Tag: spring training

Red Sox’ Justin Slaten has impressed Craig Breslow this spring

When recently asked by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden about who has stood out to him at spring training thus far, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow offered a simple, yet informative response.

“Slaten has been impressive,” Breslow said. “He’s shown the ability to get swings-and-misses in the zone on his secondaries with enough (on his fastball) to keep hitters off balance.”

Breslow is, of course, referring to right-hander Justin Slater, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Mets for minor-league lefty Ryan Ammons in the moments following the completion of December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Slaten’s journey to Boston has been somewhat unique. The 26-year-old had spent the previous five seasons in the Rangers organization after being selected by the club in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft out of New Mexico. He was then left off Texas’ 40-man roster this past November, which subsequently made him available to other teams on the final day of the Winter Meetings in Nashville.

The Red Sox, as noted by The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, had targeted Slaten as a top priority going into the Rule 5 Draft, but saw him come off the board before they were set to pick. They then swung a trade with the Mets, who took Slaten eighth overall, by dealing away Ammons (a 10th-round selection in the 2023 amateur draft out of Clemson) as well as cash considerations to New York.

“It was kind of the marriage of the data, the raw pitch characteristics, the performance, the scouting group, everyone kind of aligned. This budding pitching infrastructure, we were able to get additional perspectives, and when there’s alignment across all of those groups, it makes for a fairly easy decision,” Breslow said at the time. “He’s a guy with huge swing-and-miss stuff, profiles as a back-of-the-bullpen type arm, so we’re really excited to get him here and see what he can do.”

As a Rule 5 Draft pick, Slaten was immediately inserted into Boston’s big-league mix and added to the 40-man roster. He took part in the club’s rookie development program in January, was at Winter Weekend in Springfield, and is now vying for a spot in the Sox’ Opening Day bullpen at major-league spring training camp down in Fort Myers.

Slaten is coming off a 2023 season in which he posted a 2.87 ERA (4.03 FIP) with 86 strikeouts to 20 walks in 40 appearances (one start) spanning 59 2/3 total innings of work between Texas’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. He allowed just one run on three hits, four walks, and 10 strikeouts across five outings (8 1/3 innings) after being promoted to Triple-A Round Rock in September, then struck out six over 3 2/3 frames of relief for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League.

So far this spring, Slaten has gotten into four Grapefruit League games for Boston. He has allowed only two hits, zero walks, and one hit batsman with four strikeouts over four scoreless innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .133 batting average against. Considering that he last pitched on Tuesday, he could conceivably be used as part of this weekend’s Dominican Republic Series against the Rays in Santo Domingo.

“Velocity, movement,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Slaten when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last month. “Obviously we’ve got to make sure he throws that over the heart of the plate. But so far, so good. Big boy with good stuff. I think if you look around, we’re a little bit bigger in that department this year. A lot of big bodies, a lot of big dudes with nasty stuff. So we’ve just got to make sure we throw that nasty stuff over the heart of the plate and take our chances.”

Standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Slaten operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 95-97 mph fastball, a mid-80s sweeping slider, an 89-91 mph cutter, and a low-80s curveball that features two-plane break. He demonstrated improved control last year and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization.

Even though he was not directly taken by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft over the winter, Slaten still must stick on Boston’s active roster (or injured list, if he is hurt) for the entirety of the 2023 season. If those conditions cannot be met, the Sox will have to expose Slaten — who cannot be optioned to the minor-leagues — to waivers and then, if he clears, offer him back to the Rangers for $50,000.

Earlier in camp, it appeared as though Slaten and fellow pitching prospect Bryan Mata were competing for the same bullpen spot. Mata, like Slaten, was gunning to make the Opening Day roster since he is out of minor-league options and would be facing the possibility of being placed on waivers. He has since suffered a hamstring strain that shut him down from throwing until just recently.

As The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams highlighted on Wednesday, there is still no timetable for when Mata could be available to get into a game, which puts his status for Opening Day in question. The Red Sox could, however, place the hard-throwing 24-year-old on the injured list to start the season and delay their decision on what to do with him until he is physically cleared to return to action.

Regardless, Mata’s injury gives Slaten an advantageous edge for a roster spot with less than three weeks to go until the Red Sox open the 2024 season in Seattle on March 28. The fact Breslow has been impressed with him this spring certainly speaks to that.

