Tag: minor league contract

Red Sox re-sign pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro to minor league contract

The Red Sox have re-signed pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro to a minor league contract covering the 2027 season, a team source confirmed to BloggingtheRedSox.com. It is unclear whether the deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Monegro is currently regarded as Boston’s No. 25 prospect by Baseball America, ranking 10th among pitchers in the system. The right-hander, who turned 24 last month, was slated to become a minor league free agent this week. He will instead remain a member of the Red Sox organization, at least for the time being.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Monegro originally signed with the Red Sox for $35,000 as an international free agent in February 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he did not make his professional debut until 2021. He spent parts of three seasons in rookie ball before taking a step forward in 2023, advancing from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem and eventually High-A Greenville. The start of his 2024 season was delayed by shoulder weakness, but he still showed enough to earn a promotion to Double-A Portland to begin 2025.

Monegro came out of the gates firing, posting a 2.67 ERA with 49 strikeouts to eight walks in his first nine outings (eight starts) and 33 2/3 innings for the Sea Dogs before tearing the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow last June. He underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter and faced a lengthy road back, ultimately returning to the mound in late August.

In three abbreviated starts between Greenville and Portland to close out the 2026 minor league season, Monegro showed signs of rust, allowing three earned runs on five hits, six walks, and eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty sat between 93-95 mph and topped out at 96 mph with his fastball in his final outing on September 11. He also featured an 86-88 mph slider and a 78-80 mph curveball, according to Baseball America’s Ian Cundall.

Even after re-signing him to a minor league deal, the Red Sox could still be at risk of losing Monegro in December’s Rule 5 Draft if they do not protect him by adding him to the 40-man roster later this month. Whether the Rule 5 Draft takes place as scheduled remains to be seen, however, given the impending lockout.

Regardless, Monegro becomes the fourth pitcher to return to the Red Sox on a minor league contract so far this offseason, joining fellow righties Angel Bastardo and Patrick Halligan and lefty Michael Sansone.

Like Halligan (Escogido), Monegro (Licey) has also been pitching in the Dominican Winter League.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox re-sign righty Patrick Halligan to minor league contract

The Red Sox have re-signed right-hander Patrick Halligan to a minor league contract covering the 2027 season, as first reported by The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Tommy Cassell.

Halligan, who turned 27 earlier this month, remains with the club he joined last winter. The former 13th-round draft pick out of Pensacola State College in 2021 signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January after spending time in the Royals, Braves, and Astros organizations.

Halligan spent most of this past season with Double-A Portland, where he earned Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors in May and posted a 4.29 ERA with 78 strikeouts to 24 walks over 29 outings (two starts) spanning 56 2/3 innings. He also made 10 appearances for Triple-A Worcester, pitching to a 5.66 ERA with 24 strikeouts to six walks across 20 2/3 innings of relief.

Altogether, Halligan forged a 4.66 ERA with a career-high 102 strikeouts to 30 walks in 39 outings (two starts) and 77 1/3 innings between Portland and Worcester. Opposing hitters slashed .231/.309/.366 against him over 331 plate appearances. That includes a .237/.307/.347 line from the right side of the plate and a .221/.312/.393 line from the left side.

Halligan was one of 15 Red Sox minor leaguers to log at least 75 innings this season. Among those 15 pitchers, he ranked third in batting average against, fourth in FIP (3.93), strikeouts per nine innings (11.87), and strikeout rate (30.8%), fifth in WHIP (1.27), sixth in swinging-strike rate (13%) and xFIP (3.95), and seventh in walks per nine innings (3.49), according to FanGraphs.

Listed at an imposing 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Halligan featured a four-pitch mix in his time with Worcester this season. The Virginia-born hurler topped out at 94.9 mph with his fastball that averaged 93.3 mph. His splitter, considered his best secondary offering, sat between 76-82 mph. He also incorporated a mid-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball to round things out.

Halligan, who is currently playing winter ball for the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic, is not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. Barring a trade or other move this winter, the site projects that he will return to Worcester’s bullpen to begin the 2027 season.

