Tag: promotions

Red Sox to promote top prospect Justin Gonzales to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting top outfield prospect Justin Gonzales from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as first reported by Mike Rodriguez of Rompiendo Sports.

Gonzales is moving up to the upper minors after recording his first professional multi-homer game in Greenville’s 10-5 win over Hub City on Sunday. The 19-year-old slugger is experiencing a power surge, having already nearly doubled his career home run total entering 2026, and is being rewarded for it.

In 89 games for Greenville this season, Gonzales batted .271/.391/.463 with 12 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, 68 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 56 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 422 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter slashed .248/.368/.445 in 348 plate appearances against righties and .383/.500/.550 in 74 plate appearances against lefties.

Among 65 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Gonzales ranks eighth in on-base percentage, ninth in wOBA (.389), 10th in wRC+ (121), 12th in OPS (.854), 13th in swinging-strike rate (10%), 15th in batting average and strikeout rate (18.7%), 17th in slugging percentage, 19th in walk rate (13.3%), 27th in isolated power (.191), and 31st in line-drive rate (23.7%), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Gonzales saw the majority of his playing time with Greenville come in right field. Making 70 starts there, the hulking 6-foot-6, 277-pounder committed four errors and recorded seven assists in 130 chances. He also made seven starts at first base, where he committed one error in 44 chances, one error-free start in center field, and 11 starts at DH.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Gonzales originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent in January 2024. He was named a Dominican Summer League All-Star and the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year in his professional debut, then made the jump stateside in 2025. After appearing in just one Florida Complex League game last May, he moved up to Low-A Salem — where he was recognized as a Carolina League Post-Season All-Star — and ultimately to Greenville to close out the campaign.

Gonzales, who does not turn 20 until December, is currently regarded by Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 2 prospect behind only infielder Franklin Arias. He briefly cracked Baseball America’s Top 100 earlier this season, but has since fallen out of the rankings. MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, ranks him as the No. 79 prospect in the sport.

In Portland, Gonzales will join a roster that includes other notable prospects such as Johanfran Garcia, Brooks Brannon, Mason White, Jack Winnay, Henry Godbout, Miguel Bleis, and Yoeilin Cespedes. The Sea Dogs are also expected to welcome Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony for a rehab assignment beginning Tuesday, when they open a six-game series against Reading at Hadlock Field.

(Picture of Justin Gonzales: John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Jedixson Paez to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Jedixson Paez from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker. He is scheduled to start for the WooSox and make his Triple-A debut on Thursday, according to The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Tommy Cassell.

Paez began the 2026 season with the White Sox after being selected by them in December’s Rule 5 Draft. The 22-year-old right-hander made Chicago’s Opening Day roster but struggled in three relief appearances, allowing six earned runs on four hits (including two home runs), three walks, and no strikeouts over three innings. He was designated for assignment on April 1 and returned to the Red Sox for $50,000 three days later.

Having never pitched above the High-A level before this season, it is not surprising that Paez had a rough time in his brief major league debut with the White Sox. After returning to the Red Sox, he reported to Portland and put together a solid four-month stretch leading up to Wednesday’s promotion.

In 17 appearances (seven starts) for the Sea Dogs, Paez posted a 4.41 ERA and 3.78 FIP with 56 strikeouts to just five walks over 49 innings. Eastern League opponents slashed .241/.264/.417 in 193 plate appearances against him. He has proven particularly effective when facing right-handed hitters, limiting them to a .233/.255/.388 line across the majors and minors this year.

Among 92 pitchers who entered play Wednesday having thrown at least 45 innings in the Eastern League this season, Paez ranked first in swinging-strike rate (19.3%), walks per nine (0.92), and walk rate (2.6%), third in xFIP (3.25), fifth in WHIP (1.02), 15th in strikeout rate (29%), 18th in FIP, 29th in groundball rate (46.2%), 31st in strikeouts per nine (10.29), and 38th in batting average against and ERA, per FanGraphs.

Originally signed for $450,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2021, Paez is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 22 prospect, which ranks eighth among the organization’s pitchers. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound righty has made a name for himself thanks to a strong command-and-control profile. Stuff-wise, he features a 91-92 mph fastball that reaches 94 mph, an upper-80s cutter, a mid-80s changeup, a lower-80s slider, and an upper-70s curveball.