(Picture of Justin Slaten: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox OF Wilyer Abreu hits first homer of spring: ‘The at-bats have been really, really good’

On an otherwise quiet afternoon for the Red Sox offensively, Wilyer Abreu provided some thump in Wednesday’s 7-1 loss to the Twins at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla.

Coming into Grapefruit League play on Wednesday, Abreu had gone just 2-for-17 (.118) with a triple, one RBI, one run scored, five walks, and seven strikeouts through his first eight games of the spring. After tripling in Tuesday’s win over the Rays, the 24-year-old outfielder carried over that momentum as he made the short trek over from the Fenway South complex.

Starting in right field and batting fifth for Boston, Abreu got the visitors on the board first by homering off Minnesota starter Joe Ryan with one out in the top of the second second. Ryan, who had just fanned Triston Casas on six pitches, got ahead in the count against Abreu at 0-2 before offering up an 88.6 mph splitter at the bottom of the strike zone.

Abreu, in turn, drilled the pitch to deep right-center field for his first homer of the spring. The ball, according to Baseball Savant, left Abreu’s bat at a blistering 106 mph and had a launch angle of 26 degrees. Though Statcast was unable to determine how far the ball has hit, it likely traveled close to 420 feet before landing in the seats.

Despite taking an early lead, the Red Sox lineup was held in check by Twins pitching the rest of the way and ultimately fell to 8-5-1 in Grapefruit League action. Abreu — who struck out looking in the fourth and grounded into a force out in the sixth to finish the day 1-for-3 — was replaced defensively by Mark Contreras in right field to start the latter half of the sixth inning.

Following Wednesday’s contest, Abreu is now batting .150/.320/.400 with the one triple, the one homer, two runs driven in, two runs scored, five walks, and eight strikeouts in nine games (25 plate appearances) so far this spring. All nine of his starts have come in right field, where he has yet to commit an error over 41 defensive innings.

“He’s been putting together good at-bats,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Abreu when speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams). “Results aside, the at-bats have been really, really good. We’ve just got to stay with the process. He’s been swinging at the right ones and putting good swings on it.”

Abreu, who is attending his second spring training with the Red Sox, is looking to crack his first Opening Day roster after debuting for Boston late last season. The left-handed hitter was called up on August 22 and made his big-league debut against the Astros — the team that originally signed him as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2017 and traded him away a little more than five years later — at Minute Maid Park in Houston that same night.

From that point forward, Abreu batted an impressive .316/.388/.474 with six doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts in 28 games (85 plate appearances) to kick off his major-league career. Among American League rookies who made at least 80 trips to the plate in 2023, Abreu ranked first in batting average, third in on-base percentage, ninth in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.862), fourth in hard-hit rate (49.1 percent), and fifth in wRC+ (135), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Abreu saw playing time at all three outfield spots with Boston down the stretch last year. The 5-foot-10, 215-pounder logged 76 innings in left, 85 1/3 innings in center, and 7 1/3 innings in right. Altogether, he posted two defensive runs saved and ranked in the 97th percentile of all big-leaguers in average arm strength (94.7 mph), according to Baseball Savant.

With Alex Verdugo out of the picture after being dealt to the Yankees in December, Abreu appears to be the leading candidate to take over as the Red Sox’ primary right fielder in 2024. Cora himself acknowledged as much in a recent conversation with MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

“He’s a good player who has a chance to be the starting right fielder of the Red Sox,” said Cora. “He controls the strike zone. He plays good defense. He has a cannon. He can run the bases. Let’s see what happens. There’s a lot of decisions we have to make. The reason we have tough decisions is that we have good, dynamic players.”

Abreu, who does not turn 25 until June, comes into the 2024 season ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That is up 12 spots from where he was last year. Baseball America also has him tabbed as the No. 6 prospect in the organization while SoxProspects.com currently ranks him eighth.

Because he is still considered a prospect, Abreu has yet to graduate from his rookie status. As such, he could be one of several rookies to make the Sox’ Opening Day roster later this month, joining the likes of Ceddanne Rafaela and Justin Slaten, among others.

Like he told Browne, though, Abreu will not be taking anything for granted these next few weeks. He will instead be doing everything in his power to ensure that he is on the flight to Seattle ahead of the Red Sox’ Opening Day matchup against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 28.

