Tag: craig breslow

Red Sox’ Craig Breslow on trade addition Carlos Narvaez: ‘He’s a guy that we’re really excited about’

The Red Sox did not pluck a player from the Yankees organization in the major- or minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft earlier this month, but they did swing a rare trade with their division rivals on the final day of the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas.

In exchange for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez and $250,000 in international bonus pool space, Boston acquired catcher Carlos Narvaez from New York on December 11. The move came just hours after the Red Sox included top catching prospect Kyle Teel in the five-player trade that netted them frontline starter Garrett Crochet from the White Sox.

Narvaez, who turned 26 late last month, comes to the Red Sox with just six games of major-league experience under his belt. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Yankees for $50,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2015. He made his professional debut the following June and — in the process of working up the minor-league ladder — was added to New York’s 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection in November 2023.

Narvaez opened the 2024 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and was not called up for his big-league debut until mid-July. The right-handed hitter appeared in six games for the Yankees from July 20 through August 10, going 3-for-13 (.231) with three singles, two walks, and six strikeouts. From behind the plate, he threw out one of two possible base stealers before being optioned on August 13.

Narvaez would close out the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, finishing with a .254/.370/.412 slash line with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 58 RBIs, 54 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 56 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 96 games (403 plate appearances) for the RailRiders. Defensively, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound backstop gunned down 15 of 83 would-be base stealers. He also logged 114 innings at first base and three innings at third base.

Equipped with a strong arm and solid framing and receiving skills, Narvaez has spent his winter with the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP). Despite dealing with visa issues that resulted in him being away from the team for a bit, Narvaez still batted a stout .357/.456/.662 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 23 regular-season games (90 plate appearances) for the Cardenales, who are now in the LVBP playoffs.

Having said that, it is worth noting that Venezuelan journalist Carlos V. Rodriguez reported on Monday that — regardless of how far the Cardenales advance in the playoffs — Narvaez will only play until January 7 because the Red Sox want him back in the United States to take part in team activities. That tracks with Narvaez being among the players expected to attend the first-ever Fenway Fest fan event in Boston on January 11.

Barring any other catching additions in the coming days or weeks, Narvaez will likely enter his first spring training with the Red Sox as the club’s top backup option behind Connor Wong. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged as much when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) via Zoom earlier Monday afternoon.

“He’s a guy that we’re really excited about,” Breslow said of Narvaez. “What we saw out of him in winter ball I think only enhances or reinforces that we think he’s a great complement to Connor. That doesn’t mean that we’ll stop looking but I think we brought Narvy in because of what he brings offensively but also more specifically in terms of pitch framing and receiving. We feel really good about that.”

(Picture of Carlos Narvaez: Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ 16th-round pick Griffin Kilander recognized for strong pro debut

Of the 20 amateurs the Red Sox drafted and signed over the summer, only five saw official in-game action before the 2024 minor-league season drew to a close.

Griffin Kilander, Boston’s 16th-round selection out of Division II Wayne State (Detroit, Mich.), had arguably the strongest professional debut within that group. Carlos Collazo wrote as much in Baseball America’s Red Sox 2024 MLB Draft Report Card, which was published on Monday.

Kilander, a 21-year-old right-hander, was one of 14 pitchers taken by the Red Sox in July’s draft, the first under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. The 477th overall pick signed with the club for an under-slot bonus of $60,000 on July 27 and made his pro debut with Low-A Salem less than three weeks later.

Having already thrown 81 innings in his junior season with Wayne State (and an additional 10 1/3 innings in the Northwoods League), Kilander was obviously not going to be pushed in his first taste of affiliated ball. The 2024 Second Team All-GLIAC selection appeared in three games for Salem, allowing one earned run on one hit, three walks, and six strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings of relief.

After tossing 5 1/3 consecutive scoreless, no-hit frames to begin his professional career, Kilander gave up his only run as part of an erratic outing that included four wild pitches in Salem’s penultimate game against Kannapolis on September 7. Altogether, the Michigan native finished the year with a 1.23 ERA and 3.17 FIP in his brief cameo with the Red Sox’ Carolina League affiliate.

