Tag: pitching prospects

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)

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 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)

How did Red Sox relief prospect Isaac Stebens fare in 2024?

Despite dealing with his fair share of command and control issues throughout the year, Red Sox pitching prospect Isaac Stebens still turned in a solid 2024 season.

Stebens, who just turned 23 last month, was selected by the Red Sox in the 16th round of the 2023 draft out of Oklahoma State. The Stillwater native received an at-slot $150,000 signing bonus that July but did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate after putting pen to paper. He instead had to wait until last April to make his professional debut.

Stebens opened the 2024 campaign at Low-A Salem but was not there long. The right-hander allowed just three runs (one earned) on seven hits, four walks, and 14 strikeouts in six relief appearances (11 innings) before receiving a promotion to High-A Greenville on April 25.

In 29 outings for Greenville, Stebens posted a 3.68 ERA (3.77 FIP) with 73 strikeouts to 31 walks over 51 1/3 innings of relief in which opposing hitters batted .228 against him. That includes a 0.53 ERA (2.62 FIP) in his final 12 appearances (17 innings) of the season dating back to July 14.

Altogether, Stebens forged a 3.18 ERA (3.58 FIP) with 87 strikeouts to 35 walks in 35 total relief appearances (62 1/3 innings) between Salem and Greenville last year. Among 39 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 60 innings, Stebens ranked third in strikeout rate (31.3 percent), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.56), 11th in FIP, 12th in ERA, 14th in xFIP (3.79), and 17th in batting average against (.220). On the opposite end of the spectrum, he ranked 33rd in walk rate (12.6 percent) and 34th in walks per nine innings (2.49), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot and 194 pounds, Stebens featured four pitches last season, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. Throwing from a low three-quarters arm slot, the righty sat between 92-94 mph and topped out at 95 mph with his fastball while also mixing in an 83-84 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 84-86 mph changeup.

As he recently explained to hosts Andrew Parker and Chris Henrique on Beyond The Monster’s ‘To the Show We Go’ podcast, Stebens implemented three new pitches into his arsenal last year after primarily relying on his fastball at Oklahoma State. Because of that, the 2024 season served as somewhat of an adjustment period for him.

“I wouldn’t say it was seamless. It was definitely a grind,” Stebens said. “There was no backlash on my part. I was all about it. I knew it was what needed to be done. But going from throwing one pitch that’s pretty good to adding three more, it definitely increased my walk rate just because I didn’t know how to control those yet. So we’re still learning those. Hopefully, having a long career, I’m going to nail some of those things down.

“I was able to strike out more in less innings than I did at OSU [in 2023], so a lot of good things,” he continued. “But it was definitely a grind learning those new pitches, just utilizing them more than anything. I had three of the four I have now going into the year but the usage rate went from 85 percent fastball and 10 percent slider and five percent changeup to about 40-20-20, so it was a big difference to split up that 80 percent.”

Stebens is not currently regarded by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. SoxProspects.com projects him to return to Greenville for the start of the upcoming season, though he made clear in his conversation with Parker and Henrique that he, at the very least, wants to make it to Double-A Portland before the end of 2025.

(Picture of Isaac Stebens: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Why Juan Valera took the biggest leap of any Red Sox pitching prospect in 2024

The case can be made that Juan Valera took the biggest leap of any Red Sox pitching prospect in 2024.

Originally signed for $45,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023, Valera posted a 5.93 ERA (4.67 FIP) over 27 1/3 innings as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year. As such, the young right-hander came into the 2024 season with very little fanfare.

Transitioning from the Dominican Summer League to the Florida Complex League, Valera impressed out of the gate in his stateside debut. The 18-year-old forged a 1.79 ERA (3.25 FIP) with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 11 outings (nine starts) spanning 40 1/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox. He held opposing hitters to a .128 batting average and leveraged his performance into a promotion to Low-A Salem in late July.

The trade deadline passed shortly thereafter, but not before Valera saw three teammates (fellow teenage righties Gilberto Batista, Ovis Portes, and Yeferson Vargas) get moved elsewhere. The Red Sox, however, elected to hold onto Valera, who proceeded to post a 2.35 ERA (3.54 FIP) with 28 strikeouts to 14 walks in seven starts (23 innings) for Salem to close out the year. Opposing hitters in the Carolina League batted just .120 against him in that stretch.

Altogether, Valera pitched to a 1.99 ERA (3.36 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks in 18 appearances (16 starts) spanning 63 1/3 innings between the FCL and Salem this past season. Among the 39 Red Sox minor-leaguers who threw at least 60 innings in 2024, Valera ranked first in ERA, batting average against (.125), WHIP (0.85), line-drive rate (10.3 percent), and groundball rate (56.6 percent), fifth in swinging-strike rate (15.9 percent), eighth in FIP, 12th in strikeout rate (27.9 percent), and 13th in xFIP (3.76), per FanGraphs.

