Tag: trades

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)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect John Holobetz from Brewers to complete Quinn Priester trade

Exactly four weeks after dealing right-hander Quinn Priester to the Brewers, the Red Sox completed their April 7 trade with Milwaukee by adding some minor-league pitching depth on Monday.

Having already obtained outfielder Yophery Rodriguez and a competitive balance draft pick (33rd overall in this year’s draft) last month, Boston acquired minor-league righty John Holobetz from Milwaukee as the player to be named later (as opposed to cash considerations) in the deal to officially complete the swap.

Holobetz, 22, was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round (156th overall) of last summer’s draft out of Old Dominion (where he primarily pitched out of the bullpen) by way of Radford. The Pennsylvania native signed with Milwaukee for an under-slot $322,500 but did not make his professional debut until this April. He posted a 3.00 ERA (2.48 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to five walks in five outings (three starts) spanning 24 innings for Low-A Carolina to begin the 2025 season. Opposing hitters batted just .180 against him.

Among 15 qualified Carolina League pitchers, Holobetz currently leads the pack in strikeout rate (31.3 percent), batting average against, WHIP (0.88), FIP, and xFIP (2.71). He also ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.63), walks per nine innings (1.88), and walk rate (5.1 percent), and seventh in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Holobetz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and puts a lot of effort into his delivery. At present, he features a 92-94 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph this season, an 83-86 mph slider, and a high-80s changeup. According to Holobetz’s Baseball America pre-draft scouting report, “scouts believe the changeup is his best pitch, a potential weapon, but his breaking ball is more of a work in progress. Despite his reliever history, he throws enough strikes to potentially start in pro ball.”

Holobetz, who turns 23 in late July, was initially assigned to Low-A Salem but will instead report to High-A Greenville to begin his career as a member of the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of John Holobetz: Old Dominion University Athletics)

Red Sox acquire OF prospect Yophery Rodriguez from Brewers in Quinn Priester trade

The Red Sox acquired outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez from the Brewers for right-hander Quinn Priester on Monday.

In addition to Rodriguez, Boston acquired a Competitive Balance Round A selection (33rd overall pick) in the 2025 draft and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Rodriguez, 19, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Milwaukee’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Brewers for $1.5 million as an international free agent coming out of San Pedro De Macoris in January 2023.

Shortly after signing, Rodriguez made a positive first impression in his professional debut. The left-handed hitter was recognized as a 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star after batting .253/.393/.449 with 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 36 RBIs, 34 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 41 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 52 games (224 plate appearances) for DSL Brewers 1.

Rodriguez made the jump stateside in 2024, with the Brewers aggressively having him skip the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and instead assigning him to Low-A Carolina out of spring training. As an 18-year-old all of last season, he slashed .250/.343/.383 with 23 doubles, six triples, seven home runs, 60 RBIs, 59 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 59 walks, and 115 strikeouts in 110 games (484 plate appearances) for the Mudcats.

Rodriguez broke camp with High-A Wisconsin this spring and had gotten his 2025 campaign off to a strong start, going 5-for-12 (.417) with one double, one triple, five runs scored, one walk, and three strikeouts in his first three games. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder made three starts in center field for the Timber Rattlers and has made 138 starts there for his young career. He also has limited experience in the corners, with five starts in left field and eight starts in right field under his belt.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Rodriguez “doesn’t have one spectacular tool, but he does a lot of things well. He’s a good fastball hitter with a smooth left-handed swing and his plate discipline is solid for his age, though he ran into trouble with more swing-and-miss against offspeed stuff. Rodriguez makes quality contact and shows flashes of what could be future average or better power.

“Rodriguez has good defensive instincts—especially on balls hit over his head—and an average arm, but he’s a solid-average runner, so he doesn’t have prototypical center field speed,” the report adds. “He projects to be a fringe-average defender in center field but more likely ends up in right field, where he should be an average to above defender.”

Rodriguez, who does not turn 20 until December, has been assigned to High-A Greenville and will presumably report to Boston’s South Atlantic League affiliate in the coming days. With the Drive, he is slated to join an outfield mix that includes the likes of Miguel Bleis, Zach Ehrhard, Kolby Johnson, and Nelly Taylor, among others.

(Picture of Yophery Rodriguez: Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect Matt McShane from Pirates

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects by swinging a minor trade with the Pirates for the second time in as many months on Friday.

In exchange for right-hander Chase Shugart, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday following the acquisition of catcher Blake Sabol from the Giants, Boston acquired fellow righty Matt McShane from Pittsburgh.

