Tag: prospects

Red Sox’ Matthew Lugo named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox prospect Matthew Lugo has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of April 15-21, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Lugo appeared in five of Double-A Portland’s six games against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field this past week. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 7-for-16 (.438) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, 10 RBIs, three runs scored, five walks, and four strikeouts.

Lugo played hero for the Sea Dogs on more than just one occasion during their latest series. He came through with a game-winning, three-run triple in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Fisher Cats, then drove in the first two runs of a 3-0 victory on Wednesday. He also homered and collected a game-high four RBIs on Saturday and doubled in a run on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to six games.

On the 2024 season as a whole, Lugo is now batting a stout .357/.471/.857 with three doubles, one triple, three homers, 12 runs driven in, five runs scored, six walks, and eight strikeouts through nine games (34 plate appearances) for Portland. He currently leads a talented Sea Dogs team in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS (1.328), and total bases with 24.

Lugo, who turns 23 next month, is repeating Double-A this year after struggling to a .242/.297/.381 slash line in 83 games (318 plate appearances) with the Sea Dogs in 2023. The former 2019 second-round draft selection out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico was regarded by SoxProspects.com as a top-15 prospect organization around this time last season but has since dropped from the site’s rankings completely.

The nephew of Beltran himself, Lugo initially came up as an infielder after signing with Boston for $1.1 million in June 2019. More recently, however, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has transitioned to the outfield. So far this season, he has made a team-leading eight starts in left field for the Sea Dogs and has yet to commit an error over 64 2/3 innings.

Given that this is the third straight season in which Lugo has appeared in at least one game for the Sea Dogs, it should be interesting to see if he can force his way up to Triple-A Worcester sooner rather than later. He certainly couldn’t ask for a better start this year, though.

(Picture of Matthew Lugo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Max Carlson to High-A Greenville

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

Carlson, 22, has made three appearances out of the Salem bullpen to begin his first full professional season. The right-hander has allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and four walks to go along with 14 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings of relief. That translates to a 5.40 ERA, though he owns a more favorable 3.60 FIP and 2.98 xFIP.

A native of Minnesota, Carlson was selected by Boston in the 12th round of last year’s draft out of the University of North Carolina. The former Tar Heel was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 385 prospect in his class. He signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 and made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League, tossing a scoreless sixth inning in his lone outing of the year.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Carlson throws from a three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a full wind-up in his delivery. The righty operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-93 mph that tops out at 95 mph, a whiff-inducing changeup that sits in the low-80s, and an infrequently-used 81-84 mph slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Carlson, who does not turn 23 until September, is the second member of Boston’s 2023 draft class to earn a promotion in as many weeks. Lefty Zach Fogell, the club’s 18th-round pick out of Connecticut, also made the jump from Salem to Greenville last Friday.

In addition to promoting Carlson, the Red Sox added outfielder Kelvin Diaz to Salem’s roster from extended spring training. Diaz, 21, stole 21 bases in 48 Florida Complex League games last season. He originally signed with Boston for $300,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019.

(Picture of Max Carlson: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer off to strong start with Double-A Portland

After a winter full of skepticism, shortstop Marcelo Mayer is using the early stages of the minor-league season to show why he should still be considered the top prospect in the Red Sox organization.

To begin the 2024 campaign, Mayer has strung together a seven-game hitting streak for Double-A Portland. Following Sunday’s 9-5 win over the Reading Fightin Phils, the left-handed hitter is now 10-for-28 (.357) with one double, one home run, five RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks, and eight strikeouts for the Sea Dogs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer has seen all of his playing time on the field to this point in the season come at shortstop. The 6-foot-3, 188-pounder has logged a team-leading 50 innings at short thus far and has yet to commit an error.

Still just 21 years old, Mayer really couldn’t ask for a better start after what went down last season. The former fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft suffered a left shoulder impingement while with High-A Greenville early in the year and attempted to play through the discomfort. He managed to make it to Portland and represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game over the summer, but he struggled mightily at the plate before going on the injured list — and ultimately being shut down — in the first week of August.

Mayer received a pain-killing injection in September and spent his offseason rehabbing at home in Chula Vista, Calif., and at the Red Sox’ JetBlue Park complex in Fort Myers, Fla. He focused on building strength back up in that injured shoulder and was deemed a “full go” for Boston’s rookie development program in January.