As far as post-season accolades are concerned, Valera was recognized as a 2024 Florida Complex League All-Star by Minor League Baseball. He was also named a 2024 SoxProspects.com All-Star and the 2024 SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Year.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and around 225 pounds, Valera throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a side-step delivery. This past season, the projectable hurler operated with a four-pitch mix that consisted of a 93-96 mph fastball that reached 99 mph, an 85-88 mph slider that featured 10-to-4 break, an 82-85 mph sweeper, and an 89-92 mph changeup that is still viewed as a work progress.

Lauded by club officials for his strong work ethic and teachability, Valera is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 19 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. MLB Pipeline has the righty ranked 20th on its top 30 Red Sox prospects list while Baseball America has him unranked, though that will likely change soon.

“We’re super high on this kid,” Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard said of Valera when speaking with The Boston Globe’s Sarah Barber back in August. “He’s starting to get to some pretty cool shapes from a pitch-design standpoint. We’re very excited about this kid, and he’s only continued to go out there and kind of hammer the things that he needs to for his long-term development as well.”

Valera, who turns 19 in May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Salem for the start of the 2025 minor-league season. He should, however, have the opportunity to advance to High-A Greenville before the end of the summer depending on how aggressive the Red Sox are willing to be.

(Picture of Juan Valera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox trade lefty reliever Cam Booser to White Sox for pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo

The Red Sox simultaneously created a 40-man roster spot and added a young pitching prospect to the organizational pipeline by connecting on their second trade in as many weeks with the White Sox on Saturday evening.

In exchange for left-handed reliever Cam Booser, who forged a 3.38 ERA in 43 relief appearances (42 2/3 innings) as a 32-year-old rookie this past season, Boston acquired right-hander Yhoiker Fajardo from Chicago.

Fajardo, 18, made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League this year after signing with the White Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in February. The Villa de Cura native earned DSL Mid-Season All-Star honors en route to posting a 3.91 ERA (2.50 FIP) with 64 strikeouts to eight walks in 13 starts (50 2/3 innings) for Chicago’s rookie-level affiliate. Opposing hitters batted .260 against him.

Among the 19 Dominican Summer League pitchers who eclipsed the 50-inning mark in 2024, Fajardo ranked first in FIP and xFIP (2.33), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.37), strikeout rate (30.2 percent), and swinging-strike rate (43.4 percent), and fourth in walks per nine innings (1.42), walk rate (3.8 percent), and groundball rate (55.6 percent), per FanGraphs. He also produced the highest BABIP (.365) of that group, which suggests that luck may not have necessarily been on his side.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 181-185 pounds, Fajardo has been described by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as “a good athlete with an easy delivery that he repeats well from a consistent release point on all of his pitches.” The projectable righty still has plenty of room to grow physically but currently sits between 90-95 mph with his fastball while mixing in a low-80s slider and an occasional hard changeup.

Barring a surprise, Fajardo — who does not turn 19 until next October — will likely open the 2025 season in the Florida Complex League.

(Picture of Cam Booser: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt fare in 2024?

Blake Wehunt was the fifth of 11 college pitchers selected by the Red Sox in the 2023 draft. How did the former ninth-rounder out of Kennesaw State fare in his first full professional season this year?

Signed for an under-slot $100,000 after being drafted with the 268th overall pick, Wehunt marked his pro debut by making one scoreless relief appearance in the Florida Complex League last August. The right-hander then opened the 2024 campaign at Low-A Salem and posted a 2.16 ERA (2.77 FIP) with 44 strikeouts to 15 walks in eight starts (33 1/3 innings) before receiving a promotion to High-A Greenville in early June.

Upon making the jump from Salem, Wehunt went through an adjustment period of sorts but still held his own in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League by producing a 4.42 ERA (3.58 FIP) with 65 strikeouts to 19 walks in 13 starts (59 innings) for Greenville. The righty was promoted for a second time to Double-A Portland on September 11 to make one more start before the minor-league season. He allowed five earned runs over five innings as part of an 8-4 loss to Binghamton at Hadlock Field.

Altogether, Wehunt forged a 3.88 ERA and 3.40 FIP with 110 strikeouts to 34 walks in 22 starts spanning 97 1/3 total innings of work between Salem, Greenville, and Portland this past season. Opposing hitters across the three levels he pitched at batted just .207 against him.

Among the 374 minor-leaguers who threw at least 95 innings in 2024, Wehunt ranked 38th in batting average against, 45th in WHIP (1.11), 52nd in xFIP (3.43), 62nd in strikeout rate (27.5 percent) and FIP, 65th in line-drive rate (20.1 percent), 66th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.17), 68th in groundball rate (47.8 percent), 172nd in walks per nine innings (3.14), 179th in ERA, and 180th in walk rate (8.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Wehunt, who turned 24 in November, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 15th among pitchers. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Georgia native throws from a three-quarters arm slot and can make for an uncomfortable at-bat given his imposing stature. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Wehunt operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball, an 87-89 mph cutter, an 81-86 mph sweeper, and an 84-86 mph splitter.