In addition to Halligan and fellow righty Angel Bastardo, the Red Sox have also re-signed left-hander Michael Sansone to a minor league contract. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Connecticut native logged the second-most innings (111 1/3) among southpaws in the organization this past season, trailing only Devin Futrell.

(Picture of Patrick Halligan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign local product Morgan McSweeney to minor league contract

The Red Sox signed free-agent right-hander Morgan McSweeney to a minor league contract on Wednesday. He struggled in his organizational debut for Double-A Portland, surrendering five earned runs on five hits (including one home run), no walks, and three strikeouts over two innings of relief.

McSweeney returns to affiliated ball after spending the first part of the 2026 season abroad in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The 28-year-old made nine appearances (eight starts) for the Rakuten Monkeys, posting a 5.08 ERA with 21 strikeouts to 24 walks over 44 1/3 innings before being released in late June.

A Hudson, Mass. native and Worcester Academy product, McSweeney was originally selected by the Orioles in the 17th round (498th overall) of the 2019 draft out of Wake Forest. The righty received a $125,000 signing bonus and spent five-plus years in the organization without reaching the majors, instead peaking at Triple-A Norfolk before he was cut loose by Baltimore in July 2024.

McSweeney spent the next 11 months between Gastonia and Staten Island of the independent Atlantic League before his contract was purchased by the Marlins last June. From there, he pitched to a 2.21 ERA with 42 strikeouts to 23 walks across 13 appearances (12 starts) spanning 61 innings for Triple-A Jacksonville to close out his 2025 campaign. He elected free agency in November and signed with Rakuten in December.

Following Wednesday’s rough outing in Portland, McSweeney now owns a lifetime 3.77 ERA with 237 strikeouts to 123 walks over 151 career appearances (12 starts) and 241 1/3 innings in the minors. Stuff-wise, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound hurler features a lower-90s fastball that has reached 93 mph, a cutter, a slider, a changeup, a curveball, and a sinker.

McSweeney, who turns 29 next month, will presumably provide Boston with additional upper-minors pitching depth between Portland and Triple-A Worcester down the stretch this season. He is the third arm the Red Sox have brought in via minor-league contract in the last week, joining veteran righty John Brebbia and former Yankees farmhand Aaron Nixon.

(Picture of Morgan McSweeney: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Yankees farmhand Aaron Nixon to minor league contract

The Red Sox signed free agent right-hander Aaron Nixon to a minor league contract on Tuesday. He has been assigned to High-A Greenville.

Nixon, 25, joins the Red Sox organization after spending three-plus years in the Yankees system. The native Texan, who began his collegiate career at Texas, originally signed with New York as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in July 2023. He made his professional debut the following April and spent the entire 2024 season with Low-A Tampa, posting a 5.40 ERA with 63 strikeouts to 48 walks across 39 relief appearances spanning 61 2/3 innings.

After spending all of 2025 on the full-season injured list while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Nixon made the jump to High-A Hudson Valley in 2026. In 16 relief appearances for the Renegades, the righty produced a 5.94 ERA with 16 strikeouts to 11 walks in 16 2/3 innings. He had fared better of late, allowing just one earned run over his last eight innings since June 23, but was still released in early August.

Altogether, Nixon owns a 5.51 ERA with 79 strikeouts to 59 walks in 55 career minor league relief outings (78 1/3 innings) across two seasons (2024 and 2026) between Low-A and High-A. Opposing hitters have slashed .222/.395/.368 in 366 plate appearances against him during that stretch.

Listed at 6-foot and 210 pounds, Nixon features a low-to-mid 90s fastball as well as a sinker and slider. He has also generated plenty of weak contact, owning a career 57.5% groundball rate. His 58.8% groundball rate this season ranks fourth among pitchers who have thrown at least 15 innings in the South Atlantic League, according to FanGraphs.

Nixon, who turned 25 last month, will remain in the South Atlantic League after joining Greenville’s pitching staff. He will likely make his Red Sox organizational debut in the Drive’s road series against Hub City this week.

(Picture of Aaron Nixon: Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign well-traveled righty Sam McWilliams to minor league contract

The Red Sox have signed free agent right-hander Sam McWilliams to a minor league contract, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log.