Though he did not receive an invite to major-league spring training, Mayer got into two Grapefruit League games (as well as the Spring Breakout prospect showcase) and made his impact felt in other areas before breaking camp with Portland for the start of his third full professional season. As Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham recently told MLB.com’s Ian Browne, Mayer appears to be benefitting from the work he put in during the offseason.

“He worked incredibly hard throughout his progression in the offseason and spring training to prepare for the 2024 season,” said Abraham. “Whether that be rehab-related, strength-related, on-field performance-related, we saw a player working with an intent to be an impact player this season and moving forward. It’s been great to see him continue to mature both on and off the baseball field.”

Mayer, who does not turn 22 until December, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball. If he continues to produce the way he has been to start the season, it will not be long until he garners consideration for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. From there, the big-leagues are only one call away.

“Continue to become an improved all-around player,” Abraham said when asked about the organization’s developmental goals for Mayer this season. “Improve his range in the field and keep looking to impact the baseball. Have the continued ability to add good weight and strength. Offensively, it’s focusing on pitches within the zone he can do damage with. In simpler terms, increasing his walk percentage and decreasing his strikeout percentage will allow him to be a better overall hitter and maximize his potential.”

Mayer, for his part, explained his own mindset when speaking with WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford on the ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring’ podcast earlier this month. He did so while emphasizing that his shoulder felt great.

“I think I do feel close, but obviously I need to handle business here (in Double-A) first. I need to handle business in Triple-A. So there is still two levels to go,” Mayer said. “I feel close. I feel ready to go, excited for the new year. I’m ready to show myself and what I’m able to do. Again, I’m healthy.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Zach Fogell to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Zach Fogell from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MiLB.com’s transactions log.

Fogell, 23, appeared in just two games for Salem to start the 2024 minor-league season. The left-hander allowed two hits and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .111 batting average against.

A native of Rhode Island, Fogell was selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of last year’s amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He signed with Boston for $150,000 and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League before first arriving in Salem last August.

Since entering the pro ranks a little less than nine months ago, Fogell has yet to surrender an earned run in seven total appearances (10 innings) between the FCL and Salem. He also got into a pair of major-league spring training games earlier this year and did not give up a run in 1 1/3 innings there, either.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fogell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. The southpaw operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball with late sink, an 88-90 mph changeup with arm-side run, and a sweepy 80-82 slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Fogell, who turns 24 in July, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He joins fellow 2023 draftees Kristian Campbell, Connelly Early, Caden Rose, and Cade Feeney on Greenville’s active roster.

In addition to promoting Fogell to Greenville, the Red Sox added right-hander Trennor O’Donnell to Salem’s roster from extended spring training. Like Fogell, O’Donnell was drafted in the eighth round last year but has yet to make his professional debut.

(Picture of Zach Fogell: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Caden Rose homers in professional debut

Over the weekend, Red Sox outfield prospect Caden Rose recorded the first hit and home run of his professional career on one swing of the bat.

Rose, who has been assigned to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign, rode the bench in the Drive’s season opener against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Friday but got the start in left field at First National Bank Field on Saturday night.

Batting out of the seven-hole, Rose struck out swinging in each of his first two plate appearances before stepping up again with two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth inning. Matched up against lefty reliever Jaden Woods, the right-handed hitting Rose worked a 2-0 count and then crushed a solo shot to the berm in left-center field.

With that, Rose notched his first homer of the season and his first as a pro. The 22-year-old later lined out in his final plate appearance Saturday before going 0-for-3 with a walk while patrolling center field in Sunday’s series finale. The Drive lost both of those games and are now 1-2 to start their South Atlantic League title defense.

To summarize, Rose is 1-for-7 (.143) with one home run, one RBI, one run scored, one walk, and two strikeouts to kick off the young season. The University of Alabama product is getting his first taste of affiliated action after being selected by the Red Sox in the seventh round (208th overall pick) of last July’s amateur draft.

A native of Alabama himself, Rose signed with Boston for $150,000 after spending three years in Tuscaloosa. Because of injuries to his shoulder and hamstring sustained earlier in the spring, Rose did not appear in any minor-league games for the Red Sox in 2023 and instead spent his time rehabbing at the club’s JetBlue Park in Fort Myers.

Despite playing hurt, however, Rose still put together a solid junior season in which he batted .261/.383/.503 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBIs, 45 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 26 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 48 games (186 plate appearances) for the Crimson Tide. He was then named to the 2023 NCAA All-Tournament Team after Alabama made it to the super regionals.

