Tag: trades

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)

Which four prospects did Red Sox trade to White Sox for Garrett Crochet?

The Red Sox bit the proverbial bullet and dipped into their talented prospect pool to complete a trade with the White Sox for frontline starter Garrett Crochet on Wednesday.

In exchange for Crochet — a 25-year-old left-hander who is coming off an All-Star season and is under club control through 2026 — Boston sent right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, and infielder Chase Meidroth to Chicago.

Gonzalez, who turns 23 in March, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. He was added to the 40-man roster last November to protect him from Rule 5 Draft eligibility.

After being recognized as the organization’s 2023 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, Gonzalez had an up-and-down 2024 season. The righty posted a 4.73 (4.12 FIP) with 92 strikeouts to 46 walks in 24 appearances (19 starts) spanning 83 2/3 innings for Double-A Portland. He fared better in the second half, as evidenced by a 2.31 ERA (3.52 FIP) in nine outings (seven starts) after the MLB All-Star break. Opposing hitters batted just .157 against him in that stretch.

Listed at 6-foot and 167 pounds, Gonzalez throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lively hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 94-96 mph fastball that can reach 97 mph, a 77-80 mph curveball, an 87-88 mph changeup, and an 86-88 mph cutter. His command and control are still considered works in progress.

Teel, who turns 23 in February, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 25 prospect in the sport. The New Jersey native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia. He received a $4 million signing bonus.

Following a successful professional debut that saw him reach the Double-A level, Teel returned to Portland for the start of the 2024 season and represented the Red Sox at July’s All-Star Futures Game before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in August. Altogether, the left-handed hitter batted .288/.386/.433 (134 wRC+) with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, an organizational-leading 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts in 112 total games (505 plate appearances). He was named an Eastern League Post-Season All-Star and a Baseball America Double-A All-Star.

On the other side of the ball, Teel was voted as the Eastern League’s top defensive catcher in Baseball America’s 2024 Best Tools survey. Equipped with plus arm strength, the 6-foot, 190-pound backstop logged 655 1/3 total innings behind the plate between Portland and Worcester and threw out 23 of 116 possible base stealers. He also allowed 11 passed balls and committed 12 errors in 793 chances.

Montgomery, who turns 22 in April, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 59 prospect in the sport. The Texas A&M product was selected by the Red Sox with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft but did not make his professional debut after signing for $5 million since he was still recovering from a fractured right ankle he suffered in June’s NCAA Super Regionals.

Before seeing his junior season get cut short, the switch-hitting Montgomery had slashed .322/.454/.733 with 14 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs, 85 RBIs, 65 runs scored, five stolen bases, 53 walks, and 59 strikeouts in 61 games (295 plate appearances) for the Aggies. On the other side of the ball, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder saw most of his playing time this past spring come in right field and he was named to the 2024 SEC All-Defensive Team among various other honors. His arm strength grades as a 70 on Baseball America’s 20-80 scouting scale.

Meidroth, 23, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of San Diego. He received a $272,500 signing bonus and had established himself as one of the organization’s more unique talents by utilizing his contact skills and plate discipline to compensate for his lack of power.

Meidroth spent the 2024 season with Worcester and was recognized as the WooSox’ Most Valuable Player. In 122 games, the right-handed hitter batted .293/.437/.401 with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 57 RBIs, 87 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 105 walks, and 71 strikeouts over 558 plate appearances. He was named a Triple-A All-Star by Baseball America.

Defensively, Meidroth saw playing time at every infield position besides first base with Worcester this year. The versatile 5-foot-10, 170-pounder logged 412 innings at shortstop, 275 1/3 innings at third base, and 137 2/3 innings at second base. He committed 10 total errors (seven at shortstop, three at third base) in 340 chances altogether.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Which four prospects did Red Sox trade to Angels for Luis García?

The Red Sox closed out the 2024 trade deadline by dealing four more prospects to the Angels for veteran reliever Luis Garcia on Tuesday night.

In exchange for Garcia, who will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season, Boston sent a quartet of minor-leaguers in outfielder Matthew Lugo, first baseman Niko Kavadas, and right-handers Ryan Zeferjahn and Yeferson Vargas to Los Angeles, per a club announcement.

Lugo, 23, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .250/.340/.452 with 10 doubles, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 21 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 12 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 35 games (141 plate appearances) for Triple-A Worcester this season after being promoted from Double-A Portland in early June.

