Tag: minor league deal

Red Sox bring back Hansel Robles on minor-league deal

The Red Sox are bringing back reliever Hansel Robles on a minor-league deal for the 2022 season that includes an invite to major-league spring training, as was first reported by Univision’s Mike Rodriguez. According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Robles will earn $2.5 million if he is added to the major-league roster.

Robles, 31, was first acquired by the Sox from the Twins last July in a deal that sent pitching prospect Alex Scherff to Minnesota. The veteran right-hander made his team debut on August 1 and, after a shaky start, proved to be one of Alex Cora’s most reliable bullpen arms.

In 27 relief appearances for Boston, Robles posted a 3.60 ERA and 3.37 FIP to go along with 33 strikeouts to 13 walks over 25 innings of work. In the postseason, four of his six outings were scoreless.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Robles remains on his home island as he is currently dealing with visa issued. The Red Sox are hopeful he can join the team in Fort Myers within the next few days.

“We’ve got the agreement. He’s still in the Dominican,” Cora said Saturday. “They’re going through that whole process. Hopefully, we can speed it up and he can be here sooner rather than later.”

Update: The deal is now official, per the team’s transaction log.

Robles, who turns 32 in August becomes the latest reliever the Red Sox have added in some capacity in the past week. Boston signed left-handed relievers Jake Diekman and Matt Strahm to major-league deals last weekend and have since signed fellow southpaw Derek Holland to a minors pact.

All told, the addition of Robles means the Red Sox currently have 26 non-roster invitees on their spring training roster. It seems as though the 6-foot, 220 pounder has a good shot at making Boston’s Opening Day roster, though he will have to earn his spot on it.

(Picture of Hansel Robles: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign left-hander Derek Holland to minor-league deal for 2022 season

The Red Sox have signed left-hander Derek Holland to a minor-league contract for the 2022 season, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams. It’s likely the deal includes an invite to major-league spring training.

Holland, 35, was originally selected by the Rangers in the 25th round of the 2006 amateur draft out of Wallace State Community College. The Ohio native debuted for Texas in 2009 and remained there through the end of the 2016 season.

Since then, Holland has bounced around a bit, spending the 2017 season with the White Sox, the 2018 season with the Giants, the 2019 season between the Giants and Cubs, and the 2020 season with the Pirates.

Most recently, Holland made 39 appearances (one start) for the Tigers in 2021. The veteran lefty posted a 5.07 ERA — but more respectable 3.96 FIP — to go along with 51 strikeouts to 20 walks over over 49 2/3 innings pitched with Detroit before becoming a free agent in November.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, Holland operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a sinker, curveball, four-seam fastball, and changeup. He induced a 37.2% whiff rate with his curveball last year, per Baseball Savant.

With 1,466 big-league innings under his belt, Holland becomes the latest southpaw the Red Sox have added to their bullpen mix, albeit on a minors pact. Boston made their signings of Jake Diekman and Matt Strahm official earlier this week.

(Picture of Derek Holland: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back Travis Shaw on minor-league deal for 2022 season

The Red Sox have brought back corner infielder Travis Shaw on a minor-league deal for the 2022 season, the club announced on Friday morning. If Shaw is added to the big-league roster, he will earn $1.5 million, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Shaw, who turns 32 next month, spent the latter half of the 2021 season with the Red Sox after being claimed off waivers from the Brewers in August. In the process of reuniting with the team he began his big-league career with, the left-handed hitter slashed .238/.319/.524 with three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs, six runs scored, five walks, and 17 strikeouts over 28 games spanning 48 plate appearances. He was used strictly as a pinch-hitter in the postseason.

“Obviously, he did a good job for us,” Sox manager Alex Cora said of Shaw when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) on Friday. “You never know what can happen from here to the start of the season. It’s somebody that, the way he went about it last year with limited at-bats, the quality of the at-bats and we know he can play good defense. He looks in good shape. He made some adjustments in the off-season. We’ll give him at-bats and see where it takes us.”

A former ninth-round selection of the Red Sox out of Kent State University in 2012, Shaw debuted for Boston in 2015 and crushed 29 home runs over the next two seasons before being traded to Milwaukee for reliever Tyler Thornburg in December 2016.

While Thornburg disappointed in his time with the Sox, Shaw got off to a hot start with the Brewers. He crushed a total of 63 home runs from 2017-2018, but struggled in 2019 and was ultimately released by Milwaukee that December. The Ohio native spent the 2020 campaign with the Blue Jays and returned to the Brewers in 2021 before re-joining the Red Sox last summer.

With Shaw back in the picture, Boston has added a left-handed hitting infielder who could complement the right-handed hitting Bobby Dalbec at first base this year, though he must earn a spot on the major-league roster first.

