Tag: cutter coffey

Former Red Sox prospect Cutter Coffey named 2025 Northwest League All-Star

Former Red Sox prospect Cutter Coffey has been named a 2025 Northwest League All-Star, Minor League Baseball announced on Wednesday.

Coffey, one of three prospects traded by the Red Sox to the Blue Jays for veteran catcher Danny Jansen last July, spent the entirety of the 2025 season with Toronto’s High-A Vancouver affiliate. The right-handed hitting 21-year-old batted .273/.359/.427 with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 62 RBIs, 68 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 47 walks, and 100 strikeouts over 99 games (440 plate appearances). That includes a .295/.404/.359 slash line against lefties and a .268/.347/.444 slash line against righties.

After taking home Northwest League Player of the Month honors for July, Coffey spent most of August on the injured list. The young infielder returned to action for Vancouver on Aug. 27 and picked up hits in six of his final nine games en route to being recognized as the Canadians’ 2025 Offensive Player of the Year.

Among 32 qualified hitters in the Northwest League this season, Coffey ranked fourth in line-drive rate (24.7 percent), eighth in batting average and wRC+ (118), ninth in slugging percentage, 10th in on-base percentage, OPS (.786), and wOBA (.361), and 14th in walk rate (10.7 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Coffey saw playing time at every infield position besides first base for the Canadians this year. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder logged 394 innings at third base, 282 innings at second base, and 41 innings at shortstop, committing nine errors in 233 total chances. He also made 16 starts at DH.

A California native, Coffey was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Liberty High School and forwent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing for $1.85 million. He had already reached High-A Greenville before being dealt to the Blue Jays along with infielder Eddinson Paulino and right-hander Gilberto Batista in exchange for Jansen a few days ahead of the 2024 trade deadline last summer.

Coffey is currently ranked as Toronto’s No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, which describes him as having “a future as a utility infielder who provides some thump off the bench” if he can “get the most of his tools.” He does not to be added to the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection purposes until next winter.

Assuming he remains in the Blue Jays organization through this winter and into next spring, Coffey — with exactly 200 regular-season games at the High-A level under his belt — would seemingly be a prime candidate to open the 2026 campaign with Toronto’s Double-A affiliate in New Hampshire.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Which three prospects did Red Sox trade to Blue Jays for Danny Jansen?

The Red Sox traded three prospects in order to acquire veteran catcher Danny Jansen from the Blue Jays on Saturday night.

In exchange for Jansen, who is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season, Boston dealt minor-league infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino and minor-league right-hander Gilberto Batista to Toronto, per a club announcement.

To make room for Jansen on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated righty Alex Speas for assignment. They will need to make another move before adding the 29-year-old backstop to the major-league roster.

Coffey, 20, was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield. He forewent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing for $1.8475 million.

After making his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Coffey split his first full season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. The right-handed hitter returned to Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign and batted .238/.321/.463 with 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 39 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 28 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 61 games (271 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Coffey enjoyed a strong month of June, batting .300/.391/.638 in 22 games after returning from a concussion. During that stretch, he became the first player in Drive history to homer in six consecutive games (June 9-15). Since the calendar flipped to July, though, he has struggled to a .191/.286/.338 slash line with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 20 strikeouts over his last 17 games.

Defensively, Coffey has seen the majority of his playing time this season come on the left side of the infield. With Greenville, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder made 31 starts at third base and 21 starts at shortstop, committing 19 errors in 150 total chances between the two positions. He also started two games at second base and seven games at DH.

Paulino, who turned 22 earlier this month, was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 15 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $205,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santiago on his 16th birthday in July 2018. He can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Toronto’s 40-man roster.

After spending the entirety of the 2023 campaign at Greenville, Paulino broke camp with Double-A Portland this spring. The left-handed hitter has not played since being placed on the Sea Dogs’ injured list on July 13. He nevertheless batted .263/.349/.391 with 16 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 35 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 29 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 69 games (278 plate appearances) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate.

On the other side of the ball, Paulino logged innings at every infield position besides first base in his time with Portland. The 5-foot-10, 155-pounder made 34 starts at third base, 20 at second base, and 11 at shortstop, committing 11 errors in 192 total defensive chances. He also made one start at DH and has past experience in the outfield.

