Tag: mlb

Red Sox sign veteran infielder Abraham Toro to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free-agent infielder Abraham Toro to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

Toro was one of nine non-roster invitees added to Boston’s spring training roster on Tuesday. The 28-year-old will earn a base salary of $1 million if he is on the major league roster this season, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of Seminole State College (Seminole, Okla.), Toro was once viewed as an intriguing prospect and is a veteran of six big-league seasons. The native Canadian debuted in 2019 and has since appeared in 365 total games with the Astros, Mariners, Brewers, and Athletics.

After spending parts of three seasons with Houston, Toro was dealt to Seattle in July 2021 as part of the four-player Kendall Graveman trade. He remained with the Mariners through the end of the 2022 campaign but was then traded to the Brewers with Jesse Winker for Kolten Wong and cash considerations that December. He was limited to just 21 games with Milwaukee in 2023 before being dealt to Oakland for Chad Patrick that November

In 94 games for the A’s last season, the switch-hitting Toro batted .240/.293/.350 with 17 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 26 RBIs, 34 runs scored, four stolen bases, 20 walks, and 62 strikeouts over 364 plate appearances. That includes a .227/.287/.331 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .286/.313/416 slash line against left-handed pitching. His 17.4 percent whiff rate ranked in the 88th percentile of all big leaguers, per Baseball Savant.

On the other side of the ball, Toro saw playing time at four different positions for Oakland in 2024. The versatile 6-foot, 223-pounder made 49 starts at third base, 17 starts at second base, four starts at first base, and one start in left field. Defensively, he graded out as average regarding his range and arm strength.

Toro was designated for assignment and outrighted off the Athletics’ 40-man roster late last August, which allowed him to elect free agency in October. Altogether, he is a lifetime .220/.285/.353 hitter with 47 doubles, four triples, 34 home runs, 134 RBIs, 145 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 87 walks, and 228 strikeouts in 1,298 career plate appearances at the big league level.

Toro, who does not turn 29 until December, figures to provide the Red Sox with some versatile infield depth behind the likes of Rafael Devers, Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer at Triple-A Worcester to open the 2025 season.

(Picture of Abraham Toro: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox pitching prospect resumes throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer

It appears as though top Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has resumed throwing after undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, based on a video posted to X by his trainer Luis Saborio on Wednesday.

Perales, the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America, was in the midst of a breakout 2024 season before injuring his pitching elbow last June. The 21-year-old right-hander started somewhat slow out of the gate in April but turned things around by posting a 3.42 ERA (1.92 FIP) with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks in seven starts (26 1/3 innings) for High-A Greenville. He was then rewarded with a promotion to Double-A Portland on May 26.

Just two starts into his first Double-A stint, however, Perales tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow on June 8. He was placed on Portland’s injured list the following day and ultimately underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery — or a full UCL reconstruction — towards the end of the month.

Altogether, Perales forged a 2.94 ERA (1.91 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to 12 walks in nine total outings (33 2/3 innings) between Greenville and Portland last year. Opposing hitters batted .250 against him, though it is worth noting that that figure is tied to an abnormally high .431 batting average on balls in play.

Not including the Dominican Summer League, Perales was one of 67 Red Sox minor-leaguers to pitch at least 33 innings in 2024. Among those 67, the righty ranked first in FIP (1.91) and strikeouts per nine innings (14.97), second in xFIP (2.09), strikeout rate (38.9 percent), and swinging-strike rate (19.6 percent), 10th in ERA and groundball rate (48.6 percent), 19th in walk rate (8.3 percent), 23rd in walks per nine innings (3.21), and 29th in WHIP (1.31), per FanGraphs.

At the time of his injury, Perales had recently entered Baseball America’s Top 100 rankings for the first time and was regarded as the No. 57 prospect in the sport. While he has since dropped from that list, Perales “just missed” being included in BA’s updated Top 100 rankings (which were released on Wednesday) heading into the 2025 campaign.