Listed at a projectable 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Kilander’s pitch mix is highlighted by a low-90s fastball that has been clocked at 94 mph. The athletic righty made strides with his entire arsenal this spring, as Wayne State pitching coach Eric Bezel told Jonathan Szczepaniak of the Royal Oak Review in July.

“A big point of emphasis for Griffin this year was commanding the breaking ball and throwing it more often for a strike early in counts,” Bezel said. “The year before, Griffin would have to rely on his fastball early in counts, resulting in more balls being put in play. Showing that he could throw a breaking ball for a strike more consistently made the fastball more effective later in counts, resulting in more swing and miss. In addition to this emphasis on breaking ball execution, Griffin also saw an increase in average (velocity) on all his pitches due to him putting on about 15 pounds of good weight from his sophomore year to junior year.”

Kilander, who does not turn 22 until next June, is not currently ranked by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem for the start of the 2025 season but could be a fast riser through the organization if he continues to be used in a relief role moving forward.

(Picture of Griffin Kilander: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts impresses in final outing of spring

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts looked sharp in his final outing of the spring on Tuesday afternoon.

Fitts got the start in the Sox’ exhibition finale against the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The right-hander was tasked with facing plenty of big-league regulars but held his own, scattering just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings of work in a winning effort.

Though he kept Texas off the scoreboard, Fitts did deal with his fair share of traffic on the base paths. The 24-year-old gave up a leadoff single to Marcus Semien in the first inning, but stranded him at first. He then worked his way around a one-out double from top Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford in the second and a leadoff walk drawn by Leody Taveras in the third.

Both Langford and Taveras made it as far as third base but failed to advance past there. After the Red Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, Fitts retired the lone batter he faced in the latter half of the fourth by fanning reigning ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia on six pitches. He was then relieved by Isaiah Campbell, the first of seven bullpen arms used by manager Alex Cora as Boston went on to defeat Texas by a final score of 4-1.

Finishing with 54 pitches (33 strikes), Fitts induced a game-high seven whiffs and was credited with the winning decision. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound righty threw 25 sliders, 20 four-seam fastballs, and nine changeups while averaging 93.9 mph and topping out at 95.8 mph with his heater, according to Baseball Savant.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in the December trade that sent Alex Verdugo to New York, Fitts is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among arms in the organization behind only Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales. The Alabama native was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn and is coming off a 2023 season in which he posted a 3.48 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 27 starts (152 2/3 innings) for New York’s Double-A affiliate.

On the heels of earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors, Fitts was dealt to the Red Sox alongside Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice. Identified by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. as someone who could strengthen an area of need in the minor-league pipeline, Fitts took part in the club’s rookie development program back in January and pitched three innings of relief for Boston in its inaugural Spring Breakout matchup against the Braves at JetBlue Park earlier this month.

With his first-ever big-league spring training start in the books, Fitts will now report to Triple-A Worcester and open the 2024 campaign in the WooSox’ starting rotation. His first start of the season could come as soon as this Sunday, when Worcester wraps up a three-game weekend series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pa.

At this point in time, it remains to be seen if Fitts — who does not turn 25 until December — will be able to stick as a starter or ultimately move to the bullpen in the long run. He can nevertheless become Rule 5-eligible for the first time later this year, meaning the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

Based on the early returns, though, Fitts could very well make his major-league debut this season depending on how things shake out for the Red Sox. How he fares with the WooSox out of the gate will certainly be worth monitoring.

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

Red Sox’ Justin Slaten has impressed Craig Breslow this spring

When recently asked by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden about who has stood out to him at spring training thus far, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow offered a simple, yet informative response.

“Slaten has been impressive,” Breslow said. “He’s shown the ability to get swings-and-misses in the zone on his secondaries with enough (on his fastball) to keep hitters off balance.”

Breslow is, of course, referring to right-hander Justin Slater, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Mets for minor-league lefty Ryan Ammons in the moments following the completion of December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Slaten’s journey to Boston has been somewhat unique. The 26-year-old had spent the previous five seasons in the Rangers organization after being selected by the club in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft out of New Mexico. He was then left off Texas’ 40-man roster this past November, which subsequently made him available to other teams on the final day of the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

The Red Sox, as noted by The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, had targeted Slaten as a top priority going into the Rule 5 Draft, but saw him come off the board before they were set to pick. They then swung a trade with the Mets, who took Slaten eighth overall, by dealing away Ammons (a 10th-round selection in the 2023 amateur draft out of Clemson) as well as cash considerations to New York.