McShane, 22, was selected by the Pirates in the 13th round (384th overall) of last summer’s draft out of St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania native signed for $150,000 in late July but did not pitch for one of Pittsburgh’s minor-league affiliates, meaning he has yet to make his professional debut.

As part of his three-year collegiate career, McShane compiled a 3.76 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 53 total appearances (two starts) spanning 119 2/3 innings at St. Joseph’s. That includes earning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors as a freshman in 2022 and posting a 3.95 ERA (1.27 WHIP) with 57 strikeouts to 18 walks over 43 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .224 batting average for the Hawks as a junior last spring. He also spent parts of the last two summers with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, McShane has flashed a 93-95 mph fastball that has reached 96 mph while also mixing in an 82-83 mph slider and an 86-87 mph changeup, per ProspectsLive.com’s Jake Bargery. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2025 season in Low-A Salem’s bullpen.

McShane, who does not turn 23 until November, is the second member of the Pirates’ 2024 draft class to be traded to the Red Sox this winter. He joins reliever Joe Vogatsky, a 19th-rounder out of James Madison who was acquired for infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez on December 15, in that regard.

(Picture of Matt McShane: St. Joseph’s University Athletics)

Red Sox’ Craig Breslow on trade addition Carlos Narvaez: ‘He’s a guy that we’re really excited about’

The Red Sox did not pluck a player from the Yankees organization in the major- or minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft earlier this month, but they did swing a rare trade with their division rivals on the final day of the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas.

In exchange for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez and $250,000 in international bonus pool space, Boston acquired catcher Carlos Narvaez from New York on December 11. The move came just hours after the Red Sox included top catching prospect Kyle Teel in the five-player trade that netted them frontline starter Garrett Crochet from the White Sox.

Narvaez, who turned 26 late last month, comes to the Red Sox with just six games of major-league experience under his belt. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Yankees for $50,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2015. He made his professional debut the following June and — in the process of working up the minor-league ladder — was added to New York’s 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection in November 2023.

Narvaez opened the 2024 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and was not called up for his big-league debut until mid-July. The right-handed hitter appeared in six games for the Yankees from July 20 through August 10, going 3-for-13 (.231) with three singles, two walks, and six strikeouts. From behind the plate, he threw out one of two possible base stealers before being optioned on August 13.

Narvaez would close out the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, finishing with a .254/.370/.412 slash line with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 58 RBIs, 54 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 56 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 96 games (403 plate appearances) for the RailRiders. Defensively, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound backstop gunned down 15 of 83 would-be base stealers. He also logged 114 innings at first base and three innings at third base.

Equipped with a strong arm and solid framing and receiving skills, Narvaez has spent his winter with the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP). Despite dealing with visa issues that resulted in him being away from the team for a bit, Narvaez still batted a stout .357/.456/.662 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 23 regular-season games (90 plate appearances) for the Cardenales, who are now in the LVBP playoffs.

Having said that, it is worth noting that Venezuelan journalist Carlos V. Rodriguez reported on Monday that — regardless of how far the Cardenales advance in the playoffs — Narvaez will only play until January 7 because the Red Sox want him back in the United States to take part in team activities. That tracks with Narvaez being among the players expected to attend the first-ever Fenway Fest fan event in Boston on January 11.

Barring any other catching additions in the coming days or weeks, Narvaez will likely enter his first spring training with the Red Sox as the club’s top backup option behind Connor Wong. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged as much when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) via Zoom earlier Monday afternoon.

“He’s a guy that we’re really excited about,” Breslow said of Narvaez. “What we saw out of him in winter ball I think only enhances or reinforces that we think he’s a great complement to Connor. That doesn’t mean that we’ll stop looking but I think we brought Narvy in because of what he brings offensively but also more specifically in terms of pitch framing and receiving. We feel really good about that.”

(Picture of Carlos Narvaez: Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Red Sox trade lefty reliever Cam Booser to White Sox for pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo

The Red Sox simultaneously created a 40-man roster spot and added a young pitching prospect to the organizational pipeline by connecting on their second trade in as many weeks with the White Sox on Saturday evening.

In exchange for left-handed reliever Cam Booser, who forged a 3.38 ERA in 43 relief appearances (42 2/3 innings) as a 32-year-old rookie this past season, Boston acquired right-hander Yhoiker Fajardo from Chicago.

