Tag: Baseball

Red Sox OF prospect Enddy Azocar ‘has caught some attention’ this spring

The Red Sox have several young minor leaguers who are slated to make the jump from the Dominican Summer League to the Florida Complex League this upcoming season.

Enddy Azocar, an 18-year-old outfielder from Venezuela, is among them.

Azocar, who turned 18 last month, originally signed with Boston for $40,000 as an international free agent in January 2024. The Puerto La Cruz native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League five months later.

In 31 regular-season games for DSL Red Sox Red, Azocar batted .266/.397/.309 (107 wRC+)with two doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored, two stolen bases, 18 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 116 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter then went 2-for-7 (.286) in a pair of playoff contests as DSL Red Sox Red claimed the organization’s first Dominican Summer League title since 2016 and second overall.

On the other side of the ball, Azocar saw the vast majority of his playing time last year come in left field. The 6-foot-2, 168-pounder (listed weight) logged a team-high 219 innings in left for DSL Red Sox Red without recording an error or assist in 60 defensive chances. Elsewhere, he committed one error in four chances across 14 innings in right field.

As part of his first spring training in Fort Myers, Azocar has gotten some positive exposure. In addition to what he has shown on the backfields, he was featured in last Friday’s “Futures at Fenway South” showcase against prospects from the Twins organization at JetBlue Park. Though he went hitless in the game itself, the overall body of work this spring has nonetheless been encouraging.

“Enddy has had a great spring so far and has caught some attention,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said via email. “His frame will allow for plenty of strength and he’s already 6-foot-2 at 18 years old. He did a great job in the offseason of getting stronger and he’s only starting to fill that frame out. Enddy showed a polished approach in the DSL with more walks than strikeouts.

“So far this spring, we’re seeing a lot of hard contact with multiple 100+ [mph exit velocities],” Romero continued. “Will be very interesting to see him develop this year.”

Azocar is not currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as one of the premier prospects in Boston’s farm system, though it would not be surprising if he cracked the back end of their top-60 rankings at some point this summer after the 2025 Florida Complex League season begins in early May.

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

Kleyver Salazar among 7 unranked prospects to make Red Sox ‘Spring Breakout’ roster

On Thursday, the Red Sox unveiled their roster for their upcoming ‘Spring Breakout’ matchup against the Rays next week.

While Boston will be sending a plethora of top talents from a loaded farm system to Port Charlotte for the second annual prospects showcase next Thursday, several unheralded Red Sox minor-leaguers will be making the trip from Fort Myers as well.

Of the 27 players on the Red Sox ‘Spring Breakout’ roster, seven are not currently ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. Of those seven, 18-year-old catcher Kleyver Salazar stands out as someone who has yet to suit up for a full-season affiliate.

Salazar, who turns 19 in May, is the younger brother of former Red Sox (and current Cardinals minor-leaguer) Johnfrank Salazar. The native Venezuelan originally signed with Boston for $175,000 as an international free agent in January 2023 and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League before moving up to the Florida Complex League in 2024.

In 49 games (183 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox, Salazar batted .226/.333/.374 with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, 25 walks and 40 strikeouts. The right-handed hitter ended his season on a particularly high note by slashing .313/.389/.500 with three home runs and 15 RBIs over 20 games (72 plate appearances) in July.

Though a .708 OPS (95 wRC+) on the year is far from eye-popping, Salazar did rank 21st in isolated power (.148) and 32nd in walk rate (13.7 percent) among 71 qualified FCL hitters, per FanGraphs. He also led the way in fly-ball rate (55.7 percent), which suggests that he may have gotten under the ball quite a bit.

Defensively, Salazar split his playing time on the field between catcher and first base last year. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound backstop logged a team-high 168 2/3 innings behind the plate for the FCL Red Sox, allowing eight passed balls and throwing out 14 of 49 possible base stealers. In 16 starts as a first baseman, he committed just two errors in 98 chances.

Salazar joins Brooks Brannon and Ronald Rosario to make up the catching contingent on Boston’s ‘Spring Breakout’ roster. He is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to return to the FCL for the start of the 2025 season, though his assignment could change to Low-A Salem if fellow backstop Johanfran Garcia (who underwent season-ending ACL surgery last May) is not fully ready to go when camp breaks next month.

