitching prospect Bryce Bonnin signs minor-league deal with Rangers

After spending the 2024 season in the Red Sox organization, free agent right-hander Bryce Bonnin signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers last week, according to the MiLB.com transactions log.

Bonnin, 26, joined the Red Sox on a minors pact just days after being released by the Reds in early March. A former third-round draft selection of Cincinnati in 2020, the Texas Tech product opened the season on High-A Greenville’s 7-day injured list with a rotator cuff issue that cost him the entirety of the 2023 campaign.

Upon being activated in late April, Bonnin proceeded to pitch to a 4.04 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 40 strikeouts to 16 walks over 19 relief appearances (35 2/3 innings) for the Drive in which he held opposing hitters to a .164 batting average against. He spent nearly two weeks on the injured list in May but bounced back after that and was later promoted to Double-A Portland on August 20.

In three outings (one start) with the Sea Dogs, Bonnin allowed four earned runs on seven hits, four walks, and eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. Altogether the righty forged a 4.29 ERA (4.36 FIP) with 48 strikeouts to 20 walks in 22 appearances (42 innings) between Greenville and Portland this season. Opponents batted just .181 against him.

Among the 60 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 40 innings in 2024, Bonnin ranked fourth in batting average against, sixth in swinging-strike rate (18.4 percent), eighth in line-drive rate (18.4 percent), 11th in WHIP (1.12), and 19th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.29) and strikeout rate (27.6 percent). On the flip side, however, he ranked 35th in ERA, 40th in FIP, xFIP (4.32), and walks per nine innings (4.29), and 41st in walk rate (11.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

In the process of putting up those numbers, Bonnin peaked as the No. 48 prospect in Boston’s farm system, per SoxProspects.com’s rankings. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound hurler sat in the mid-90s and reached 98-99 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a slider and changeup. He elected minor-league free agency earlier this month and was once again not on the open market for very long.

Bonnin becomes the latest Red Sox minor-league free agent to switch organizations this winter, joining the likes of fellow righties Jason Alexander (who signed a minors pact with the Athletics) and Justin Hagenman (who signed a one-year major-league deal with the Mets). It seems likely that Bonnin will start the 2025 season with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate in Frisco, Texas.

(Picture of Bryce Bonnin: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign veteran catcher Seby Zavala to minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free-agent catcher Seby Zavala to a minor-league contract on Monday, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. The deal presumably comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Zavala, 31, is a veteran of five big-league seasons who originally broke in with the White Sox in 2019. The San Diego State product spent four years with Chicago before being claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks last September. He appeared in just seven games for Arizona and was then dealt to the Mariners as part of the Eugenio Suarez trade in December.

Serving as early-season depth behind starter Cal Raleigh to open the 2024 campaign, Zavala batted .154/.214/.282 with two doubles, one home run, two RBIs, four runs scored, three walks, and 16 strikeouts in 18 games (43 plate appearances) for the Mariners before being designated for assignment on June 18. The right-handed hitter subsequently cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, where he slashed .188/.325/.376 with seven doubles, four home runs, 16 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 16 walks, and 43 strikeouts over 33 games (123 plate appearances) in between emergency call-ups. He then elected free agency in October.

All told, Zavala owns a lifetime slash line of .205/.271/.342 with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 56 RBIs, 59 runs scored, one stolen base, 40 walks, and 200 strikeouts in 194 career big-league games (557 plate appearances) between the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Mariners. In 255 career games at the Triple-A level, the Texas native has hit .223/.305/.425 with 53 doubles, 43 home runs, 119 RBIs, 131 runs scored, one stolen base, 96 walks, and 343 strikeouts over 1,017 total trips to the plate.

Though he has never been considered much of an offensive threat in the majors, Zavala does bring value defensively. Last year, for instance, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound backstop ranked in the 87th percentile of all MLB catchers in blocks above average and the 77th percentile in framing, per Baseball Savant. This past season, he threw out three of 14 possible base stealers with Seattle and three of 32 possible base stealers with Tacoma.

Zavala, who does not turn 32 until next August, figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced and defensive-minded catching depth at Triple-A Worcester to start the 2025 season. At present, starter Connor Wong and utility man Mickey Gasper are the only two catchers on Boston’s 40-man roster. Top prospect Kyle Teel is on the radar but is not expected to be in the big-league mix at the onset after appearing in just 28 games for the WooSox down the stretch following a mid-August promotion from Double-A Portland.

