Tag: spring training

Red Sox’ Brayan Bello provides update on sore forearm: ‘I feel much better right now’

On Friday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Brayan Bello had been shut down from throwing through the weekend due to what he described as forearm soreness.

On Saturday, Bello provided an update on how he was feeling when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers.

Bello first began experiencing tightness in his forearm after throwing a bullpen session at the Fenway South complex at the beginning of the week. The right-hander did not describe it as being painful.

“I didn’t feel any pain,” Bello said (through translator Carlos Villoria Benitez). “I just felt tight and I really didn’t want to force it.”

After showing signs of promise in his big-league debut last season, Bello came into camp this spring competing for a spot in Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation. Like Cora, the 23-year-old expressed confidence that he will be able to resume his throwing program in the coming days.

“I feel very anxious. I just want the moment to come,” said Bello. “I feel better right now that I can throw. So let’s wait until Monday.”

Though Bello did say he is feeling better, he also noted that the tightness he felt in his forearm was unlike anything he had experienced before. With that being said, though, the young hurler is not worried about it and is instead looking forward to getting back on the mound.

“I feel much better right now,” he said. “We’re working really hard to get ready.”

Since the Red Sox figure to roll with a five-man starting rotation out of spring training next month, Bello is competing with six other potential starters (Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck) for five spots in total.

With that in mind, it would likely be beneficial for Bello if he is able to resume throwing on Monday and does not risk falling further behind the competition. The discomfort he felt may have something to do with the amount of breaking balls he threw in that bullpen session.

“It was right after I was throwing a lot of breaking pitches,” Bello said. “It was the next day when I felt a little bit tight. So it probably was that.”

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Jorge Alfaro not yet at camp due to visa issues

Jorge Alfaro has yet to report to Red Sox camp in Fort Myers. The veteran catcher is currently dealing with visa issues, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Friday.

Alfaro was signed to a minor-league contract last month. The deal came with an invite to spring training as well as a $2 million salary if the 29-year-old backstop cracks Boston’s big-league roster this season.

“He’s not here yet,” Cora said at JetBlue Park. “But we found a few things defensively that we can help him to get better. He has a cannon and obviously, he’s a good athlete. He hits the ball hard.”

Last season with the Padres, Alfaro batted .246/.285/.383 with 14 doubles, seven home runs, 40 RBIs, 25 runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 98 strikeouts over 274 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter also averaged 89.4 mph on the balls he put in play while ranking in the 97th percentile of all major-leaguers in max exit velocity (115.2 mph), per Baseball Savant.

Alfaro spent his winter in the Dominican Republic playing for the Tigres del Licey. He appeared in just six regular season LIDOM games for Licey but turned it up a notch afterwards by posting a 1.105 OPS in the round-robin portion of the playoffs and hitting .421 (8-for-19) with two home runs in the championship series that he was named MVP of.

“He had a great winter down there in the Dominican Republic,” said Cora. “Just hoping that he gets here.”

Alfaro is now slated to play for his native Colombia in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. As such, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound backstop will have a limited amount of time to work with Jason Varitek and other members of the Red Sox coaching staff before Opening Day arrives next month.

“He’s going to the tournament, too,” Cora said in reference to the WBC. “It’s kind of like a small window for him to work with Jason, which is very important. But he should be OK.”

Once he does arrive at the Fenway South complex, Alfaro figures to compete with Connor Wong — who also hits from the right side of the plate — for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster as the No. 2 catcher behind the left-handed hitting Reese McGuire. For what it’s worth, Alfaro and McGuire are both out of minor-league options while Wong has one remaining.

If Alfaro fails to break camp with the Red Sox and accepts his assignment to Triple-A Worcester, he will have the ability to opt out of his deal and return to free agency if he is not called up by June 1 or July 1 at the latest.

(Picture of Jorge Alfaro: Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Nick Pivetta on the mend following recent bout with COVID-19

Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta is on the mend following a recent bout with COVID-19, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

As was first reported by Jamie Gatlin of Beyond the Monster from the back fields of Fenway South on Friday morning, Pivetta “left workouts earlier today with a trainer. He threw a pitch and then crouched down before a trainer came over.”

