While the Red Sox passed on making a selection in the major-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft, they were quite active in the minor-league portion.
Boston selected right-hander Hobie Harris from the Mets, right-hander Darvin Garcia from the Pirates, left-hander Manuel Medina from the Marlins, and right-hander Jack Anderson from the Tigers in the first four rounds of the six-round Triple-A phase.
Harris is the only one of the four who has prior major-league experience. The 31-year-old debuted with the Nationals in April 2023 and posted a 5.12 ERA (5.84 FIP) with nine strikeouts to 13 walks over 16 relief appearances (19 2/3 innings). He was outrighted off Washington’s 40-man roster last November and subsequently signed a minor-league deal with the Twins in January.
Harris spent all of 2024 with Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul, logging a 6.79 ERA (5.63 FIP) with 62 strikeouts to 31 walks in 44 outings (54 1/3 innings) for the Saints. He became a free agent last month and inked a minors pact with the Mets on November 25. As it turns out, his stint there did not last too long.
A former 31st-round draft pick of the Yankees out of Pittsburgh in 2015, Harris owns a lifetime 4.52 ERA with 193 strikeouts to 99 walks in 166 career appearances (183 1/3 innings) at the Triple-A level between the Blue Jays, Brewers, Nationals, and Twins organizations. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound hurler featured a mid-90s fastball that reached 97 mph while also mixing in a splitter, cutter, and slider with St. Paul this past season. He should provide the Red Sox with experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester out of the gate in 2025.
Garcia, meanwhile, originally signed with the Pirates as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019. The 25-year-old righty spent most of the 2024 campaign with Pittsburgh’s High-A affiliate in Greensboro and forged a 4.50 ERA (4.47 FIP) with 43 strikeouts to 27 walks in 31 relief outings (44 innings) for the Grasshoppers. He made one appearance for Double-A Altoona (against the Portland Sea Dogs) on June 1 and took the loss after giving up four runs (one earned) in one inning.
This offseason, Garcia has been pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Coming into play on Wednesday, he has produced a 6.97 ERA and 1.74 WHIP with 14 strikeouts to six walks in nine relief outings (10 1/3 innings) for the Gigantes de Carolina.
Medina is the lone lefty in this group. The 22-year-old southpaw originally signed with the Marlins as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in May 2019. He spent much of the 2024 season in the Florida Complex League, compiling a 0.89 ERA (1.32 FIP) with 36 strikeouts to five walks in 18 outings (20 1/3 innings) and earning FCL Post-Season All-Star honors. He appeared in three games for Miami’s Low-A affiliate in September and yielded three runs (two earned) on four hits, zero walks, and five strikeouts over four innings of relief.
Anderson, 25, is a former 2021 16th-round draft selection of the Tigers out of Florida State. The Tampa native split the 2024 campaign between High-A West Michigan and Triple-A Toledo, posting a 3.66 ERA (3.37 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 13 walks in 35 total appearances (one start) spanning 66 1/3 innings. That includes a 2.92 ERA (2.91 FIP) over 49 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .215 against him at West Michigan.
This marks the first time since 2017 that the Red Sox did not take a Yankees player in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. In addition to the four minor-leaguers gained on Wednesday, Boston lost outfielder Bryan Gonzalez to the Royals, outfielder Eduardo Lopez to the Phillies, right-hander Robert Kwiatkowski to the Cubs, and outfielder Miguel Ugueto to the Cardinals.
(Picture of Hobie Harris: Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
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