Now in Triple-A for the first time, Paez — who does not turn 23 until next January — has put himself in a position to get back to the majors with the Red Sox for the stretch run. At the very least, he can build a case for a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster this winter, which would keep him from being Rule 5-eligible for the second straight offseason.

(Picture of Jedixson Paez: Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top IF prospect Henry Godbout to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting top infield prospect Henry Godbout from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as first reported by MiLB Central’s Chase Ford.

Godbout is technically moving up to Portland from Low-A Salem, where he had been on a rehab assignment since July 31. The 22-year-old appeared in five games for the RidgeYaks, going 4-for-14 (.286) with one RBI, six runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks, and two strikeouts. He is evidently ready for a new challenge.

With this promotion, Godbout will be reaching the upper minors in his first full professional season. The Virginia product was selected by the Red Sox with the 75th overall pick in last summer’s draft, which the club received as compensation for losing Nick Pivetta to the Padres in free agency. He signed for an at-slot $1,093,800 and made his pro debut with Greenville, where he slashed .341/.473/.477 across a 13-game sample sandwiched around a hamstring injury.

Following an impressive spring training in which he displayed high-end bat speed with his quick swing, Godbout returned to Greenville and got his 2026 campaign off to an encouraging start. The right-handed hitter batted .277/.410/.492 with seven doubles, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, 21 runs scored, two stolen bases, 22 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 34 games (161 plate appearances) for the Drive before suffering a broken left hand after being hit by a pitch on May 30. He underwent surgery in early June and was transferred to the 60-day injured list ahead of being cleared to return to game action late last month.

Overall, Godbout is batting .278/.429/.472 with seven doubles, seven home runs, 15 RBIs, 27 runs scored, four stolen bases, 28 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 39 games (184 plate appearances) between Greenville and Salem this season. He is slashing .288/.447/.441 in 152 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers and .231/.344/.615 in 32 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.

Excluding those in rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues, 47 Red Sox minor leaguers have logged at least 180 plate appearances so far in 2026. Among those 47, Godbout ranks second in on-base percentage, third in swinging-strike rate (7%), fourth in wOBA (.416) and wRC+ (137), fifth in OPS (.901) and strikeout rate (15.8%), eighth in batting average, ninth in walk rate (15.2%), 11th in slugging percentage, and 16th in isolated power (.194), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Godbout has been used almost exclusively at shortstop this year. Between his stops in Greenville and Salem, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder made 32 starts at short, committing eight errors in 124 chances over 283 innings. He also made seven starts at DH.

Godbout, who turns 23 in November, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 5 prospect. The New York native is set to become the fourth member of the Red Sox’ 2025 draft class to make the jump to Portland this season, joining third-rounder Anthony Eyanson (who has since been traded), fourth-rounder Mason White, and 13th-rounder Jack Winnay.

(Picture of Henry Godbout: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Jason Gilman to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Jason Gilman from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Gilman was Boston’s 16th-round (478th overall) pick in last summer’s draft out of Kean University (N.J.), where he earned 2025 ABCA/Rawlings Division III National Pitcher of the Year honors. Rather than transfer to Ole Miss as a graduate student, the New Jersey native signed with the Red Sox for the slot value of $150,000.

Gilman began his first full professional season at extended spring training in Fort Myers before debuting with Salem on April 25, two days after his 23rd birthday. The left-hander then pitched to a 2.91 ERA with 76 strikeouts to 32 walks across 14 outings (nine starts) spanning 55 2/3 innings for the RidgeYaks. Opposing hitters batted .188/.302/.320 in 232 plate appearances against him.

Among 62 Carolina League pitchers who entered Tuesday having thrown at least 55 innings this year, Gilman ranked first in strikeout rate (32.8%), second in swinging-strike rate (16.8%), third in strikeouts per nine (12.29), fourth in batting average against, fifth in line-drive rate (19.3%), 13th in ERA, 16th in WHIP (1.24), 22nd in FIP (4.04), and 27th in xFIP (4.20). On the flip side, he ranked 44th in walks per nine (5.17) and 46th in walk rate (13.8%), according to FanGraphs.