As highlighted by Baseball America’s Josh Norris, Perales saw his stock rise last season thanks — in part — to an uptick in fastball velocity and a revamped arsenal. To complement his high-octane heater that sat between 95-98 mph and reached 99 mph, the 6-foot-1 hurler mixed in a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s splitter, and a developing mid-80s sweeper.

Perales, who turns 22 in April, originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native had to wait nearly two years to make his professional debut due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he showed enough from there to be added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November 2023 and receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Given the expectation that the Red Sox will exercise caution and patience here, it seems likely that Perales will miss the entire 2025 season while focusing on his rehab. If all goes well, though, he could complete his recovery by the end of the year and put himself in a position to fully ramp up for a return to the mound at some point early on in 2026.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to bring back catcher Mark Kolozsvary on minor-league deal

The Red Sox are bringing back catcher Mark Kolozsvary on a minor-league contract, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The deal, which is presumably pending a physical, includes an invitation to major-league spring training.

Kolozsvary, 29, spent all of last season at Triple-A Worcester after signing a similar minors pact with Boston in December 2023. Serving as upper-level catching depth, the right-handed hitter batted .185/.349/.354 with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, 12 runs scored, two stolen bases, 11 walks, and 26 strikeouts in 27 games (83 plate appearances) for the WooSox. He was placed on the development list seven separate times.

On the other side of the ball, Kolozsvary unsurprisingly saw most of his playing time last year come at catcher. The 5-foot-7, 185-pound backstop logged 164 2/3 innings behind the plate while splitting reps throughout the season with Tyler Heineman, Nathan Hickey, Mickey Gasper, Kyle Teel, Reese McGuire, and Elih Marrero. He allowed just one passed ball and threw out six of 33 potential base stealers in that sample.

A former seventh-round draft selection out of Florida in 2017, Kolozsvary has 11 games of big-league experience under his belt with the Reds and Orioles. The ex-Gator debuted and appeared in 10 games for Cincinnati in 2022, going 4-for-20 (.200) with two doubles, one home run, three RBIs, three runs scored, one walk, and nine strikeouts. He did not register a plate appearance in the lone game he played for Baltimore in 2023. Between those two stops, he gunned down one of five possible base stealers.

Kolozsvary, who does not turn 30 until September, is well-regarded for his defensive prowess, game-calling skills, and ability to handle a pitching staff. He is slated to join Seby Zavala as the second catcher to sign a minor-league deal with and receive a non-roster invite to spring training from the Red Sox this winter.

Alongside Nathan Hickey, Kolozsvary and Zavala figure to provide Boston with experienced catching depth at Worcester to open the 2025 season. As currently constructed, the Red Sox have three catchers on their 40-man roster in Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez, and Blake Sabol.

(Picture of Mark Kolozsvary: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to sign former Central Arkansas, Staten Island FerryHawks OF Kolby Johnson to minor-league deal

The Red Sox are working to sign outfielder Kolby Johnson to a minor-league contract, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Johnson posted on Instagram earlier Tuesday evening that he had signed with the club.

Johnson, 25, spent the 2024 season with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the independent Atlantic League. In 112 games, the right-handed hitter batted .308/.380/.459 with 24 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 62 RBIs, 93 runs scored, 32 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 83 strikeouts over 489 plate appearances.

On the other side of the ball, Johnson was named to the Atlantic League’s 2024 All-Defensive Team after a productive year patrolling the outfield for Staten Island. The 5-foot-6, 165-pounder (listed height and weight) saw the majority of his playing time come in right field and he committed just two errors in 214 chances altogether. His 11 outfield assists were also the second-most in the league.

A native of Pearland, Texas, Johnson played collegiately at Central Arkansas (where he earned his MBA) for five years but was passed over in the 2023 draft. He spent the following months playing for the MLB Draft League’s Trenton Thunder and leveraged his standout performance (.361/.450/.578 slash line in 40 games) there into a deal with Staten Island that September. The FerryHawks then brought him back for the 2024 campaign last January.