A native of Puerto Rico, Lugo was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder rose originally through the ranks as an infielder but has since transitioned to becoming a full-time outfielder. Between Portland and Worcester this season, he started 55 games in left field, 15 in right field, and one in center field.

Kavadas, 25, was taken by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Notre Dame. The left-handed hitting slugger had spent all of 2023 with Worcester, batting .281/.424/.551 with 20 doubles, 17 homers, 63 RBIs, 57 runs scored, 58 walks, and 112 strikeouts over 83 games (335 plate appearances). That includes a .300/.447/.595 slash line against right-handed pitching and a less favorable .233/.360/.438 slash line against lefties.

In addition to the rough platoon splits, Kavadas has struggled against breaking pitches and is limited in what he can do defensively. With the WooSox this season, for instance, the 6-foot-1, 235-pounder made 53 of his 81 starts at first base and the other 28 at DH. As such, he profiles as a potential three-true-outcomes bench bat at the next level.

Zeferjahn, 26, was selected in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Kanas. The hard-throwing righty originally came up as a starter but has since moved to the bullpen. He allowed just two unearned runs with 22 strikeouts to three walks in his first seven relief appearances (13 2/3 innings) of the season for Portland before earning a promotion to Worcester in early May.

With the WooSox, however, Zeferjahn struggled to a 5.47 ERA (5.37 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to 17 walks over 19 outings (24 2/3 innings). The 6-foot-5, 209-pound hurler has sat between 96-98 mph and topped out at 100 mph with his fastball this season. He also features an 88-92 mph slider and 84-87 mph curveball, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Vargas, who turns 20 this weekend, signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in December 2022. After making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year, the San Pedro de Macoris native opened this season in the Florida Complex League. He forged a 3.13 ERA and 4.58 FIP with 29 strikeouts to 13 walks in 10 appearances (three starts) spanning 31 2/3 innings for Boston’s FCL affiliate before making the jump to Low-A Salem a few days ago.

In his full-season debut against the Carolina Mudcats last Friday, Vargas struck out five and walked two while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits over four innings. The 6-foot, 177-pound righty threw 62 pitches (39 strikes) and elicited 10 swings-and-misses, per Baseball Savant. Earlier this month, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that Vargas averaged 95-96 mph and touched 98 mph with his fastball during a June outing. He also mixed in an 81-84 mph curveball.

As is the case with Nick Yorke (who was traded to the Pirates for Quinn Priester) and Eddinson Paulino (one of three minor-leaguers dealt to the Blue Jays for Danny Jansen), Lugo, Kavadas, and Zeferjahn can all become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if they are not added to their respective clubs’ 40-man rosters.

Vargas, on the other hand, joins the likes of Ovis Portes and Gilberto Batista as young pitching prospects Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. traded away to address other areas of need. Portes was dealt to the Reds for reliever Lucas Sims while Batista was part of the package that went to the Blue Jays for Jansen.

(Picture of Luis Garcia: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox trade breakout pitching prospect Ovis Portes to Reds for bullpen help

The Red Sox parted ways with a promising young pitching prospect to upgrade their bullpen depth in a trade with the Reds on Tuesday afternoon.

In exchange for reliever Lucas Sims, who is eligible for free agency this winter, Boston dealt right-hander Ovis Portes to Cincinnati, per a club announcement. Injured left-hander Brandon Walter was also designated for assignment to make room for Sims on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster.

Portes was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking 10th among pitchers in the organization. The 19-year-old hurler broke onto the scene this season after posting a 2.12 ERA (3.12 FIP) with 41 strikeouts to 19 walks in 11 appearances (five starts) spanning 34 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.

A native of Antigua and Barbuda, Portes originally signed with the Red Sox for $25,000 as an international free agent in March 2022. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that June and repeated the level last year, though he was limited to just four outings in which he put up underwhelming results.

Portes broke camp this past spring with the rookie-level FCL Red Sox and strung together four straight scoreless appearances (13 innings) before earning a promotion to Salem in early June. He then pitched to a 3.43 ERA (3.64 FIP) with 25 strikeouts to 15 walks in seven outings (five starts) and 21 innings for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Opposing hitters batted .213 against him.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 167 pounds, Portes throws from a three-quarters arm slot. The projectable righty has been sitting between 94-96 mph and topping out at 98 mph with his four-seam fastball this season while also mixing in a low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup, per his Baseball America scouting report.