“It was kind of the marriage of the data, the raw pitch characteristics, the performance, the scouting group, everyone kind of aligned. This budding pitching infrastructure, we were able to get additional perspectives, and when there’s alignment across all of those groups, it makes for a fairly easy decision,” Breslow said at the time. “He’s a guy with huge swing-and-miss stuff, profiles as a back-of-the-bullpen type arm, so we’re really excited to get him here and see what he can do.”

As a Rule 5 Draft pick, Slaten was immediately inserted into Boston’s big-league mix and added to the 40-man roster. He took part in the club’s rookie development program in January, was at Winter Weekend in Springfield, and is now vying for a spot in the Sox’ Opening Day bullpen at major-league spring training camp down in Fort Myers.

Slaten is coming off a 2023 season in which he posted a 2.87 ERA (4.03 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 20 walks in 40 appearances (one start) spanning 59 2/3 total innings of work between Texas’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. He allowed just one run on three hits, four walks, and 10 strikeouts across five outings (8 1/3 innings) after being promoted to Triple-A Round Rock in September, then struck out six over 3 2/3 frames of relief for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League.

So far this spring, Slaten has gotten into four Grapefruit League games for Boston. He has allowed only two hits, zero walks, and one hit batsman with four strikeouts over four scoreless innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .133 batting average against. Considering that he last pitched on Tuesday, he could conceivably be used as part of this weekend’s Dominican Republic Series against the Rays in Santo Domingo.

“Velocity, movement,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Slaten when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last month. “Obviously we’ve got to make sure he throws that over the heart of the plate. But so far, so good. Big boy with good stuff. I think if you look around, we’re a little bit bigger in that department this year. A lot of big bodies, a lot of big dudes with nasty stuff. So we’ve just got to make sure we throw that nasty stuff over the heart of the plate and take our chances.”

Standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Slaten operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 95-97 mph fastball, a mid-80s sweeping slider, an 89-91 mph cutter, and a low-80s curveball that features two-plane break. He demonstrated improved control last year and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization.

Even though he was not directly taken by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft over the winter, Slaten still must stick on Boston’s active roster (or injured list, if he is hurt) for the entirety of the 2023 season. If those conditions cannot be met, the Sox will have to expose Slaten — who cannot be optioned to the minor-leagues — to waivers and then, if he clears, offer him back to the Rangers for $50,000.

Earlier in camp, it appeared as though Slaten and fellow pitching prospect Bryan Mata were competing for the same bullpen spot. Mata, like Slaten, was gunning to make the Opening Day roster since he is out of minor-league options and would be facing the possibility of being placed on waivers. He has since suffered a hamstring strain that shut him down from throwing until just recently.

As The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams highlighted on Wednesday, there is still no timetable for when Mata could be available to get into a game, which puts his status for Opening Day in question. The Red Sox could, however, place the hard-throwing 24-year-old on the injured list to start the season and delay their decision on what to do with him until he is physically cleared to return to action.

Regardless, Mata’s injury gives Slaten an advantageous edge for a roster spot with less than three weeks to go until the Red Sox open the 2024 season in Seattle on March 28. The fact Breslow has been impressed with him this spring certainly speaks to that.

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

Cooper Criswell emerging as candidate for spot in Red Sox’ starting rotation: ‘He’s definitely put himself in the conversation’

With Lucas Giolito facing the possibility of undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, the Red Sox’ starting rotation has taken a massive hit in the weeks leading up to Opening Day.

One of the main storylines at spring training camp in Fort Myers so far has been the composition of Boston’s rotation. Giolito was expected to provide that group with a durable workhorse after signing a two-year, $38.5 million contract in January, but those plans now appear to be in serious jeopardy.

Instead, the Red Sox will now need other pitchers to step up in the wake of Giolito’s potential lengthy absence. Of the internal options who could help fill in, Cooper Criswell is among those who were singled out by both manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow on Tuesday.

Criswell was, of course, the first major-league free agent to sign with the Red Sox after Breslow replaced Chaim Bloom this past fall. The 27-year-old right-hander inked a one-year, $1 million contract with Boston on December 13 and was instructed by both Breslow and pitching coach Andrew Bailey to prepare as a starter heading into camp.

