Tag: roster moves

Red Sox release former top international signing after just two seasons

The Red Sox released minor league outfielder and former top international signing Vladimir Asencio after reinstating him from the restricted list last Friday, per the MiLB.com transactions log.

Asencio, who turns 19 next month, spent just two seasons in the Red Sox organization after originally being signed for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic last January. The Santo Domingo native and Mejia Top 10 product received the largest signing bonus in Boston’s 2024 international free agent class but was unable to make it to the United States.

At that time, Asencio was ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the 2024 international signing class by MLB Pipeline, which described him as having “a sound bat path and slight uppercut stroke” as well as “speed [that] should enable him to maximize his tools defensively.”

Asencio debuted in the Dominican Summer League last June but proceeded to struggle in his first professional season. The right-handed hitter batted just .165/.317/.195 with two doubles, one triple, 13 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 39 strikeouts in 43 games (164 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue. He made 29 starts in center field, six starts in left field, and six starts in right field.

Unlike others from his signing class, Asencio repeated the Dominican Summer League and returned to DSL Red Sox Blue for the start of the 2025 campaign. Another year older at 18, Asencio still scuffled to a .228/.253/.253 slash line with two doubles, 10 RBIs, nine runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks, and 18 strikeouts in 25 games (83 plate appearances). He made 18 starts in left field, two starts in center field, and two starts at DH before being placed on the restricted list for the remainder of the season on July 23.

Though it is unclear why he was placed on the restricted list in the first place, a team source described Acensio’s release last week as “a baseball decision we make with players all the time.”

Having said that, Asencio is a career .189/.296/.217 hitter through two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and is still in search of his first professional home run. Assuming he is now free to sign with another club, it will be interesting to see how much interest, if any, Asencio garners on the open market.

Asencio is the second notable member of Boston’s 2024 international class to be cut loose this year, joining Venezuelan infielder Carlos Carrasquel. The 18-year-old Carrasquel received a $590,000 signing bonus last January but was released in May.

(Picture of Vladimir Asencio: Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Seton Hall righty Jay Allmer to minor-league deal

The Red Sox purchased the contract of right-hander Jay Allmer from the Lake Country DockHounds of the independent American Association on Wednesday, per the league’s transactions log.

Allmer signed with Lake Country back in November but did not appear in a game for the club, as the 2025 American Association season does not get underway until next week. The 22-year-old went undrafted out of Seton Hall last summer after posting a 2.73 ERA with 35 strikeouts to 19 walks over 25 relief appearances (29 1/3 innings) for the Pirates as a senior.

Though he did not get picked in the draft, Allmer spent the remainder of his summer pitching for the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League and the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League. In 37 outings between the two summer ball teams, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound righty posted a 3.05 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 11 walks across 44 1/3 total innings of relief.

A native of North Carolina, Allmer originally committed to UNC Asheville out of high school. He spent the first two seasons (2021-2022) of his collegiate career with the Bulldogs, compiling a 14.95 ERA in 19 appearances (18 2/3 innings) before transferring to Seton Hall ahead of his junior season in 2023.

According to Mason Feole of Connected Performance, Allmer initially received little to no interest as a free agent in 2024 but “embraced the adversity” that came with that and worked diligently “to ensure that he was ready for the opportunity and locked in on making the necessary changes in order to make it happen.”

Allmer, as Feole noted in an Instagram post on Wednesday, increased the peak velocity of his fastball from 91 to 97 mph. In addition to a mid-90s heater, Allmer also features a lower-90s sinker, a mid-80s sweeper, an upper-80s changeup, and a 78-80 mph slider.

“At the end of the day, Jay is a Red Sox because he is simply good enough to be,” Feole wrote. “He has changed who he is as a player to be good enough, and now he’s achieved it. Incredibly proud of his mindset and approach to this progression and change.”

Allmer, who turns 23 in June, has been assigned to Low-A Salem and is active for Wednesday’s contest against Fredericksburg. He will presumably provide Boston’s Carolina League affiliate with right-handed bullpen depth behind the likes of Austin Ehrlicher, Joe Vogatsky, Nicholas Judice, Eybersson Polanco, and Nicolas De La Cruz.

(Picture of Jay Allmer: Seton Hall University Athletics)

Red Sox release pitching prospect from Andrew Benintendi trade

The Red Sox released minor-league pitcher Grant Gambrell on Wednesday, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Gambrell, 27, was one of two players to be named later acquired from the Royals as part of the three-team, seven-player trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City in February 2021. Along with fellow right-hander Luis De La Rosa, Gambrell did not switch organizations until four months after the original deal was made.