“Although there’s a good opportunity for me to stay on the team, I don’t take it for granted, and I’ll work as hard as I can to prove that I can be on this team,” he said. “I don’t want to leave anyone with a doubt that I can be a major-league player.”

(Picture of Wilyer Abreu: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Cooper Criswell emerging as candidate for spot in Red Sox’ starting rotation: ‘He’s definitely put himself in the conversation’

With Lucas Giolito facing the possibility of undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, the Red Sox’ starting rotation has taken a massive hit in the weeks leading up to Opening Day.

One of the main storylines at spring training camp in Fort Myers so far has been the composition of Boston’s rotation. Giolito was expected to provide that group with a durable workhorse after signing a two-year, $38.5 million contract in January, but those plans now appear to be in serious jeopardy.

Instead, the Red Sox will now need other pitchers to step up in the wake of Giolito’s potential lengthy absence. Of the internal options who could help fill in, Cooper Criswell is among those who were singled out by both manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow on Tuesday.

Criswell was, of course, the first major-league free agent to sign with the Red Sox after Breslow replaced Chaim Bloom this past fall. The 27-year-old right-hander inked a one-year, $1 million contract with Boston on December 13 and was instructed by both Breslow and pitching coach Andrew Bailey to prepare as a starter heading into camp.

“They want me to come to spring training prepared to be a starter,” Criswell told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith at Red Sox Winter Weekend back in January. “Just because it’s easier if they want to move me into a bulk role out of the bullpen or even a reliever. Obviously it’s easier to transition from a starter to a reliever rather than a reliever to a starter. So I’m going to be geared up, ready for spring training to go as a starter.”

A former 13th-round draft selection of the Angels coming out of North Carolina in 2018, Criswell originally broke in with Los Angeles in 2021. The Georgia native started just one game for the Halos in his big-league debut that August and was then claimed off waivers by the Rays the following July.

Criswell again started just one game for Tampa Bay down the stretch in 2022 before seeing his usage surge last year. In a career-high 10 appearances out of the Rays bullpen, the righty posted a 5.73 ERA and 5.35 FIP with 27 strikeouts to 11 walks over 33 innings of relief.

Criswell was called up by the Rays on eight separate occasions last season and was then non-tendered in November. Despite being cut loose by Tampa Bay, Criswell — as noted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan at the time — found a solid market and leveraged it into a fully-guaranteed major-league deal with Boston.

Going into his first camp with the Red Sox, Criswell was on the outside looking in when it came to competing for a spot in the season-opening rotation and was viewed as more of a swingman type who could provide length out of the bullpen. He also has a minor-league option remaining, so him starting the season and remaining stretched out at Triple-A Worcester to begin the season wasn’t out of the equation, either.

In light of Giolito’s elbow woes, though, Criswell has now joined the likes of Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, and Josh Winckowski as the leading internal candidates to make up the back end of Boston’s starting rotation out of the gate later this month. His case is also aided by the fact that the Red Sox may consider utilizing a six-man rotation to combat against a season-opening west coast road trip as well as a stretch that has them playing 13 days in a row from April 9-21.

“It would be unfair to say we overlooked him, but we just weren’t as familiar with him given that he wasn’t with us,” Breslow said of Criswell when speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) at JetBlue Park on Tuesday. “I think what has been impressive and what we knew we were getting is an elite strike-thrower. I think there were some questions as to whether or not we can help boost the stuff and I think in pretty short order, it’s ticked up a little bit while maintaining the ability to shape pitches very, very well and pounding the strike zone. So I think he’s definitely put himself in the conversation.”

As noted by McCaffrey, the Red Sox liked Criswell’s raw numbers while he was with the Rays and have been impressed with him so far this spring. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-80s sinker, a mid-70s sweeper, a lower-80s cutter, and a lower-80s changeup. He ranked in the 90th percentile of all big-leaguers by averaging 6.9 feet of extension off the mound on his pitches last year, per Baseball Savant.

“I would consider a sweeper one of my best pitches, for sure,” Criswell told Smith. “I feel comfortable throwing any of those, especially the three — sinker/slider/changeup — any pitch, any count. I’m getting the confidence in the cutter just as much as the other three pitches.”