With trade acquisition Danny Jasen a free agent, the Red Sox — as noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo — are expected to add someone this winter who can be paired with Wong and serve as a bridge to Teel up until he is ready for his MLB debut. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged as much at the GM Meetings earlier this month.

“We’ll certainly explore opportunities to get better,” Breslow told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “That includes potentially in kind of a backup role to Connor or however things shake out.”

By signing Zavala to a minors pact, Breslow and the Red Sox continue a trend of stockpiling plenty of catching depth within the upper levels of the system. To complement Wong and then-backup Reese McGuire last winter, Boston brought in Gasper, Tyler Heineman, Roberto Perez, and Mark Kolozsvary as depth options. Eight different players ended up catching for the WooSox at different points this past season.

(Picture of Seby Zavala: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Red Sox add prospects Hunter Dobbins, Jhostynxon Garcia to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 deadline

The Red Sox added pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins and outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to their 40-man roster on Tuesday to protect them from being available to other clubs in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

To accommodate the additions of Dobbins and Garcia, Boston designated right-handers Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata for assignment. As such, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is back at full capacity.

Dobbins, 25, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Tech but did not make his professional debut until the following June as he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

This past season, Dobbins was recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year after posting a 3.08 ERA (3.04 FIP) with 120 strikeouts to 48 walks in 25 starts (125 2/3 innings) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. Opposing hitters batted .237 against him altogether.

Equipped with a diverse arsenal, Dobbins experienced an uptick in velocity this year. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound righty averaged 93-96 mph and topped out at 98 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a newly-implemented 89-92 mph splinker (a splitter-sinker hybrid), a 78-80 mph sweeper, an 81-83 mph slider, and a 76-78 mph curveball that features 12-to-6 break.

“Obviously a guy who had a really, really good season for us,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said of Dobbins when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) at the GM Meetings earlier this month. “Was exciting to follow the progress — both the uptick in raw stuff across the board and swing and miss and durability and the ability to post. He’s put himself on the radar and it will be an important offseason for him to continue to develop. It would be foolish not to be really excited about what he was able to accomplish.”

Dobbins, who does not turn 26 until next August, still has some room to grow as far as his command and control are concerned. With that being said, he should provide the Red Sox with starting rotation depth in Worcester to open the 2025 campaign and could be in line to make his major-league debut before the season is over.

Garcia, on the other hand, is a little farther away. The 21-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. He is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system after putting together a breakout 2024 season that saw him rise across three levels.

In 107 games between Low-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Portland, Garcia batted .286/.356/.536 with 24 doubles, five triples, an organizational-leading 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 33 walks, and 99 strikeouts over 459 total plate appearances. For his efforts, the free-swinging right-handed hitter was named to Baseball America’s Second Team Minor League All-Star Team and the All-MiLB Prospect First Team.

Defensively, Garcia saw playing time at all three outfield spots between his stops in Salem, Greenville, and Portland this year. With the Sea Dogs in particular, the 6-foot, 215-pounder made 27 of his 30 starts in center field, where he recorded one outfield assist and committed two errors in 61 chances. His other three starts there came at DH.

Garcia, who turns 22 next month, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season. Unlike Dobbins, Garcia likely won’t figure into Boston’s big-league plans until 2026 at the earliest. He could, of course, be moved in a trade well before then.

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox prospect Niko Kavadas named Arizona Fall League’s Offensive Player of the Year

Over the weekend, Former Red Sox prospect Niko Kavadas was recognized as the 2024 Arizona Fall League Offensive Player of the Year.

Kavadas, one of four players dealt to the Angels for reliever Luis Garcia ahead of July’s trade deadline, stood out in his second AFL stint this fall. The left-handed hitting 26-year-old batted .329/.462/.700 with six doubles, one triple, six home runs, 18 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 20 games (91 plate appearances) for the Mesa Solar Sox.