A former third-round draft selection of the Royals coming out of Oregon State in 2019, Gambrell missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to a benign tumor in his calcaneus (the heel bone) that required five surgeries to remove. The California native returned to the mound in 2023 and fared well across three levels, posting a 3.63 ERA (4.23 FIP) in 23 starts (126 1/3 innings) between High-A Greenville, Double-A Portland, and Triple-A Worcester.

Fresh off being recognized as SoxProspects.com’s 2023 Comeback Player of the Year, Gambrell broke camp with Worcester last spring. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound hurler forged a 4.09 ERA (4.38 FIP) with 65 strikeouts to 34 walks over 18 appearances (16 starts) spanning 83 2/3 innings before being placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation in late July. That ultimately cost him the remainder of the 2024 campaign.

Gambrell appeared in three Grapefruit League games for the Red Sox as a minor-league call-up this spring and allowed three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Presumably, the righty was competing for a spot in Worcester’s season-opening starting rotation in camp. He will now have to look for opportunities elsewhere if he is intent on continuing his career.

With Gambrell’s release, right-hander Josh Winckowski is now the only one of the five players the Red Sox acquired from the Royals and Mets in the Benintendi trade who is still in the organization. Before Wednesday’s move, Boston had already cut ties with De La Rosa in 2024, Freddy Valdez in 2023, and Franchy Cordero in 2022.

(Picture of Grant Gambrell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with veteran reliever Austin Adams

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with free-agent reliever Austin Adams, as was first reported by KPRC’s Ari Alexander. The deal, which is still pending a physical, includes an invite to major-league spring training and would be worth $1.5 million if Adams makes Boston’s active roster.

Adams, 33, is a veteran of eight big-league seasons who spent all of 2024 with the Athletics after being acquired from the Mets for cash considerations in March. The right-hander posted a 3.92 ERA (4.47 FIP) with 53 strikeouts to 23 walks over 56 relief appearances (41 1/3 innings) before being shut down with forearm tendinitis in mid-August. He was outrighted off Oakland’s 40-man roster in late October, which allowed him to reach free agency.

A Tampa native, Adams was originally selected by the Angels in the eighth round of the 2012 draft out of South Florida. The righty was traded to the Nationals in December 2016 and debuted for Washington the following July. He has since forged a lifetime 4.10 ERA (3.98 FIP) with a 31.6 percent strikeout rate and 13.9 percent walk rate in 188 career outings (155 2/3 innings) between the Nationals (2017-2019), Mariners (2019), Padres (2020-2022), Diamondbacks (2023) and Athletics (2024).

Although he has struggled with his command in the past (42 hit batsmen since 2021), Adams has proven to be effective when throwing strikes, as evidenced by the fact that opposing hitters have batted just .199 against him throughout his career. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound hurler relies heavily upon his upper-80s slider (thrown nearly 74 percent of the time this past season) and can mix in a lower-90s fastball and an occasional sinker as well.

Adams, who turns 34 in May, should get an opportunity to compete for a spot in Boston’s Opening Day bullpen alongside fellow non-roster invitees Isaiah Campbell, Michael Fulmer, Bryan Mata, and Wyatt Mills once camp begins in February. If he does not make the team, he will likely provide the Red Sox with an experienced depth option at Triple-A Worcester to open the 2025 season.

(Picture of Austin Adams: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Red Sox add four pitchers, including ex-Nationals righty, in minor-league phase of Rule 5 Draft

While the Red Sox passed on making a selection in the major-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft, they were quite active in the minor-league portion.

Boston selected right-hander Hobie Harris from the Mets, right-hander Darvin Garcia from the Pirates, left-hander Manuel Medina from the Marlins, and right-hander Jack Anderson from the Tigers in the first four rounds of the six-round Triple-A phase.

Harris is the only one of the four who has prior major-league experience. The 31-year-old debuted with the Nationals in April 2023 and posted a 5.12 ERA (5.84 FIP) with nine strikeouts to 13 walks over 16 relief appearances (19 2/3 innings). He was outrighted off Washington’s 40-man roster last November and subsequently signed a minor-league deal with the Twins in January.

Harris spent all of 2024 with Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul, logging a 6.79 ERA (5.63 FIP) with 62 strikeouts to 31 walks in 44 outings (54 1/3 innings) for the Saints. He became a free agent last month and inked a minors pact with the Mets on November 25. As it turns out, his stint there did not last too long.