Criswell, who does not turn 28 until July, has pitched two innings of relief in each of his first two outings of the spring, allowing one run on five hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. He is scheduled to get the start in Wednesday’s Grapefruit League matchup against the Twins at Hammond Stadium. Could it be a preview of what is to come in the early stages of the season? Only time will tell.

 (Picture of Cooper Criswell: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Cutter Coffey homers in first at-bat of spring

Infield prospect Cutter Coffey proved to be the difference maker in the Red Sox’ split-squad win over the Nationals at JetBlue Park on Saturday afternoon.

Called up by the big-league club for the first time this spring, Coffey was inserted into the Grapefruit League contest as a defensive replacement for starting third baseman Rafael Devers in the top of the sixth. A half-inning later, he stepped up to the plate for the first time with two outs and one runner on base following a Tyler Heineman single.

Matched up against Nationals reliever Cole Henry, who was added to Washington’s 40-man roster last November, Coffey worked a 1-0 count before taking the right-hander way deep over the faux Green Monster in left field for a towering go-ahead, two-run home run.

Coffey’s blast lifted the Sox from a 2-1 deficit to a 3-2 lead. Fellow minor-league infielder added some insurance with a solo homer of his own an inning later as Boston went on to defeat Washington by a final score of 4-2 to remain unbeaten at home this spring.

Coffey, who finished the day 1-for-2 after flying out in the eighth inning, is looking to bounce back this year after a relatively underwhelming first full season in pro ball. The 19-year-old was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system at this time last spring but has since dropped from the outlet’s top 30 list completely.

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield, Coffey forwent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing with Boston for $1.85 million that July. The California native then made his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where he went 4-for-32 (.125) with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in a brief 11-game sample.

After playing his way onto a full-season roster last spring, Coffey broke camp with Low-A Salem to kick off the 2023 campaign. In 81 games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, the right-handed hitter batted .226/.341/.348 with 14 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs, a team-high 51 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 45 walks, and 79 strikeouts over 349 plate appearances.

Though a .689 OPS may be far from eye-popping, Coffey’s under-the-hood numbers with Salem were more encouraging. Among 44 qualified hitters in the Carolina League last year, for instance, Coffey produced the highest line-drive rate (29.4 percent) and 1oth-lowest swinging-strike rate (8.9 percent). He also ranked 11th in walk rate (12.9 percent), 17th in on-base percentage and isolated power (.122), 15th in speed score (6.6), and 19th in wRC+ (102), per FanGraphs.

In light of that production, Coffey received a promotion to High-A Greenville in early August. Unlike Roman Anthony, who made the jump from Salem about two months prior, Coffey’s production at Greenville did not catch up to his underlying metrics. Instead, Coffey closed out the 2023 season by slashing just .136/.253/.167 with two doubles, five RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 18 games (79 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Altogether, Coffey hit .210/.325/.315 (88 wRC+) with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 35 runs driven in, 59 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 56 walks, and exactly 100 strikeouts over 99 total games (428 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville last year. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder saw playing time at every infield position besides first base with both the Red Sox and Drive. He committed a total of 20 errors in 281 chances between second base (where he logged 69 innings), third base (326 1/3 innings), and shortstop (379 1/3 innings), which translates to a .929 fielding percentage.

Coffey, who does not turn 20 until May, profiles best as a third baseman moving forward given his arm strength (he pitched in high school). Though he has soft hands and adequate body control, there are questions regarding his range as he continues to add size to his frame.

Barring a surprise in the weeks leading up to Opening Day, Coffey is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. There, he should have the chance to get back on track and maybe even work his way up to Double-A Portland before the year is over.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with former All-Star first baseman C.J. Cron

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with free agent first baseman C.J. Cron, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The deal, which includes an invite to major-league spring training, would allow Cron to earn $2 million if he is added to Boston’s active roster and up to $500,000 in performance bonuses, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Cron, 34, is a veteran of 10 big-league seasons who most recently split the 2023 campaign with the Rockies and Angels. Due to lingering back issues, the right-handed hitter was limited to just 71 games between the two clubs, batting .248/.295/.434 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 37 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 17 walks, and 65 strikeouts over 278 plate appearances. He got into just 10 games for the Halos after being traded from Colorado to Los Angeles in late July and ended the year on the injured list.

Despite those disappointing results, Cron is just two years removed from making the National League All-Star team after slashing .257/.315/.468 with 29 homers and a career-high 102 RBIs over 150 games (632 plate appearances) for the Rockies in 2022. That came after he clubbed 28 home runs and posted a career-best .905 OPS in his first season with Colorado in 2021.