“Obviously you come in right after you get drafted and you want to play and showcase your abilities,” Rose told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last September. “But that’s something I just wasn’t in the spot to do when I got drafted. I dealt with some injuries this year that I played on throughout the season and kind of just made them worse. So the best thing for me and my future was to come down here and rehab. And that’s what I’ve done. I’m fired up to get back out there next year.”

Standing at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Rose has past experience at both second base and shortstop but figures to stick in the outfield to begin his pro career. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Rose has a “solid defensive profile” and “the combination of instincts and quickness teams look for in center field.” He also has “sneaky pop for his size, “above-average speed,” and “leaves it all on the field.”

Rose, who does not turn 23 until October, is part of a crowded outfield mix in Greenville that includes the likes of Allan Castro, Kristian Campbell, Juan Chacon, Miguel Ugueto, Eduardo Lopez, and Bryan Gonzalez. He is already one of three players to make their pro debuts for the Drive so far this season, joining righties Cooper Adams and Conor Steinbaugh.

(Picture of Caden Rose: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Former Red Sox OF prospect Albertson Asigen signs minor-league deal with White Sox

Former Red Sox outfield prospect Albertson Asigen signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Saturday, per MiLB.com’s transactions log. He has been assigned to Chicago’s Low-A affiliate in Kannapolis, N.C.

Asigen, 22, was released on Wednesday as part of a larger series of minor-league cuts made by the Red Sox. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with Boston for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Puerto Plata in October 2019.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season, Asigen did not make his professional debut until July 2021. He spent the first two years of his pro career in the Dominican Summer League, batting .297/.397/.402 with seven doubles, seven triples, two home runs, 39 RBIs, 56 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 42 walks, and 55 strikeouts over 77 total games spanning 310 plate appearances.

Last June, Asigen made the jump stateside by opening his 2023 campaign in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The right-handed hitter appeared in 14 games for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate, going 14-for-42 (.333) with two doubles, one triple, five RBIs, 12 runs scored, seven stolen bases, six walks, and five strikeouts before receiving a promotion to Low-A Salem in early July.

With the Salem Red Sox, Asigen slashed .318/.436/.434 with five doubles, two triples, two homers, 12 runs driven in, 22 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 24 walks, and 42 strikeouts across 42 games (156 plate appearances). Among the 151 hitters Carolina League hitters who made at least 150 trips to the plate last year, he ranked 20th in walk rate (15.4 percent), second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, 20th in slugging percentage, 10th in OPS (.870), 22nd in speed score (7.6), first in line-drive rate (31 percent), and fourth in wRC+ (153), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Asigen saw playing time at all three outfield positions while with Salem. The stocky, 5-foot-10, 175-pounder logged 170 innings in left, 15 innings in center, and 157 1/3 innings in right. He recorded a total of four outfield assists while committing three errors in 57 defensive chances.

Despite producing relatively strong offensive numbers last season, it is worth noting that — between the FCL and Salem — Asigen posted a .434 batting average on balls put in play, which suggests that he may have been the beneficiary of good luck throughout the year. That could have played a role in the Red Sox electing to cut Asigen, though it’s certainly possible he requested to be released in an effort to find more playing time elsewhere.

Asigen, who turns 23 in late August, was never viewed as a top Red Sox prospect but will now look to start anew as a member of the White Sox organization. The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, who also play in the Carolina League, are slated to open their season on Friday. Depending on how things shake out there, it should be interesting to see if Asigen can work his way up to High-A at some point in 2024.

(Picture of Albertson Asigen: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Former Red Sox catching prospect Stephen Scott signs minor-league deal with Tigers

Former Red Sox catching prospect Stephen Scott signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Friday, per MiLB.com’s transactions log. The 26-year-old has been assigned to Detroit’s Double-A affiliate, meaning he will open the 2024 season with the Erie SeaWolves.

Scott became a free agent earlier this week after requesting and being granted his release from the Red Sox organization. The North Carolina native was originally selected by Boston in the 10th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Vanderbilt.

Signed for $50,000, Scott initially came up as a first baseman and corner outfielder before transitioning to catching full-time in 2022. Last season, the left-handed hitter batted .235/.350/.462 with 16 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 66 RBIs, 59 runs scored, six stolen bases, 59 walks, and 85 strikeouts in exactly 100 games (403 plate appearances) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester.

After making the jump from Portland to Worcester in early June, Scott slashed .228/.339/.470 with 11 doubles, one triple, 13 homers, 44 runs driven in, 36 runs scored, two stolen bases, 35 walks, and 51 strikeouts over 63 games (254 plate appearances) with the WooSox. In that time, the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder made 10 starts at first base and 30 at catcher. He threw out just three of 38 possible base stealers while allowing six passed balls in 263 1/3 defensive innings behind the plate.