A former 31st-round draft pick of the Yankees out of Pittsburgh in 2015, Harris owns a lifetime 4.52 ERA with 193 strikeouts to 99 walks in 166 career appearances (183 1/3 innings) at the Triple-A level between the Blue Jays, Brewers, Nationals, and Twins organizations. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound hurler featured a mid-90s fastball that reached 97 mph while also mixing in a splitter, cutter, and slider with St. Paul this past season. He should provide the Red Sox with experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester out of the gate in 2025.

Garcia, meanwhile, originally signed with the Pirates as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019. The 25-year-old righty spent most of the 2024 campaign with Pittsburgh’s High-A affiliate in Greensboro and forged a 4.50 ERA (4.47 FIP) with 43 strikeouts to 27 walks in 31 relief outings (44 innings) for the Grasshoppers. He made one appearance for Double-A Altoona (against the Portland Sea Dogs) on June 1 and took the loss after giving up four runs (one earned) in one inning.

This offseason, Garcia has been pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Coming into play on Wednesday, he has produced a 6.97 ERA and 1.74 WHIP with 14 strikeouts to six walks in nine relief outings (10 1/3 innings) for the Gigantes de Carolina.

Medina is the lone lefty in this group. The 22-year-old southpaw originally signed with the Marlins as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in May 2019. He spent much of the 2024 season in the Florida Complex League, compiling a 0.89 ERA (1.32 FIP) with 36 strikeouts to five walks in 18 outings (20 1/3 innings) and earning FCL Post-Season All-Star honors. He appeared in three games for Miami’s Low-A affiliate in September and yielded three runs (two earned) on four hits, zero walks, and five strikeouts over four innings of relief.

Anderson, 25, is a former 2021 16th-round draft selection of the Tigers out of Florida State. The Tampa native split the 2024 campaign between High-A West Michigan and Triple-A Toledo, posting a 3.66 ERA (3.37 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 13 walks in 35 total appearances (one start) spanning 66 1/3 innings. That includes a 2.92 ERA (2.91 FIP) over 49 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .215 against him at West Michigan.

This marks the first time since 2017 that the Red Sox did not take a Yankees player in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. In addition to the four minor-leaguers gained on Wednesday, Boston lost outfielder Bryan Gonzalez to the Royals, outfielder Eduardo Lopez to the Phillies, right-hander Robert Kwiatkowski to the Cubs, and outfielder Miguel Ugueto to the Cardinals.

(Picture of Hobie Harris: Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring Isaiah Campbell, Bryan Mata back on minor-league deals after non-tendering them

The Red Sox have re-signed pitchers Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata to minor-league contracts, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The pair of right-handers will remain with the organization for the time being after being designated for assignment and subsequently non-tendered by Boston on Friday.

Campbell and Mata were designated for assignment on Tuesday after the Red Sox added prospects Hunter Dobbins and Jhostynxon Garcia to their 40-man roster. Though neither was tendered a contract and was granted free agency on Friday, Cotillo notes that Boston remained interested in keeping both Campbell and Mata in the organization. The club was able to secure new deals that include non-roster invites to major-league spring training with each pitcher, though they could both generate interest in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

If they remain with the Red Sox through the winter, however, both Campbell and Mata should have a chance at competing for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster this coming spring. They can otherwise serve as depth pieces at Triple-A Worcester if they do not break camp with the big-league club in March.

Campbell, 27, was acquired from the Mariners for infielder Luis Urias last November. On the heels of a successful rookie campaign with Seattle, the Arkansas product got his 2024 off to an encouraging start by compiling a 2.08 ERA through five relief appearances (4 1/3 innings) on Boston’s season-opening west coast road trip. He then surrendered nine total runs (eight earned) in back-to-back blowups against the Orioles at Fenway Park before being placed on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement on April 12.

Following a lengthy stint on the injured list, Campbell returned to the majors on June 24. He yielded three earned runs in one-third of an inning against the Blue Jays. That proved to be his final big-league outing of the season, as he was optioned to Worcester shortly thereafter and was then shut down with right elbow inflammation in late July. Altogether, he posted a 6.20 ERA in eight appearances (6 2/3 innings) for the Red Sox and a 2.20 ERA in 14 appearances (16 1/3 innings) for the WooSox this year.

Mata, meanwhile, was once regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization after originally signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2016. Equipped with an electric pitch mix, the 25-year-old righty spent four seasons on Boston’s 40-man roster without making his major-league debut due to various injuries and instead exhausted all of his minor-league options in that time.

