Tag: trades

How did Red Sox pitching prospect Jose Bello (part of return for Rafael Devers) fare after trade?

After writing about James Tibbs III over the weekend, it feels like an appropriate time to examine how the other prospect the Red Sox acquired from the Giants in the Rafael Devers trade — Jose Bello — fared in the wake of the blockbuster deal being made in June.

Unlike Tibbs, Bello was not subsequently flipped at the trade deadline the following month and still remains in the organization. The 20-year-old right-hander was originally signed by the Giants for $47,500 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in January 2023. He spent the better part of his first two professional seasons in the Dominican Summer League before making his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League last July.

Bello returned to the ACL Giants for the start of his 2025 campaign and posted a 2.00 ERA (1.89 FIP) with 28 strikeouts to three walks in eight relief appearances (18 innings) before being flipped to the Red Sox alongside Tibbs, Kyle Harrison, and Jordan Hicks on June 15. The young righty made the trek eastward and joined Boston’s Florida Complex League affiliate, compiling a 3.14 ERA (2.59 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to eight walks across his next five outings (one start) spanning 14 1/3 innings. He then received a promotion to Low-A Salem on July 25.

Tasked with his first full-season assignment, Bello pitched to a 3.09 ERA (4.04 FIP) with 17 strikeouts to 15 walks in seven appearances (four starts) totaling 23 1/3 innings for Salem. He ended the year on a high note in his September 7 start against Fayetteville, giving up just one unearned run on three hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over five strong frames.

Overall, Bello produced a 2.75 ERA (2.97 FIP) with 61 strikeouts to 14 walks over 20 appearances (five starts) between the ACL, FCL, and Salem in 2025. Opposing hitters batted .210 against him in 55 2/3 total innings across the three levels. That includes a 3.11 ERA (3.49 FIP) and a .234 opponents’ batting average across 37 2/3 innings after being traded from the Giants to the Red Sox.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 164 pounds, Bello throws from a three-quarters arm slot and creates deception with his cross-body delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the athletic hurler features a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, a 90-92 mph cutter, an 83-86 mph slider, and a seldom-used upper-80s changeup.

Bello, who does not turn 21 until May, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 54 prospect, which ranks 32nd among pitchers in the organization. Barring a trade or other surprise move this winter, he is projected by the site to return to Salem for the start of the 2026 season.

(Picture of Jose Bello: Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images)

How did former Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz fare in first season with Yankees organization?

With the Red Sox and Yankees set to square off in a best-of-three Wild Card series in the Bronx beginning Tuesday night, it feels like an appropriate time to revisit the noteworthy trade the two clubs made at the Winter Meetings last December.

Just hours after pulling off a blockbuster five-player trade with the White Sox for All-Star ace Garrett Crochet on December 11, the Red Sox acquired rookie catcher Carlos Narvaez from the Yankees for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz.

In a rare swap between division rivals, Boston obtained a 26-year-old backstop who has since emerged as the club’s top catching option and one of the best defenders at his position. New York, on the other hand, obtained a young pitcher who just now appears to be tapping into his potential.

A former fourth-round draft pick of the Red Sox in 2021 out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico, Rodriguez-Cruz reached High-A Greenville last season before being dealt to the Yankees a little more than nine months ago. The 22-year-old right-hander began opening eyes in spring training and broke camp with High-A Hudson Valley in early April.

In 15 appearances (14 starts) for the Renegades, Rodriguez-Cruz posted a 2.26 ERA (2.58 FIP) with 99 strikeouts to 37 walks over 83 2/3 innings in which he held opponents to a .174 batting average. He was rewarded with a promotion to Double-A Somerset shortly before the MLB All-Star break in July and — even after struggling in his debut at the level — produced a 2.64 ERA (2.28 FIP) with 74 strikeouts to 20 walks over 11 starts (61 1/3 innings) for the Patriots in which opposing hitters batted .198 against him.

