In the span of a few weeks last winter, the Red Sox made two separate, yet similar trades with the Pirates.
On December 15, the Red Sox acquired minor league right-hander Joe Vogatsky from the Pirates for then-recently DFA’d infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez. A little more than a month passed before the two sides matched up again on January 17, with Boston obtaining another minor league righty in Matt McShane from Pittsburgh for then-recently DFA’d reliever Chase Shugart.
Both Vogatsky, a James Madison product, and McShane, a St. Joseph’s product, were selected by the Pirates in the 19th and 13th rounds of the 2024 draft, respectively. But neither hurler had pitched for a Pittsburgh minor league affiliate after signing in late July, so they were still waiting to make their professional debuts as they switched organizations and joined Boston’s ranks.
Vogatsky, 23, and McShane, 22, broke camp this spring with Low-A Salem for the start of their first full pro seasons. They debuted within three days of each other during the first week of April, though the former would end up spending much more time with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate than the latter.
Vogatsky spent the first four months of the 2025 campaign at Salem, posting a 4.87 ERA with 65 strikeouts to 32 walks over 30 relief appearances (57 1/3 innings) in which opponents batted .253 against him. McShane, on the other hand, compiled a 0.63 ERA with 20 strikeouts to four walks across seven relief appearances (14 1/3 innings) in which he held opponents to a .185 batting average before receiving a promotion to High-A Greenville in late April.
McShane picked up where he left off by pitching to a 3.54 ERA with 36 strikeouts to seven walks in his first 14 relief outings (28 innings) for Greenville. He recorded his first two professional saves and limited opponents to a .224 batting average in that time, but appeared in just one game after the calendar flipped from June to July due to a low back strain that ultimately shut him down for the remainder of the season.
Vogatsky, meanwhile, was promoted from Salem to Greenville in early August. He then closed out the season by producing a 2.92 ERA with 14 strikeouts to three walks in seven relief appearances (12 1/3 innings) for the Drive. Opposing hitters in the South Atlantic League batted .260 against him.
Overall, Vogatsky forged a 4.52 ERA with 79 strikeouts to 35 walks in 37 total relief appearances (69 2/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville in 2025. McShane, likewise, put up a 2.55 ERA with 56 strikeouts to 11 walks in 21 total relief appearances (42 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville before his season was cut short by injury.
Vogatsky and McShane were among the 62 Red Sox minor leaguers, regardless of level, who threw at least 40 innings this year. Of those 62, Vogatsky notably ranked 27th in strikeout rate (25.5 percent), 28th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.21), 30th in swinging-strike rate (12.4 percent), and 31st in xFIP (3.91). McShane appeared more often in the top half of the leaderboards, as he ranked first in FIP (1.96) and xFIP (2.33), fourth in WHIP (1.06), sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.91), strikeout rate (31.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (17.2 percent), and walk rate (6.2 percent), seventh in walks per nine innings (2.34), eighth in ERA, 17th in batting average against (.211), and 21st in groundball rate (46.1 percent), per FanGraphs.
Vogatsky, who turns 24 in December, is not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, which describes him as an “undersized righty with a pure relief profile and intriguing pitch characteristics.” The 6-foot, 215-pounder features a 91-93 mph fastball that has reportedly touched 96 mph in the past, a 79-82 mph sweeper, and an 83-84 mph changeup.
McShane, who turns 23 in November, was recently named a 2025 SoxProspects.com All-Star and is currently regarded by the site as Boston’s No. 41 prospect, which ranks 24th among pitchers in the organization. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and operates with a 93-95 mph fastball that can reach 96 mph, an 83-86 mph slider, and a 79-81 mph changeup.
Assuming they remain with the Red Sox through the winter and into the spring, Vogatsky is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Greenville for the start of the 2026 season. McShane (if healthy), on the other hand, is projected to make the jump to Double-A Portland.
(Picture of Joe Vogatsky: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)
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