relief prospects – Page 2 – Blogging the Red Sox

Red Sox select Western Kentucky righty CJ Weins with sixth-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Western Kentucky right-hander CJ Weins with their sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft at No. 178 overall.

Weins, who turns 23 next month, spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Wabash Valley Community College before transferring and spending two more seasons at the University of South Carolina.

After entering the transfer portal last May, Weins ultimately ended up at Western Kentucky as a graduate student. In 27 appearances for the Hilltoppers this past season, the 22-year-old righty posted a 4.25 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 42 strikeouts to eight walks over 31 innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .170 batting average against.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Weins throws from a low slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball as well as a curveball and a slider, per SoxProspects.com’s Ian Cundall. The Chicago-area native also has experience closing out eight games, as he racked up eight saves for Western Kentucky this spring.

Weins is the third pitcher Boston has taken in the draft alongside fourth-rounder Matt Duffy (Canisius) and fifth-rounder Connelly Early (Virginia). Given that he has no eligibility remaining, the Red Sox will likely be able to sign Weins to a below-slot bonus and and some money for other picks.

On that note, the 178th overall pick in this year’s draft comes with a slot value of $320,200.

(PIcture of CJ Weins: Western Kentucky University Athletics)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Theo Denlinger to Triple-A Worcester

As part of a slew of minor-league roster moves, the Red Sox promoted relief prospect Theo Denlinger from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.

Denlinger, 26, was acquired from the White Sox back in February in exchange for fellow right-hander Franklin German.

To begin his first season as a member of the Red Sox organization, Denlinger posted a 2.29 ERA and 3.10 FIP with 20 strikeouts to seven walks in 14 relief appearances (19 2/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Opponents only hit .149 against him while his 6.4 percent line-drive rate and 57.4 percent groundball rate would rank among the best in the Eastern League if he was qualified.

Denlinger, who turns 27 in July, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 48 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 19th among pitchers in the organization. The Iowa native was originally selected by Chicago in the seventh round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Bradley College (Peoria, Ill.) and signed with the club for just $10,000.

Standing at a burly 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Denlinger primarily operates with a two-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph and a 79-82 mph slider that features long, 11-to-5 break. He has also shown the ability to throw a two-seam fastball and cutter, both of which he first implemented last year.

Denlinger becomes the second member of the White Sox’ 2021 draft class to make the jump to Worcester this season, joining fellow righty reliever Taylor Broadway. Broadway, of course, was acquired from Chicago as the player to be named later in last August’s Reese McGuire/Jake Diekman trade. He currently owns a 5.40 ERA (6.91 FIP) in 15 outings (23 1/3 innings) for the WooSox.

Troye, Bell also promoted

Denlinger was not the only Red Sox relief prospect to receive a promotion on Tuesday. Righties Christopher Troye and Brock Bell were also moved up to Portland and Greenville, respectively.

Troye, 24, forged a 1.96 ERA and 3.60 FIP with 37 strikeouts to nine walks in 14 appearances (18 1/3 innings) for Greenville. The 2021 12th-round draft pick out of UC Santa Barbara has struck out nearly 49 percent of the batters he has faced so far this season.

Bell, 25, produced a 4.58 ERA and 4.64 FIP with 15 strikeouts to five walks in 11 appearances (19 2/3 innings) for Low-A Salem. The 2019 seventh-round selection out of State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota is the son of former All-Star infielder Jay Bell.

(Picture of Theo Denlinger: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote lefty relief prospect Nathan Landry to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted left-hander Nathan Landry from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Landry, who turns 24 later this week, did not allow a run in his first eight relief appearances of the season for Salem. He issued just three walks and recorded 11 strikeouts over 10 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .171 batting average against.

Boston took Landry in the 15th round of last year’s amateur draft out of Missouri. The Quebec native signed with the club for $112,500 and was identified by Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo as the Red Sox’ best late-round pick. He made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League over the summer.

“I think the keyword for me is opportunity, and I got that with a great organization with the Red Sox,” Landry told Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster back in February. “The first baseball stadium I ever visited was Fenway Park. It was my last year of high school. You can feel the history once you get in there. I fell in love with the stadium once I walked in the place.”

Landry, who speaks both English and French, is not yet ranked by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. That could soon change if he shows he can handle more advanced competition with Greenville moving forward.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Landry throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-90 mph fastball that tops out in the low-90s, a slider, and a changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. He is well-regarded for his command of the strike zone and has already shown why.