“They want me to come to spring training prepared to be a starter,” Criswell told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith at Red Sox Winter Weekend back in January. “Just because it’s easier if they want to move me into a bulk role out of the bullpen or even a reliever. Obviously it’s easier to transition from a starter to a reliever rather than a reliever to a starter. So I’m going to be geared up, ready for spring training to go as a starter.”

A former 13th-round draft selection of the Angels coming out of North Carolina in 2018, Criswell originally broke in with Los Angeles in 2021. The Georgia native started just one game for the Halos in his big-league debut that August and was then claimed off waivers by the Rays the following July.

Criswell again started just one game for Tampa Bay down the stretch in 2022 before seeing his usage surge last year. In a career-high 10 appearances out of the Rays bullpen, the righty posted a 5.73 ERA and 5.35 FIP with 27 strikeouts to 11 walks over 33 innings of relief.

Criswell was called up by the Rays on eight separate occasions last season and was then non-tendered in November. Despite being cut loose by Tampa Bay, Criswell — as noted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan at the time — found a solid market and leveraged it into a fully-guaranteed major-league deal with Boston.

Going into his first camp with the Red Sox, Criswell was on the outside looking in when it came to competing for a spot in the season-opening rotation and was viewed as more of a swingman type who could provide length out of the bullpen. He also has a minor-league option remaining, so him starting the season and remaining stretched out at Triple-A Worcester to begin the season wasn’t out of the equation, either.

In light of Giolito’s elbow woes, though, Criswell has now joined the likes of Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, and Josh Winckowski as the leading internal candidates to make up the back end of Boston’s starting rotation out of the gate later this month. His case is also aided by the fact that the Red Sox may consider utilizing a six-man rotation to combat against a season-opening west coast road trip as well as a stretch that has them playing 13 days in a row from April 9-21.

“It would be unfair to say we overlooked him, but we just weren’t as familiar with him given that he wasn’t with us,” Breslow said of Criswell when speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) at JetBlue Park on Tuesday. “I think what has been impressive and what we knew we were getting is an elite strike-thrower. I think there were some questions as to whether or not we can help boost the stuff and I think in pretty short order, it’s ticked up a little bit while maintaining the ability to shape pitches very, very well and pounding the strike zone. So I think he’s definitely put himself in the conversation.”

As noted by McCaffrey, the Red Sox liked Criswell’s raw numbers while he was with the Rays and have been impressed with him so far this spring. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-80s sinker, a mid-70s sweeper, a lower-80s cutter, and a lower-80s changeup. He ranked in the 90th percentile of all big-leaguers by averaging 6.9 feet of extension off the mound on his pitches last year, per Baseball Savant.

“I would consider a sweeper one of my best pitches, for sure,” Criswell told Smith. “I feel comfortable throwing any of those, especially the three — sinker/slider/changeup — any pitch, any count. I’m getting the confidence in the cutter just as much as the other three pitches.”

Criswell, who does not turn 28 until July, has pitched two innings of relief in each of his first two outings of the spring, allowing one run on five hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He is scheduled to get the start in Wednesday’s Grapefruit League matchup against the Twins at Hammond Stadium. Could it be a preview of what is to come in the early stages of the season? Only time will tell.

 (Picture of Cooper Criswell: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Who is newest Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin?

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects on Saturday by acquiring right-hander David Sandlin from the Royals in exchange for veteran reliever John Schreiber.

Sandlin, who turns 23 next week, was originally selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Oklahoma. The former Sooner was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 242 prospect in his class and received a $397,500 signing bonus from Kansas City.

After officially putting pen to paper, Sandlin made his professional debut in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League that August. The righty got the start against ACL Diamondbacks Red on a balmy Monday evening in Surprise and gave up just one hit and no walks with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of work.

That would prove to be Sandlin’s lone outing with a Royals affiliate in 2022, which is understandable since he had just tossed 66 2/3 innings while helping Oklahoma make it to the College World Series earlier in the spring. Despite the lack of experience, though, the Sooner State native enjoyed a relatively productive first full season of pro ball in 2023.