Following the conclusion of the Double-A season, the Yankees moved Rodriguez up another level so that he could end the year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The righty started the RailRiders’ penultimate game of the regular season on September 20, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, no walks, and three strikeouts over five innings. He took the mound again in the deciding Game 3 of the International League championship series last Thursday and was saddled with the loss after surrendering five earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Despite how it ended, 2025 was nonetheless a standout year for Rodriguez-Cruz. Between three minor-league levels, he finished the regular season having forged a 2.58 ERA (2.47 FIP) with 176 strikeouts to 57 walks across 27 total outings (26 starts) spanning exactly 150 innings pitched. Among the 288 minor-leaguers who threw at least 100 innings this season, he ranked third in FIP, fifth in xFIP (2.81), seventh in groundball rate (54.5 percent), 13th in batting average against (.192), 17th in ERA, 19th in strikeout rate (29 percent), 25th in WHIP (1.07), 30th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.56), and 39th in swinging-strike rate (13.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

In the days since his season drew to a close, Rodriguez-Cruz has already been recognized by Baseball America as a High-A All-Star, a First Team Minor League All-Star, and the Yankees’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year. The 6-foot-3 hurler is currently ranked by the publication as the No. 5 prospect in New York’s farm system and the No. 99 prospect in the sport. What helped him gain traction this year is an already-diverse pitch mix that now consists of a mid-90s sinker that has reached 98 mph, a four-seam fastball, a sweeper, a curveball, a splitter, and a gyro slider.

Rodriguez-Cruz, who does not turn 23 until next August, is in line to be added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection purposes this winter. If that does indeed happen, Rodriguez-Cruz could very well put himself in position to debut at the big-league level at some point in 2026.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: Madison McCall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Mikey Romero to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect and former first-round pick Mikey Romero from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Romero, 21, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 14 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 7 and SoxProspects.com has him at No. 11. The left-handed hitter broke camp with Portland this spring and batted .254/.315/.440 with 18 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, a team-leading 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 66 games (297 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs to begin the 2025 season.

After being sidelined for most of June with arm fatigue, Romero had slashed .262/.292/.423 with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 22 RBIs, 14 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and 31 strikeouts in his last 30 games (138 plate appearances) leading up to Friday’s promotion. Overall, he is batting .253/.305/.452 against right-handed pitching and .255/.356/.392 against left-handed pitching so far this year.

Among 62 qualified hitters in the Eastern League entering play Friday, Romero notably ranks eighth in isolated power (.187), 11th in slugging percentage, 16th in OPS (.755), 18th in batting average, 19th in wRC+ (116), 20th in wOBA (.342), 26th in line-drive rate (23.2 percent), and 31st in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Romero has seen playing time at every infield position besides first base this season. With Portland, the 6-foot, 205-pounder made 20 starts at third base, 20 starts at shortstop, and nine starts at second base, committing seven errors in 138 total chances. He also made 17 starts at DH.

A California native, Romero was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 24th overall selection in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School. He forwent his commitment to LSU by signing with Boston for an under-slot $2.3 million and has dealt with several injuries since entering the professional ranks. Having said that, he had a healthy offseason after reaching Portland last August and then impressed manager Alex Cora in spring training despite not being part of big-league camp.

“Mikey Romero is a good player,” Cora said in March. ” We just got to get him healthy. He did everything this offseason to put himself in good shape. He’s a lot stronger now. This is the first time I’ve had a look consistently, and I like him as a player. … Good instincts, really good instincts.”

Romero figures to provide the WooSox with additional infield help after Blaze Jordan was traded to the Cardinals for veteran left-hander Steven Matz on Wednesday night. To mark his Triple-A debut, he is batting sixth and starting at third base in Game 1 of Worcester’s doubleheader against Lehigh Valley at Polar Park on Friday afternoon. He will be tasked with facing Phillies righty Aaron Nola, who is beginning a rehab assignment with the IronPigs, out of the gate.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Which two prospects did Red Sox trade to Dodgers for Dustin May?

Before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline struck, the Red Sox added to their rotation depth by swinging a last-minute deal with the reigning World Series champion Dodgers.

In exchange for right-hander Dustin May, who is eligible for free agency at season’s end, Boston sent minor league first baseman/outfielder James Tibbs III and minor league outfielder Zach Ehrhard to Los Angeles. Fellow righty Tanner Houck was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for May on the 40-man roster, the club announced.