Landry is now slated to join a Drive bullpen mix that includes fellow 2022 draftees Alex Hoppe (UNC Greensboro) and Jaret Godman (Oklahoma). Isaac Coffey, who was selected in the 10th round out of Oral Roberts, is currently in Greenville’s starting rotation.

(Picture of Nathan Landry: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Former Red Sox relief prospect Durbin Feltman signs minor-league deal with Athletics

Former Red Sox relief prospect Durbin Feltman has signed a minor-league contract with the Oakland Athletics, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log.

Feltman made his organizational debut for the A’s on Tuesday after being assigned to the Double-A Midland RockHounds. The right-hander allowed one run on one hit, two walks, and two walks in the seventh inning of of a 15-14 walk-off win over the Corpus Christi Hooks.

Feltman became a free agent earlier this month after somewhat surprisingly being released from the Red Sox’ Triple-A roster. The 26-year-old opened the season in Worcester’s bullpen but was the victim of a roster crunch. More specifically, two players (Taylor Broadway outfielder Wilyer Abreu) were set to be activated from the injured list and Kutter Crawford had just been optioned, so the WooSox needed to create an opening and did so by parting ways with Feltman.

“It’s the crappy part of the business of the game, especially early in the season,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy told MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day on April 11. “But you come out of spring and the big-league club’s still trying to get healthy and you see on the horizon a lot of guys that are going to get healthy quick.

“I know he went through some tough times last year,” Tracy said of Feltman. “I told him today he kept his head up. He always was here, always working, always trying to get better. We love him, we wish him well and hope he lands on his feet. I think he will.”

It turns out that Tracy was right, but it is still disappointing to see Feltman’s tenure with the Red Sox organization come to an official end. After dominating in his final season at TCU, Feltman was selected by Boston with the 100th overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft. He signed with the club for $559,600 and entered the professional ranks with plenty of hype surrounding him.

At the time he was drafted, some believed that Feltman could be fast-tracked to the major-leagues and contribute out of the Red Sox bullpen within months of going pro. It did not pan out that way, though, as the righty struggled to find success on a consistent basis and was never able to make it past the Triple-A level.

After being named the Red Sox’ Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2021, Feltman spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign with in Worcester. There, he posted a 7.63 ERA and 5.97 FIP with 56 strikeouts to 24 walks over 40 appearances (48 1/3 innings). As previously mentioned, Feltman returned to the WooSox for the start of the 2023 season but appeared in just two games for the affiliate before getting released.

All things considered, Feltman peaked as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system in April 2019, according to SoxProspects.com’s rankings history. His decline since then can be attributed to the velocity of his fastball, which topped out at 99 mph in college but sat between just 90-92 mph last year.

Now that he has found a new home, it should be interesting to see if Feltman can resurrect his career and maybe even break in with the rebuilding Athletics at the big-league level. His new pitching coach in Midland is Chris Smith, who, like Feltman, was drafted by the Red Sox.

Regardless of where he goes from here, though, Feltman becomes the latest member of Boston’s 2018 draft class to leave the organization in some capacity in recent months. Most notably, fifth-rounder Thaddeus Ward was taken by the Nationals in last December’s Rule 5 Draft. Additionally, fourth-rounder Kole Cottam was granted his release last month so that he could sign with the Frederick Baseball Club of the independent Atlantic League.

(Picture of Durbin Feltman: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox release former top relief prospect Durbin Feltman

The Red Sox have released minor-league reliever Durbin Feltman from their Triple-A roster, the WooSox announced on Tuesday. The Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo was the first to report the news.

Feltman, who turns 26 next week, was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (100th overall pick) of the 2018 amateur draft out of TCU. After dominating in his final season with the Horned Frogs, the right-hander signed with Boston for $559,600 and entered the professional ranks with plenty of hype surrounding him.

At the time Feltman was drafted, the Red Sox were experiencing some issues with their bullpen. As such, some believed that Feltman — then just 21 years old — could rise quickly through the minors and contribute at the big-league level by the end of the 2018 season.

It did not pan out that way for Feltman, though, as the righty struggled to find success on a consistent basis in the minor-leagues and was never able to reach the majors while with the Red Sox.