After that, Pivetta “did not join the other 12 pitchers in his assigned group for pitchers’ fielding practice,” per Cotillo. He was, however, present for Corey Kluber’s bullpen session.

When speaking with reporters (including Cotillo) on Friday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Pivetta had COVID-19 “not too long ago” and that he is “just building back.”

Pivetta, who has been seen wearing a mask around the team’s complex in Fort Myers recently, is still expected to be ready for Opening Day next month. The 30-year-old hurler is also slated to pitch for Team Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

While Pivetta’s status for Opening Day is not yet in question, his bout with COVID-19 could put him behind other pitchers at camp who are also competing for a spot in Boston’s starting rotation. In addition to Pivetta, fellow righty Brayan Bello has been shut down from throwing for the next few days due to forearm soreness.

Pivetta is coming off a 2022 season in which he led the Red Sox in both games started (33) and innings pitched (179 2/3). He went 10-12 with a 4.56 ERA and 4.42 FIP while recording 175 strikeouts to 73 walks.

(Picture of Nick Pivetta: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Brayan Bello shut down from throwing due to right forearm soreness

The Red Sox have shut down Brayan Bello from throwing after the right-hander experienced forearm soreness following his last bullpen session, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) at JetBlue Park on Friday.

Bello is not scheduled to undergo any imaging at this time. The Red Sox are optimistic that the 23-year-old will be able to resume his program at the Fenway South complex on Monday after taking the weekend off from throwing.

“Nothing to alarm, but obviously, he’s so important to the organization,” Cora said. “He’s important for what we’re trying to accomplish. He’ll be back on his throwing program on Monday.”

Bello informed Cora that the soreness he has experiencing is something that popped up recently and not before he reported to camp earlier this month.

“I talked to him in one of those eye-to-eye, heart-to-hearts,” said Cora. “I was like, ‘Did this happen here or did this happen before?’ He threw a lot of breaking balls in that one, working on stuff. It was kind of a different bullpen for him and he felt it. We’re very confident that Monday he’s back on his throwing program and we’ll go from there.”

Bello, who turns 24 in May, made his major-league debut last July. In 13 appearances (11 starts) for Boston, the Dominican-born hurler posted a 4.71 ERA and 2.94 FIP with 55 strikeouts to 27 walks over 57 1/3 innings of work. That includes a 2.59 ERA (2.70 FIP) in his final six starts (31 1/3 innings) of the season.

Although he has graduated from his prospect status, Bello is still considered to be the Red Sox’ top young pitching talent. As long as the soreness in his forearm does not linger, the righty has a strong chance of making Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation out of spring training.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Masataka Yoshida tries Puerto Rican food, Christian Vázquez reunites with former Red Sox teammates at Alex Cora’s Super Bowl watch party

Red Sox manager Alex Cora hosted a Super Bowl watch party at his home in Fort Myers on Sunday night.

Third base coach Carlos Febles, outfielder Masataka Yoshida, infielders Enrique Hernandez and Trevor Story, and former Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez were all on hand to watch the Kansas City Chiefs come from behind and defeat the Philadelphia Eagles by a final score of 38-35.

Vazquez, who was traded to the Astros last summer, signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Twins back in December. Minnesota, like Boston, calls Fort Myers its spring training home, so the veteran backstop did not have to travel far to reunite with some of his former teammates.

“There was a lot of giving him a hard time because [Cora] told us to show up at 4 p.m. and he told him to show up at 5,” Hernandez said of Vazquez when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) at JetBlue Park on Monday. “He was like, ‘Well, he told me to show up at 5.’ I was like, ‘Well, you’re on another team now. We were talking about the signs and stuff and you can’t know the signs now.’”

While Hernandez and Vazquez are no longer teammates on the Red Sox, the two will represent Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic next month. Boston is scheduled to host Team Puerto Rico in an exhibition contest leading up to the tournament on March 8.

“He’s been going to their facility for a couple weeks now,” added Hernandez. “So it was just asking him who’s there already and what’s different from there and here. There’s not much he can say yet because camp hasn’t started but it was just good seeing him. We kept in touch in the offseason. But seeing each other in person is just good.”