Though he has twice been named SoxProspects.com’s Pitcher of the Week this season, Gilman is not yet ranked among the outlet’s top Red Sox pitching prospects. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound southpaw features a fastball that has been up to 94.4 mph in-game. He is also capable of mixing in a curveball and changeup.

Gilman is the second Day 2 pick from Boston’s 2025 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville in recent weeks, joining ninth-rounder Jacob Mayers. He will likely make his High-A debut during Greenville’s series against Hudson Valley at Fluor Field this week.

(Picture of Jason Gilman: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Devin Futrell to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Devin Futrell from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as first reported by Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com.

Futrell is on the move for the second time this season. The 23-year-old left-hander opened the 2026 campaign with Low-A Salem, but was quickly elevated to Greenville in mid-April after firing nine scoreless innings across two appearances (one start) for the RidgeYaks.

In his second stint with Greenville, where he ended last season, Futrell posted a 4.22 ERA with 85 strikeouts to 14 walks over 15 outings (12 starts) spanning 74 2/3 innings. Opposing South Atlantic League hitters batted .253/.289/.467 in 305 plate appearances against him.

Among 26 South Atlantic League pitchers who entered play Tuesday having thrown at least 70 innings this year, Futrell ranked first in walks per nine (1.69) and walk rate (4.6%), third in xFIP (3.98), fourth in WHIP (1.17), fifth in strikeout rate (27.9%), seventh in strikeouts per nine (10.25), eighth in FIP (4.39), and 10th in ERA, according to FanGraphs.

Overall, Futrell owns a 3.76 ERA (4.13 FIP) with 95 strikeouts to 14 walks across 17 appearances (13 starts) and 83 2/3 innings between Salem and Greenville this season. He has held opponents to a .233 batting average, while his 4.8% walk rate is among the top marks in the Red Sox organization.

Originally selected in the 10th round of the 2024 draft out of Vanderbilt, Futrell is currently ranked as Boston’s No. 47 prospect by SoxProspects.com. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound lefty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix consisting of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out at 91 mph, a 76-78 mph changeup, a 74-77 mph curveball, and a 79-83 mph slider.

Because he lacks velocity, Futrell — who turns 24 next month — will be tested against tougher competition in the upper minors. Even so, his command profile and pitchability give him upside. He is scheduled to start for Portland and make his Double-A debut against New Hampshire on Friday.

(Picture of Devin Futrell: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Gage Ziehl to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Gage Ziehl from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Ziehl is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 17 prospect, ranking eighth among pitchers in the system. The 23-year-old right-hander has spent all of 2026 to this point with Portland, posting a 4.33 ERA with 96 strikeouts to 18 walks over 17 starts (81 innings). Opposing hitters batted .278/.324/.459 in 354 plate appearances against him.

Among 19 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League entering play this week, Ziehl ranked first in walks per nine innings (2.00) and walk rate (5.1%), second in xFIP (3.51), fifth in FIP (4.13), groundball rate (51.5%), strikeouts per nine (10.67) and strikeout rate (27.1%), sixth in WHIP (1.35), and eighth in swinging-strike rate (12.2%), according to FanGraphs.

Originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2024 draft out of Miami, Ziehl has already been involved in two significant trades since entering the professional ranks. Last July, he was dealt to the White Sox for outfielder Austin Slater. Just over six months later, he was again on the move, this time going to the Red Sox for fellow righties Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin (plus cash) in early February.

After splitting his first full season in pro ball between three levels and four affiliates, Ziehl overcame a rocky start and has held his own at Double-A this year. The 6-foot, 223-pound hurler features a strong command profile and a five-pitch mix consisting of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, an 88-91 mph cutter, an 83-87 mph sweeper, a 79-82 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph changeup.

Ziehl joins Blake Wehunt and John Holobetz as notable Red Sox pitching prospects who have made the jump from Portland to Worcester this season. After last pitching on Sunday, his Triple-A debut will likely come in the latter half of the WooSox’ upcoming series against Lehigh Valley at Polar Park.

(Picture of Gage Ziehl courtesy of the Portland Sea Dogs)

Red Sox promote power-hitting IF prospect Yoeilin Cespedes to Double-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted power-hitting infield prospect Yoeilin Cespedes from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as first reported by Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com.