Tibbs’ tenure in the Red Sox organization ended up being short-lived. The 22-year-old was acquired from the Giants alongside right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison, and minor league righty Jose Bello in the blockbuster trade that sent star slugger Rafael Devers (and the remainder of his contract) to San Francisco on June 15. He was ranked by both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 10 prospect, while MLB Pipeline had him at No. 5.

Originally selected by the Giants with the 13th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Florida State, Tibbs (who received a $4,747,500 million signing bonus) was playing at the High-A level at the time of the trade but received a bump up to Double-A Portland upon switching organizations for the first time in his young career. The left-handed hitter then batted .207/.319/.267 with two doubles, one triple, one home run, seven RBIs, 16 runs scored, two stolen bases, 19 walks, and 39 strikeouts in 30 games (138 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Defensively, Tibbs saw playing time at three different positions in his brief stint with Portland. The 6-foot, 201-pound Georgia native made 17 starts in right field, five starts in left field, and five starts at first base, recording four assists and committing two errors in 69 total chances. He also made three starts at DH.

Ehrhard, on the other hand, was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 29 prospect, while MLB Pipeline had him at No. 27 and SoxProspects.com had him at No. 30. Twice-drafted by the Red Sox, the 22-year-old signed with the club for $500,000 as a fourth-round selection coming out of Oklahoma State last summer. His older brother, Drew, had joined the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa in July 2023.

After struggling somewhat in his professional debut last season, Ehrhard hit the ground running out of camp this spring. The speedy right-handed hitter slashed a stout .342/.471/.459 with 10 doubles, one home run, 22 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 26 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 31 games (140 plate appearances) for High-A Greenville before receiving a promotion to Portland in late May. He then batted .227/.305/.412 with 13 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 23 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 20 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 58 games (237 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs, leading up to Thursday’s trade.

On the other side of the ball, Ehrhard saw playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Greenville and Portland this year. With the Sea Dogs in particular, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Florida native made 28 starts in right field, 20 starts in left field, and three starts in center, recording one assist without committing an error in 98 total defensive chances. He also made six starts at DH.

Tibbs, who does not turn 23 until October, and Ehrhard, who does not turn 23 until next January, have been assigned to the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa, Okla., and will presumably report to the Drillers in the coming days. They join corner infielder Blaze Jordan, who was dealt to the Cardinals for lefty Steven Matz late Wednesday night, as the three prospects the Red Sox parted ways with at this year’s trade deadline.

“We obviously didn’t get to know James Tibbs as well as Blaze and Zach, but feel like they are really good baseball players,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) earlier Thursday evening. “They are going to go on to have successful careers. Each does something that we like, whether it’s James’ contact. Zach has started to hit the ball pretty hard, really good defender in the outfield. Blaze obviously has been performing really, really well in Triple-A this year.

“But you have to be willing to give up good players in order to execute deals. We obviously have found that out, and we’re willing to do so,” he continued. “But it felt like the additions of Matz and May were worthwhile, just given the position of our major league team right now.”

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Which prospect did Red Sox trade to Cardinals for Steven Matz?

The Red Sox swung a late-night trade with the Cardinals on Wednesday to bolster their bullpen depth.

In exchange for left-hander Steven Matz, who is in the final year of a four-year, $44 million contract, Boston dealt minor league infielder Blaze Jordan to St. Louis, per an official announcement.

Jordan was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 25 prospect, while MLB Pipeline had him at No. 17 and SoxProspects.com had him at No. 19. The 22-year-old was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Miss. He forwent his commitment to Mississippi State by signing with the club for an over-slot $1.75 million.

At that time, Chaim Bloom ran the Red Sox’ baseball operations department. Fast forward a little more than five years, and Bloom is now preparing to succeed John Mozeliak as the Cardinals’ president of baseball operations after the 2025 season, so he and Jordan should already be somewhat familiar with one another.

Having seen his prospect stock drop in recent years entering 2025, Jordan has been enjoying a resurgent season thus far. The right-handed hitter returned to Double-A Portland out of camp this spring and batted a stout .320/.415/.513 with 11 doubles, six home runs, 37 RBIs, 30 runs scored, three stolen bases, 22 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 44 games (176 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs. He was recognized as the Eastern League Player of the Month for May and was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in early June.