Batista, 19, was not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The Dominican-born right-hander originally signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent in November 2022. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and was recognized as the organization’s 2023 Minor League Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Listed at 6-foot and 165 pounds, Batista posted a 3.92 ERA and 3.51 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 13 walks in eight appearances (five starts) spanning 20 2/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox this season. Opposing hitters batted .220 against Batista, who reportedly sits between 93-95 mph with his fastball and features a slider. He was promoted to Salem earlier this week but had not yet appeared in a game for the Carolina League affiliate leading up to Saturday’s trade.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Cutter Coffey earns South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Cutter Coffey has been named the South Atlantic League Player of the Week for the week of June 10-16, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Coffey put on quite the power display in High-A Greenville’s last series against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field. The right-handed hitting infielder went 8-for-19 (.421) with one double, six home runs, 15 RBIs, eight runs scored, five walks, and just one strikeout.

After going deep in Hickory last Sunday, Coffey homered in all five games he appeared in this past week. The 20-year-old slugger clubbed solo shots on Tuesday and Wednesday, a three-run blast on Thursday, a grand slam and another three-run homer on Friday, and a two-run bomb on Saturday before getting Sunday’s series finale off.

With his grand slam on Friday, Coffey became the first player in Greenville Drive history to hit a home run in five consecutive games. His three-run home run later that night helped him notch the first multi-homer game of his professional career.

Since returning from Greenville’s 7-day injured list on May 22, Coffey has batted .240/.337/.627 with two doubles, nine home runs, 24 RBIs, 13 runs scored, one stolen base, 10 walks, and 17 strikeouts in his last 19 games (86 plate appearances). On the 2024season as a whole, he has slashed .232/.313/.507 with six doubles, 11 homers, 33 runs driven in, 26 runs scored, four stolen bases, 15 walks, and 37 strikeouts over 35 games (160 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Among 83 hitters in the South Atlantic League who have made at least 160 trips to the plate to this point in the year, Coffey ranks 10th in slugging percentage, 17th in OPS (.820), second in isolated power (.275), 15th in swinging-strike rate (9.2 percent), and 20th in wRC+ (122), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Coffey has seen playing time at every infield position besides first base for Greenville this season. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has logged 140 1/3 innings at third base, 113 innings at shortstop, and 17 innings at second base, committing 13 errors in 91 total defensive chances. He has also started four games as the Drive’s designated hitter.

Coffey, who just turned 20 last month, is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 35 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield. He signed with the club for $1.85 million and forwent his commitment to the University of Texas by doing so.

After making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League that summer, Coffey spent the first four months of the 2023 campaign with Low-A Salem before first arriving in Greenville last August. He has since hit .202/.293/.399 in 53 games (239 plate appearances) with the Drive, though the results as of late have certainly been more encouraging.

Coffey is the second member of the Drive to earn South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors this season, joining fellow infielder Tyler Miller (April 22-28). On the flip side, right-hander Juan Daniel Encarnacion was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 6-12.

Miller and Encarnacion have since been promoted to Double-A Portland. As such, it will be interesting to see if Coffey joins them on the Sea Dogs before the season draws to a close.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox prospect Cutter Coffey homers in first at-bat of spring

Infield prospect Cutter Coffey proved to be the difference maker in the Red Sox’ split-squad win over the Nationals at JetBlue Park on Saturday afternoon.

Called up by the big-league club for the first time this spring, Coffey was inserted into the Grapefruit League contest as a defensive replacement for starting third baseman Rafael Devers in the top of the sixth. A half-inning later, he stepped up to the plate for the first time with two outs and one runner on base following a Tyler Heineman single.

Matched up against Nationals reliever Cole Henry, who was added to Washington’s 40-man roster last November, Coffey worked a 1-0 count before taking the right-hander way deep over the faux Green Monster in left field for a towering go-ahead, two-run home run.

Coffey’s blast lifted the Sox from a 2-1 deficit to a 3-2 lead. Fellow minor-league infielder added some insurance with a solo homer of his own an inning later as Boston went on to defeat Washington by a final score of 4-2 to remain unbeaten at home this spring.

Coffey, who finished the day 1-for-2 after flying out in the eighth inning, is looking to bounce back this year after a relatively underwhelming first full season in pro ball. The 19-year-old was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system at this time last spring but has since dropped from the outlet’s top 30 list completely.

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, Coffey forwent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing with Boston for $1.85 million that July. The California native then made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where he went 4-for-32 (.125) with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in a brief 11-game sample.

After playing his way onto a full-season roster last spring, Coffey broke camp with Low-A Salem to kick off the 2023 campaign. In 81 games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, the right-handed hitter batted .226/.341/.348 with 14 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs, a team-high 51 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 45 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 349 plate appearances.