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

Red Sox prospect Mikey Romero catching eye of Alex Cora in spring training

Before Wednesday afternoon’s Grapefruit League contest against the Rays at JetBlue Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about which prospects outside of The Big Three of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer have caught his eye so far this spring.

“Mikey Romero, the last three, four days,” Cora quickly responded. “He’s a good player, a really good player. Good at-bats, good defender. Mikey Romero is a good player. We just got to get him healthy. He did everything this offseason to put himself in good shape. He’s a lot stronger now. This is the first time I’ve had a look consistently and I like him as a player. … Good instincts, really good instincts.”

Romero, who turned 21 in January, is not in major-league camp with the Red Sox in Fort Myers but has appeared in three Grapefruit League games thus far. The left-handed hitting infielder has gone 2-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk while seeing playing time at second base and shortstop.

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School (Calif.), Romero has already endured plenty on and off the field to this point in his professional career. The San Diego forwent his commitment to Louisiana State by signing with Boston for an under-slot $2.3 million and made a positive first impression in his brief pro debut between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.

Romero’s first full season in the professional ranks was not nearly as memorable. He opened the 2023 campaign on the injured list due to a stress reaction in his lower back that he suffered during spring training and did not return to action until late June. He then spent the better part of the next two months rehabbing with the FCL Red Sox and Salem before being promoted to High-A Greenville in mid-August. Just three games into his first stint with the Drive, however, Romero sustained a stress fracture that cost him the remainder of the year.

Altogether, Romero struggled to a .214/.294/.286 slash line with five doubles, two triples, 13 RBIs, 15 runs scored, two stolen bases, 14 walks, and 25 strikeouts over 34 total games (144 plate appearances) across three levels in 2023. He dropped from No. 6 to No. 16 in Baseball America’s Red Sox prospects rankings heading into 2024, though more pressing issues were at hand for Romero on a personal level.

On Valentine’s Day last year, Romero’s father — Mike Romero — passed away following a lengthy battle with tongue cancer. Mikey Romero then reported to Fort Myers for camp but was sidelined by back spasms and missed roughly the first month of the 2024 season as a result. He completed a three-game rehab assignment in the FCL before re-joining Greenville on May 15. From that point forward, he looked like a different hitter.

Romero consistently lined the ball in the air in the process of batting .271/.312/.509 with 20 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 58 strikeouts over 59 games (276 plate appearances) for Greenville. He was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Month for July and subsequently received a promotion to Double-A Portland in late August. He then closed out the season by slashing .243/.257/.543 with three doubles, six home runs, 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, two walks, and 25 strikeouts in 16 games (74 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Between the FCL, Greenville, and Portland in 2024, Romero batted .271/.312/.509 with 24 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, 54 runs scored, one stolen base, 18 walks, and 84 strikeouts over 78 games (362 plate appearances). Among the 31 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 360 trips to the plate last year, Romero most notably ranked second in isolated power (.238), fourth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.821) and wRC+ (127), and 11th in batting average and wOBA (.366), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Romero saw most of his playing time last season come at either second base or shortstop. With Portland in particular, he made 14 starts at shortstop and just one at second base, committing two errors in 52 total defensive chances. He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds but currently weighs in at around 205-207 pounds as he continues to add muscle to his athletic frame.

In addition to shedding light on his strength gains, Romero looked back on a season that netted him 2024 SoxProspects.com Comeback Player of the Year honors when speaking with Rob Bradford on Audacy’s ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring’ Podcast earlier Wednesday.

“Last year was a really good year for me, finishing at Double-A,” Romero said. “You can look at the stats and see that it was a great year. I think just being healthy, and playing — towards the end of the season — every day, it was great. To get to play for [Iggy Suarez at High-A and Chad Epperson at Double-A], I learned so much. Being with the older guys once I got to Double-A was pretty cool, to just pick their brains and see how they go about their business.”

Romero enters 2025 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected to break camp with Portland next month and is aiming to carry over the momentum he gained last year into the upcoming season. Simultaneously, he is looking to take advantage of the opportunity he is getting by playing in big-league spring training games for the first time and sharing a dugout with established veterans like Alex Bregman.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Romero. “Whether I’m starting or whether I’m backing up, coming in in the sixth inning. It’s just cool to be in the same dugout as a lot of these guys. Bregman, just a bunch of these guys. It’s really cool. Getting to see how they go about their business, not only for me playing but also just to be around the caliber of players we have in this clubhouse. It’s pretty cool. I’m taking advantage of it and I’m excited.”