In 44 games for the WooSox, Jordan slashed .298/.341/.480 with 11 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 25 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 11 walks, and 19 strikeouts over 182 plate appearances. He is riding a four-game hitting streak after going 3-for-5 with one RBI in Wednesday’s extra-innings loss to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park.

Defensively, Jordan unsurprisingly saw playing time at both corner infield positions between his stops in Portland and Worcester this season. With the WooSox in particular, the 6-foot, 220-pounder made 13 starts at first base and 27 starts at third base, committing just two errors in 160 total chances. He also made four starts at DH.

Jordan, who does not turn 23 until December, will presumably report to the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis, Tenn., in the coming days. Looking further ahead, he can once again become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to St. Louis’ 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect James Tibbs III (acquired in Rafael Devers trade) homers for first time with new organization

Red Sox first base/outfield prospect James Tibbs III hit his first home run since being acquired from the Giants as part of last month’s blockbuster Rafael Devers trade in Double-A Portland’s series finale against New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon.

Batting third and starting at first base for the Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field, Tibbs homered off Fisher Cats starter (and top Blue Jays pitching prospect) Trey Yesavage with one runner on and two outs in the bottom of the third inning. The ball left his bat at 102.3 mph and traveled over the center field wall to give his side a 3-2 lead.

Tibbs finished the day going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, one walk, and one strikeout as Portland fell to New Hampshire, 10-5. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old is now batting .286/.378/.397 (127 wRC+) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, five RBIs, 10 runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 15 strikeouts in 16 games (74 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Defensively, Tibbs has been splitting his playing time with Portland between first base and right field. In addition to making three starts at first base, the 6-foot, 201-pounder has logged 107 innings in right field, where he has recorded one assist and committed one error in 23 chances. He has also started one game at DH.

Tibbs was one of four players the Red Sox acquired from the Giants for Devers (and the remainder of his $313.5 million contract) in a stunning move on June 15, joining left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, and pitching prospect Jose Bello. The Georgia native was selected by San Francisco with the 13th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Florida State (where he earned 2024 ACC Player of the Year honors). He netted a $4,747,500 signing bonus and was playing for High-A Eugene at he time he was traded, so he received a promotion upon switching organizations for the first time in his young career.

Tibbs, who does not turn 23 until October, is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 9 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him ranked sixth and SoxProspects.com has him ranked eighth.

Looking ahead, Tibbs is batting second and starting in right field for Portland in Tuesday’s series opener against Hartford at Hadlock Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of James Tibbs III: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Which two prospects did Red Sox acquire from Giants in blockbuster Rafael Devers trade?

In an absolutely stunning turn of events, the Red Sox have traded superstar designated hitter Rafael Devers to the Giants, the club announced earlier Sunday evening.

In exchange for Devers, who is in the second season of a 10-year, $315.5 million contract extension, Boston acquired left-hander Kyle Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, minor-league outfielder James Tibbs III, and minor-league right-hander Jose Bello from San Francisco.

Harrison has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester, while fellow southpaw Zach Penrod was designated for assignment to make room on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster, which is back at full capacity.

As for the two prospects Boston acquired in this blockbuster deal, Tibbs stands out given the fact that he was just selected by San Francisco with the 13th overall pick, one pick after the Red Sox took Braden Montgomery (who was subsequently dealt to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade), in the 2024 draft out of Florida State. The Georgia native received a $4,747,500 signing bonus and made his professional debut with Low-A San Jose last August.

Tibbs was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in the Giants’ farm system. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old spent the first two-plus months of the 2025 season with High-A Eugene, batting .246/.379/.478 with 10 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs, 41 runs scored, three stolen bases, 42 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 57 games (256 plate appearances) for the Emeralds. That includes a .316/.458/.553 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .231/.361/.462 slash line against right-handed pitching.

Defensively, Tibbs has seen the vast majority of his playing time as a professional to this point come in right field. The 6-foot, 201-pounder logged 402 1/3 innings in right for Eugene this year, recording five assists without committing an error in 87 chances. He also made nine starts at DH.