After opening the 2024 season on the injured list with a right hamstring strain, a rehabbing Mata proceeded to forge a 4.37 ERA over 22 2/3 innings across four minor-league levels. He re-joined Worcester in late June as part of his comeback attempt but was unable to take the next step to the majors due to a bout with right elbow soreness that landed him on the 60-day injured list in July.

This offseason, Mata has been pitching for the Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Winter League. Coming into play on Saturday, the Maracay native owns a 2.70 ERA with one strikeout to one walk in four relief appearances (3 1/3 innings) for the Valencia-based club.

(Picture of  Isaiah Campbell: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign veteran catcher Seby Zavala to minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free-agent catcher Seby Zavala to a minor-league contract on Monday, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. The deal presumably comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Zavala, 31, is a veteran of five big-league seasons who originally broke in with the White Sox in 2019. The San Diego State product spent four years with Chicago before being claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks last September. He appeared in just seven games for Arizona and was then dealt to the Mariners as part of the Eugenio Suarez trade in December.

Serving as early-season depth behind starter Cal Raleigh to open the 2024 campaign, Zavala batted .154/.214/.282 with two doubles, one home run, two RBIs, four runs scored, three walks, and 16 strikeouts in 18 games (43 plate appearances) for the Mariners before being designated for assignment on June 18. The right-handed hitter subsequently cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, where he slashed .188/.325/.376 with seven doubles, four home runs, 16 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 16 walks, and 43 strikeouts over 33 games (123 plate appearances) in between emergency call-ups. He then elected free agency in October.

All told, Zavala owns a lifetime slash line of .205/.271/.342 with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 56 RBIs, 59 runs scored, one stolen base, 40 walks, and 200 strikeouts in 194 career big-league games (557 plate appearances) between the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Mariners. In 255 career games at the Triple-A level, the Texas native has hit .223/.305/.425 with 53 doubles, 43 home runs, 119 RBIs, 131 runs scored, one stolen base, 96 walks, and 343 strikeouts over 1,017 total trips to the plate.

Though he has never been considered much of an offensive threat in the majors, Zavala does bring value defensively. Last year, for instance, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound backstop ranked in the 87th percentile of all MLB catchers in blocks above average and the 77th percentile in framing, per Baseball Savant. This past season, he threw out three of 14 possible base stealers with Seattle and three of 32 possible base stealers with Tacoma.

Zavala, who does not turn 32 until next August, figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced and defensive-minded catching depth at Triple-A Worcester to start the 2025 season. At present, starter Connor Wong and utility man Mickey Gasper are the only two catchers on Boston’s 40-man roster. Top prospect Kyle Teel is on the radar but is not expected to be in the big-league mix at the onset after appearing in just 28 games for the WooSox down the stretch following a mid-August promotion from Double-A Portland.

With trade acquisition Danny Jasen a free agent, the Red Sox — as noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo — are expected to add someone this winter who can be paired with Wong and serve as a bridge to Teel up until he is ready for his MLB debut. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged as much at the GM Meetings earlier this month.

“We’ll certainly explore opportunities to get better,” Breslow told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “That includes potentially in kind of a backup role to Connor or however things shake out.”

By signing Zavala to a minors pact, Breslow and the Red Sox continue a trend of stockpiling plenty of catching depth within the upper levels of the system. To complement Wong and then-backup Reese McGuire last winter, Boston brought in Gasper, Tyler Heineman, Roberto Perez, and Mark Kolozsvary as depth options. Eight different players ended up catching for the WooSox at different points this past season.

(Picture of Seby Zavala: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Red Sox add prospects Hunter Dobbins, Jhostynxon Garcia to 40-man roster ahead of Rule 5 deadline

The Red Sox added pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins and outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to their 40-man roster on Tuesday to protect them from being available to other clubs in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

To accommodate the additions of Dobbins and Garcia, Boston designated right-handers Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata for assignment. As such, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is back at full capacity.

Dobbins, 25, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander was originally selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Texas Tech but did not make his professional debut until the following June as he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

This past season, Dobbins was recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year after posting a 3.08 ERA (3.04 FIP) with 120 strikeouts to 48 walks in 25 starts (125 2/3 innings) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. Opposing hitters batted .237 against him altogether.

Equipped with a diverse arsenal, Dobbins experienced an uptick in velocity this year. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound righty averaged 93-96 mph and topped out at 98 mph with his fastball while also mixing in a newly-implemented 89-92 mph splinker (a splitter-sinker hybrid), a 78-80 mph sweeper, an 81-83 mph slider, and a 76-78 mph curveball that features 12-to-6 break.