Portes, who does not turn 20 until December, has been assigned to the Reds’ Low-A affiliate in Daytona, Fla. It remains to be seen if Cincinnati plans on developing Portes as a starter or reliever, but he nonetheless possesses intriguing potential at this stage in his career.

(Picture of Ovis Portes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Which three prospects did Red Sox trade to Blue Jays for Danny Jansen?

The Red Sox traded three prospects in order to acquire veteran catcher Danny Jansen from the Blue Jays on Saturday night.

In exchange for Jansen, who is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season, Boston dealt minor-league infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino and minor-league right-hander Gilberto Batista to Toronto, per a club announcement.

To make room for Jansen on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated righty Alex Speas for assignment. They will need to make another move before adding the 29-year-old backstop to the major-league roster.

Coffey, 20, was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield. He forewent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing for $1.8475 million.

After making his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Coffey split his first full season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. The right-handed hitter returned to Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign and batted .238/.321/.463 with 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 39 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 28 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 61 games (271 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Coffey enjoyed a strong month of June, batting .300/.391/.638 in 22 games after returning from a concussion. During that stretch, he became the first player in Drive history to homer in six consecutive games (June 9-15). Since the calendar flipped to July, though, he has struggled to a .191/.286/.338 slash line with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 20 strikeouts over his last 17 games.

Defensively, Coffey has seen the majority of his playing time this season come on the left side of the infield. With Greenville, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder made 31 starts at third base and 21 starts at shortstop, committing 19 errors in 150 total chances between the two positions. He also started two games at second base and seven games at DH.

Paulino, who turned 22 earlier this month, was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 15 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $205,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santiago on his 16th birthday in July 2018. He can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Toronto’s 40-man roster.

After spending the entirety of the 2023 campaign at Greenville, Paulino broke camp with Double-A Portland this spring. The left-handed hitter has not played since being placed on the Sea Dogs’ injured list on July 13. He nevertheless batted .263/.349/.391 with 16 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 35 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 29 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 69 games (278 plate appearances) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate.

On the other side of the ball, Paulino logged innings at every infield position besides first base in his time with Portland. The 5-foot-10, 155-pounder made 34 starts at third base, 20 at second base, and 11 at shortstop, committing 11 errors in 192 total defensive chances. He also made one start at DH and has past experience in the outfield.

Batista, 19, was not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The Dominican-born right-hander originally signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent in November 2022. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and was recognized as the organization’s 2023 Minor League Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Listed at 6-foot and 165 pounds, Batista posted a 3.92 ERA and 3.51 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 13 walks in eight appearances (five starts) spanning 20 2/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox this season. Opposing hitters batted .220 against Batista, who reportedly sits between 93-95 mph with his fastball and features a slider. He was promoted to Salem earlier this week but had not yet appeared in a game for the Carolina League affiliate leading up to Saturday’s trade.

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

Who is Moises Bolivar? Red Sox traded infielder who can ‘hit the ball with authority’ to Dodgers for James Paxton

The Red Sox dipped into their 2024 international signing class in order to complete a trade with the Dodgers on Friday afternoon.

In exchange for bringing back veteran left-hander James Paxton, who was designated for assignment on Monday, Boston dealt minor-league infielder Moises Bolivar to Los Angeles, per a club announcement.

Bolivar, who turned 17 earlier this month, is in the middle of his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League after signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent in January. The native Venezuelan received a modest $25,000 bonus and was not viewed by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top-ranked prospects in Boston’s farm system.

A right-handed hitter, Bolivar batted .270/.364/.423 with six doubles, one triple, three home runs, 19 RBIs, 17 runs scored, one stolen base, 17 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 31 games (132 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue. He clubbed a walk-off homer in his penultimate game with the rookie-level affiliate on Wednesday.

Among the 82 Dominican Summer League hitters who entered Friday with at least 130 plate appearances this season, Bolivar ranked 29th in strikeout rate (15.9 percent), 40th in batting average, 28th in slugging percentage, 42nd in OPS (.787), 25th in isolated power (.153), and 43rd in swinging-strike rate (24.5 percent), according to FanGraphs.