Johnson, who does not turn 26 until September, figures to provide the Red Sox with toolsy outfield depth in the lower minors to open the 2025 season. What affiliate he starts out at will likely be determined at some point during spring training.

(Picture of Kolby Johnson courtesy of the Staten Island FerryHawks)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Danny Kirwin fare in 2024?

Even though he was not signed until late April, pitching prospect Danny Kirwin still put together an impressive first season as a member of the Red Sox organization.

After going undrafted out of Rider University (Lawrence Township, N.J.) in 2023, Kirwin pitched in two summer leagues before signing with the Oakland Ballers that December. The right-hander originally planned on spending the 2024 season with the newly formed Pioneer League club. He instead became the first player in the team’s short history to have his contract purchased by a major-league organization when the Red Sox did so last April.

That came shortly after Ballers manager Micah Franklin posted a 45-second video on social media of Kirwin reaching 98 mph with his fastball during a bullpen session. The Red Sox, as it turned out, caught wind of the post and wasted little time in getting Kirwin to Fort Myers, Fla. for a physical and to sign a contract. He officially put pen to paper on April 24 and reported to Low-A Salem the following day.

Kirwin, who turned 25 in November, spent the remainder of the minor-league season with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. In 20 appearances (five starts) for the Salem Red Sox, the righty posted a 3.63 ERA (3.65 FIP) with 69 strikeouts to 24 walks over 69 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .211 against him.

Among the 57 pitchers who threw at least 65 innings in the Carolina League last year, Kirwin ranked seventh in groundball rate (46.8 percent), 13th in batting average against, 18th in WHIP (1.13), 19th in xFIP (3.48), 21st in swinging-strike rate (13.4 percent), 24th in FIP, 25th in walks per nine innings (3.12), and 26th in walk rate (8.4 percent) and line-drive rate (21.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

While Salem’s season ended in early September, Kirwin’s year continued in the Arizona Fall League. One of eight Boston minor-leaguers to make the trek out west, Kirwin was recognized as an AFL All-Star after forging a 2.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts to just one walk in five appearances (one start) spanning 12 2/3 innings for the Mesa Solar Sox.

Between his stints with Salem and in Arizona last season, Kirwin flashed some intriguing stuff on the mound. Throwing from a low three-quarters arm slot, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound hurler typically sat in the upper-90s with his high-octane fastball while also featuring a low-90s cutter and sinker, a mid-80s sweeper that he changed the grip on late into the year, and an upper-80s changeup.

A native of Lansdale, Penn., Kirwin returned to and spent part of his offseason training at Tread Athletics in Pineville, N.C. to further revamp his arsenal and mechanics. He recently debuted as SoxProspects.com’s 59th-ranked Red Sox prospect (29th among pitchers) and is currently projected by the site to open the 2025 campaign in High-A Greenville’s bullpen.

(Picture of Danny Kirwin: Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Cubs, Padres farmhand Yovanny Cruz to minor-league deal

In addition to Sean Newcomb, the Red Sox also signed free-agent right-hander Yovanny Cruz to a minor-league contract earlier this week and invited him to major-league spring training on Friday, per a club announcement.

Unlike Newcomb, Cruz has yet to pitch in the majors. The 25-year-old was originally signed by the Cubs as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in August 2016. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021, and reached free agency at the end of the 2023 season.

Cruz then signed a minors pact with the Padres that November and spent all of 2024 with San Diego’s Double-A affiliate in San Antonio. The righty posted a 4.55 ERA (4.25 FIP) with 35 strikeouts to 16 walks in 23 relief appearances (29 2/3 innings) for the Missions before suffering a season-ending injury in July. Opposing hitters batted .308 against him.