Though a .689 OPS may be far from eye-popping, Coffey’s under-the-hood numbers with Salem were more encouraging. Among 44 qualified hitters in the Carolina League last year, for instance, Coffey produced the highest line-drive rate (29.4 percent) and 1oth-lowest swinging-strike rate (8.9 percent). He also ranked 11th in walk rate (12.9 percent), 17th in on-base percentage and isolated power (.122), 15th in speed score (6.6), and 19th in wRC+ (102), per FanGraphs.

In light of that production, Coffey received a promotion to High-A Greenville in early August. Unlike Roman Anthony, who made the jump from Salem about two months prior, Coffey’s production at Greenville did not catch up to his underlying metrics. Instead, Coffey closed out the 2023 season by slashing just .136/.253/.167 with two doubles, five RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 18 games (79 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Altogether, Coffey hit .210/.325/.315 (88 wRC+) with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 35 runs driven in, 59 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 56 walks, and exactly 100 strikeouts over 99 total games (428 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville last year. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder saw playing time at every infield position besides first base with both the Red Sox and Drive. He committed a total of 20 errors in 281 chances between second base (where he logged 69 innings), third base (326 1/3 innings), and shortstop (379 1/3 innings), which translates to a .929 fielding percentage.

Coffey, who does not turn 20 until May, profiles best as a third baseman moving forward given his arm strength (he pitched in high school). Though he has soft hands and adequate body control, there are questions regarding his range as he continues to add size to his frame.

Barring a surprise in the weeks leading up to Opening Day, Coffey is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. There, he should have the chance to get back on track and maybe even work his way up to Double-A Portland before the year is over.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey finding stride with Low-A Salem

Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey ended the first half of his first full professional season on a strong note.

In his last 10 games for Low-A Salem leading up to this week’s brief two-day hiatus, Coffey went 12-for-39 (.308) with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, six RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, six walks, and 11 strikeouts.

After a slow start at the plate, Coffey has begun to pick up the pace offensively. The right-handed hitter is now batting .222/.351/.343 (106 wRC+) on the season with 11 doubles, two triples, three homers, 23 runs driven in, 31 runs scored, 12 stolen bases (in 16 attempts), 38 walks, and 56 strikeouts across 56 games (239 plate appearances) with Salem.

Among 71 qualified hitters in the Carolina League, Coffey ranks 11th in walk rate (15.7 percent), 29th in strikeout rate (23.4 percent), 27th in on-base percentage, 30th in isolated power (.121), 25th in speed score (6.6), fourth in line-drive rate (28.1 percent), 15th in swinging-strike rate (8.6 percent), and 30th in wRC+ (106), per FanGraphs.

That Coffey has shown a propensity to hit the ball hard is certainly encouraging. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has logged 252 innings at shortstop and 185 innings at third base. He has also made one start at second base and has committed 11 total errors in 166 defensive chances between the three positions.

Coffey, 19, was selected by the Red Sox in the second round (41st overall pick) of last year’s amateur draft out of Liberty High School (Bakersfield, Calif). Boston obtained the 41st selection in the 2022 draft after failing to sign Florida outfielder Jud Fabian in 2021. The club swayed Coffey away from his commitment to Texas by signing him for $1.85 million.

Like fellow early-round picks Mikey Romero and Roman Anthony, Coffey took batting practice and officially put pen to paper at Fenway Park last July. He then struggled in the rookie-level Florida Complex League (.456 OPS in 11 games) and — according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier — had to play his way into a full-season roster spot this spring.

Coffey was, of course, able to accomplish that by breaking camp with Salem. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. As was recently the case with Anthony, one has to wonder if Coffey could soon be on the verge of a promotion to High-A Greenville. That may be something worth monitoring on the other side of the All-Star break next month.

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

Red Sox officially sign top draft picks Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey

The Red Sox have officially signed 2022 first-round and second-round draft picks Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey, the team announced earlier Monday afternoon.

According to The Athletic’s Chad Jennings, Romero — who was taken with the 24th overall selection — has received a $2.3 million bonus while Coffey — who was taken with the 41st overall selection — has received a $1.8475 million bonus. Boston was rewarded with the 41st pick in this year’s draft after failing to sign Jud Fabian last summer.

Romero, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the 54th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. The left-handed hitting shortstop batted .372/.419/.659 with four home runs, 26 RBIs, 24 runs scored, and one stolen base in 30 games (105 plate appearances) as a senior at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School.