Among qualified AFL hitters, Kavadas ranked second in extra-base hits (13), third in slugging percentage, OPS (1.162), isolated power (.371), and total bases (49), sixth in on-base percentage, eighth in walk rate (18.7 percent), and 13th in batting average, per MLB.com’s leaderboards. On the other side of the ball, the burly 6-foot-1, 235-pounder saw playing time at both corner outfield spots for the first time in his professional career while also making six starts at his primary position in first base.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2021 draft out of Notre Dame, Kavadas quickly worked his way up the organizational ladder before arriving at Triple-A Worcester in July 2023. The slugger returned to the WooSox for the start of the 2024 season and produced a .281/.424/.551 line with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 83 games. He was then traded to the Angels with Matthew Lugo, Zeferjahn, and Yeferson Vargas in exchange for Garcia on July 30.

Less than three weeks after switching organizations for the first time, Kavadas was called up by the Angels for his big-league debut on August 16. He cranked a three-run home run for his first MLB hit in Toronto six days later and proceeded to slash .183/.283/.333 with two doubles, four homers, eight RBIs, 11 runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 41 strikeouts in 30 games (106 plate appearances) for Los Angeles down the stretch.

As noted by MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Kavadas showed his raw power (91.7 mph average exit velocity) and patience (10.4 percent walk rate, 17.7 percent chase rate) in his first taste of action with the Halos in 2024, but he will need to produce more consistently at the plate if he intends to stick in the majors. Adding to his defensive profile by playing the outfield could help in that regard as well.

“Being there and seeing it and getting a taste, you’re aware of what it was that got you out, you’re aware of what it was that you’ve had success on,” Kavadas, MLB Pipeline’s 29th-ranked Angels prospect, told Callis. “Just making sure that you continue to maintain your strengths and make your weaknesses a little less weak is what you can do. So for me, it’s increasing the swing rate, giving myself more opportunities each at-bat.

“I can’t continue to take strikes up there because the guys are too good, the stuff is too good, the command is too good,” he continued. “So I think being out here was good for me and just getting me more comfortable and swinging more often instead of looking for maybe a softball-size tunnel, just a 2-3 softball-sized tunnel. I’m always going to be disciplined and I’m always going to be a little more selective as a hitter. But I think just broadening how wide of a zone I’m willing to swing at is going to be good for me.”

(Picture of Niko Kavadas: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Zach Fogell ends first full pro season with impressive showing in Arizona Fall League

Of the eight minor-leaguers the Red Sox sent to play in the Arizona Fall League this year, Zach Fogell was the lone pitcher from the club’s 2023 draft class to make the trip out west.

Fogell, Boston’s 18th-round selection out of Connecticut last July, enjoyed a productive fall with the Mesa Solar Sox. The 24-year-old left-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, four walks, one hit batsman, and 10 strikeouts over eight appearances spanning 9 1/3 innings of relief. Opposing hitters batted just .069 against him.

Fogell’s impressive stint in Arizona comes on the heels of a solid first full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The lefty native spent most of the 2024 campaign at High-A Greenville after making a pair of scoreless relief outings for — and subsequently earning a promotion from — Low-A Salem on April 12.

Appearing in a team-leading 33 games for Greenville, Fogell posted a 3.32 ERA and 4.52 FIP with 67 strikeouts to 32 walks across 57 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .212 batting average. That includes a 1.86 ERA and 1.90 FIP in six July outings, which led him to be named the Red Sox’ Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. He then pitched to a 4.15 ERA and 5.56 FIP in his final nine appearances (13 innings) of the year after the calendar flipped to August.

Unsurprisingly, Fogell fared far better against left-handed hitters (.118 batting average against) than right-handed hitters (.255 batting average against) between Salem and Greenville this year. Those lefty-righty splits can be applied to his performance in the Arizona Fall League as well, though it obviously comes from a much smaller sample size.

Anyway, Fogell was one of 85 pitchers to throw at least 55 innings in the South Atlantic League this season. Among those 85, he ranked 26th in ERA, 27th in batting average against, 32nd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.58), and 38th in strikeout rate (26.8 percent). On the flip side, he ranked 57th in WHIP (1.35), 78th in walk rate (12.8 percent), and 79th in walks per nine innings (5.05), per FanGraphs.

A native of Rhode Island, Fogell spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Brown before transferring to UConn as a graduate student. He earned First Team All-Big East honors in his lone season with the Huskies and was taken by the Red Sox with the 538th overall pick in the 2023 draft shortly thereafter. He then signed for an at-slot $150,000 bonus and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last August.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fogell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the compact southpaw typically sits between 92-94 mph with his sinking fastball while mixing in an 88-90 mph changeup and an 80-82 mph sweeping slider.