This spring, Scott received his second straight non-roster invite to major-league camp. He appeared in five Grapefruit League games for Boston, going 0-for-6 with a walk and three strikeouts before being reassigned to minor-league camp on March 6. It seemed as though Scott was ticketed to return to Worcester for the start of the 2024 campaign, but he obviously had something else in mind.

With the external additions of Tyler Heineman and Mark Kolozvary, plus the emergence of prospect Nathan Hickey, Scott would have been buried on Worcester’s catching depth chart. And so, in hopes of finding more playing time elsewhere, Scott and the Red Sox agreed to a mutual parting of ways this past Wednesday.

Scott, who turns 27 in late May, has now found a new opportunity for himself by inking a minors pact with the Tigers. As noted by the Detroit Free Press’ Evan Petzold, the former Arizona Fall League All-Star could serve as Erie’s primary catcher to begin the 2024 season and ultimately work his way back up to the Triple-A level before the year is over.

(Picture of Stephen Scott: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox trade minor-leaguer Christian Koss to Giants

The Red Sox traded minor-league infielder Christian Koss to the Giants on Wednesday, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. As far as a return is concerned, it was presumably for cash considerations.

Koss, 26, had spent the last three seasons in the Red Sox organization after being acquired from the Rockies for left-hander Yoan Aybar in December 2020. The California native was originally selected by Colorado in the 12th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of UC Irvine.

Upon switching organizations for the first time in his professional career, Koss spent the entirety of the 2021 campaign at High-A Greenville. The right-handed hitter batted .271/.325/.451 with 18 doubles, seven triples, 15 home runs, 55 RBIs, 65 runs scored, 31 walks, and 100 strikeouts in 104 games (468 plate appearances). Despite stealing only 10 bases in 14 attempts for the Drive, he was named Boston’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year.

After playing in the Arizona Fall League that fall and receiving his first non-roster invite to major-league camp the following spring, Koss made the jump to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2022 season. He, again, spent all year with the Sea Dogs, slashing .260/.309/.430 with 22 doubles, five triples, 17 homers, 84 RBIs, 69 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 25 walks, and 137 strikeouts over 125 games (531 plate appearances) en route to being named the team’s MVP.

Koss followed that up by playing winter ball in Puerto Rico and taking part in big-league spring training once more last year. He returned to Portland and spent the first two months of the 2023 season there before netting a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in late May. He then appeared in 16 games for the WooSox before suffering a left toe sprain in late June that cost him nearly a month of action.

Koss spent nearly two weeks rehabbing in the Florida Complex League before being transferred to Worcester’s development list in early August. He returned to the WooSox’ lineup on Aug. 31 and went 15-for-64 (.259) with one home run and three RBIs over 18 games to close out the season. Altogether, he hit .235/.287/.353 to go along with 16 doubles, two triples, four homers, 23 runs driven in, 35 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 16 walks, and 65 strikeouts across 79 total games (296 plate appearances) between the FCL, Portland, and Worcester in 2023.

It became apparent that Koss had begun to lose favor with the Red Sox this past offseason. He saw limited action in the Puerto Rican Winter League after arriving there in late December and was noticeably left off Boston’s 2024 spring training roster. He instead got into seven Grapefruit League games as a minor-league call-up, going 3-for-6 (.500) with one run scored, two walks, and two strikeouts.

Before Wednesday’s trade, Koss was likely ticketed for a bench or utility role with the WooSox to begin the 2024 season. He will now join a Giants farm system that is seemingly more heavy on pitching than position players. According to his MiLB.com player profile page, he has been assigned to San Francisco’s Double-A affiliate in Richmond, Va.

Koss, who does not turn 27 until next January, peaked as Baseball America’s 26th-ranked Red Sox prospect in 2022. To complement what he has done offensively, the versatile 6-foot-1, 182-pounder has logged innings at every defensive position besides pitcher, catcher, and first base since making his pro debut a little less than five years ago.

In addition to trading Koss, the Red Sox have released several minor-leaguers in recent days. Chief among them are reliever Frank German and catcher Stephen Scott, who were both in camp with Boston as non-roster invitees this spring. Boston also cut ties with right-hander Dylan Spack and outfielder Albertson Asigen.

(Picture of Christian Koss: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Young Red Sox prospect Starlyn Nunez ‘has stood out’ at minor-league spring training

The Red Sox have a number of intriguing prospects who are slated to make their stateside debuts this season, including infielder Starlyn Nunez.