Though the past year has undoubtedly been tough for Romero, he has been able to maintain a positive mindset thanks in part to his faith and the implementation of routines that he expects will keep him healthy. He also got married in November and is looking forward to what lies ahead in both his life and playing career.

“Starting off the year with my dad passing was, obviously, tough on my family, on me,” Romero said. “But I think the Lord was gracious to me. I got to play a full year healthy, I had a pretty damn good year, and to get to the cherry on top I got to marry my now-wife. Going into 2025, there’s no better feeling to have her here with me as well as to be healthy and to be getting spring training reps and just to be around the guys.”

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back former top pitching prospect José De León on minor-league deal

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with free-agent right-hander Jose De Leon, a source confirmed to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. De Leon effectively announced the signing on Tuesday, when he posted a video of himself putting on a Red Sox hat to Instagram with the caption: “We’re back in business.”

This will mark the start of De Leon’s second stint with the Red Sox. The 32-year-old first joined the organization on a minors pact in August 2021 after being released by the Reds. He spent the remainder of the season in Fort Myers and made just two appearances for Boston’s rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate before leaving for the Blue Jays as a minor-league free agent that November.

Originally selected by the Dodgers in the 24th round of the 2013 draft out of Southern, De Leon was once viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. The native Puerto Rican broke in at the big-league level in 2016 but was traded to the Rays for infielder Logan Forsythe the following January. He began to deal with arm troubles during the 2017 season, which led to him undergoing his first of two Tommy John surgeries in March 2018.

De Leon missed the entirety of the 2018 campaign and has seen limited in the majors since then. Altogether, the righty owns a lifetime 7.44 ERA (5.41 FIP) in 34 total outings (seven starts) spanning 65 1/3 innings between the Dodgers, Rays, Reds, and Twins. He logged a 4.67 ERA (3.83 FIP) in 12 appearances (17 1/3 innings) for Minnesota in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery for a second time that June.

De Leon was subsequently outrighted off the Twins’ 40-man roster and spent all of 2024 in free agency without pitching at the major- or minor-league level. After finishing his rehab, though, De Leon showed flashes of his past potential in winter ball in Puerto Rico during the offseason. In 12 appearances (two starts) between the regular season and the Caribbean Series, he forged a 1.32 ERA with 15 strikeouts to 10 walks over 13 2/3 innings.

As noted by Cotillo, Red Sox manager Alex Cora presumably got a good look at De Leon over the winter since he pitched for Cora’s hometown team in Caguas. With that being said, De Leon — who does not turn 33 until August — figures to provide Boston with upper-minors pitching depth and seems likely to open the 2025 season at Triple-A Worcester if there is a spot for him there.

(Picture of Jose De Leon: Edgardo Medina/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Red Sox to sign veteran righty Nick Burdi to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with free-agent right-hander Nick Burdi, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Chris Henrique. The deal does not come with an invite to major-league spring training, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Burdi, 32, was originally selected by the Twins in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Louisville. The Illinois native switched organizations for the first time during the 2017 Rule 5 Draft and made his major-league debut the following September. He has since logged 31 relief appearances over parts of five seasons with the Pirates, Cubs, and Yankees.

After signing a minors pact with the Yankees last January, Burdi made the club’s Opening Day roster out of spring training. The righty forged a 1.86 ERA (5.44 FIP) with 12 strikeouts to nine walks in 12 outings (9 2/3 innings) out of the bullpen. He averaged 97.5 mph and reached 99 mph with his fastball while sitting in the upper 80s with his slider before hitting the injured list with right hip inflammation for the second time in as many months in late May.

Burdi missed the following two months and spent the remainder of the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre upon returning to action in July, compiling a 2.65 ERA (3.63 FIP) with 24 strikeouts to 11 walks in 18 appearances (17 innings) for the RailRiders. He returned to minor-league free agency at season’s end after being designated for assignment and subsequently outrighted off New York’s 40-man roster in September.