After being named the organization’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2021, Feltman spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign with the WooSox. There, he posted a 7.63 ERA and 5.97 FIP with 56 strikeouts to 24 walks over 40 outings (48 1/3 innings). He returned to Worcester for the start of the 2023 season and had appeared in two games before being released on Tuesday.

The decision to cut Feltman came at a time when the WooSox were facing a roster crunch. With two players (reliever Taylor Broadway and outfielder Wilyer Abreu) coming off the injured list and starter Kutter Crawford being optioned from Boston, Worcester needed to create an opening and did so by releasing Feltman.

“It’s the crappy part of the business of the game, especially early in the season,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy told MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day at Polar Park on Tuesday. “But you come out of spring and the big-league club’s still trying to get healthy and you see on the horizon a lot of guys that are going to get healthy quick.

Feltman peaked as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system in April 2019, according to SoxProspects.com’s rankings history. His decline since then can partly be attributed to the velocity of his fastball, which topped out at 99 mph in college but sat between just 90-92 mph last year.

With that, a change of scenery could do Feltman good. The native Texan becomes the latest member of the Red Sox’ 2018 draft class to leave the organization in some capacity. Most notably, fifth-rounder Thaddeus Ward was taken by the Nationals in last December’s Rule 5 Draft. Additionally, fourth-rounder Kole Cottam was granted his release last month so that he could sign with the Frederick Baseball Club of the independent Atlantic League.

(Picture of Durbin Feltman: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox re-sign relievers Oddanier Mosqueda, Michael Gettys to minor-league deals

The Red Sox have re-signed relievers Oddanier Mosqueda and Michael Gettys to minor-league deals for the 2023 season, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Mosqueda, 23, spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign with Double-A Portland. The Venezuelan-born left-hander posted a 4.30 FIP — but much more respectable 4.05 FIP and 3.40 xFIP — with 76 strikeouts to 20 walks over 45 appearances (58 2/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs.

Among the 99 Eastern League pitchers who tossed at least 50 innings this season, Mosqueda ranked 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.66), 11th in strikeout rate (31.4 percent), 28th in swinging-strike rate (13.8 percent), 22nd in batting average against (.211), WHIP (1.12), and groundball rate (46 percent), and eighth in xFIP, per FanGraphs.

A native of Caracas, Mosqueda originally signed with Boston as an international free agent in July 2015. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound southpaw operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-92 mph fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 83-84 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report. He is projected to make the jump to Triple-A Worcester next spring.

Gettys, meanwhile, split the 2022 season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. After posting a 3.34 ERA (4.33 FIP) in 22 outings (29 2/3 innings) with the Drive, the 27-year-old right-hander earned a promotion to Double-A in mid-July. As a member of the Sea Dogs bullpen, he pitched to a 0.48 ERA and 4.00 FIP to go along with eight strikeouts to eight walks over 18 appearances spanning 18 2/3 innings of work.

Unlike Mosqueda, Gettys is not your prototypical relief prospect. The Georgia native was originally selected by the Padres in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Gainesville High School. At that time, Gettys was a highly-touted outfield prospect who quickly rose through the ranks of San Diego’s farm system.

After reaching minor-league free agency for the first time at the conclusion of the 2020 season, Gettys inked a minors pact with the Red Sox that November. The right-handed hitter was used exclusively as an outfielder by the WooSox before being placed on the development list last August. By the end of the month, Gettys was with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox in Fort Myers making his professional debut as a pitcher.

Boston first re-signed Gettys to a minor-league deal last November. Between last season and this season, the 6-foot-1, 217-pound hurler owns a lifetime 2.36 ERA in 45 relief career appearances (53 1/3 innings) across three different levels. SoxProspects.com notes that his arsenal consists of a 92-94 mph heater that tops out at 95 mph and a 77-82 mph breaking ball that resembles a slider or curveball.

Gettys, who does not turn 28 until next October, is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2023 minor-league season in April. By bringing back both Gettys and Mosqueda, the Red Sox have reduced their minor-league free agent pool by two.

According to SoxProspects.com, Boston has 14 minor-league free agents who remain unsigned. Notables from that group include Pedro Castellanos, Geoff Hartlieb, Brian Keller, Johan Mieses, Hudson Potts, and Christin Stewart. Minor-league free agency just began on Thursday, so it should be interesting to see which of these players are re-signed or which opt to sign elsewhere.