For his major-league career, which began in 2014, Cron is a lifetime .260/.320/.471 hitter with 194 doubles, 10 triples, 187 home runs, 604 runs driven in, 470 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 268 walks, and 928 strikeouts across 1,049 total games (4,043 plate appearances) with the Angels, Rays, Twins, Tigers, and Rockies. In that time frame, the former first-round draft selection out of Utah has forged a .781 OPS against right-handed pitching and an .814 OPS against left-handed pitching, though he has struggled with southpaws to some degree in each of the last two seasons.

On the other side of the ball, Cron has been used exclusively as either a first baseman or designated hitter since debuting with the Angels in 2024. Between Colorado and Los Angeles last year, the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder logged 502 innings at first, where he produced zero defensive runs saved, one out above average, and an ultimate zone rating of 1.3, per FanGraphs.

After losing Justin Turner to the Blue Jays in free agency, the Red Sox came into camp this spring relatively thin on right-handed hitting depth at first base. Bobby Dalbec had been projected to make the team as a backup option behind the left-handed hitting Triston Casas, but Cron now figures to challenge him for that spot in the coming weeks.

As someone who is capable of playing first base, third base, and both corner outfield spots, Dalbec may offer more positional versatility than Cron, but his offensive floor is not at the same level. In addition to spelling Casas at first base when needed, Cron could also take some at-bats away from projected everyday DH Masataka Yoshida (another left-handed hitter) if he were to make the team out of camp.

In the more immediate future, Cron — who is expected to arrive in Fort Myers for his physical in the coming days — will not occupy a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster once his signing becomes official. He will, however, have the ability to opt out of his deal if he is not added to the major-league roster within five days of Opening Day (March 28). That, as noted by Cotillo, is his right as an Article XX(B) free agent.

Dalbec, meanwhile, has one minor-league option remaining. In other words, the 28-year-old slugger could be heading back to Triple-A Worcester (where he hit 33 home runs in 114 games last year) for the start of the 2024 season if he loses out to Cron in this battle for a roster spot at camp.

(Picture of C.J. Cron: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Juan Chacon settling back into things after injury-shortened 2023 season

Red Sox outfield prospect Juan Chacon has been settling back into things this spring after suffering a season-ending wrist injury late last June.

As a minor-league call-up, Chacon has appeared in two spring training games for Boston thus far. Last Friday, he scored a run after reaching on an error in the sixth inning of a 7-2 victory over Northeastern. This past Sunday, he came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with a triple and run scored as part of a split-squad win over the Twins at JetBlue Park.

For Chacon, this has represented his first in-game action of any kind in quite a while. At this time last year, the then-20-year-old was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. After getting into two Grapefruit League games, he broke camp with Low-A Salem last April.

Out of the gate, Chacon held his own with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Through June 10, the right-handed hitter found himself batting .286/.414/.388 with five doubles, five triples, 12 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 40 strikeouts over his first 44 games (181 plate appearances) of the season. For whatever reason, Chacon hit a speed bump of sorts after that and came into play on June 29 in the midst of a 6-for-51 (.118) slump.

To lead off the first inning of Salem’s contest against the Fredericksburg Nationals that night, Chacon fouled off a pitch and was in visible discomfort after completing his swing. He could be seen favoring his left wrist and was ultimately taken out of the game after leaving the field with a trainer.

On July 2, Chacon was placed on Salem’s 7-day injured list. Eleven days later, he underwent surgery in Boston to repair a hamate bone fracture in his left wrist. He flew down to Fort Myers to begin his rehab shortly thereafter but was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 27 and spent the rest of the season there.

All told, Chacon slashed .241/.353/.332 (102 wRC+) with six doubles, six triples, 18 runs driven in, 22 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 31 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 57 games (235 plate appearances) for Salem last year. His 20 stolen bases ranked second on the team behind only Ahbrahm Liendo’s 30.

On the other side of the ball, Chacon saw playing time at all three outfield positions in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 171-pounder logged 36 innings in center field, 163 2/3 innings in left field, and 190 innings in right field. He recorded two outfield assists (which both came in right) and committed a total of just three errors in 75 total defensive chances.