In addition to Shaw, the Red Sox also announced on Friday that catcher Deivy Grullon has been added to the spring training roster as a non-roster invitee. Boston now has 25 non-roster invitees on their spring training roster.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back catcher Deivy Grullón on minor-league deal for 2022 season

The Red Sox have brought back catcher Deivy Grullon on a minor-league contract for the 2022 season, per the team’s transactions log. The deal includes an invite to major-league spring training, though Grullon has already been assigned to Triple-A Worcester.

A former international signee of the Phillies out of the Dominican Republic, Grullon first joined the Red Sox organization when he was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia in September 2020. He appeared in four games for Philly in 2019 and just one game for Boston (against his former team oddly enough) two years ago before being optioned back to the alternate training site.

That December, the Sox designated Grullon for assignment to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for Matt Andriese. He was quickly scooped up by the Reds and spent the 2021 season with three other organizations (Rays, Mets, White Sox) before being released by Chicago late August.

Between three different Triple-A affiliates, the right-handed hitting backstop slashed .196/.270/.441 (85 wRC+) with five doubles, 10 home runs, 25 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 14 walks, and 59 strikeouts over 43 games spanning 159 plate appearances. He also threw out 5 of a possible 36 base stealers from behind the plate.

This off-season, Grullon returned to his home island to suit up for Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League. The Bonao native appeared in seven games with Aguilas and posted a .535 OPS.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 240 pounds, Grullon is still relatively young as he only just turned 26 years old in February. He should provide the Red Sox with some experienced catching depth in Worcester behind the likes of Connor Wong and Ronaldo Hernandez.

(Picture of Deivy Grullon: Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign reliever Dan Altavilla to two-year minor-league deal, per report; right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last June

The Red Sox have signed free-agent reliever Dan Altavilla to a two-year minor-league contract, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The 29-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last June and may miss most if not all of the 2022 season.

A former fifth-round draft selection of the Mariners out of Mercyhurst University (Erie, Pa.) in 2014, Altavilla debuted for Seattle in 2016. Four years later, the Pennsylvania native was traded to the Padres as part of a larger deal that also sent pitcher Austin Adams and catcher Austin Nola to San Diego.

In nine appearances out of the Friars’ bullpen down the stretch in 2020, Altavilla posted a 3.12 ERA and 2.61 FIP with 10 strikeouts to five walks over 8 2/3 innings of work.

Last season, Altavilla was limited to just two relief outings in April before being placed on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. The righty was then transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 28 — approximately one month before he ultimately went under the knife.

The Padres outrighted Altavilla off their 40-man roster in November, allowing him to become a free agent in the first place.

Since Altavilla is still recovering from Tommy John, it feels safe to assume that the Red Sox made this move with either the second half of the 2022 season or the beginning of the 2023 season in mind.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 226 pounds, Altavilla is a two-pitch pitcher who works primarily with a slider and a high-octane four-seam fastball. For his big-league career, which spans six seasons between the Mariners and Padres, Altavillia owns a 4.03 ERA and 4.39 FIP in 116 innings.

(Picture of Dan Altavilla: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign left-hander Thomas Pannone to minor-league deal for 2022 season

The Red Sox have signed free agent left-hander Thomas Pannone to a minor-league contract for the 2022 season, per the team’s transaction log on MLB.com. It seems likely that the deal includes an invite to major-league spring training, though Pannone has already been assigned to Triple-A Worcester.

Pannone, who turns 28 next month, is a native of Rhode Island who spent the entire 2021 season with the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels after inking a minors pact with the Halos in November 2020.

In 24 appearances (21 starts) for the Salt Lake Bees last year, Pannone posted a 7.07 ERA and 6.25 FIP to go along with 82 strikeouts and 40 walks over 118 1/3 total innings of work.

A former ninth-round selection of the Guardians out of the College of Southern Nevada in 2013, Pannone was traded to the Blue Jays four year later. The lefty made his big-league debut for Toronto the following August and made a total of 49 appearances for the club.

Across those 49 outings — 13 of which were starts — with the Jays from 2018-2019, Pannone yielded an unsightly 5.43 ERA and 5.14 FIP with 98 strikeouts to 46 walks over 116 innings pitched.

After beginning the pandemic-shortened 2020 season at Toronto’s alternate training site, Pannone was outrighted off the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster that August. He then became a free agent less than three months later, allowing him to spent the 2021 campaign with the Angels in the first place.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Pannone — as of 2019 — operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, curveball, changeup, and cutter, per Baseball Savant. The 27-year-old southpaw is also out of minor-league options, according to FanGraphs.