McWilliams has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. The 30-year-old righty is returning to affiliated ball after spending parts of the past two seasons with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. In 27 relief appearances for the Toros to begin the 2026 campaign, he posted a 3.04 ERA with 42 strikeouts to 12 walks over 26 2/3 innings before being released Wednesday to pursue this opportunity.

McWilliams is a former eighth-round draft pick of the Phillies out of Beech High School (Hendersonville, Tenn.) in 2014. The Florida native was traded to the Diamondbacks for Jeremy Hellickson in November 2015. He was then dealt to the Rays alongside Colin Poche in May 2018 to complete Arizona’s acquisition of Steven Souza Jr.

After being left off Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster at the end of the 2018 season, McWilliams was plucked by the Royals with the second overall pick in that December’s Rule 5 Draft. He failed to make Kansas City’s 2019 Opening Day roster, however, and was subsequently returned to the Rays, where he remained through 2020 before reaching free agency.

Not long after hitting the open market, McWilliams inked a major league contract with the Mets in November 2020. He opened the 2021 season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Padres that June. San Diego then managed to sneak him through waivers and outright him to the minor leagues, allowing him to become a free agent again at the end of the year.

McWilliams landed a minor league contract with the Reds in March 2022 but was released three months later to work as a sales representative for Blast Athletics, a sports fundraising application. He returned to pitch for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican Pacific League following the 2023 season, then signed a minors pact with the Cubs in January 2024. Seven months later, Chicago released him. He briefly caught on with the Brewers before they cut him loose in July 2025, prompting him to join the Toros de Tijuana.

All told, the well-traveled McWilliams has spent time with the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Rays, Royals, Mets, Padres, Reds, Cubs, and Brewers organizations without ever having pitched in the big leagues. In 89 career appearances (13 starts) across four seasons at the Triple-A level, he owns a 7.76 ERA with 197 strikeouts to 110 walks over 157 2/3 total innings.

This season in Mexico, McWilliams has reached 99 mph with his whiff-inducing upper-90s fastball. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound hurler features a sinker, slider, and curveball, and has added a cutter and sweeper to his arsenal, according to Chris Langin of Unfiltered Labs.

McWilliams, who turns 31 in September, is slated to join the WooSox for the remainder of their series in Syracuse this weekend, giving them another experienced option in the bullpen.

(Picture of Sam McWilliams: Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean signs minor league deal with Nationals

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, according to The Nats Report.

Dean was released by the Red Sox on March 19 after spending parts of four seasons in the organization. The 25-year-old left-hander was originally selected in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2022 draft out of Old Dominion. At that time, Paul Toboni — now the Nationals’ president of baseball operations — served as Boston’s director of amateur scouting, so there is a level of familiarity there.

A New Jersey native, Dean received a $322,500 signing bonus from the Red Sox in July 2022 but did not make his professional debut until the following April. The lefty spent all of 2023 and the first half of 2024 at Low-A Salem before being promoted to High-A Greenville that July. He then returned to Boston’s South Atlantic League affiliate for the start of the 2025 campaign.

In 22 appearances (15 starts) for Greenville last year, Dean posted a 5.68 ERA with 81 strikeouts to 48 walks over 63 1/3 innings in which he held opponents to a .219 batting average. He reached Double-A Portland for the first time in September and was solid in his lone outing for the Sea Dogs, scattering one hit and one walk while striking out one across 2 2/3 scoreless frames of relief.

Altogether, Dean owns a lifetime 5.35 ERA with 284 strikeouts to 175 walks across 66 career minor league appearances (47 starts) spanning 208 2/3 innings between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. He has struck out nearly 30% of the batters he faced while limiting opponents to a .198 clip, but his 18.4% walk rate highlights ongoing issues with command and control.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dean features a 93-95 mph fastball that reaches 97 mph. The athletic southpaw has also incorporated an 80-83 mph curveball, an 88-92 mph cutter, an 82-83 mph sweep, and a 77-79 mph curveball into his arsenal in the past, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Dean, who just turned 25 on March 10, will presumably report to either Washington’s High-A affiliate in Wilmington or Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg in the coming days. He is the latest notable pitching prospect to go from the Red Sox to the Nationals in recent months, albeit through different means.