(Pictures of Oddanier Mosqueda and Michael Gettys: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Jacob Wallace ended his season by posting 1.38 ERA in final 19 appearances for Double-A Portland

In some respects, it was a tale of two seasons for Red Sox relief prospect Jacob Wallace.

After spending the entirety of the 2021 campaign with High-A Greenville, Wallace made the jump to Double-A Portland out of camp earlier this spring. The right-hander got off a tough start while going up more advanced competition, as he posted a 6.75 ERA in the month of April.

By the time the All-Star break arrived in late July, Wallace’s numbers had not improved much. Although he was holding opposing batters to a .191 batting average against, the 24-year-old was struggling with his command and walking nearly 22 percent of the batters he had faced to that point. That led to an ERA of 5.87 and a FIP of 5.96.

Maybe he worked on something or maybe he just took some time off. But whatever Wallace did over the course of the four-day summer break clearly worked.

From July 22 through the end of the regular season, Wallace pitched to a much-improved 1.38 ERA and 4.07 FIP to go along with 30 walks to 17 walks across 19 relief appearances spanning 26 innings of work. The free passes were still an issue to a certain extent, but the righty did manage to lower his walk rate down to 16.3 percent in the second half.

“I started off the year not doing so hot with the control,” Wallace told The Eagle-Tribune’s Mac Cerullo last month. “As much emphasis as there is always with it, I struggled a little bit. I was getting in my own head with my mechanics and beating myself out there, which haltered a good season right out of the gate. But I worked on it all year long and the mechanics kind of clicked, and that’s helped me get better control and keep the walks down.”

A native of Methuen, Mass., Wallace was originally selected by the Rockies in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. The following September, the Red Sox acquired the local hurler as the player to be named later in the August 2020 trade that sent veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar to Colorado.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Wallace is described by SoxProspects.com as having “among the best raw stuff for a true relief prospect in the system, with the potential for two plus pitches.” Those two pitches — a high-90s fastball and mid-80s slider — are now complemented by a changeup and a cutter.

“I’m still getting the perfect location on it and trying to get it inside to lefties and away to righties and locating that really well, but overall feeling great throwing it,” Wallace said. “Just pure confidence going into the game knowing if [the catcher] puts down a cutter I’m going to throw it for a strike, swing and miss, whatever I need.”

Wallace, who does not turn 25 until next August, can become Rule 5-eligible this off-season if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November deadline. Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, it appears likely he will break camp with Triple-A Worcester in the spring.

“I’m going at my pace. I feel like what I’ve learned this year would have been lost on me if I’d just jumped up to Worcester early with a good start,” said Wallace. “I wouldn’t have grown as a player as much as I did this year sticking around in Portland. It’s honestly perfect that I haven’t moved up, and growing as a player down here and being able to really feel comfortable down here and gain that confidence, pitching against the Double-A guys because they’re good enough as it is. But I’m excited for that next step and that’s on the Red Sox to tell me when that’s the case.”

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

Red Sox promote relief prospect Jacob Webb to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Jacob Webb from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per the team’s minor-league transactions log.

Webb, 23, was originally selected by Boston in the 14th round of last year’s amateur draft out of Miami University in Ohio. The Fairborn native signed with the club for $122,500 and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League.

To begin his first full pro season, Webb broke camp with Low-A Salem earlier this spring. The right-hander posted a 2.19 ERA and 3.24 FIP to go along with 39 strikeouts to 19 walks over 18 relief appearances (24 2/3 innings) before earning a promotion to Greenville on June 14.

With the Drive, Webb pitched to a 3.72 ERA and 3.24 FIP while recording 45 strikeouts and nine walks across 24 relief outings spanning 29 innings of work. Between the two Class-A levels, he produced a 3.02 ERA (3.24 FIP) in 53 2/3 innings.

Among South Atlantic League pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings this season, Webb ranks 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (13.97), 15th in strikeout rate (36.9%), 32nd in swinging-strike rate (15.9%), 36th in FIP, and 29th in xFIP (3.28), per FanGraphs.

Listed at a burly 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Webb throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 94-96 mph fastball that tops out at 98 mph, an 82-84 mph slider, and an 88-90 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scout report.

Webb, who does not turn 24 until next March, will wear the No. 46 with the Sea Dogs. He becomes the second member of Boston’s 2021 draft class to make the jump to Portland this season, joining first baseman Niko Kavadas.

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