Fogell, who does not turn 25 until next July, is not currently ranked by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is projected by the site to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season but could rise up the organizational ladder quickly if he can cut down on the walks moving forward.

(Picture of Zach Fogell: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox prospect Justin Riemer fare in long-awaited pro debut this season?

After losing qualified free agent Nathan Eovaldi to the Rangers in December 2022, the Red Sox received a compensatory pick that fell between the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2023 amateur draft.

With that pick at No. 133 overall last July, the Red Sox selected Wright State infielder Justin Riemer, who was roughly four months removed from suffering a torn ACL in early March that cost him most of his redshirt sophomore season. As such, the Virginia native signed with Boston for $500,000 but did not make his professional debut until this summer.

Having expended much of last winter and this spring rehabbing in Fort Myers, Riemer opened the 2024 campaign on the 60-day injured list and later began a rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Red Sox on July 11. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old spent two weeks with the rookie-level affiliate, batting .296/.462/.407 with one double, one triple, four RBIs, six runs scored, one stolen base, 10 walks, and five strikeouts in 10 games (39 plate appearances). He was then activated and assigned to High-A Greenville, meaning he would skip Low-A Salem, on July 27.

In his next 28 games for the Drive, Riemer slashed .240/.397/.280 with four doubles, three RBIs, 21 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 126 plate appearances. Among the 180 hitters who made at least 120 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Riemer ranked second in swinging-strike rate (4.1 percent), 12th in on-base percentage, 21st in walk rate (15.1 percent), 29th in strikeout rate (19 percent), 64th in wOBA (.343) and wRC+ (113), and 76th in batting average, per FanGraphs.

Altogether, Riemer produced a .252/.412/.307 line with five doubles, one triple, seven RBIs, 27 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 29 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 38 total games (165 plate appearances) between the FCL and Greenville to cap off his first pro season. At those two stops, the 6-foot, 170-pounder split his playing time between both middle infield positions. He committed five errors in 65 chances across 20 starts (174 innings) at shortstop and two errors in 42 chances across 14 starts (109 innings) at second base.

Riemer, who turns 23 in February, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 36 prospect in Boston’s farm system. While power is not a major part of his game at the moment, he does possess intriguing bat-to-ball skills and solid instincts in the field. Barring a trade or other surprise move this winter, he is projected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season.

(Picture of Justin Riemer: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Trio of Red Sox minor-leaguers named 2024 Arizona Fall League All-Stars

Three Red Sox minor-leaguers were named 2024 Arizona Fall League All-Stars on Friday.

The trio of catcher Brooks Brannon, infielder/outfielder Max Ferguson, and right-hander Danny Kiriwn will represent the Mesa Solar Sox by suiting up for the American League in Saturday night’s Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. eastern time. The game will be broadcast on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com and the MLB app.

Brannon is the most notable of the Red Sox’ three Fall Stars given his standing as the No. 27 prospect in Boston’s farm system, per MLB Pipeline. The right-handed hitting 20-year-old has not played since last Saturday, but he is batting .333/.375/.500 with four doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, eight runs scored, four walks, and 18 strikeouts in 14 games (64 plate appearances) for Mesa this fall.

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1850374175640244660

Defensively, Brannon has started eight of Mesa’s 26 games at catcher while splitting time at the position with teammates Moises Ballesteros (Cubs), David Avitia (Cubs), and Daniel Susac (Athletics). In the process of logging 68 innings behind the plate, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop has thrown out five of 20 possible base stealers without committing an error.

Unlike Brannon, who was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2022 draft out of Randleman High School (N.C.), Ferguson was acquired from the Padres as part of the August 2022 trade that sent veteran first baseman Eric Hosmer and minor-league outfielder Corey Rosier to Boston and pitching prospect Jay Groome back to San Diego.

Ferguson, 25, missed much of this past season after injuring his ankle in mid-April. So far this fall, the left-handed hitting Tennessee product has slashed .246/.368/.361 with four doubles, one home run, 10 RBIs, 11 runs scored, two stolen bases, 13 walks, and 20 strikeouts in 17 games (76 plate appearances) for Mesa. In that time, he has logged 62 innings at second base, 60 innings at shortstop, and 21 2/3 innings in right field.