“Obviously a guy who had a really, really good season for us,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said of Dobbins when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) at the GM Meetings earlier this month. “Was exciting to follow the progress — both the uptick in raw stuff across the board and swing and miss and durability and the ability to post. He’s put himself on the radar and it will be an important offseason for him to continue to develop. It would be foolish not to be really excited about what he was able to accomplish.”

Dobbins, who does not turn 26 until next August, still has some room to grow as far as his command and control are concerned. With that being said, he should provide the Red Sox with starting rotation depth in Worcester to open the 2025 campaign and could be in line to make his major-league debut before the season is over.

Garcia, on the other hand, is a little farther away. The 21-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. He is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system after putting together a breakout 2024 season that saw him rise across three levels.

In 107 games between Low-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Portland, Garcia batted .286/.356/.536 with 24 doubles, five triples, an organizational-leading 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 33 walks, and 99 strikeouts over 459 total plate appearances. For his efforts, the free-swinging right-handed hitter was named to Baseball America’s Second Team Minor League All-Star Team and the All-MiLB Prospect First Team.

Defensively, Garcia saw playing time at all three outfield spots between his stops in Salem, Greenville, and Portland this year. With the Sea Dogs in particular, the 6-foot, 215-pounder made 27 of his 30 starts in center field, where he recorded one outfield assist and committed two errors in 61 chances. His other three starts there came at DH.

Garcia, who turns 22 next month, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2025 season. Unlike Dobbins, Garcia likely won’t figure into Boston’s big-league plans until 2026 at the earliest. He could, of course, be moved in a trade well before then.

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

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)

Red Sox release relief prospect Luis De La Rosa, who was part of Andrew Benintendi trade

The Red Sox released five minor-leaguers on Monday, including one of the prospects they acquired from the Royals as part of the three-team Andrew Benintendi trade a little more than three years ago.

Boston cut ties with right-hander Luis De La Rosa, who came over from Kansas City in June 2021 as one of the three players to be named later in the Benintendi deal. The Red Sox also acquired fellow righty Grant Gambrell from the Royals and outfielder Freddy Valdez from the Mets after bringing in Josh Winckowski and Franchy Cordero four months prior.

De La Rosa, then just 18 years old, had originally signed with the Royals for $147,500 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 18. At the time he was traded to the Red Sox, the Santo Domingo native had yet to pitch above the Dominican Summer League and hadn’t done so since 2019 since the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season.

Upon switching organizations for the first time in his young career, De La Rosa made his stateside debut for Boston’s rookie-level Florida Complex affiliate on June 29, 2021. He spent the rest of the season in Fort Myers and returned there for the start of the 2022 campaign before making the jump to Low-A Salem that July.

In his first taste of full-season ball, De La Rosa pitched to a 4.72 ERA with 38 strikeouts to 12 walks in 11 relief appearances (34 1/3 innings) for Salem down the stretch in 2022. The 21-year-old spent all of 2023 with the Sox’ Carolina League affiliate as well, posting a 2.94 ERA with a staff-leading 88 strikeouts to 40 walks over 28 outings (six starts) spanning 70 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .208 batting average against.

Despite those relatively solid results, the Red Sox elected to move on from De La Rosa, who was at minor-league camp in Fort Myers this spring and likely gunning for a spot in High-A Greenville’s bullpen to start the 2024 season. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound hurler will now presumably look to take his talents elsewhere in the coming weeks.

In addition to De La Rosa, the Red Sox also parted ways with right-handers Nate Tellier and Jordan DiValerio (two members of Boston’s 2020 undrafted free agent class), left-hander Jorge Rodriguez (an international signee out of Mexico in 2017), and outfielder Deundre Jones (a 17th-round pick in the 2022 draft) on Monday, per the MiLB.com transactions log.

With De La Rosa’s release, only two of the five players the Red Sox ultimately acquired from the Royals and Mets as part of the Benintendi trade remain in the organization. Like De La Rosa, Valdez was cut loose last May after unsuccessfully transitioning to pitching. Cordero, on the other hand, was non-tendered by Boston in November 2022 and has since signed with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

As for the players who are still with the Red Sox, Winckowski is coming off a promising 2023 season in which he forged a 2.88 ERA over 84 1/3 big-league innings (83 1/3 of which came in relief) and is now competing for a spot in Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation. Gambrell, meanwhile, made it to Triple-A Worcester last year and is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 37 prospect in the system.

(Picture of Luis De La Rosa: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)