Listed at 6-foot and 180 pounds, Cruz has flashed plus stuff in the past. Last season, for instance, the San Francisco de Macoris topped out at 101.3 mph with his four-seam fastball that typically sits between 96-99 mph. He has also shown the ability to throw a whiff-inducing slider and a changeup with intriguing qualities.

Cruz, who does not turn 26 until late August, figures to provide the Red Sox with high-upside bullpen depth at Double-A Portland to open the 2025 season. If that is indeed the case, it should be worthwhile to see if he can make it to Triple-A Worcester before the end of the year.

(Picture of Yovanny Cruz: Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign Mass. native Sean Newcomb to minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free-agent left-hander Sean Newcomb to a minor-league contract earlier this week and invited him to major-league spring training, the club announced on Friday.

Newcomb, 31, is a Brockton, Mass. native who attended Middleborough High School. He was originally selected by the Angels with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 draft out of the University of Hartford but was dealt to the Braves as part of the Andrelton Simmons trade the following November.

After emerging as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Newcomb debuted for Atlanta in June 2017. The lefty showed signs of promise early into his major-league career, most notably posting a 3.90 ERA with 160 strikeouts over 31 outings (30 starts) spanning 164 innings in 2018. He pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen in 2019 and impressed in a relief role, but he has not been able to replicate those same results since then.

Newcomb appeared in just four games for the Braves during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign before logging a 4.73 ERA over 32 1/3 innings of relief in 2021. He was designated for assignment in April 2022 and subsequently traded to the Cubs. He reached free agency that November and signed a minor-league deal with the Giants in February 2023 only to be traded to the Athletics six months later.

Newcomb produced a 3.00 ERA over 15 innings for the A’s in 2023 and was re-signed to a one-year deal for 2024. He underwent offseason surgeries on both knees and struggled to a 6.30 ERA in seven outings (10 innings) last year before being released by Oakland in early July. Altogether, he owns a lifetime 4.51 ERA (4.47 FIP) with 438 strikeouts to 236 walks in 175 career appearances (60 starts) and 431 innings between the Braves, Cubs, and Athletics at the big-league level.

Newcomb, who turns 32 in June, figures to vie for a spot as a left-handed option in the Red Sox’ Opening Day bullpen once camp gets underway in Fort Myers next month. The 6-foot-5 southpaw could also provide Boston with versatile pitching depth at Triple-A Worcester to open the 2025 season since he has experience as both a starter and reliever.

(Picture of Sean Newcomb: Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect Matt McShane from Pirates

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects by swinging a minor trade with the Pirates for the second time in as many months on Friday.

In exchange for right-hander Chase Shugart, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday following the acquisition of catcher Blake Sabol from the Giants, Boston acquired fellow righty Matt McShane from Pittsburgh.

McShane, 22, was selected by the Pirates in the 13th round (384th overall) of last summer’s draft out of St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania native signed for $150,000 in late July but did not pitch for one of Pittsburgh’s minor-league affiliates, meaning he has yet to make his professional debut.

As part of his three-year collegiate career, McShane compiled a 3.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 53 total appearances (two starts) spanning 119 2/3 innings at St. Joseph’s. That includes earning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman in 2022 and posting a 3.95 ERA (1.27 WHIP) with 57 strikeouts to 18 walks over 43 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .224 batting average for the Hawks as a junior last spring. He also spent parts of the last two summers with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, McShane has flashed a 93-95 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph while also mixing in an 82-83 mph slider and an 86-87 mph changeup, per ProspectsLive.com’s Jake Bargery. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2025 season in Low-A Salem’s bullpen.

McShane, who does not turn 23 until November, is the second member of the Pirates’ 2024 draft class to be traded to the Red Sox this winter. He joins reliever Joe Vogatsky, a 19th-rounder out of James Madison who was acquired for infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez on December 15, in that regard.