Chacon, who turned 21 in December, originally signed with the Red Sox for $900,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. He had to wait until 2021 to make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since drawn mixed reviews from evaluators. His speed appears to be his carrying tool but the lack of power in his game is quite apparent as well.

Now healthy heading into the 2024 campaign, Chacon is not currently regarded by SoxProspects.com — or any other outlet, for that matter — as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is, however, expected to start his age 21-season at High-A Greenville, where he could benefit from playing in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League.

(Picture of Juan Chacon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Newcomer Mark Contreras hits Red Sox’ first home run of 2024

A newcomer hit the first home run of the spring for the Red Sox in their spring training opener against Northeastern at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Mark Contreras, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the third inning of the Sox’ 7-2 victory over the Huskies.

After grounding out to end to the bottom of the first, Contreras — Boston’s three-hole hitter and starting center fielder — stepped back up to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners in the latter half of the third. The left-handed hitter drilled a first-pitch strike from Northeastern reliever Joseph Hauser into the visitor’s bullpen in right field to score both David Hamilton and Nick Yorke.

By crossing home plate himself, Contreras gave the Red Sox their first lead of the day at 4-1. The 29-year-old remained in the game through the fourth inning before being replaced in center field by Allan Castro.

Friday represented a strong first impression for Contreras, who was brought in on a minor-league contract in November after spending the first six years of his professional career in the Twins organization.

“He’s a good player,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Contreras when speaking with reporters (including the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo). “We recognized him early in the offseason. Good athlete, good baserunner, we just have to make sure he swings at the right ones.”

Contreras, who hails from California, was originally selected by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2017 amateur draft out of UC Riverside. The Moreno Valley native signed with Minnesota for a mere $10,000 that June, but established himself in the pro ranks by taking home a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove Award in 2019 and earning MiLB.com organizational All-Star honors in 2021.

After getting off to a solid start at Triple-A St. Paul in 2022, Contreras was called up by the Twins for the first time that May. He debuted against the Astros and appeared in a total of 28 games, going 7-for-58 (.121) with one double, three home runs, six RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and 21 strikeouts.

Contreras lost his spot on Minnesota’s 40-man roster that December after fellow outfielder Joey Gallo was signed to a one-year deal. He wound up clearing waivers and spending the first four-plus months of the 2023 campaign with St. Paul, where he batted .274/.352/.418 to go along with 17 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 99 strikeouts over 90 games (381 plate appearances), before being released by the Twins last August.

Since he has prior major- and minor-league experience at all three outfield positions, Contreras figures to provide the Red Sox with much-needed versatile depth at Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2024 season. The 6-foot, 195-pound speedster also has minor-league options remaining, which could play in his favor if the need arises for outfield help later in the year.

(Picture of Mark Contreras: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Roman Anthony tabbed by MLB Pipeline as Red Sox’ top power-hitting prospect

Outfielder Roman Anthony has been tabbed by MLB Pipeline as the top power-hitting prospect in the Red Sox farm system heading into the 2024 season.

Anthony is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 24 prospect in baseball, trailing only shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 15) for the top spot in the organization. The 19-year-old’s power tool is graded by the outlet as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, which translates to above average.

After being selected by the Red Sox with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Anthony enjoyed a productive first full season in pro ball last year. Across 106 total games at three different minor-league levels, the left-handed hitter slashed .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 64 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 86 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 491 plate appearances.

Anthony spent the first two-plus months of the 2023 campaign at Low-A Salem, where he slashed .228/.376/.317 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run (the first of his professional career), 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 42 games (202 plate appearances). While some of those surface-level numbers may seem uninspiring, the Red Sox were encouraged by the underlying metrics (such as swing decisions and high exit velocities) and elected to move Anthony up to High-A Greenville in early June.

With Greenville, Anthony experienced a surge in both power and striking out. He produced at a .294/.412/.569 clip with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 punchouts over 54 games (245 plate appearances) for the Drive before receiving another promotion to Double-A Portland in early September.

To close out an eventful season, Anthony batted .343/.477/.543 with four doubles, one home run, eight runs driven in, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and six strikeouts in a brief 10-game, 44-plate appearance sample with the Sea Dogs. Between what he did in Salem, Greenville, and Portland, Anthony was recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.