In December, Boston traded hard-throwing righty Luis Perales to Washington for 6-foot-6 lefty Jake Bennett, and both made their organizational debuts with their new clubs’ Triple-A affiliates over the weekend.

(Picture of Noah Dean: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox sign 6-foot-7 righty Harrison Blum to minor league contract

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with undrafted free agent right-hander Harrison Blum, as noted by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker.

Blum, 24, is entering the professional ranks following a six-year collegiate career that included stops at Division III Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) and Division II Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S.D.). After earning back-to-back American Rivers Conference first-team all-conference honors (2023-2024) with Luther, the Minnesota native arrived at Augustana as a graduate transfer in 2025.

Primarily working out of the bullpen for the Vikings last spring, Blum posted a 4.50 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 22 walks in 17 outings (three starts) spanning 50 innings. He recorded four saves as opposing hitters batted .269 against him.

At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Blum certainly fits the mold of pitcher the Red Sox have for the most part sought under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Stuff-wise, the physically imposing righty has added velocity to his repertoire in recent months. He now reaches 96-97 mph with his fastball after averaging 91 mph last year. His arsenal also consists of a curveball and a splitter.

Blum threw for scouts at DST Arizona’s pro day in Phoenix last month and clearly impressed the Red Sox enough to land his first professional contract. He addressed the signing in a statement released by Luther College on Tuesday.

“I am excited for another opportunity to continue to push myself further in this game we all love,” Blum said. “There is a ton of talent within the Red Sox organization, and I’m looking forward to being a part of this historical franchise.”

Described by Luther head coach Bryan Nikkel as a “late bloomer” and by Augustana head coach Tim Huber as having “more in the tank,” Blum is expected to report to Fort Myers for his first spring training with the Red Sox in the coming days. As for a season-opening assignment, Low-A Salem or High-A Greenville appear to be likely destinations.

(Picture of JetBlue Park at Fenway South: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign 6-foot-6 righty Patrick Halligan to minor league deal

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with free-agent right-hander Patrick Halligan, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com. It does not appear as though the deal comes with an invitation to major league spring training.

Halligan, 26, has never pitched in the majors. The Virginia native was originally selected by the Royals in the 13th round (397th overall) of the 2021 draft out of Pensacola State College (Fla.). He received a $132,500 signing bonus but spent just one full season in Kansas City’s system before being released in March 2023.

Days after being cut loose by the Royals, Halligan latched on with the Braves and split the 2023 campaign between the High-A and Double-A levels while also pitching in the Arizona Fall League. The righty followed that up by putting together arguably his best professional season to date in 2024, as he forged a 3.02 ERA with 67 strikeouts to 25 walks in a career-high 41 appearances (one start) spanning 50 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Opposing hitters batted just .191 against him.

Following the start of the 2025 season, Halligan was dealt to the Astros on April 11 as the player to be named later in the trade that sent veteran reliever Rafael Montero to the Braves three days prior. He reported to Houston’s Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi and worked his way up to Triple-A Sugar Land of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League in mid-June. Though he surrendered six earned runs in four outings (4 2/3 innings) for the Space Cowboys before being sent back down on July 1, Halligan finished the year having posted a 3.48 ERA with 62 strikeouts to 21 walks in 35 relief appearances (51 2/3 innings) for the Hooks.

Altogether, Halligan owns a lifetime 4.34 ERA with 282 strikeouts to 104 walks over 146 career minor league outings (14 starts) totaling 265 1/3 innings dating back to August 2021. That includes a 7.30 ERA with 10 strikeouts to 13 walks across 12 1/3 frames in parts of three seasons (2022, 2024-2025) at the Triple-A level.

Listed at an imposing 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Halligan fits the physical mold the Red Sox have sought in pitchers under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. In his four Triple-A appearances last year, the burly hurler featured a lower-90s four-seam fastball, a mid-80s slider, and a lower-80s splitter, per Prospect Savant.

It remains to be seen whether Halligan, who does not turn 27 until October, will start the 2026 season at Double-A Portland or Triple-A Worcester. Nonetheless, he is coming off an impressive stint in the Puerto Rican Winter League that saw him produce a 2.82 ERA with 30 strikeouts to six walks in 20 relief appearances (22 1/3 innings) for the Indios de Mayaguez. He has since joined the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League as a reinforcement for the playoffs there.