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1843502874397192356

Kirwin, meanwhile, signed with the Red Sox in late April after garnering attention on social media and having his contract purchased from the Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League without pitching in a game for the club. In four appearances (one start) for Mesa this fall, the hard-throwing righty out of Rider University has posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 14 strikeouts to just one walk over 10 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters have batted .283 against him.

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1844261044908429734

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Kirwin — who turns 25 next week — throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-96 mph fastball that has reached 98 mph, a mid-80s slider, and a cutter.

(Picture of Brooks Brannon: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Cade Feeney likely to miss all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, internal brace procedure

While making a recent appearance on Beyond the Monster’s ‘To the Show We Go’ podcast, Red Sox pitching prospect Cade Feeney revealed that he underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last month.

“They reconstructed it and then put a brace over the top of it,” Feeney said of his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) when speaking with hosts Andrew Parker and Chris Henrique. “So it’s kind of like the new hybrid they’ve been doing for the last couple of years.”

Asked about the recovery time involved with the procedure, Feeney said he would be sidelined for the next 12-15 months. In other words, the right-hander will all but certainly miss the entire 2025 season before being cleared to return to action.

“It works out perfectly where I’ll get a full year and then get a month off before offseason workouts,” said Feeney. “It’ll help my arm kind of just catch up and rest when everything’s ready to go and then start fresh that next season.”

Feeney, 23, was selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round (388th overall) of the 2023 draft out of North Dakota State. A full-time starter with the Bisons, the Bismarck native signed with Boston for an at-slot $150,000 and marked his professional debut by making one scoreless relief appearance for the club’s rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate last August.

To open the 2024 campaign, Feeney broke camp with High-A Greenville this spring. In 20 appearances for the Drive, the righty posted a 3.66 ERA and 2.56 FIP with 32 strikeouts to just two walks over 32 innings of relief in which opposing hitters batted .220 against him. He notched his third save in what would prove to be his final outing of the season on June 22, as he did not pitch again after landing on the 7-day injured list with a right elbow strain on July 12 and being transferred to the 60-day injured list three days later.

Though it was a relatively small sample size, Feeney proved effective in his first full pro season given his solid command-and-control profile. Among the 179 pitchers who accrued at least 30 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Feeney ranked first in walks per nine innings (0.56) and walk rate (1.6 percent), sixth in WHIP (0.91), ninth in xFIP (2.94), 10th in FIP, 22nd in swinging-strike rate (15.7 percent), and 67th in batting average against, per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-feet and 195 pounds, Feeney throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Feeney’s arsenal is headlined by a lower-90s fastball that topped out at 95 mph this season. He also mixes in a changeup and a slider.

Feeney, who does not turn 24 until next July, is not currently regarded by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. Since he likely won’t be back on the mound until early 2026, he was asked by Parker and Henrique about what he is looking forward to on the other side of the lengthy rehab process.

“I’m probably looking forward most to competing, getting back to that level of someone other than your teammates in the batter’s box,” Feeney responded. “That’s ultimately why I play baseball. I just love one-on-one competing. So that’s definitely what I’m going to miss most this next year but I’ll be looking forward to that.”

(Picture of Cade Feeney: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez added significant velocity to his repertoire this season

Behind only Jedixson Paez, Elmer Rodriguez was the second-youngest Red Sox minor-leaguer to reach the century mark in strikeouts this season.

Rodriguez, who turned 21 in August, struck out 102 of the 375 batters he faced in 21 outings (20 starts) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. The right-hander posted a 2.91 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 102:43 over a career-high 89 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted just .198 against him.

A former 2021 fourth-round draft pick out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez returned to Salem (where he spent all of 2023) to open the 2024 campaign. In 14 appearances (13 starts) for the Red Sox, the young righty forged a 2.51 ERA (2.73 FIP) with 73 strikeouts to 25 walks across 61 innings. He was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for June after allowing two unearned runs in 20 1/3 innings and was subsequently promoted to Greenville in late July.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1807906527921201618

From that point forward, Rodriguez pitched to a 3.77 ERA (5.34 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to 18 walks in seven starts (28 2/3 innings) for the Drive. Though he gave up hits less frequently, his strikeout rate fell (from 28.5 to 24.4 percent) and his walk rate rose (from 9.8 to 15.1 percent) after moving up a level for the first time in nearly two years. Perhaps that resulted from fatigue at the tail end of a long season, but it was nonetheless a productive year for Rodriguez.