When asked by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier for a brief assessment of Bolivar, one evaluator “praised his high contact rate and ability to hit the ball with authority.” SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall added that Bolivar is aggressive at the plate but has “solid contact skills” and “rarely whiffs on pitches in the zone.”

On the other side of the ball, Bolivar served as DSL Red Sox Blue’s primary third baseman. The 6-foot, 175-pounder made 23 starts at the hot corner, committing 10 errors in 68 defensive chances over 187 2/3 innings. He also started three games at first base and five at DH.

Since the trade is official, the Dodgers have assigned Bolivar to one of their two Dominican Summer League affiliates (DSL LAD Mega). The Red Sox, meanwhile, transferred injured right-hander Bryan Mata to the 60-day injured list to make room for Paxton on the 40-man roster. They will need to make another move before adding him to the major league roster.

(Picture of James Paxton: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Who is CJ Weins? Red Sox traded righty with ‘intriguing’ fastball to Tigers on Saturday

The Red Sox dipped into their 2023 draft class in order to make a minor trade with the Tigers over the weekend.

In exchange for minor-league right-hander Trey Wingenter, Boston dealt fellow righty CJ Weins to Detroit on Saturday night. Wingenter, who has three seasons of major-league experience (2018-2019, 2023) between the Padres and Tigers, will likely be added to the Red Sox’ active roster on Tuesday. Weins, meanwhile, switches organizations for the first time less than a full year since entering the professional ranks.

Weins, who turns 24 next month, was selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of last summer’s draft out of Western Kentucky. As a graduate student who previously attended Wabash Valley College and South Carolina, the Illinois native signed with Boston for a modest $50,000 in late July.

Shortly after putting pen to paper, Weins made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League. He appeared in just one game for the FCL Red Sox, walking one and striking out another in a scoreless inning of relief against the FCL Twins in Fort Myers on August 18.

In October, Weins received some national attention from Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, who recognized the 23-year-old for having the best fastball in Boston’s 2023 draft class. That fastball, per Collazo, had “been up to 98 mph and generated an extremely high, 39 percent whiff rate with Western Kentucky, thanks in part to unique release traits.”

To begin his first full season in pro ball, Weins broke camp with Low-A Salem this past spring but did not make his first appearance until April 21 after spending some time on the temporary inactive list. Still, in 19 relief outings for the Red Sox, the righty posted a 4.81 ERA and 4.28 FIP with 29 strikeouts to 16 walks over 24 1/3 innings of work. Opposing hitters batted just .211 against him.

Before allowing two runs in last Wednesday’s win over Lynchburg, Weins had pitched to a 1.46 ERA (4.75 FIP) in his last 10 appearances (12 1/3 innings) dating back to May 26. He also converted three of five possible save opportunities in his time with Salem and currently ranks second on the team in that category.

As highlighted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Weins throws from a three-quarters arm slot and puts “considerable” effort into his delivery. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound hurler operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s fastball that has reached 95 mph, an 86-89 mph cutter, and an 80-84 mph slider.

Ian Cundall, SoxProspects.com’s scouting director, wrote on Saturday that Weins’ fastball “has some intriguing traits and missed bats this year.” He also noted that Weins has plus extension and 18 inches of induced vertical break on his heater.

Weins, who was not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com, has been assigned to Detroit’s Low-A affiliate in Lakeland, Fla. Nick Green, who spent eight seasons (2015-2022) coaching in the Red Sox organization, currently serves as the Lakeland Flying Tigers’ pitching coach.

It remains to be seen how the Tigers plan on utilizing Weins, but his development as a pitcher moving forward will presumably hinge on his ability to throw strikes more consistently. With that, it will be interesting to see if Weins can make the jump to High-A West Michigan before the 2024 campaign draws to a close.

Weins joins left-hander Ryan Ammons as the second member of the Red Sox’ 2023 draft class to have already been traded by the club. Ammons, a 10th-rounder out of Clemson who also signed for $50,000, was dealt to the Mets in December for Rule 5 selection Justin Slaten. He was recently promoted to New York’s High-A affiliate in Brooklyn.

(Picture of CJ Weins: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts impresses in final outing of spring

Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts looked sharp in his final outing of the spring on Tuesday afternoon.