Though the possibility remains that he could be moved by the Red Sox as part of a larger trade this winter, Wehunt is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season in April. If that does end up happening, it should be worthwhile to see how he handles the upper minors after getting a brief taste in September.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Brandon Neely enters MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Red Sox prospects list

After the Red Sox traded Elmer Rodriguez to the Yankees last week, fellow right-hander Brandon Neely entered the club’s Top 30 prospects list on MLB Pipeline.

Neely is now regarded by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. The 21-year-old was selected by the Red Sox in the third round (86th overall) of this past summer’s draft out of Florida. He signed for an under-slot $700,000 but has yet to make his professional debut.

A native of Seville, Fla., Neely spent three seasons with the Gators after going undrafted out of high school in 2021. After recording a conference-leading 13 saves and earning First Team All-SEC honors as a sophomore in 2023, the righty worked as both a starter and reliever in his junior season.

In 28 appearances (six starts) for Florida this past spring, Neely posted a 5.13 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 108 strikeouts to 28 walks over a staff-leading 79 innings in which opposing hitters batted .242 against him. He proved to be a stabilizing force for the Gators in their march toward the College World Series and was named to the Stillwater Regional All-Tournament Team as a result.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Neely throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his quick delivery. He currently sits between 92-95 mph and touches 97 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a mid-80s slider and upper-80s changeup, per his MLB Pipeline scouting report.

Neely, who does not turn 22 until next July, is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2025 season at High-A Greenville. While the Red Sox will develop him as a starter out of the gate, there is a strong chance that Neely will ultimately move to the bullpen in the long run given his mechanics, repertoire, and competitive nature.

“We see [the] starter upside, with the ability to create a lot of different shapes and velocity,” Red Sox amateur scouting director Devin Pearson said of Neely when speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Sarah Barber) following the draft. “He’s a guy we’re really excited to add to our organization and let our pitching department work with.”

(Picture of Brandon Neely: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect Joe Vogatsky from Pirates

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects on Sunday by swinging a minor trade with the Pirates.

In exchange for infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday following the acquisition of catcher Carlos Narvaez from the Yankees, Boston acquired right-hander Joe Vogatsky from Pittsburgh.

Vogatsky, who turns 23 later this month, was selected by the Pirates in the 19th round of this past July’s draft out of James Madison. The Virginia native signed with the club for $25,000 but did not pitch for one of Pittsburgh’s minor-league affiliates, meaning he has yet to make his professional debut.

After compiling a 3.34 ERA in 21 appearances (29 2/3 innings) for James Madison and a 1.42 ERA in four appearances (6 1/3 innings) for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, Vogatsky was taken by the Blue Jays in the 14th round of the 2023 draft. Rather than go pro then, the righty opted to return to JMU for his senior season. He posted a 3.49 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 48 strikeouts to 23 walks in 27 relief appearances (49 innings) for the Dukes in 2024. Opposing hitters batted .232 against him.

Listed at 6-foot and 215 pounds, Vogatsky “has a reliever delivery with effort and a sidearm slot that creates some deception on all of his pitches,” per his Baseball America scouting report. His pitch mix is highlighted by a fastball that averaged 93 mph and reached 96-97 mph this spring and a low-80s slider that “has solid pure spin rates and modest break.” He has also featured a mid-80s changeup and an upper-70s curveball.

Vogatsky is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2025 season in Low-A Salem’s bullpen. It should be interesting to see if he can benefit from the new developmental infrastructure the Red Sox have implemented under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and director of pitching Justin Willard.

(Picture of Joe Vogatsky: James Madison University Athletics)

Red Sox trade pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez to Yankees to bolster catching depth

The Red Sox traded an intriguing pitching prospect to the Yankees for catcher Carlos Narvaez on Wednesday night.

In exchange for Narvaez — a 26-year-old who made his major-league debut this past season — Boston sent right-hander Elmer Rodriguez and $250,000 in international bonus pool space to New York. Infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez was designated for assignment to make room for Narvaez on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster.

Rodriguez, 21, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Puerto Rican was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2021 draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo. He forwent his commitment to Oregon by signing with the club for $497,500.

Rodriguez split the 2024 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville, posting a 2.91 ERA and 3.56 FIP with 102 strikeouts to 43 walks in 21 appearances (20 starts) spanning a career-high 89 2/3 innings. After being promoted from Salem to Greenville in late July, the righty pitched to a 3.77 ERA (5.34 FIP)  with 29 strikeouts to 18 walks in seven starts (28 2/3 innings). Opposing hitters batted just .180 against him in that stretch.

Though he is listed at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez is presumably heavier than that after adding strength last offseason in an effort to gain more velocity. Those efforts seemingly paid off, as the athletic hurler now sits between 94-97 mph and can reach 99 mph with his fastball. He also mixes in an 85-88 mph slider, an 80-83 mph curveball, and an 88-91 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Rodriguez, who does not turn 22 until August, can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career next winter if he is not added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. Having said that, it should be interesting to see how he adjusts to life in a new organization moving forward.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)