Assuming he does indeed have an invite to big-league camp, Pannone becomes the 12th non-roster invitee the Red Sox have added to their spring training roster. He joins the likes of fellow pitchers Silvino Bracho, Taylor Cole, Tyler Danish, Darin Gillies, Michael Feliz and Zack Kelly, catcher Roldani Baldwin, infielders Roberto Ramos and Yolmer Sanchez, and outfielders Rob Refsnyder and Christin Stewart.

(Picture of Thomas Pannone: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign right-handers Silvino Bracho, Darin Gillies to minor-league deals for 2022 season

The Red Sox have signed right-handers Silvino Bracho and Darin Gillies to minor-league contracts for the 2022 season, the club announced on Sunday. The deals also include invites to major-league spring training.

Bracho, 29, is a veteran of five big-league seasons (2015-2018, 2020) with the Diamondbacks. He missed all of the 2019 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery that March and made just one appearance for Arizona in 2020 due to a bout with COVID-19 pandemic.

The Giants inked Bracho to a minors pact in December 2020 and he spent the entirety of the 2021 season with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, posting a 4.14 ERA and 5.19 FIP to go along with 65 strikeouts to 19 walks over 49 relief appearances spanning 50 innings of work.

A native of Venezuela, Bracho returned to his home country this off-season to pitch for Aguilas del Zulia of the Venezuelan Winter League. The veteran righty yielded just a 1.99 ERA in 19 outings (22 2/3 innings) for Zulia before representing Venezuela in the Caribbean Series.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, Bracho operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, and sinker, per Baseball Savant. He is out of minor-league options but should provide the Red Sox with intriguing and experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester.

Gillies, on the other hand, is another 29-year-old right-hander who was originally selected by the Mariners in the 10th round of the 2015 amateur draft out of the esteemed Arizona State University.

This past season, Gillies spent the first half of the year with Seattle’s Double-A affiliate in Arkansas before being promoted to Triple-A Tacoma in late July. With the Rainiers, he posted a 3.74 ERA and 5.09 FIP with 22 strikeouts to nine walks over 18 appearances (one start) and 21 2/3 innings pitched.

A native of California, Gillies became a minor-league free agent at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign after spending the first seven years of his professional career with the Mariners organization. The 6-foot-4, 220 pounder has yet to make his major-league debut, but he does throw up to 96-97 mph.

In addition to Bracho and Gillies, the Red Sox also announced that they had signed fellow righty Tyler Danish to a minor-league contract for the 2022 season. With these three officially on board, Boston has now invited 11 players to major-league camp as non-roster invitees.

They join the likes of pitchers Taylor Cole, Michael Feliz, and Zack Kelly, catcher Roldani Baldwin, infielders Roberto Ramos and Yolmer Sanchez, and outfielders Rob Refsnyder and Christin Stewart.

(Picture of Silvino Bracho: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign right-hander Tyler Danish to minor-league deal for 2022 season, per report

The Red Sox have signed free-agent right-hander Tyler Danish to a minor-league contract for the 2022 season, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes. The deal includes an invite to big-league spring training.

Danish, 27, was originally drafted by the White Sox in the second round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Durant High School (Plant City, Fla.). After just three seasons in the minors, the Florida native made his major-league debut for Chicago as a 21-year-old in 2016.

In parts of three seasons (2016-2018) with the South Siders, Danish posted a 4.85 ERA and 6.70 FIP to go along with 11 strikeouts to 13 walks over 11 appearances (one start) and 13 innings of work.

Towards the end of the 2018 campaign, Danish was outrighted off Chicago’s 40-man roster and became a minor-league free agent. He inked a minors pact with the Mariners the following January.

The Mariners, however, released Danish in May after he had struggled with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma. Shortly after getting cut loose by the M’s, the well-traveled righty signed on with the independent league New Britain Bees and spent the rest of the 2019 season there.

While the COVID-19 pandemic may have wiped out the 2020 minor-league season, Danish was still able to pitch for the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent American Association. He leveraged what he did there to a minor-league contract with the Angels last May.

Upon joining the Angels organization, Danish was initially assigned to Double-A Rocket City, but only needed three outings (and 10 one-run innings) there before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake in June.

Across 29 appearances — three of which were starts — with the Salt Lake Bees, Danish put up a 4.33 ERA and 4.45 FIP with 67 strikeouts and 15 walks over 60 1/3 innings of work. His 47.1% groundball rate, 25.8% strikeout rate, and 5.8% walk rate rank among the best of pitchers who accrued at least 60 innings in the Triple-A West last year.

The last time he appeared in the major-leagues, Danish — someone who has earned the reputation as a groundball specialist — operated with a five-pitch mix that consisted of a curveball, a sinker, a changeup, a four-seam fastball, and a slider, per Baseball Savant.