Among the 486 minor-leaguers who pitched at least 85 innings in 2024, Rodriguez ranked 33rd in batting average against, 59th in groundball rate (50.2 percent), 60th in ERA, 76th in xFIP (3.47), 96th in strikeout rate (27.2 percent), 101st in strikeouts per nine innings (10.24), 120th in FIP, 135th in WHIP (1.20), and 156th in swinging-strike rate (12.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

In addition to earning Carolina League Player of the Month honors, Rodriguez was recognized as a Baseball America Low-A All-Star in September and a SoxProspects.com All-Star in October. The former rates the Trujillo Alto native as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system while the latter has him ranked 21st. MLB Pipeline regards him as the Red Sox’ No. 17 prospect, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization.

Though he is listed at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez is presumably heavier than that after adding strength this past offseason in an effort to gain more velocity. Those efforts seemingly paid off, as the projectable hurler sat between 94-97 mph and reached 99 mph with his fastball this season. He complements the heater with a bevy of secondaries, including an 85-88 mph slider, an 80-83 mph curveball, and an 88-91 mph changeup.

Assuming he remains with the Red Sox through the winter, Rodriguez is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2025 season. He is then in line to become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the protection deadline next November.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Top Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel led organization in RBIs this season

In his first full professional season, top catching prospect Kyle Teel led all Red Sox minor-leaguers in RBIs.

Teel, the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Virginia, split the 2024 campaign between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. The left-handed hitter batted .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, an organizational-leading 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts over 112 games spanning 505 plate appearances.

To open his age-22 season, Teel returned to Portland this spring after getting into nine games with the Sea Dogs last September. No stranger to playing in chilly conditions, the New Jersey native overcame a slow April start (.213/.333/.344 line in 16 games) by slashing .357/.443/.560 in May to earn Eastern League Player of the Month honors.

Teel stayed hot at the plate as May turned to June and June turned to July. He was then selected to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Texas, where he went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. He remained with the Sea Dogs after the All-Star break and continued to produce, leading to questions about a possible promotion to Triple-A.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1812529861044363281

Those questions were answered on August 12, as Teel — after batting .298/.390/.462 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 48 walks, and 87 strikeouts in 84 games (382 plate appearances) for Portland — was officially elevated to Worcester alongside fellow top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Kristian Campbell, the other member of Boston’s Big Four, joined the trio the following week.

Similar to how his season started, Teel’s first few weeks with the WooSox were tough and likely served as an adjustment period of sorts. He carried with him a .118/.207/.137 line in his first 13 games at Triple-A through the end of August but ended the year on a strong note by posting a 1.058 OPS in September. Altogether, Teel hit .255/.374/.333 with three doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 23 runs scored, three stolen bases, 20 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 28 games (123 plate appearances) for Worcester.

Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Teel ranked 18th in on-base percentage, 26th in batting average and wRC+ (134), 32nd in walk rate (13.5 percent), 42nd in wOBA (.376), 46th in OPS (.819), 69th in slugging percentage, 82nd in swinging-strike rate (10.2 percent), and 92nd in line-drive rate (23.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field between Portland and Worcester this year come at catcher. Equipped with plus arm strength, the 6-foot, 190-pound backstop logged 655 1/3 total innings behind the plate for the two affiliates and threw out 23 of 116 possible base stealers. He also allowed 11 passed balls and committed 12 errors in 793 chances.

In addition to the Futures Game selection and Player of the Month honor, Teel received a great deal of recognition when season-end awards were being handed out. He was named an Eastern League Post-Season All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A All-Star, and a SoxProspects.com All-Star. He was also voted as the Eastern League’s top defensive catcher in Baseball America’s 2024 Best Tools survey.

Teel, who turns 23 in February, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 25 prospect in the sport. Barring him being included in a surprise trade for starting pitching this winter, it appears as if he will be given an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster this coming spring.

Whether or not he makes the team has yet to be determined and won’t be for a while, but Teel is nonetheless positioned to make his big-league debut at some point in 2025 as the Red Sox’ catcher of the future.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)