Tibbs, who does not turn 23 until October, is being assigned to Double-A Portland, according to Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster. The Sea Dogs open a six-game homestand against the Akron RubberDucks at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

Bello, meanwhile, was not ranked among San Francisco’s top 30 prospects by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. The 20-year-old righty originally signed with the Giants as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2023. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter, spending the better part of two seasons there before moving up to the Arizona Complex League last July.

In eight appearances for the ACL Giants to begin the 2025 campaign, Bello posted a 2.00 ERA and 1.91 FIP with 28 strikeouts to three walks over 18 innings of relief. Opposing hitters batted .156 against the projectable 6-foot-1, 164-pound hurler, who currently features a four-pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, a cutter, a slider, and a changeup, per a brief Baseball America scouting report.

Bello, who just turned 20 late last month, has been assigned to the Florida Complex League Red Sox. With that being said, it would not be surprising if he received a promotion to Low-A Salem in due time.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)

How has ex-Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez fared since being traded to Yankees?

In light of Carlos Narvaez’s late-game heroics against his former team at Fenway Park on Friday night, it feels like an appropriate time to check in on how the prospect the Red Sox dealt to the Yankees for their breakout catcher in what looked like a minor trade six months ago is faring in his new organization so far.

Funnily enough, that prospect, Elmer Rodriguez, worked out of the bullpen for the first time this season against High-A Greenville on Friday night. In five scoreless innings of relief for Hudson Valley (New York’s High-A affiliate), the 21-year-old right-hander scattered just two hits and two walks while striking out eight of the 18 batters he faced. He threw 76 pitches (44 strikes), generating 12 swings-and-misses as the Renegades blanked the Drive, 1-0.

Through his first 11 outings (10 starts) for Hudson Valley, Rodriguez has forged a 2.70 ERA and 2.47 FIP with 74 strikeouts to 25 walks over a staff-leading 60 innings of work in which opponents have batted just .172 against him. That includes a .205 batting average against right-handed hitters and a .133 batting average against left-handed hitters.

Among 20 qualified South Atlantic League hitters coming into play on Saturday, Rodriguez ranked second in batting average against, FIP, and groundball rate (52.9 percent), third in xFIP (3.10), fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.10), strikeout rate (30.3 percent), ERA, and WHIP (1.03), and fifth in swinging-strike rate (14.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

A Puerto Rican native, Rodriguez was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2021 draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo. He received an under-slot $497,500 signing bonus and slowly worked his way up Boston’s organizational ladder before ending the 2024 season in Greenville. Along with $250,000 in international bonus pool space, he was traded to New York for Narvaez on the final day of the Winter Meetings in December.

Rodriguez entered the 2025 campaign regarded by Baseball America as the Yankees’ No. 16 overall prospect, but has since moved up to the No. 4 spot, which ranks third among pitchers in New York’s farm system behind only fellow righties Bryce Cunningham and Carlos Lagrange. As noted in his Baseball America scouting report, the 6-foot-3 hurler boasts a diverse pitch mix that includes an upper-90s fastball that reaches 98-99 mph, a gyro slider, a sweeper, a curveball, and a splitter.

Rodriguez, who turns 22 in August, could very well be in line for a promotion from Hudson Valley to Double-A Somerset shortly. That is noteworthy when considering the fact that he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time this winter if he is not added to New York’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

Though there are still some things to iron out, such as his command and developing arsenal, a new challenge for Rodriguez in the form of a move from High-A to Double-A would surely aid Yankees decision makers in determining if he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot in the coming months.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Which prospect did Red Sox trade to Twins for hard-throwing reliever Jorge Alcalá?

The Red Sox swung a late-night trade with the Twins on Wednesday, acquiring right-hander Jorge Alcalá for minor league infielder/outfielder Andy Lugo. Fellow righty Brian Van Belle was designated for assignment to make room for Alcala on Boston’s 40-man roster, the club announced.

Lugo, 21, was not ranked among Boston’s top prospects by publications such as SoxProspects.com. 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 July 2021. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June and was later recognized as the organization’s 2022 Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Due to a quad strain, Lugo missed the entirety of 2023 before returning to action last year. He split the 2024 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville, most notably joining top prospects Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell as the only three Red Sox minor-leaguers to record 30-plus doubles on the season as a whole.