Yoshida, who was an early arrival at Red Sox camp last week, was introduced to two new things on Sunday night: American football and Puerto Rican cuisine. Cora’s party was catered by chef Herminio Ithier of HIT Food & Beverage Entertainment.

“A lot of questions to Masa asking if he knew what a touchdown was and all that,” said Hernandez. “It was also his first time eating Puerto Rican food. So it was good. It was good having him there and having him form part of the group and it was also good seeing [Vazquez] again.”

Yoshida came over from Japan and signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox in December after spending the last seven seasons with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball. The 29-year-old had a tougher time adjusting to the intricacies of football as opposed to unfamiliar food.

“I think food is a universal language,” Hernandez explained. “Everybody eats it the same way. Football is a little more complicated. A lot of rules when it comes to football. Not a lot of rules when it comes to eating.”

Like Hernandez, Yoshida will leave the Red Sox in the coming weeks to train with Team Japan ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

(Picture of Masataka Yoshida: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki signs minor-league deal with Pirates

Former Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki has signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates, the club announced on Sunday. The deal includes an invite to big-league spring training and a salary of $1.5 million if Plawecki makes it to the majors with Pittsburgh, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford.

Plawecki, who turns 32 later this month, spent the better part of the last three seasons with the Red Sox after originally signing with the club as a free agent in January 2020. He primarily served as Christian Vazquez’s backup before being somewhat surprisingly designated for assignment — and subsequently released — by Boston last September.

At that time, the Red Sox were already looking ahead to 2023 and wanted to get Connor Wong and the recently-acquired Reese McGuire as many reps as possible behind the plate. In order to accomplish that, they elected to move on from Plawecki, though that decision was not a popular one among other veterans in the clubhouse.

“It was very difficult,” Rich Hill told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “Throughout the clubhouse, it was a tough one for everybody. What everybody sees out in the field and in the dugout… what you don’t realize is the humanity side of this game. We’re not just all numbers. We’re human beings. And removing a guy like that from the clubhouse is a big hit for a lot of guys. I would say everybody in here.”

After batting just .217/.287/.287 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 60 games (175 plate appearances) with the Red Sox last year, Plawecki latched on with the Rangers and appeared in three games for the club before the 2022 campaign came to a close. Between Boston and Texas, he threw out just five of 51 possible base stealers.

In his three seasons with the Red Sox from 2020-2022, Plawecki slashed .270/.333/.364 with 20 doubles, one triple, five homers, 44 runs driven in, 107 runs scored, one stolen base, 31 walks, and 68 strikeouts over 148 total games (437 plate appearances). The right-handed hitter also gained notoriety for his role in Boston’s laundry cart home run celebration and his walk-up song (Calum Scott’s remix of “Dancing On My Own”), which ultimately served as the club’s anthem during their run to the American League Championship Series in 2021.

By signing with the Pirates, Plawecki will presumably be competing for a spot on Pittsburgh’s bench behind the likes of Austin Hedges and prospect Endy Rodriguez, who are currently the only two backstops on the club’s 40-man roster. The Bucs will also have fellow catchers Carter Bins, Henry Davis, Jason Delay, and Tyler Heineman in camp as non-roster invitees.

Plawecki becomes the second member of the 2022 Red Sox to join the Pirates organization this offseason, as Hill previously inked a one-year, $8 million deal with Pittsburgh back in December.

(Picture of Kevin Plawecki: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Rumored Red Sox target Roberto Pérez signs minor-league deal with Giants

Free agent catcher Roberto Perez has signed a minor-league contract with the Giants, the club announced Saturday. Perez will be at major-league spring training and will have the chance to earn $2.5 million with another $1.5 million available in incentives if he makes San Francisco’s active roster.

As was first reported by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Giants agreed to a deal with Perez last Sunday. The Red Sox made an aggressive bid for Perez, per Cotillo, and were even in consideration at the end, but the veteran backstop ultimately thought San Francisco represented a better fit.

Perez, a veteran of nine major-league seasons, was limited to just 21 games with the Pirates last year due to a right hamstring injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery in May. The right-handed hitter batted  .233/.333/.367 with two home runs and eight RBIs across 69 plate appearances before his one-year contract with Pittsburgh expired in November.