Missing time due to injury has, unfortunately, been the story of Burdi’s career thus far. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2017 and October 2020 and also had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in June 2019. More recently, he had an emergency appendectomy in May 2023 and — as previously mentioned — was bothered by hip issues throughout the 2024 campaign. Altogether, he owns a 6.48 ERA (4.16 FIP) in 25 career innings at the big-league level.

If healthy, Burdi figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester to open the upcoming season. His younger brother, Zack, was the 26th overall pick in the 2016 draft and appeared in a total of 18 games for the White Sox, Orioles, and Rays from 2020-2023.

(Picture of Nick Burdi: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospects Matt Duffy, Cole Tolbert slated to undergo Tommy John surgery

It appears as though the 2025 season is already over for a pair of intriguing Red Sox pitching prospects.

As was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster, right-handers Matt Duffy and Cole Tolbert have been diagnosed with UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) tears in their pitching elbows. While Duffy’s was described as a full tear, both hurlers are scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery in Arlington, Texas on March 5.

Duffy, 23, was Boston’s fourth-round selection in the 2023 draft out of Canisius University in Buffalo, N.Y. The Ontario native forwent his commitment to transfer to South Carolina for his senior year by signing with the club for an under-slot $350,000 that July. He then spent the entirety of his first full professional season at Low-A Salem in 2024, compiling a 2.83 ERA (3.58 FIP) with exactly 100 strikeouts to 27 walks over 22 appearances (21 starts) and a staff-leading 98 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .223 against him. That includes a sparkling 1.05 ERA (2.25 ERA) in his final nine outings (43 innings) after the calendar flipped from June to July.

Tolbert, meanwhile, was selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of last summer’s draft out of Ole Miss. In a similar fashion to Duffy, the 22-year-old had been committed to transfer to Troy University for his senior season but instead signed with Boston for an under-slot $50,000 in July. He made his professional debut shortly thereafter and closed the 2024 campaign by posting a 5.56 ERA (3.23 FIP) with 14 strikeouts to six walks in five appearances (three starts) spanning 11 1/3 innings for Salem. Opponents batted .268 against him.

Neither Duffy (who turns 24 in October) nor Tolbert (who turns 23 in December) are currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The former was projected by the site to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the upcoming season while the latter was slated to return to Salem. They will now miss all of 2025 and likely part of 2026 depending on the nature of their respective procedures.

(Picture of Matt Duffy: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox to sign former All-Star lefty Matt Moore to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with free-agent left-hander Matt Moore, as was first reported by WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. The deal, which is presumably pending a physical, comes with an invite to major-league spring training, according to The New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

As an Article XX(B) free agent, Moore will have three opt-out clauses in his contract with the Red Sox. The 35-year-old will have the ability to return to free agency on March 22 (five days before Opening Day), May 1, and June 1 if he has not yet been added to Boston’s 40-man roster.

Moore, who turns 36 in June, is a veteran of 13 major-league seasons who was originally selected by the Rays in the eighth round of the 2007 draft out of Moriarty High School in New Mexico. A former top prospect, the Florida-born lefty broke in with Tampa Bay in 2011 and burst onto the scene two years later by being named a 2013 American League All-Star and finishing ninth in American League Cy Young voting. He underwent Tommy John surgery the following April and was later traded to the Giants in August 2016.

Moore struggled in San Francisco and bounced around a bit between the Giants, Rangers, and Tigers before suffering a torn right meniscus in just his second start for Detroit in April 2019. He underwent season-ending surgery as a result and subsequently took his talents to Japan for the 2020 campaign. He then leveraged a strong showing with the NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks into a one-year deal with the Phillies for 2021. The Red Sox were interested in his services at that time but came up short in their pursuit.

Though his return to the United States did not go well out of the gate, Moore latched on with the Rangers on a minor-league pact before the start of the 2022 season and found new life as a reliever. He forged a 1.95 ERA (2.98 FIP) in 63 relief appearances (74 innings) for Texas and parlayed that bounceback effort into successive one-year deals with the Angels in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Moore wound up splitting the 2023 campaign between the Angels, Guardians, and Marlins, compiling a 2.56 ERA (3.73 FIP) in 50 total outings (52 2/3 innings). He returned to the Halos on a one-year, $9 million contract last January but struggled to a 5.03 ERA (6.17 FIP) with 41 strikeouts to 21 walks over 51 appearances (48 1/3 innings) before suffering a left forearm strain that ended his season a month early. He appears to be healthy now, however.