Fajardo, 18, made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League this year after signing with the White Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in February. The Villa de Cura native earned DSL Mid-Season All-Star honors en route to posting a 3.91 ERA (2.50 FIP) with 64 strikeouts to eight walks in 13 starts (50 2/3 innings) for Chicago’s rookie-level affiliate. Opposing hitters batted .260 against him.

Among the 19 Dominican Summer League pitchers who eclipsed the 50-inning mark in 2024, Fajardo ranked first in FIP and xFIP (2.33), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.37), strikeout rate (30.2 percent), and swinging-strike rate (43.4 percent), and fourth in walks per nine innings (1.42), walk rate (3.8 percent), and groundball rate (55.6 percent), per FanGraphs. He also produced the highest BABIP (.365) of that group, which suggests that luck may not have necessarily been on his side.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 181-185 pounds, Fajardo has been described by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as “a good athlete with an easy delivery that he repeats well from a consistent release point on all of his pitches.” The projectable righty still has plenty of room to grow physically but currently sits between 90-95 mph with his fastball while mixing in a low-80s slider and an occasional hard changeup.

Barring a surprise, Fajardo — who does not turn 19 until next October — will likely open the 2025 season in the Florida Complex League.

(Picture of Cam Booser: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire pitching prospect Joe Vogatsky from Pirates

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects on Sunday by swinging a minor trade with the Pirates.

In exchange for infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday following the acquisition of catcher Carlos Narvaez from the Yankees, Boston acquired right-hander Joe Vogatsky from Pittsburgh.

Vogatsky, who turns 23 later this month, was selected by the Pirates in the 19th round of this past July’s draft out of James Madison. The Virginia native signed with the club for $25,000 but did not pitch for one of Pittsburgh’s minor-league affiliates, meaning he has yet to make his professional debut.

After compiling a 3.34 ERA in 21 appearances (29 2/3 innings) for James Madison and a 1.42 ERA in four appearances (6 1/3 innings) for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, Vogatsky was taken by the Blue Jays in the 14th round of the 2023 draft. Rather than go pro then, the righty opted to return to JMU for his senior season. He posted a 3.49 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 48 strikeouts to 23 walks in 27 relief appearances (49 innings) for the Dukes in 2024. Opposing hitters batted .232 against him.

Listed at 6-foot and 215 pounds, Vogatsky “has a reliever delivery with effort and a sidearm slot that creates some deception on all of his pitches,” per his Baseball America scouting report. His pitch mix is highlighted by a fastball that averaged 93 mph and reached 96-97 mph this spring and a low-80s slider that “has solid pure spin rates and modest break.” He has also featured a mid-80s changeup and an upper-70s curveball.

Vogatsky is projected by SoxProspects.com to open the 2025 season in Low-A Salem’s bullpen. It should be interesting to see if he can benefit from the new developmental infrastructure the Red Sox have implemented under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and director of pitching Justin Willard.

(Picture of Joe Vogatsky: James Madison University Athletics)

Red Sox trade pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez to Yankees to bolster catching depth

The Red Sox traded an intriguing pitching prospect to the Yankees for catcher Carlos Narvaez on Wednesday night.

In exchange for Narvaez — a 26-year-old who made his major-league debut this past season — Boston sent right-hander Elmer Rodriguez and $250,000 in international bonus pool space to New York. Infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez was designated for assignment to make room for Narvaez on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster.

Rodriguez, 21, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Puerto Rican 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 forwent his commitment to Oregon by signing with the club for $497,500.

Rodriguez split the 2024 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville, posting a 2.91 ERA and 3.56 FIP with 102 strikeouts to 43 walks in 21 appearances (20 starts) spanning a career-high 89 2/3 innings. After being promoted from Salem to Greenville in late July, the righty pitched to a 3.77 ERA (5.34 FIP)  with 29 strikeouts to 18 walks in seven starts (28 2/3 innings). Opposing hitters batted just .180 against him in that stretch.

Though he is listed at 6-foot-3 and 160 pounds, Rodriguez is presumably heavier than that after adding strength last offseason in an effort to gain more velocity. Those efforts seemingly paid off, as the athletic hurler now sits between 94-97 mph and can reach 99 mph with his fastball. He also mixes in an 85-88 mph slider, an 80-83 mph curveball, and an 88-91 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Rodriguez, who does not turn 22 until August, can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career next winter if he is not added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. Having said that, it should be interesting to see how he adjusts to life in a new organization moving forward.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)