While offense has never been Perez’s strong suit, he is still regarded as one of the top defensive catchers in baseball. During an eight-year (2014-2021) run in Cleveland, the native Puerto Rican was named the Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in 2019 and 2020.

To counter a lackluster career OPS of .658, Perez Perez has thrown out 97 of 248 potential base stealers in his big-league career. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder has accrued 79 Defensive Runs Saved in 4,052 1/3 innings behind the plate. He has also been among the game’s top pitch framers since Statcast first began tracking that data in 2015.

The Giants, at present, have just one catcher on their 40-man roster in Joey Bart. They also acquired versatile catching prospect Blake Sabol from the Reds in December’s Rule 5 Draft and have Austin Wynns slated to compete for a roster spot in spring training.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have two catchers — Reese McGuire and Connor Wong — on their 40-man roster. They also have Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez, who were both outrighted earlier this winter, and minor-league signee Jorge Alfaro set to join them at big-league camp in Fort Myers later this month.

In all likelihood, Perez likely viewed his chances of making San Francisco’s Opening Day roster out of spring training more favorably, which is why he elected to sign a minors pact with the Giants over the Red Sox. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom addressed this very topic and the potential catching competition as a whole when speaking with Cotillo on The Fenway Rundown podcast last week.

“[Perez] saw a better opportunity out there and that’s OK,” Bloom said. “We’ve been talking about this all along. The two guys that finished the season for us in the big-leagues (McGuire and Wong), we really like. At the same time, we recognize that neither of them have carried this load at the major-league level before. They both have things to prove and experience they don’t have under their belts, so it made sense to add someone who’s decisively a frontline catcher or someone who can create competition in that mix.

“Alfaro’s really intriguing,” added Bloom. “Always has been in terms of what he brings to the table. Just having some of the loudest tools and the best physical ability. Somebody we feel we can help. [Jason Varitek] got pretty excited about the possibility of working with someone who has that kind of ability and creating some competition there.

“So, we’ll see how it goes,” he said. “Again, these other two guys have had a bit of a head start in working with our pitchers, working with our staff, and really understanding what we expect on a daily basis. And that means something. But, we wouldn’t have brought Alfaro in without wanting to see what he could do and seeing where this goes.”

(Picture of Roberto Perez: Justin Berl/Getty Images)

Red Sox add 10 non-roster invitees to spring training roster

The Red Sox added 10 non-roster invitees to their 2023 spring training roster on Wednesday, the club announced.

Boston extended invites to right-handers Dan Altavilla, Taylor Broadway, Durbin Feltman, Victor Santos, and Chase Shugart, infielders Christian Koss and Matthew Lugo, utility men Ryan Fitzgerald and Nick Sogard, and catcher Stephen Scott.

All 10 of these players were already in the organization. Of them, Altavilla is the only one with prior major-league experience. The 32-year-old righty originally signed a two-year minor-league deal with the Red Sox last March, but he did not pitch at all in 2022 after undergoing Tommy John surgery while a member of the Padres in June 2021.

Broadway, meanwhile, was acquired from the White Sox last August as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Jake Diekman to Chicago and Reese McGuire to Boston. The 25-year-old reliever made five appearances for Double-A Portland down the stretch last season and allowed just one run on two hits over six innings of work while striking out 10 of the 19 batters he faced.

Feltman received his third consecutive invite to big-league camp. The former third-round pick out of Texas Christian University is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he posted a 7.63 ERA (5.97 FIP) with 56 strikeouts to 24 walks in 40 relief appearances (48 1/3 innings) for Triple-A Worcester.

Santos, in similar fashion to Broadway, was originally acquired from the Phillies as the player to be named later in the January 2021 trade that sent C.J. Chatham to Philadelphia. The Dominican-born hurler split the 2022 season between Portland and Worcester, forging a 4.97 ERA (4.59 FIP) in 28 appearances (25 starts) spanning 145 innings pitched.

Shugart, like Santos, suited up for both the Sea Dogs and WooSox last year. The 26-year-old out of Texas pitched to a cumulative 5.31 ERA (4.26 FIP) with 63 strikeouts to 21 walks across 45 outings — one of which was a start — and 62 2/3 innings.