All told, Moore owns a lifetime 4.39 ERA (4.38 FIP) with 1,053 strikeouts to 486 walks across 369 outings (164 starts) spanning 1,142 2/3 career innings at the major-league level. That includes a 2.98 ERA (4.08 FIP) with 184 strikeouts to 79 walks in 164 relief appearances (175 innings) over the last three seasons.

While the surface-level numbers from last year may seem discouraging, Moore did hold opposing hitters to a .218 batting average. Left-handed hitters batted just .174 against him. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound southpaw also ranked in the 79th percentile of all big leaguers in expected batting average (.216) and the 76th percentile in hard-hit rate (35.5 percent), according to Baseball Savant. His average fastball velocity fell from 94 mph to 92.7 mph, though that may have been due in part to the aforementioned forearm strain he sustained.

The reported addition of Moore comes on the same day Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) in Fort Myers that rookie lefty Zach Penrod underwent an MRI on his elbow Wednesday after experiencing soreness in the area earlier in the week. While the team plans on having more information relating to his results on Friday, there are some initial concerns about potential ligament damage that could lead to a lengthy absence.

Moore, meanwhile, becomes the 14th pitcher to receive a non-roster invite to camp from the Red Sox this spring. He joins fellow lefties Jovani Moran and Sean Newcomb in that regard. Boston also has southpaws Brennan Bernardino, Aroldis Chapman, Chris Murphy (rehabbing from Tommy John surgery), Penrod, and Justin Wilson as left-handed bullpen options on the 40-man roster.

(Picture of Matt Moore: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back veteran reliever Adam Ottavino on minor-league deal

The Red Sox are bringing back veteran reliever Adam Ottavino on a minor-league contract, as was first reported by The New York Post’s Jon Heyman. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

Ottavino, who has already arrived at the Fenway South complex in Fort Myers, will earn a base salary of $2 million if he makes Boston’s major-league roster, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The 39-year-old will also have the ability to opt out of his contract and return to free agency if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the end of camp.

Ottavino previously pitched for the Red Sox in 2021 after being acquired from the Yankees in a rare trade between the division rivals that January. The right-hander posted a 4.21 ERA (3.96 FIP) with 71 strikeouts to 35 walks over 69 relief appearances (62 innings) in which opposing hitters batted .239 against him. He then signed with the Mets as a free agent and spent the last three seasons in Queens, most recently forging a 4.34 ERA (3.67 FIP) with 70 strikeouts to 23 walks across 60 outings (56 innings) in 2024. This offseason, he appeared in three games for the Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League and allowed one earned run on four hits, zero walks, and two strikeouts over three innings.

A former 2006 first-round draft selection coming out of Northeastern, Ottavino broke in at the big-league level with the Cardinals in 2010 but did not truly establish himself until he was claimed off waivers by Colorado two years later. Dating back to the start of the 2012 season, the Brooklyn native owns a lifetime 3.33 ERA (3.53 FIP) with 847 strikeouts to 317 walks in 719 career relief appearances (720 2/3 innings) between the Rockies, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets in the majors.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds, Ottavino threw six different pitches with the Mets last season. The burly righty averaged 78.9 mph with his sweeper, 92.1 mph with his sinker, 87.9 mph with his cutter, 93.2 mph with his four-seamer (that topped out at 95.4 mph), 87.2 mph with his changeup, and 83.2 mph with his slider. He ranked in the 92nd percentile of all big leaguers in expected batting average (.198), the 88th percentile in average exit velocity (87.1 mph), the 86th percentile in strikeout rate (28.6 percent), the 84th percentile in expected ERA (3.19), and the 81st percentile in hard-hit rate (34.7 percent), according to Baseball Savant.

Ottavino, who does not turn 40 until November, becomes the 13th pitcher to receive a non-roster invite from the Red Sox this spring. For the time being, he will wear the No. 00 at camp after donning the No. 0 in his first stint with the club. That number has since been taken by Walker Buehler.