Coffey, also 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the 65th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. A right-handed hitting shortstop from Bakersfield, Calif., Coffey slashed .442/.581/1.021 with 12 home runs, 32 RBIs, 48 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases over 31 games (129 plate appearances) at Liberty High School.

Romero, who has two older sisters — Sierra and Sydney — who were college softball stars at Michigan and Oklahoma, was previously committed to play college baseball at Louisiana State University. He will instead forego his commitment by signing with Boston for $2.3 million, which is approximately $676,400 under-slot.

Coffey, on the other hand, was once a two-way player who was projected by evaluators to be better as a pitcher. Like Romero, Coffey was also committed to play his college baseball at a big school in the University of Texas at Austin. He, too, will forego his commitment by signing an under-slot deal with the Red Sox.

Both Romero and Coffey spent the weekend in Boston and are expected to be introduced to the media at Fenway Park prior to Monday’s game against the Guardians.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Red Sox select Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School outfielder Roman Anthony with 79th overall pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 79th overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox have selected Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) outfielder Roman Anthony.

Boston was rewarded with the 79th pick in this year’s draft after losing left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers in free agency back in November.

Anthony, 18, is regarded by Baseball America as the 72nd-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. The Florida native is currently committed to play college baseball at the University of Mississippi.

In his senior season with Stoneman Douglas — a high school that has produced the likes of former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo — the left-handed hitting Anthony batted .520/.589/.980 to go along with 14 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 32 games spanning 129 trips to the plate.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Anthony “looks the part of a developing young slugger with wide shoulders and present strength that shows up in the form of massive, 400-plus foot home runs. His raw power is easily plus, and when he catches a pitch on the barrel, there are few players in the class who can send a baseball as far as he can. However, Anthony struggled with swing-and-miss issues over the showcase circuit, which raised questions about his pure hitting ability.”

Defensively, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has served as the Eagles’ everyday centerfielder. However, due to his frame, he will likely “move to a corner outfield position in the future, but he moves well underway and is a savvy and aggressive baserunner currently.”

Anthony, who does not turn 19 until next May, becomes the third high schooler the Red Sox have drafted in the first three rounds of the 2022 draft, joining prep infielders Mikey Romero and Cutter Coffey.

The recommended slot value for the 79th overall selection in this year’s draft comes in at approximately $820,000. Boston will have until August 1 to sign its draft picks.

On that note, Day 1 of the MLB Draft has concluded. It will pick up at 12 p.m. eastern time on Monday with rounds 3-10. Rounds 11-20 will take place on Tuesday.

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox select Liberty High School infielder Cutter Coffey with second-round pick in 2022 MLB Draft

With the 41st overall pick in the 2022 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox have selected Liberty High School (Bakersfield, Calif.) shortstop Cutter Coffey.

The Red Sox were rewarded with the 41st selection in this year’s amateur draft after failing to sign second-round pick Jud Fabian out of the University of Florida last summer.

Coffey, 18, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 65 prospect in this year’s draft class, 11 spots behind first-rounder Mikey Romero, who hails from California himself.

Unlike Romero, though, Coffey hits from the right side of the plate. In his senior season with the Patriots, Coffey batted a stout .442/.581/1.021 to go along with 13 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs, 42 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 31 games spanning 129 trips to the plate.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Coffey “made significant improvements as a hitter this spring” and is an “excellent athlete.” He “has average raw power to his pull side and began making more contact this spring to tap into it, but whether he’ll make enough contact remains an open question. At times he flashes the bat speed, strength and ability to make adjustments to project to be an above-average hitter, while at others he takes long, jagged swings that lack timing and balance and invite questions about whether he will be even a below-average hitter.”

On the other side of the ball, it should be noted that Coffey was a two-way player who also pitched in high school, though it seems like he is fully focused on being a position player now. According to Baseball America, the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder “has the natural actions for shortstop and a good internal clock. He has plenty of arm strength for the position and demonstrates an advanced feel for manipulating his arm stroke. His lateral range is a tick below-average, but he has a chance to stay at shortstop and projects to be an impact defender at either second or third base if he has to move.”

Coffey, who does not turn 19 until next May, is currently committed to play college baseball at the University of Texas. On that note, Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser reports that the infielder is “widely expected to sign for significantly above slot.” Glaser also relays that Romero is “expected to be an under-slot signing.”

The recommended slot value for the 41st overall pick in this year’s draft comes in at roughly $1,905,500 million. The Red Sox will make one more selection at No. 79 on Sunday before Day 1 of the draft comes to a close.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)