Koss, 25, spent the entirety of the 2022 season with Portland. The versatile right-handed hitter batted .260/.309/.430 with 22 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs, 84 RBIs, 69 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 25 walks, and 137 strikeouts over 125 games (532 plate appearances) en route to being named the Sea Dogs’ Most Valuable Player.

Lugo is the most notable prospect listed here. The 21-year-old infielder slashed .288/.344/.500 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs in 114 games (512 plate appearances) for High-A Greenville last year before earning a promotion to and appearing in three games with Portland in late September. He was recently named co-Rookie of the Year in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Fitzgerald, 28, was with the WooSox all of last season. The left-handed hitter batted .219/.304/.400 with 26 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, 72 RBIs, 55 runs scored, six stolen bases, 49 walks, and 135 strikeouts in 127 games (520 plate appearances). He played every defensive position besides pitcher and catcher.

Sogard, 25, is also listed as a utility player. The switch-hitter slashed .254/.359/.349 with 22 doubles, two triples, four homers, 43 runs driven in, 59 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 61 walks, and 88 strikeouts over 125 games (472 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester in 2022.

Scott, on the other hand, is the lone catcher listed here. The 25-year-old backstop hit .219/.346/.377 with 19 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, 57 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 66 walks, and 78 strikeouts in 96 games (410 plate appearances) with Greenville and Portland. From behind the plate, he threw out 24 of 85 possible base stealers.

In addition to Scott, Sogard, Lugo, Shugart, Santos, and Broadway will also be attending their first major-league spring training camp down in Fort Myers. Following Wednesday’s moves, the Red Sox now have 21 non-roster invitees on their spring training roster.

BOSTON RED SOX NON-ROSTER INVITEES (21)

Pitchers (9): Dan Altavilla, Taylor Broadway, Matt Dermody, Durbin Feltman, Norwith Gudino, Oddanier Mosqueda, Victor Santos, Ryan Sherriff, Chase Shugart

Catchers (4): Jorge Alfaro, Caleb Hamilton, Ronaldo Hernández, Stephen Scott

Infielders (2): Christian Koss, Matthew Lugo

Outfielders (3): Greg Allen, Narciso Crook, Raimel Tapia

Infielder/Outfielders (3): Ryan Fitzgerald, Niko Goodrum, Nick Sogard

—

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to the Fenway South complex at JetBlue Park for their first full workout on February 15. The club’s first full squad workout will take place five days later.

(Picture of Ryan Fitzgerald: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with former Blue Jays outfielder Raimel Tapia

The Red Sox and Raimel Tapia have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, as was first reported by the free agent outfielder himself on Instagram. Jon Heyman of the New York Post later confirmed it was a minors pact that presumably comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Tapia, who turns 29 next month, spent the 2022 season with the Blue Jays. The left-handed hitter batted .265/.292/.380 with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 52 RBIs, 47 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 16 walks, and 81 strikeouts over 128 games (433 plate appearances) for Toronto. He was projected to earn a $5.2 million salary in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility in 2023, but was instead non-tendered in November.

In six games against the Red Sox at Fenway Park last year, Tapia went 9-for-30 (.300) with one double, one triple, two home runs, and 12 RBIs. He most notably hit an inside-the-park grand slam that center fielder Jarren Duran lost in the lights in the third inning of Boston’s historic 28-5 blowout loss to Toronto on July 22.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Tapia originally signed with the Rockies as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro de Macoris in November 2010. He broke in with Colorado in 2016 and spent the first six years of his big-league career there before being dealt to the Blue Jays in exchange for fellow outfielder Randal Grichuk last March.

So, for his career, Tapia is a lifetime .277/.318/.392 hitter with 91 doubles, 15 triples, 26 homers, 188 runs driven in, 233 runs scored, 53 stolen bases, 103 walks, and 343 strikeouts in 567 games (1,858 plate appearances) between the Rockies and Blue Jays over seven major-league seasons. He stole a career-high 20 stolen bases while with Colorado in 2021.