(Picture of Patrick Halligan: Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Yankees first-round pick TJ Sikkema to minor league contract

The Red Sox have signed free-agent left-hander TJ Sikkema to a minor league contract, the club announced on Tuesday. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Sikkema, 27, has never pitched in the majors. The Iowa native was originally selected by the Yankees with the 38th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Missouri. He received a $1.95 million signing bonus and made his professional debut that June.

After not pitching in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic or in 2021 due to lat and shoulder issues, Sikkema was traded by the Yankees to the Royals alongside right-handers Beck Way and Chandler Champlain for outfielder Andrew Benintendi in July 2022. The lefty entered the 2023 season ranked by Baseball America as Kansas City’s No. 16 prospect but struggled to a 5.85 ERA in 34 relief appearances (72 1/3 innings) at the Double-A level. He was then scooped up by the Reds in the minor league phase of that December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Sikkema spent the last two seasons in the Reds organization before electing free agency in November. In 2025 alone, he posted a 4.57 ERA with 72 strikeouts to 31 walks in 23 appearances (15 starts) spanning a career-high 86 2/3 innings between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. That includes a 3.47 ERA with 16 strikeouts to eight walks over five outings (four starts) and 23 1/3 innings for Cincinnati’s top affiliate after being promoted in late August. In his first taste of action at the Triple-A level, opposing hitters in the International League batted .247 against him.

Listed at 6-foot and 211 pounds, Sikkema featured five different pitches in his brief stint with Louisville last year. He worked with a lower-90s four-seam fastball and sinker, a lower-80s changeup, an upper-70s slider, and a sparsely-used mid-70s curveball. His 1.4 percent barrel rate ranked in the 85th percentile of all Triple-A pitchers in 2025, per Prospect Savant.

With experience as a starter and coming out of the bullpen, Sikkema figures to provide the Red Sox with versatile pitching depth from the left side at Triple-A Worcester to open the 2026 season. In addition to Sikkema, Boston added fellow southpaw Alec Gamboa, righties Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Devin Sweet, catcher Jason Delay, and infielder Vinny Capra to its spring training roster as non-roster invitees on Tuesday.

(Picture of TJ Sikkema: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to minor league deal with former Pirates farmhand Matt Fraizer

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with outfielder Matt Fraizer, as was first reported by Chase Ford of MiLB Central. The deal, which Fraizer himself confirmed on Instagram, does not include an invite to major league spring training.

Fraizer, who turns 28 later this month, has spent the entirety of his professional career to this point with the Pirates but has never played in the majors. The California native was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the third round (95th overall) of the 2019 draft out of the University of Arizona. He received a $525,000 signing bonus and emerged as an intriguing prospect on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Following a breakout 2021 season in which he batted .306/.388/.552 with 23 home runs and 68 RBIs in 112 games (499 plate appearances) between High-A and Double-A to earn minor league player of the year honors within the organization, Fraizer entered 2022 as Baseball America’s 12th-ranked Pirates prospect. From there, however, he stalled out in the upper levels of Pittsburgh’s system.

After first reaching Triple-A Indianapolis in 2024, Fraizer spent most of last year with the Pirates’ top affiliate. The left-handed hitter slashed .305/.361/.452 with 18 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 19 walks, and 44 strikeouts in 62 games (220 plate appearances). He did not make his season debut until May 2 and ended the campaign on the injured list before electing free agency in November.

Defensively, Fraizer has plenty of experience at all three outfield positions. In 2025 alone, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder made 23 starts in right field, 16 starts in left field, and 10 starts in center field, recording two assists and committing just one error in 112 total chances. He also made five starts at DH.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox have an exorbitant amount of outfield depth at the major league level, but were somewhat light in that area at Triple-A Worcester this winter following the departures of Jhostynxon Garcia (who was traded to the Pirates last month) and Trayce Thompson (who is a minor league free agent). To that end, Fraizer now figures to join the likes of Braiden Ward, Corey Rosier, and Phillip Sikes as outfielders not on the 40-man roster who could see significant playing time with the WooSox out of the gate in 2026.

(Picture of Matt Fraizer: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)