Danish, who does not turn 28 until September, is listed at 6-foot and 200 pounds and has one minor-league option remaining, per FanGraphs. It feels safe to assume that he will begin the 2022 minor-league season with Triple-A Worcester, though he should have a chance to compete for an Opening Day job in Boston’s bullpen this spring.

Regardless of that, Danish becomes the ninth player the Red Sox have invited to major-league camp, joining the likes of fellow hurlers Taylor Cole, Michael Feliz, and Zack Kelly, catcher Roldani Baldwin, infielders Roberto Ramos, and Yolmer Sanchez, and outfielders Rob Refsnyder and Christin Stewart.

(Picture of Tyler Danish: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox first baseman Josh Ockimey signs minor-league deal with hometown Phillies

Former Red Sox first baseman Josh Ockimey has signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies, he announced on Twitter. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Ockimey, who hails from the Philadelphia-area.

The Red Sox originally selected Ockimey in the fifth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School. He debuted in the Gulf Coast League that summer and made it as far as the Triple-A level.

After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season, Ockimey re-signed with Boston that December and opened the 2021 campaign with Triple-A Worcester.

In 98 games for the WooSox, the left-handed hitter batted .225/.358/.416 with 11 doubles, 15 home runs, 45 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 62 walks, and 117 strikeouts over 360 plate appearances. He became a minor-league free agent in November.

Since the time he was drafted nearly eight years ago, Ockimey has established himself as a power threat from the left side of the plate. His 40 home runs since the start of the 2019 season are tied for the 15th-most in Triple-A over that stretch.

Off the field, Ockimey quickly became a fan favorite in Worcester for his community service last year and was named the WooSox Foundation’s inaugural “Heart of the Heart” winner as a result. Even after becoming a free agent in the fall, the 26-year-old still took the time to join the WooSox Foundation on their Holiday Caravan in December.

On the heels of spending seven seasons with the Red Sox organization, Ockimey will now look to make it to the major-leagues for the first time with his hometown team in the Phillies in 2022.

It’s unclear at this point in time if Ockimey’s deal with Philadelphia includes an invite to big-league spring training, thought it feels safe to assume it probably does.

As for the Red Sox, it seems like the idea of a reunion with Ockimey was ruled out when they signed fellow first baseman Roberto Ramos to a minors pact last week. Ramos and top prospect Triston Casas hit from the left side of the plate and both figure to begin the upcoming season in Worcester.

(Picture of Josh Ockimey: Katie Morrision/MassLive)

Former Red Sox infielder Yairo Muñoz signs minor-league deal with Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed former Red Sox infielder Yairo Munoz to a minor-league contract for the 2022 season, according to the team’s transaction log. It’s likely the deal includes an invite to major-league spring training.

Munoz, who turned 27 last month, spent the last two seasons with the Sox after originally inking a minors pact with the club in March 2020, just a few weeks after he was released by the St. Louis Cardinals.

With Boston, Munoz appeared in 12 games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and five games last season when the Red Sox were in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak. He batted .286/.286/.429 with five doubles, one home run, four RBIs, six runs scored, two stolen bases, zero walks, and 13 strikeouts over 17 games (56 plate appearances) in that stretch.

More notably, Munoz enjoyed quite the year at the plate for Triple-A Worcester in 2021. There, the right-handed hitter slashed an impressive .308/.340/.444 (109 wRC+) with 18 stolen bases across 88 games. From July 1 through August 14, Munoz notched a hit in 35 consecutive contests to set a new Red Sox organizational record. That historic hitting streak surely helped him take home the WooSox’ Most Valuable Player Award in September.

Since Munoz was outrighted off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster in October, he was eligible to become a minor-league free agent. The Phillies are his fourth organization after he first signed with the Oakland Athletics out of the Dominican Republic in 2012.

Over the course of his professional career, Munoz has proven to be a versatile defender. Last year alone in Worcester, the 5-foot-11, 200 pounder logged 70 innings at first base, 33 innings at second base, 437 2/3 innings at third base, 92 innings at shortstop, 15 innings in left field, 21 innings in center field, and 22 innings in right field.

The Phillies have assigned Munoz to their Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, so it should be interesting to see if the 27-year-old can make it back to the majors for a fifth consecutive season in 2022.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have lost a somewhat significant amount of infield depth in minor-league free agency when you consider the fact that both Munoz and Jack Lopez (Tigers) have signed elsewhere this off-season.

That being said, the Sox did gain some experienced infield depth when they signed former Gold Glove Award winner Yolmer Sanchez to a minors pact earlier this week.

(Picture of Yairo Munoz: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)