Sandlin spent most of last year with Low-A Columbia, posting a 3.38 ERA and 3.45 FIP with 79 strikeouts to 13 walks in 12 starts (58 2/3 innings) for the Fireflies. He faced Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, the Salem Red Sox, two times during that stretch and went a season-high seven innings without giving up a run against them on June 9.

Shortly thereafter, Sandlin earned a promotion to High-A Quad Cities. Unfortunately, he made just two starts for the River Bandits — allowing a total of four earned runs with eight strikeouts to five walks over eight innings — before hitting the injured list in early July. That is where he would spend the rest of the season, as he was ultimately shut down due to an oblique strain.

All told, Sandlin went 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA (3.68 FIP) and 87 strikeouts to 18 walks in 14 starts (66 2/3 innings) between Columbia and Quad Cities last season. Among those in the Royals organization who also eclipsed the 60-inning threshold in 2023, Sandlin ranked fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.74), seventh in walks per nine innings (2.43), first in strikeout rate (32.1 percent), seventh in walk rate (6.6 percent), eighth in WHIP (1.21), fifth in swinging-strike rate (14.5 percent), eighth in ERA, 11th in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.86), per FanGraphs.

On the heels of that solid showing, Sandlin had been regarded by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Kansas City’s farm system heading into 2024. He was also identified as a potential sleeper candidate “who could take a jump forward” this year.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph, a mid-80s slider with horizontal break and high spin rate, a low-80s curveball with bite, and a changeup that breaks like a splitter, according to his Baseball America scouting report.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith and MLB.com’s Ian Browne) at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Saturday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow indicated that Sandlin’s velocity has increased significantly since entering the pro ranks, as he previously pitched in the low-90s while in college but has since been able to reach 98-99 mph with his heater.

“He has a good breaking ball and a change that we see room to optimize,” Breslow explained. “So it was a combination of kind of raw stuff, projection and a chance to maybe tweak the usage a little bit and improve performance.”

In light of any possible injury concerns, Breslow said that Sandlin is now “fully ramped up” for spring training and will report to minor-league camp at the Fenway South complex in the coming days. If all goes well, he will likely start the 2024 campaign with High-A Greenville.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former All-Star, Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer to two-year minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free agent reliever Michael Fulmer to a minor-league contract last week, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, it is a two-year deal that will cover the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

As noted by Cotillo, the contract includes a $1.5 million major-league salary in both years. If Fulmer is selected to the 40-man roster in 2024 or 2025, his salary will be $1.5 million. The right-hander will also have the chance to earn an additional $2 million in incentives next year.

Fulmer, who turns 31 next month, is expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing UCL revision surgery on his right elbow last October. This comes after he previously underwent Tommy John surgery to repair that same ligament in March 2019.

Last year with the Cubs, where he worked with Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, Fulmer posted a 4.42 ERA and 4.15 FIP with 65 strikeouts to 28 walks over 58 appearances (one start) spanning 57 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .235 batting average against. He ranked in the 95th percentile of all big-league pitchers in hard-hit rate (30.3 percent) and the 92nd percentile in both average exit velocity (86.4 mph) and whiff rate (33.5 percent), per Baseball Savant.

A former first-round draft selection of the Mets out of Deer Creek High School (Edmond, Okla.) in 2011, Fulmer first broke in with the Tigers in 2016 after being part of the same trade that sent former Red Sox outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to New York the previous summer. The Oklahoma native got his major-league career with Detroit off to a promising start, as he took home American League Rookie of the Year honors as well as a 10th-place finish in Cy Young voting in 2016 before being named a first-time All-Star in 2017.

From that point forward, though, Fulmer has been hindered by injuries on numerous occasions. After his 2019 was wiped out because of Tommy John, the righty struggled to a 8.78 ERA in 10 starts during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. He then moved to Detroit’s bullpen in 2021 and has primarily worked as a reliever for the Tigers, Twins, and Cubs since then.

Altogether, Fulmer owns a lifetime 3.94 ERA in 262 career big-league outings (94 starts). When operating in a relief role, the 6-foot-3, 224-pound hurler has pitched to a 3.43 ERA with 190 strikeouts to 70 walks across 175 2/3 total innings. He also converted 19 of a possible 30 save opportunities in that stretch.