Fitts got the start in the Sox’ exhibition finale against the Rangers at Globe Life Field. The right-hander was tasked with facing plenty of big-league regulars but held his own, scattering just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 scoreless innings of work in a winning effort.

Though he kept Texas off the scoreboard, Fitts did deal with his fair share of traffic on the base paths. The 24-year-old gave up a leadoff single to Marcus Semien in the first inning, but stranded him at first. He then worked his way around a one-out double from top Rangers prospect Wyatt Langford in the second and a leadoff walk drawn by Leody Taveras in the third.

Both Langford and Taveras made it as far as third base but failed to advance past there. After the Red Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth, Fitts retired the lone batter he faced in the latter half of the fourth by fanning reigning ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia on six pitches. He was then relieved by Isaiah Campbell, the first of seven bullpen arms used by manager Alex Cora as Boston went on to defeat Texas by a final score of 4-1.

Finishing with 54 pitches (33 strikes), Fitts induced a game-high seven whiffs and was credited with the winning decision. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound righty threw 25 sliders, 20 four-seam fastballs, and nine changeups while averaging 93.9 mph and topping out at 95.8 mph with his heater, according to Baseball Savant.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in the December trade that sent Alex Verdugo to New York, Fitts is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among arms in the organization behind only Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales. The Alabama native was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn and is coming off a 2023 season in which he posted a 3.48 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 27 starts (152 2/3 innings) for New York’s Double-A affiliate.

On the heels of earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors, Fitts was dealt to the Red Sox alongside Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice. Identified by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. as someone who could strengthen an area of need in the minor-league pipeline, Fitts took part in the club’s rookie development program back in January and pitched three innings of relief for Boston in its inaugural Spring Breakout matchup against the Braves at JetBlue Park earlier this month.

With his first-ever big-league spring training start in the books, Fitts will now report to Triple-A Worcester and open the 2024 campaign in the WooSox’ starting rotation. His first start of the season could come as soon as this Sunday, when Worcester wraps up a three-game weekend series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pa.

At this point in time, it remains to be seen if Fitts — who does not turn 25 until December — will be able to stick as a starter or ultimately move to the bullpen in the long run. He can nevertheless become Rule 5-eligible for the first time later this year, meaning the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

Based on the early returns, though, Fitts could very well make his major-league debut this season depending on how things shake out for the Red Sox. How he fares with the WooSox out of the gate will certainly be worth monitoring.

(Picture of Richard Fitts: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Nicholas Judice throws fastball that has reached triple digits, whiff-inducing slider

The Red Sox added to their 2023 draft class earlier this month by trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees.

In exchange for Verdugo, who is eligible for free agency next winter, Boston received three right-handers from New York who are all at different points in their respective careers. While Greg Weissert — with two seasons of big-league experience under his belt — and Richard Fitts — the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year — have each established themselves to varying degrees, Nicholas Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch.

Judice, the youngest of the four players involved in the rare swap between division rivals, was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of this past summer’s draft out of Louisiana-Monroe. A native of the Pelican State himself, the 22-year-old signed with New York for $185,500 in July but did not see any action with a minor-league affiliate after putting pen to paper.

In his fourth and final season at Louisiana-Monroe this spring, Judice posted a 3.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 66 strikeouts to 15 walks in 21 appearances (three starts) spanning 53 innings of work for the Warhawks. Baseball America tabbed the righty as the 420th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class while MLB Pipeline gave a much more favorable ranking at No. 175.

Based off scouting reports from both publications, Judice has drawn rave reviews for his athleticism and projectability. Standing at an imposing 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Judice throws from a three-quarters arm slot and relies primarily upon two pitches: a low-90s fastball that reportedly touched 100 mph this spring and a whiff-inducing, mid-80s slider that was singled out by Baseball America as the best secondary offering in the Yankees’ 2023 draft class.

Although the bulk of his work in college came out of the bullpen, Judice made three straight Friday night starts for the Warhawks to close out their 2023 campaign and then started three more games for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer. Given his experience in both roles, Judice could be stretched out into a starter or fast-tracked as a reliever depending on how the Red Sox plan on utilizing him.

Having said that, Judice, who turns 23 in April, is now regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 57 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 26th among pitchers in the organization. He is currently projected by the site to begin the 2024 season — and therefore make his pro debut — with Low-A Salem.

(Picture of Nicholas Judice: University of Louisiana-Monroe Athletics)