Nunez, 18, made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year after signing with Boston for $52,500 as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in January. In 49 games for DSL Red Sox Blue, the switch-hitter batted .325/.391/.479 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 34 RBIs, 32 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 17 walks, and 29 strikeouts over 215 plate appearances.

Though he was sharing an infield with rising Red Sox prospect and fellow international signee Yoeilin Cespedes, Nunez was recognized by Minor League Baseball as a Dominican Summer League Season-End All-Star. Among the 41 players in the DSL who made at least 210 trips to the plate in 2023, Nunez ranked 11th in strikeout rate (13.5 percent), seventh in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.870), 14th in isolated power (.155), 13th in line-drive rate (21.4 percent), and 10th in wRC+ (129), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Nunez split his playing time in the dirt between second and third base. The projectable and athletic 6-foot, 155-pounder logged 210 1/3 innings at the hot corner and 161 innings at the keystone, committing a total of 11 errors (nine of which came at third) in 146 chances. He also served as his side’s designated hitter on four separate occasions.

Nunez, who does not turn 19 until October, is expected to play in the rookie-level Florida Complex League this season. As such, he has been taking part at minor-league camp on the backfields of the Fenway South complex in Fort Myers. Those who have seen him in-person this spring have come away impressed.

This past weekend, for instance, Nunez received plenty of praise from SoxProspects.com. On Saturday, the website’s main Twitter account noted that Nunez “has stood out in camp” and has “fluid movements in the field.” On Sunday, both director of scouting Ian Cundall and executive editor Chris Hatfield tweeted that Nunez will likely enter the site’s top 60 prospect rankings in its next update.

In addition to Nunez and Cespedes, shortstop Franklin Arias and right-hander Gilberto Batista are among the other standouts from last year’s Red Sox Dominican Summer League contingent who are projected to make the jump to the Florida Complex League in 2024.

(Picture of Starlyn Nunez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox release former top prospect Gilberto Jimenez

The Red Sox released six minor-leaguers on Sunday, including outfielder Gilberto Jimenez.

Jimenez, 23, was once considered one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Cristobal in August 2017.

Despite receiving such a modest signing bonus, Jimenez wasted little time in establishing himself in the lower-minors after making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June. In fact, the switch-hitter posted an .804 OPS in 67 games for DSL Red Sox 1 and was subsequently named the club’s 2018 Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Upon making the jump stateside in 2019, Jimenez again showed promise by slashing .359/.393/.470 with 11 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 19 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 13 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 59 games (253 plate appearances) for short-season Lowell. He led the New York-Penn League in batting and was recognized by MiLB.com as an organizational All-Star.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 minor-league season, Jimenez was limited in what he could do developmentally since he was not invited to Boston’s alternate training site camp that summer. He was, however, among the top performers at the Red Sox’ fall instructional league in Fort Myers and — perhaps as a result of that — came into the 2021 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in the organization.

After taking part in his first big-league spring training, Jimenez opened the 2021 season at Low-A Salem. He still hit for average (.306) in 94 games with the Sox’ Carolina League affiliate, but did so without producing much power (three home runs in 408 plate appearances). Though he was Rule 5-eligible for the first time that winter, Jimenez was left unprotected by Boston and was then passed over by the 29 other clubs.

Jimenez moved up to High-A Greenville in 2022 but failed to advance past there in each of the last two seasons. He mustered a .672 OPS in 99 games (407 plate appearances) for the Drive two years ago and was limited to just 48 total games (197 plate appearances) with three different affiliates in 2023 due to injury issues.

Altogether, Jimenez batted .300/.342/.409 with 66 doubles, 21 triples, 16 home runs, 165 RBIs, 215 runs scored, 72 stolen bases, 77 walks, and 320 strikeouts over 367 minor-league games (1,549 plate appearances) as a member of the Red Sox organization. The 5-foot-11, 212-pounder put up those numbers while seeing playing time at all three outfield spots, though the majority of those reps came in center.

Given the fact that he does not turn 24 until July, it will be interesting to see if Jimenez can latch on with another club before long. He may not have any experience past A-ball, but — for a team in need of mid-minors outfield depth — he could still be worth taking a flyer on.

In addition to Jimenez, the Red Sox also released right-handers Maceo Campbell and Garrett Ramsey, first baseman C.J. Cron, and infielders Lyonell James and Joe Dunand on Sunday.

(Picture of Gilberto Jimenez: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)