Tag: trades

Red Sox acquire two-time Gold Glove winner Tyler O’Neill from Cardinals

The Red Sox have acquired two-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the Cardinals in exchange for right-handers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos, the club announced earlier Friday evening.

O’Neill, 28, was limited to just 72 games with the Cardinals this past season after spending time on the 60-day injured list with a lower back strain and the 10-day injured list with a right foot sprain. When healthy, the right-handed hitter batted .231/.312/.403 with 14 doubles, nine home runs, 21 RBIs, 27 runs scored, five stolen bases, 28 walks, and 67 strikeouts over 266 plate appearances.

As a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, O’Neill carries with him an impressive defensive pedigree. While he has experience at all three outfield spots, the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder saw the majority of his playing time this year come in left, where he recorded five assists and one defensive runs saved over 441 2/3 innings. He also logged 93 innings in center but did grade as well there.

A native Canadian who represented his country in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, O’Neill was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Garibaldi Secondary School in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The one-time Oregon State commit established himself as one of the top prospects in Seattle’s farm system before being traded to St. Louis for left-hander Marco Gonzales in July 2017. He then broke in with the Cardinals the following April.

Since debuting for St. Louis at the onset of the 2018 season, O’Neill has shown flashes of his potential but has simultaneously struggled to stay on the field. After being limited to 61 games in 2018 and 60 games in 2019, O’Neill appeared in 50 of 60 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and took home his first of two straight Gold Gloves. In 2021, he broke out to the tune of a .286/.352/.560 slash line with a career-high 34 home runs and 80 RBIs over a career-high 138 games played, which netted him an eighth-place finish in National League MVP Award voting.

Unfortunately, O’Neill has not been able to build off the success he enjoyed in 2021. Last year, he posted a .700 OPS in 96 games while missing time with a right shoulder impingement and a left hamstring strain. To go along with additional injury trouble this year, he was called out by Cardinals manager Oli Marmol in early April for a perceived lack of hustle on the base paths. O’Neill pushed back on that notion, but it appears as though that marked the beginning of the end as far as his time in St. Louis was concerned.

All told, O’Neill is a lifetime .248/.318/.458 hitter with 67 doubles, three triples, 78 home runs, 217 RBIs, 239 runs scored, 40 stolen bases, 136 walks, and 491 strikeouts in 477 career games (1,636 plate appearances) at the major-league level. He has accrued 24 defensive runs saved over 2,856 2/3 career innings in left field, negative-two defensive runs saved over 303 2/3 career innings in center, and two defensive runs saved over 151 2/3 career innings in right.

O’Neill, who turns 29 in June, can become eligible for free agency after the 2024 season and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $5.5 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. The Red Sox believe O’Neill is capable of playing all over the outfield, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. More importantly, he hits from the right side of the plate, which is a quality chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. have been in search of this winter given the club’s abundance of left-handed hitting outfielders (Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Masataka Yoshida) even after trading away Alex Verdugo earlier this week.

Whether O’Neill emerges as a regular in Alex Cora’s lineup or is used as more of a platoon option will likely depend on how the rest of the offseason plays out for Boston. Regardless, O’Neill — who possesses plus arm strength and speed — joins an outfield mix that currently includes the aforementioned Abreu, Duran, and Yoshida as well the right-handed hitting Ceddanne Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder.

As for who the Red Sox parted ways with in this deal, Robertson was one of two pitchers Boston had acquired from the Dodgers for Enrique Hernandez back in late July. After debuting for Los Angeles the month prior, the 25-year-old righty appeared in nine games for the Sox and flashed intriguing stuff in spite of allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 12 innings of work. He has two minor-league options remaining.

Santos, meanwhile, did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate in 2023 due to an elbow injury but has since returned to action in the Dominican Summer League. Entering play on Friday, the 23-year-old righty has pitched to a 2.96 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 23 strikeouts to six walks in seven outings (five starts) spanning 27 1/3 innings for the Leones del Escogido. He can become eligible for minor-league free agency at the end of the 2024 season.

Following Friday’s trade, the Red Sox now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.

(Picture of Tyler O’Neill: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Newest Red Sox pitching prospect Richard Fitts was named 2023 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year

Richard Fitts, one of the newest members of the Red Sox organization, is coming off a very impressive 2023 season.

One of three pitchers acquired from the Yankees in Tuesday night’s Alex Verdugo trade, Fitts earned Pitcher of the Year honors in the Eastern League after putting up solid numbers for New York’s Double-A affiliate in Somerset, N.J. In a team-leading 27 starts for the Patriots, the 23-year-old right-hander went 13-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 163 strikeouts to 43 walks over 152 2/3 innings of work.

Among 14 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League this year, Fitts ranked sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.61) and strikeout rate (25.9 percent), second in walks per nine innings (2.53), walk rate (6.8 percent), and batting average against (.227), first in WHIP (1.14), fifth in swinging-strike rate (13.1 percent) and FIP (3.92), third in ERA, and fourth in xFIP (3.55), per FanGraphs.

Fitts, who turns 24 later this month, was originally selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Auburn, where he was teammates with Red Sox draftees Hayden Mullins and Tyler Miller. The Alabama native had briefly pitched for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League prior to being drafted and later signed with New York for $346,800. He took the rest of the year off and then made his professional debut at the Low-A level last April.