Before going under the knife while with the Cubs last fall, Fulmer averaged 83.2 mph with his sweeper, 94.2 mph with his four-seam fastball, 89.6 mph with his cutter, 94.8 mph with his sinker, and 89.9 mph with his changeup. He has past experience throwing a curveball as well.

Fulmer will presumably spend most, if not all of the 2024 campaign rehabbing in Fort Myers. Barring a surprise, he should be at Boston’s spring training camp as a non-roster invitee around this time next year.

The Red Sox, for their part, are no strangers when it comes to rehabbing injured free agent pitchers. Most recently, right-hander Wyatt Mills was brought back on a similar two-year minors pact earlier in the offseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July.

Like Fulmer, Mills is unlikely to pitch in 2024, though there is always a possibility something could change later in the year. In the meantime, neither Fulmer nor Mills will count against the Sox’ 40-man roster.

(Picture of Michael Fulmer: Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez has advanced feel, ‘remarkable’ command for his age

Red Sox pitching prospect Jedixson Paez was one of just eight teenagers to throw 50 or more innings in the Carolina League last season.

Paez, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Wednesday, emerged as a steady presence on the mound for Low-A Salem in 2023. The then-19-year-old right-hander posted a 3.31 ERA and 3.69 FIP with 73 strikeouts to just 12 walks in 18 outings (16 starts) spanning 84 1/3 innings of work.

Trailing only Jose Ramirez, who has since been scooped up by the White Sox in the minor-league phase of last month’s Rule 5 Draft, for the team lead in innings pitched, Paez initially got his year off to a rough start and wound up hitting the injured list with shoulder stiffness after giving up a season-worst nine runs (six earned) in four innings as part of a 13-4 loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats in April.

Upon returning to action in mid-May, however, Paez seemingly turned a corner and carried with him a 3.04 ERA (3.60 FIP) over his next 11 starts (50 1/3 innings) through the end of July. After being selected as SoxProspects.com’s Pitcher of the Month for July, the righty produced a 2.65 ERA in three August starts (17 innings) before moving to Salem’s bullpen for the season’s final stretch.

Operating in a bulk relief role in games against the Fredericksburg Nationals (Aug. 27) and Augusta GreenJackets (September 3), Paez yielded a total of three runs (two earned) on nine hits, zero walks, one hit batsman, and nine punchouts over nine frames.

Altogether, it was a solid showing for Paez, who was recognized as a 2023 SoxProspects.com All-Star. Among the 28 other pitchers who eclipsed the 80-inning threshold in the Carolina League last year, Paez ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.28) and walk rate (3.6 percent), second in WHIP (1.01) and groundball rate (49.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.228), and 10th in swinging-strike rate (14.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

A native of Venezuela, Paez originally signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent around this same time three years ago. The Tinaquillo native received the highest bonus ($450,000) of any pitcher Boston brought in during the 2021 signing period and made the most of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League (3.86 ERA in 13 starts) to earn organizational Latin Program Pitcher of the Year honors.

After pitching about once a week in the Florida Complex League in 2022, Paez stuck to a similar schedule with Salem last year and subsequently experienced an uptick in fastball velocity. To complement his fastball, which sits between 89-91 mph and tops out at 92 mph, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound hurler also mixes in a 76-79 mph curveball that features 10-to-5 break and an 82-84 mph changeup that shows late dive.

Paez is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 39 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. Another notable evaluator, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, tabbed Paez as his 35th-ranked Red Sox prospect over the summer and compared him to a former big-leaguer.

“Paez is Vance Worley with a shorter arm action,” Longenhagen wrote last June. “An athletic little righty with a sinking/tailing fastball that runs off the hip of lefty batters and back into the zone. He doesn’t throw very hard, he isn’t especially projectable, and he’s already liberally mixing in his secondaries just to get by in the lower levels of the minors, but Paez has remarkable command for a 19-year-old and his fastball/changeup duo diverge from his slider in a way that keeps the baseball off the barrel.”

Barring a trade or other surprising move, Paez is expected to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. As others have pointed out, Paez would benefit from adding more velocity to his arsenal as he continues to rise through the prospect ranks. Given how the Red Sox have overhauled their pitching infrastructure under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow this winter, that could be within reach.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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