Defensively, Tapia has prior experience at all three outfield positions. Last year in particular, the 6-foot-3, 175-pounder logged 459 innings in left, 249 2/3 innings in center, and 226 2/3 innings in right. He tallied four outfield assists altogether and ranked in the 83rd percentile in arm strength (averaged 90.1 mph on his throws), per Baseball Savant.

Tapia should have the chance to compete for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster as a left-handed hitting bench option once spring training begins next month. The Red Sox already have an outfield mix that includes Masataka Yoshida, Alex Verdugo, Rob Refsnyder, and Jarren Duran. With Enrique Hernandez expected to move back to the middle infield to cover for the injured Trevor Story, the newly-signed Adam Duvall is slated to take over in center field. Add in other non-roster invitees such as Narciso Crook and Greg Allen, and the Sox’ outfield picture suddenly becomes quite crowded.

(Picture of Raimel Tapia: Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with outfielder Greg Allen

The Red Sox and veteran outfielder Greg Allen have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract for the 2023 season, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The deal comes with an invitation to major-league spring training.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Allen will earn a base salary of $1.4 million if he reaches the majors with Boston.

Allen, who turns 30 in March, spent the vast majority of the 2022 season with the Pirates. The speedy switch-hitter batted .186/.260/.721 with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, 17 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 10 walks, and 42 strikeouts over 46 games (134 plate appearances) for Pittsburgh before being designated for assignment in late September. He elected free agency after clearing waivers in early October.

A former sixth-round draft pick of the Guardians out of San Diego State University in 2014, Allen first broke in at the big-league level in September 2017. In parts of four seasons with Cleveland, the California native appeared in a total of 220 games and slashed .239/.295/.344 with eight homers, 57 RBIs, 76 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases.

Prior to the 2020 trade deadline, Allen was dealt to the Padres alongside right-hander Mike Clevinger in exchange for a six-player package that included Gabriel Arias, Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, Owen Miller, and Cal Quantrill. Allen, however, appeared in just one regular season game for San Diego and was designated for assignment that December.

The Yankees acquired Allen from the Padres in a minor trade shortly thereafter. New York outrighted Allen off its 40-man roster in March 2021 before calling him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in mid-July. In 14 games with the Bronx Bombers, Allen went 10-for-37 (.270) at the plate with four doubles, one triple, two RBIs, nine runs scored, and five stolen bases. He was claimed off waivers by the Pirates that November.

All told, Allen is a lifetime .232/.299/.336 hitter at the major-league level to go along with 30 doubles, seven triples, 10 home runs, 67 runs driven in, 103 runs scored, 45 stolen bases, 45 walks, and 184 strikeouts over 282 total games (800 plate appearances) between the Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and Pirates.

In 172 career games at the Triple-A level, Allen has hit .301/.403/.442 with 37 doubles, four triples, 13 homers, 62 RBIs, 121 runs scored, 48 stolen bases, 65 walks, and 136 punchouts across 710 total trips to the plate.

Defensively, Allen has past experience at all three outfield positions. In 2022, for instance, the 6-foot, 185-pounder logged 140 innings in left field, 92 1/3 innings in center field, and 61 innings in right field. Historically speaking, left field has proven to be Allen’s best position in terms of Defensive Runs Saved (+9) and Outs Above Average (+4), per FanGraphs.

Known for his speed, Allen should provide Boston with some experienced outfield depth at Triple-A Worcester this season if he does not break camp with the big-league club in March. As currently constructed, Masataka Yoshida, Enrique Hernandez, and Alex Verdugo project to be the Red Sox’ primary outfield group in 2023. Hernandez, of course, may be forced to play more infield this year with Trevor Story slated to miss a significant amount of time after undergoing right elbow surgery earlier this week. Behind them, Rob Refsnyder and Jarren Duran — as well as prospects Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez, Wilyer Abreu — are also on the 40-man roster

Allen, who is out of minor-league options, becomes the seventh player the Red Sox have invited to major-league spring training this winter. He joins the likes of right-hander Norwith Gudino, left-hander Oddanier Mosqueda, catchers Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez, utility man Niko Goodrum, and outfielder Narciso Crook.

(Picture of Greg Allen: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)