Lugo broke camp with Greenville this spring and had gotten his 2025 season off to a solid start, leading up to Wednesday’s trade. In 44 games for the Drive, the right-handed hitter batted .265/.327/.430 with 11 doubles, one triple, a career-high four home runs, 20 RBIs, 16 runs scored, four stolen bases, 14 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 171 plate appearances. That includes a .188/.250/.375 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .286/.348/.445 slash line against right-handed pitching.

Among 77 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League coming into play on Wednesday, Lugo ranked 15th in batting average, 19th in slugging percentage, 24th in OPS (.757), 25th in isolated power (.166), 26th in strikeout rate (23.4 percent), 28th in wOBA (.346), 30th in line-drive rate (22.3 percent), 31st in wRC+ (112), and 37th in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Lugo saw playing time at three different positions with Greenville this season. The versatile six-footer made 21 starts at first base, 16 starts at third base, and four starts in left field, committing four errors in 186 total defensive chances. He also made three starts at DH and has prior experience at second base, center field, and right field.

Lugo, who does not turn 22 until next March, can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his professional career this winter. In the more immediate future, he has been assigned to Minnesota’s High-A affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As such, he will presumably report to and join the Kernels’ roster in the coming days, with a move to Double-A Wichita potentially on the horizon.

(Picture of Jorge Alcalá: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Red Sox release 1B/3B prospect Alex Binelas

The Red Sox released minor league corner infielder Alex Binelas from Triple-A Worcester’s roster on Friday, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log. The move presumably frees up space for the addition of first baseman/outfielder Ryan Noda, who was acquired from the Angels for cash considerations and subsequently optioned to Worcester on Thursday.

Binelas, who turns 25 next week, was originally acquired by the Red Sox alongside outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and then-prospect David Hamilton in the December 2021 trade that sent outfielder Hunter Renfroe to the Brewers. Coincidentally enough, Renfroe was designated for assignment by the Royals on Friday.

Binelas, meanwhile, was just beginning his professional career when he was traded from Milwaukee to Boston. The Oak Creek, Wis. native was selected by his hometown Brewers in the third round (86th overall) of the 2021 draft out of Louisville. He received a $700,000 signing bonus and put forth an impressive pro debut by slashing .309/.390/.583 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 36 games (159 plate appearances) between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Carolina.

After switching organizations, Binelas opened the 2022 campaign at High-A Greenville and continued to put up solid offensive numbers. The left-handed hitter batted .245/.355/.495 with 14 homers and 43 RBIs in 58 games (259 plate appearances) for the Drive before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland that June. He homered 11 more times in his first 55 games (241 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs but spent all of 2023 and most of 2024 with Boston’s Eastern League affiliate as well.

It was not until last September that Binelas, after appearing in 225 games at the Double-A level across parts of three seasons, was finally promoted to Triple-A. He got into three games for the WooSox before the year ended and went 3-for-12 (.250) with one home run and one RBI. Upon returning to Worcester for the start of the 2025 season, he went 9-for-35 (.257) with two home runs and six RBIs over 13 games. It is worth noting that 34 of his 41 plate appearances came against right-handed pitchers.

Altogether, Binelas slashed .226/.319/.437 (105 wRC+) with 52 doubles, nine triples, 52 home runs, 196 RBIs, 173 runs scored, 36 stolen bases, 144 walks, and 371 strikeouts over 299 total games (1,232 plate appearances) between Greenville, Portland, and Worcester. On the other side of the ball, the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder saw most of his playing time as a member of the Red Sox organization come at either first base or third base. In limited action this year, he logged 24 2/3 innings at first, four innings at third, and one-third of an inning in right field (a career first), committing one error in 22 chances.

Looking back, Binelas was regarded as highly as the No. 17 prospect in Boston’s farm system by Baseball America, FanGraphs, and SoxProspects.com in 2022, while MLB Pipeline had him ranked 22nd within the organization around that same time. Given his past pedigree, it would not be too surprising if he found an opportunity to play elsewhere if he is intent on continuing his career.

(Picture of Alex Binelas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)