(Picture of Adam Ottavino: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland to pitch for China at WBC qualifiers

Last week, Red Sox pitching prospect Jeremy Wu-Yelland was named to China’s roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic qualifiers that will be held in Tucson, Ariz., from March 2-6.

Wu-Yelland was one of 14 pitchers to make the cut for China. The 25-year-old left-hander is a native of Spokane, Wash. but his mother’s side of the family is Chinese, hence the connection. He even has his Chinese name — “Light Of The Sun In The Morning” — tattooed onto his right arm.

Wu-Yelland was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Hawaii. He signed with the club for $200,000 that July and made his professional debut the following May. After forging a 3.91 ERA in 23 starts (76 innings) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2021, he underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022 and missed the entire season as a result.

Wu-Yelland returned to the mound in June 2023 as part of a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The lefty was, however, limited to just three short appearances for the FCL Red Sox before being shut down for the remainder of the year. He subsequently opened the 2024 campaign on Greenville’s injured list due to stiffness and was then activated for his season debut in late May.

From there, Wu-Yelland posted a 5.67 ERA (but far more encouraging 3.77 FIP) with 42 strikeouts to 23 walks over 23 relief appearances (33 1/3 innings) for the Drive in which opposing hitters batted .238 against him. That includes a 3.46 ERA and 2.63 FIP across his final nine outings (13 innings) of the season.

Among the 164 minor-leaguers who threw at least 33 innings in the South Atlantic League last year, Wu-Yelland most notably ranked 26th in swinging-strike rate (15.3 percent), 35th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.34), 43rd in groundball rate (46.4 percent), 70th in FIP, and 74th in strikeout rate (26.4 percent), per FanGraphs.

As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Wu-Yelland primarily operated with a three-pitch mix in 2024. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw flashed a 94-96 mph fastball that topped out at 97 mph, an 89-91 mph cutter, and an 80-84 mph slider. He has also featured a changeup in the past but may have scrapped that offering.

Wu-Yelland, who does not turn 26 until June, is not currently regarded by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of Boston’s top pitching prospects. If healthy, he is projected by the site to make the jump to Double-A Portland as a member of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen to open the 2025 season. How he fares will likely depend on his command and control of the strike zone.

(Picture of Jeremy Wu-Yelland: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox to sign former Angels two-way prospect to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent left-hander Erik Rivera to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster. Rivera himself appears to have confirmed the signing on his Instagram account.

Rivera is a former 2019 fourth-round draft pick of the Angels out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. The 23-year-old Caguas native was taken 121st overall and forewent his commitment to Florida International by signing with Los Angeles for $597,500.

A two-way player coming out of high school, Rivera signed with the Angels as an outfielder and batted .208/.313/.264 with four doubles, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, nine walks, and 31 strikeouts over 21 games (83 plate appearances) in the 2019 rookie-level Arizona League. His first full professional season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and he emerged as a full-time pitcher beginning in 2021.

Rivera entered the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Los Angeles’ farm system. The lefty made his professional pitching debut at Low-A Inland Empire that May but then suffered a sprained UCL in his left elbow that ultimately required surgery. As a result, he missed the remainder of the 2021 campaign and all of 2022 before making his way back to the mound in August 2023. He closed out the year by forging a 4.09 ERA (5.90 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to 15 walks in seven total outings (11 innings) between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Tri-City.

Rivera returned to Tri-City for the start of the 2024 season and posted a 3.31 ERA (4.94 FIP) with 39 strikeouts to 20 walks over 10 appearances (eight starts) spanning 35 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .213 against him. The southpaw was released by the Angels in late July and spent the remainder of the year in free agency. Most recently, he enjoyed a productive offseason back on his home island by pitching to a 1.04 ERA (0.86 WHIP) with 21 strikeouts to 10 walks in 16 relief appearances (17 1/3 innings) for the Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Rivera has been described as having a smooth and athletic delivery. In the past, he has reached 95 mph with his fastball which typically sits in the lower-90s. He has also featured an upper-70s curveball that resembled a slider and a lower-80s changeup with fade, per his July 2021 Baseball America scouting report.

Rivera, who turns 24 in April, should provide the Red Sox with additional pitching depth from the left side in the lower minors to open the 2025 season. It remains to be seen what affiliate he will break camp with later this spring, though Low-A Salem or High-A Greenville would appear to be the most likely destinations.

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