Cespedes is currently regarded as Boston’s No. 14 prospect by SoxProspects.com, while Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both rank him 16th. With 18 home runs this season, the 20-year-old slugger trails only No. 1 prospect and fellow infielder Franklin Arias (21) for the organizational lead.

In addition to crushing a team-leading 18 homers, Cespedes batted .249/.310/.477 (92 wRC+) with 57 RBIs, 58 runs scored, two stolen bases, 29 walks, and 94 strikeouts over 82 games (378 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. The right-handed hitter fared particularly well against lefties, slashing .328/.382/.590 in 68 plate appearances. He slashed .231/.294/.452 in 310 plate appearances against righties.

Among 68 qualified hitters in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League entering play Saturday, Cespedes ranked 12th in isolated power (.228), 15th in slugging percentage, 18th in line-drive rate (24.7%), 30th in OPS (.787), and 33rd in batting average, according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Cespedes split most of his playing time with Greenville between shortstop and second base. In 41 starts at short, the compact 5-foot-8, 181-pounder (listed height and weight) committed seven errors in 186 chances over 365 2/3 innings. In 31 starts at second, he committed five errors in 133 chances over 276 1/3 innings. He also made 10 starts at DH.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Cespedes originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.4 million as a highly-regarded international free agent in January 2023. In his professional debut that season, he earned Dominican Summer League All-Star honors and was recognized as Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year. He then arrived stateside in 2024 and shined in the Florida Complex League before earning a late-June promotion to Low-A Salem.

Due to lingering soreness in his left hand, however, Cespedes did not make his full-season debut in 2024. Instead, he was diagnosed with a broken hamate bone that ultimately required season-ending surgery. He returned to action with Salem in 2025 and proved durable, playing in 110 of the team’s 130 games. That said, he did so while struggling to a .227/.292/.376 line with 10 home runs and 54 RBIs over 477 plate appearances.

Coming off a down year, Cespedes was identified by Baseball America as a potential bounce-back candidate entering 2026. He certainly came out of the gates firing, slashing .317/.365/.567 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs over his first 42 games (200 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. Since the calendar flipped from May to June, however, he batted just .173/.247/.377 with eight homers and 23 RBIs across his last 40 games (178 plate appearances) before Saturday’s promotion.

Overall, it has very much been an up-and-down season for Cespedes, who is arriving in the upper minors a month-plus shy of his 21st birthday in early September. Assuming he is not traded between now and Monday’s deadline, he should provide Portland with additional power from the right side of the plate as well as middle infield depth.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect John Holobetz to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect John Holobetz from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Christopher Smith of MassLive.com.

Holobetz, who turns 24 on Friday, is moving up to the minors’ top level for the first time after reaching Double-A last August. The right-hander is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 17 prospect, ranking sixth among pitchers in the organization.

In 17 appearances (15 starts) for Portland to begin the 2026 season, Holobetz posted a 4.33 ERA with a staff-leading 93 strikeouts to 25 walks over 79 innings. Opposing Eastern League hitters slashed .236/.303/.298 in 331 plate appearances against him.

Among 19 qualified Eastern League pitchers entering play Sunday, Holobetz ranks second in WHIP (1.22), third in xFIP (3.81), fourth in FIP (4.02) and strikeout rate (28.1%), fifth in strikeouts per nine (10.59), swinging-strike rate (13.2%), walks per nine (2.85), and walk rate (7.6%), sixth in batting average against, seventh in groundball rate (45.9%), and ninth in ERA, according to FanGraphs.

A former fifth-round draft pick (156th overall) of the Brewers out of Old Dominion in 2024, Holobetz was acquired by the Red Sox last May as the player to be named later in the Quinn Priester trade from the previous month. The Pennsylvania native split the remainder of his first full professional campaign between High-A Greenville and Portland, forging a 3.04 ERA with 89 strikeouts to just 15 walks over 100 2/3 innings.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds with a repeatable delivery, Holobetz has shown improved velocity this season. In addition to a mid-90s fastball that reached 98.1 mph in his most recent outing, the lanky righty mixes in an 83-87 mph slider, a 79-82 mph curveball, and an 84-87 mph changeup. His fastball grades as a 55 on Baseball America’s 20-80 scouting scale, while each of his secondary offerings grades as a 40 and his control as a 60.