Among the 12 Boston minor-leaguers who made at least 450 trips to the plate in 2023, Anthony ranked second in walk rate (17.5 percent), third in batting average, second in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.869), fourth in isolated power (.194), first in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), fourth in swinging-strike rate (8.8 percent), and first in wRC+ (143), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield spots last year. With Salem, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder made one start in left, 14 in right, and 18 in center. With Greenville, he made four starts in right and 40 in center.  He was used exclusively in center by Portland, where he registered one outfield assist without committing an error in 28 defensive chances.

Coming off a breakout 2023, Anthony — who does not turn 20 until May — is now considered a consensus top 25 prospect in the sport. Barring a surprise, he is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season, though he could work his way to Triple-A Worcester (or even Boston) later in the year if the Red Sox continue to be aggressive with his development.

In the more immediate future, Anthony is not at big-league spring training with the Red Sox in Fort Myers even after taking part in the club’s rookie development program earlier this winter. When speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) at JetBlue Park on Thursday, manager Alex Cora said third base/outfield coach Kyle Hudson has inquired about bringing Anthony up from minor-league camp for a few games.

“It was a hard no,” Cora said (with a laugh) after asking player development staff about Anthony. “Huddy is trying, but (player development) they’ve got their program over there, he needs to get his reps and we don’t want to take him out of that. Two at-bats here, yeah it’s great for everybody to see him play and all that, but I think there’s a lot of things going on that are more important right now for his development. So whenever they decide we can take him, we’ll take him.”

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Could Romy Gonzalez make Red Sox’ Opening Day roster?

The Red Sox have several offseason additions vying for Opening Day roster spots at spring training in Fort Myers, including the versatile Romy Gonzalez.

Gonalez is a veteran of three major-league seasons who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in late January. The 27-year-old had lost his spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster after the club signed right-hander John Brebbia to a one-year deal, but he did not stay in DFA limbo for long.

A Florida native, Gonzalez was originally selected by the White Sox in the 18th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Miami. The former Hurricane signed with Chicago for $125,000 and made his professional debut in the Pioneer League that summer.

After spending the entirety of his first full pro season with Class-A Kannapolis in 2019, Gonzalez’s baseball career was temporarily put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He did not receive an invite to the White Sox’ alternate training site in 2020, but he evidently used the time off to his advantage.

To start off the 2021 campaign, Gonzalez batted .267/.355/.502 with 11 doubles, 20 home runs, 47 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 97 strikeouts in his first 78 games (344 plate appearances) with Double-A Birmingham. The right-handed hitter then earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte, where he went 11-for-32 (.344) with three homers and 10 RBIs over nine games through the end of August.

With MLB rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players on the first of September, Gonzalez received his first call-up and then made his big-league debut three days shy of his 25th birthday on Sept. 3. Gonzalez’s first stint with the White Sox lasted exactly three weeks, as he went 8-for-32 (.250) while appearing in 10 games for Chicago before being sent back down to Charlotte for the remainder of the season.

On the heels of a productive 2021 in which he was named the White Sox’ Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, Gonzalez seemed primed for a breakout of sorts in 2022. He came into the season ranked by BA as the No. 15 prospect in Chicago’s farm system, but he did not make his return to the South Side until late August due in part to multiple stints on the minor-league injured list.

Gonzalez spent the rest of the 2022 season with the White Sox after being recalled from Charlotte on Aug. 17. In that time, he slashed .238/.257/.352 with four doubles, one triple, the first two home runs of his major-league career, 11 runs driven in, 15 runs scored, two walks, and 39 strikeouts across 32 games spanning 109 trips to the plate. He then made his first Opening Day roster the following spring, but the offensive struggles continued.

In 44 games with the White Sox last year, Gonzalez produced a .194/.208/.376 slash line with four doubles, two triples, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, seven stolen bases, two walks, and 36 strikeouts over 97 plate appearances. He was sidelined with right shoulder inflammation for most of May and was then placed on the 10-day injured list on June 19 for the very same reason.

After being transferred to the 60-day injured list in early July, Gonzalez underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder over the All-Star break. The White Sox were optimistic that Gonzalez would be ready for the start of spring training, but that procedure effectively ended his tenure with the only organization he had known before being scooped up by the Red Sox last month.

All told, Gonzalez is a lifetime .222/.239/.361 hitter with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 30 runs scored, seven stolen bases, five walks, and 86 strikeouts in 86 career big-league games from 2021-2023. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder saw playing time at six different positions (second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, and right field) in his three seasons with the White Sox. As a second baseman (his primary spot in that span), he has been worth one out above average over 417 2/3 innings.