(Picture of Matt McShane: St. Joseph’s University Athletics)

Red Sox bring back hard-throwing righty Robert Stock on minor-league deal

The Red Sox have agreed to bring back right-hander Robert Stock on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The agreement was first reported by Stock’s winter ball team in Mexico, the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, who previously announced that he was traveling to the United States for a physical exam.

Stock, 35, appeared in 10 games for the Red Sox during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. In that span, the hard-throwing righty allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 16 hits, 10 walks, and 14 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings of relief in which opposing hitters batted .320 against him. He averaged 96.8 mph on his fastball that year, which ranked in the 93rd percentile in all of baseball, per Baseball Savant.

A former 2009 second-round draft pick out of Southern California, Stock debuted in 2018. He has since forged a 4.71 ERA (3.97 FIP) with 76 strikeouts to 40 walks in 55 appearances (72 2/3 innings) for four teams (Padres, Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets) over parts of four seasons. He made three starts between Chicago and New York in 2021 but has not seen any big-league action since then.

Stock spent all of 2022 with the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization and split the 2023 campaign between the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville and the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks. He signed on with Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League for the 2024 season and produced a 3.38 ERA with 104 strikeouts to 41 walks in 19 starts (98 2/3 innings). He then latched on with Hermosillo and became the first in team history to win the pitching triple crown after leading the Mexican Pacific League in wins (10), ERA (1.60), and strikeouts (78) this winter.

Stock figures to provide the Red Sox with versatile pitching depth in the upper minors to open the 2025 season. He joins the likes of Austin Adams, Isaiah Campbell, Noah Davis, Michael Fulmer, Bryan Mata, and Wyatt Mills as non-roster pitchers who will be in Fort Myers for camp, which begins next month.

(Picture of Robert Stock: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Johanfran Garcia emerges as organization’s top catching prospect following Kyle Teel trade

After the Red Sox included Kyle Teel in the five-player trade that netted them frontline starter Garrett Crochet from the White Sox last month, Johanfran Garcia emerged as the highest-ranked catching prospect in the organization heading into 2025.

Garcia got off to a blazing hot start at the plate in 2024 but saw his season come to an abrupt end on May 1 when he was carted off the field at Low-A Salem after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while running the bases. The then-19-year-old was placed on the full-season injured list on May 8 and underwent season-ending surgery shortly thereafter.

Garcia, who turned 20 in December, had been one of the top performers in the lower minors before suffering the injury. In 14 games for Salem (Boston’s Carolina League affiliate), the right-handed hitter batted a stout .385/.467/.596 with five doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, five runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts over 60 plate appearances.

At season’s end, Garcia was one of 254 hitters who made at least 60 trips to the plate in the Carolina League. Among those 254, he ranked first in batting average, OPS (1.063), wOBA (.498), and wRC+ (207), second in slugging percentage, fourth in on-base percentage, eighth in line-drive rate (32.4 percent), and 12th in isolated power (.212), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Garcia unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field in 2024 come at catcher. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound backstop logged 85 innings behind the plate for Salem, allowing two passed balls and throwing out six of 32 potential base stealers. He also made four starts at DH and has past experience at first base.

The younger brother of Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia (who was added to the 40-man roster in November), Johanfran originally signed with Boston for $850,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2022. The Valencia native is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 17 prospect, eight spots below his older brother.

When making a recent appearance on Boston Sports Entertainment Network’s ‘The Pesky Podcast,’ Garcia (through interpreter and former Red Sox player development coach Fabian Castorena) said that he is feeling “much better now” and “is working to get back to the field.” In terms of where he is at in the rehab process with his right knee, he said that he is “about 65 to 70 percent ready to go.”

Since he is coming off major knee surgery and spent much of this past year rehabbing in Fort Myers, the Red Sox will likely exercise caution when it comes to Garcia’s status leading into the start of spring training next month. With that being said, he is projected by SoxProspects.com (who has him ranked 15th in the system) to open the 2025 season at High-A Greenville.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)