Holobetz is the second notable Red Sox pitching prospect to earn a promotion to Worcester in recent days, joining fellow right-hander Blake Wehunt. Both hurlers could potentially emerge as intriguing names to monitor between now and the fast-approaching August 3 trade deadline.

In the more immediate future, Holobetz is tentatively in line to make his Triple-A debut during Worcester’s upcoming road series against Norfolk, which begins on Tuesday.

(Picture of John Holobetz: Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Jacob Mayers to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Jacob Mayers from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.

Mayers is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 44 prospect, ranking 19th among the organization’s pitching prospects. The 22-year-old right-hander is making his professional debut this season after being selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (268th overall) of last summer’s draft out of Louisiana State. He received a below-slot $190,000 signing bonus.

In 15 appearances (eight starts) for Salem to begin the 2026 campaign, Mayers posted a 4.27 ERA with 64 strikeouts to 42 walks over 46 1/3 innings. Opposing Carolina League hitters slashed .175/.363/.299 in 204 plate appearances against him.

Among 75 Carolina League pitchers who entered play Friday having thrown at least 45 innings this season, Mayers ranks second in batting average against, fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.43), fifth in strikeout rate (31.4%) and swinging-strike rate (16.3%), 19th in groundball rate (48.9%), and 35th in ERA. On the flip side, he also ranks 70th in walks per nine (8.16) and 74th in walk rate (20.6%), according to FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Mayers throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix. The Louisiana-born hurler has been up to 96-97 mph with his upper-90s fastball this season after topping out at 101.8 mph with it in college. He also features an 88-91 mph slider and an 84-86 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

While Mayers — who just turned 22 last month — can miss bats at an exceptional rate, there are questions surrounding his ability to consistently throw strikes. If he can refine his command and control, he could elevate his stock even further as he looks to put the finishing touches on his first full season in pro ball.

(Picture of Jacob Mayers: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote top prospect Franklin Arias to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top prospect Franklin Arias from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Tommy Cassell of The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Arias, in the midst of a breakout campaign, is reaching the minors’ highest level for the first time and is now just one call away from the big leagues. The 20-year-old middle infielder is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 3 prospect in baseball behind only the Brewers’ Jesus Made and the Athletics’ Leo De Vries.

In 75 games for Portland this season, Arias batted a stout .318/.407/.587 with 17 doubles, an organizational-leading 19 home runs, 52 RBIs, 50 runs scored, five stolen bases, 37 walks, and 46 strikeouts over 332 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter slashed .309/.427/.574 against lefties and .321/.400/.591 against righties.

Among 73 qualified hitters in the Eastern League, Arias ranks first in OPS (.994), second in batting average, slugging percentage, and strikeout rate (13.9%), third in on-base percentage, fourth in isolated power (.269), and 34th in walk rate (11.1%), according to MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Arias unsurprisingly saw most of his playing time with Portland this season come at shortstop. In 54 starts there, the sure-handed 5-foot-11, 180-pounder committed just three errors in 210 chances over 474 2/3 innings. He also made five starts at second base, where he did not commit an error in 14 chances over 41 innings, and 11 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. At that time, he was viewed as more of a glove-first shortstop. He changed that narrative quickly by putting together an impressive professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, then followed that up by earning 2024 Florida Complex League MVP, Top Prospect, and All-Star honors in his first season stateside.

As a 19-year-old last season, Arias worked his way from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville before arriving in Portland for a 10-game cameo in September. Over the winter, he added muscle to his frame and refined his approach at the plate, helping fuel the power surge he has experienced in 2026. He was recognized for his efforts earlier this month when he represented the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia on July 12.

Though Arias returned to Portland immediately following the All-Star break, this promotion suggests that the organization believes he is ready for a new challenge with a little over two months remaining in the season. As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Arias joins Roman Anthony, Xander Bogaerts, and Glenn Hoffman as the only Red Sox position players in the last 50 years to reach Triple-A by the age of 20.

Arias, who turns 21 in November, is unlikely to be rushed to the majors with the Red Sox in the thick of the American League Wild Card race following a historic 15-game winning streak that has turned around their season. For now, he is set to make his Triple-A debut at some point during the latter half of Worcester’s series against Jacksonville at Polar Park this weekend.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)