Equipped with raw power, speed, and positional versatility, Gonzalez profiles as an intriguing pick-up with some upside who could benefit from a change of scenery. His injury history and propensity to strike out at high rates are concerning, but he has minor-league options remaining.

Assuming he stays healthy, Gonzalez should have a chance to compete with the likes of Bobby Dalbec and Pablo Reyes for spot on the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster as a utility man who can come off the bench when needed. If that does not come to fruition, Gonzalez figures to provide Boston with depth at Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2024 campaign.

(Picture of Romy Gonzalez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign veteran lefty Lucas Luetge to minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free agent reliever Lucas Luetge to a minor-league contract this past Friday, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. The deal, which comes with an invite to major-league spring training, will net Luetge a $1 million salary if he cracks Boston’s active roster this season, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Luetge, 37 next month, is a veteran of seven big-league seasons who most recently pitched for the Braves in 2023. The left-hander appeared in 12 games for Atlanta, posting a 7.24 ERA and 4.87 FIP with 14 strikeouts to seven walks over 13 2/3 innings of work. He missed time early in the year due to left bicep inflammation and was designated for assignment on three separate occasions before electing free agency in October.

Despite the recent struggles, Luetge has had past success in the American League East. While with the Yankees from 2021-2022, the southpaw forged a 2.71 ERA (2.92 FIP) with 138 strikeouts to 32 walks across 107 outings (one start) spanning 129 2/3 total innings pitched. Following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign, New York dealt Luetge to Atlanta for minor-leaguers Indigo Diaz and Caleb Durbin.

A Texas native, Luetge was originally selected by the Brewers in the 21st round of the 2008 amateur draft out of Rice University. He spent three years in the Milwaukee organization before being scooped up by the Mariners in the major-league phase of the 2011 Rule 5 Draft. Luetge then broke in with Seattle the following April and made at least one appearance for the M’s in each of the next four seasons.

Towards the end of the 2015 season, however, Luetge was outrighted off Seattle’s 40-man roster, which cleared the way for him to become a first-time free agent. For the next five years, though, Luetge was unable to get back to the majors and instead had to settle for minor-league deals with the Angels, Reds, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Athletics.

After spending all of the COVID-shortened 2020 season at Oakland’s alternate training site, Luetge latched on with the Yankees on another minors pact that winter and then proceeded to earn a spot on New York’s 2021 Opening Day roster. Going nearly six years in between big-league outings, Luetge made the third-most appearances (57) of any pitcher on Aaron Boone’s staff that season. He also ranked in the 94th percentile of all major-league hurlers in both walk rate (5.0 percent) and barrel rate (4.4 percent), the 93rd percentile in chase rate (32.9 percent), and the 92nd percentile in hard-hit rate (31.4 percent), per Baseball Savant.

In 2022, Luetge again finished third on the Yankees in appearances (50) while ranking in the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate (23.5 percent) and the 97th percentile in average exit velocity (85.2 mph). He limited hard contact in his brief time with the Braves last year as well, though he had his fair share of difficulties in other areas.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Luetge operates with a diverse arsenal that primarily consists of a cutter (the offering he has turned to the most the last three seasons), a sweeper, and a curveball as well as a sparingly-used four-seam fastball and slider. He owns a lifetime 3.60 ERA in 230 career appearances (232 1/3 innings) at the major-league level, but has proven to be far more effective against left-handed hitters (.227/.291/.314 slash line in 387 plate appearances) than right-handed hitters (.280/.352/.417 slash line in 619 plate appearances) in that time.

Luetge, who arrived in Fort Myers on Monday after driving in from his home in Houston, has a chance to compete for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day bullpen this spring. The Red Sox, as currently constructed, are extremely thin when it comes to left-handed relief depth with Brennan Bernardino, Joe Jacques, Chris Murphy, and Brandon Walter being the only lefties on the 40-man roster.

In addition to Luetge, the Red Sox are also slated to have fellow southpaws Jorge Benitez, Cam Booser, and Helcris Olivarez in camp as non-roster invitees. Pitchers and catchers get their first workout at the Fenway South complex underway on Wednesday.

(Picture of Lucas Luetge: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)