Between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley last year, Fitts forged a 3.70 ERA and 3.52 FIP with 131 strikeouts to 20 walks across 22 starts (112 innings). He was recognized by MiLB.com as an organizational All-Star and came into the 2023 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. At that time, his scouting report read, in part:

“The improvement [from Low-A to High-A in 2022] was due in large part to a delivery alteration that allowed him to keep his front side firm so he could better drive the ball down in the zone. The change also helped his velocity increase and made his slider sharper. His four-seamer sat around 93 mph, touched 96 and posted an excellent average spin rate of 2,439 rpms. Fitts backed the four-seamer with his typical nasty slider, which sat in the low 80s and peaked at 88 while flashing plus potential. He rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s changeup that could get to average with increased usage.”

Following Tuesday’s four-player trade between the Red Sox and Yankees, Fitts is now regarded by another prominent publication in MLB Pipeline as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Wikelman Gonzalez.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound hurler “shows the potential for two plus pitches that have intriguing metrics. His 91-97 mph four-seam fastball features natural cutting and riding action, as well as quality induced vertical break that gives it tremendous carry up in the zone, while his 83-86 slider features the big sweep that the Yankees covet. He also can turn his slider into a harder cutter and occasionally will use an upper-80s two-seamer to give hitters a different look.

“Fitts doesn’t completely trust his fading mid-80s changeup, which shows promise but also needs more work,” it continues. “He has a sound arm action and a delivery that he repeats well, allowing him to pound the strike zone and average just 2.1 walks per nine innings in his first two years as a pro. The next step toward becoming a possible mid-rotation starter will be refining his command because he’s hittable when he doesn’t locate his pitches well.”

Fitts has been assigned to Double-A Portland for the time being but should be a candidate to start the 2024 season out with Triple-A Worcester depending on how things shake out the rest of the winter and into the spring. He can become eligible for next year’s Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

In addition to Fitts, the Red Sox also acquired righties Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice from the Yankees on Tuesday night. While Weissert has major-league experience as a reliever, Judice has yet to throw a professional pitch after being drafted by New York in the eighth round out of Louisiana-Monroe this past June.

(Picture of Richard Fitts courtesy of the Somerset Patriots)

Red Sox acquire righty reliever Andrés Núñez in minor trade with Royals

The Red Sox swung a minor trade on Monday, acquiring right-hander Andres Nunez from the Royals for cash considerations, per the club’s transactions log.

Nunez has spent the entire season with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, Neb. and is expected to report to the WooSox in the coming days, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Nunez, 27, was originally selected by the Royals in the 29th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Florida International University. The Southwest Ranches native signed with Kansas City for $75,000 and has appeared in 163 minor-league games (one start) since making his professional debut that June.

After earning Omaha Pitcher of the Year honors in 2022, Nunez received his first-ever invite to major-league spring training back in January. He returned to the Storm Chasers for the start of the 2023 campaign and pitched to a 6.66 ERA (4.53 FIP) with 20 strikeouts to 14 walks over 21 relief appearances spanning 24 1/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Nunez operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-80s sweeping slider, a low-90s sinker, and a mid-80s changeup. For his career at the Triple-A level, he owns a lifetime 4.86 ERA in 92 outings (109 1/3 innings) dating back to the start of the 2021 season.

Nunez, who turns 28 in September, figures to provide the Red Sox with additional bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester moving forward. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. have made an effort to address this area throughout the season, most notably claiming journeymen Brennan Bernardino and Justin Garza off waivers in April. Boston also acquired righty Tayler Scott from the Dodgers for cash considerations last week and have since assigned him to the WooSox.

(Picture of Andres Nunez: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Red Sox release prospect acquired in Andrew Benintendi trade

The Red Sox have released minor-league outfielder-turned-pitcher Freddy Valdez, per the club’s transactions log.

Valdez, 21, was one of five players Boston acquired as part of the three-team trade with the Royals and Mets that sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City in February 2021. The Red Sox initially obtained outfielder Franchy Cordero and right-hander Josh Winckowski and then received three more prospects (Valdez, and righties Grant Gambrell and Luis De La Rosa) as players to be named later that June.

At the time of the trade, Valdez was regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 14 prospect in the Mets’ farm system after originally signing with the club for $1.450 million as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018.

As a then-19-year-old outfielder, Valdez had impressed scouts by flashing intriguing power potential and athleticism. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom had high praise for the right-handed hitter after acquiring him from New York.

“Corner outfielder, power-profile,” Bloom said of Valdez when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) back in June 2021. “ery young. For a guy who is as power-oriented as he was as an amateur — and who has a lot of the strengths and weaknesses that come with that profile — to get into pro ball and perform the way he did initially was really impressive. Got him on our radar. And we got to see him a little bit in extended (spring training).”

Despite the high praise from Bloom, Valdez struggled at the plate in each of the last two seasons and never graduated past rookie ball. He batted just .229/.356/.33 with no home runs and 16 RBIs over 31 Florida Complex League games in 2021 and then slashed .192/.286/.289 with one homer and nine RBIs across 22 games while repeating the same level last year.

On the heels of back-to-back disappointing campaigns, Valdez was converted into a pitcher earlier this season. But the 6-foot-3, 212-pounder never made it out of extended spring training before being cut loose by the Red Sox on Thursday.

Valdez joins Cordero, who was non-tendered over the winter after spending two seasons in Boston, as two pieces from the Benintendi trade who are no longer with the organization. The three players who remain are all pitchers. Winckowski, 24, has posted a 2.15 ERA in 17 appearances (29 1/3 innings) out of the Red Sox bullpen so far this year. Gambrell, 25, was recently promoted from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland and has put up a 1.69 ERA in his first two starts (10 2/3 innings) with the Sea Dogs. De La Rosa, 20, owns a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings of work for Low-A Salem.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, though, neither Gambrell or De La Rosa are ranked among the top 60 prospects in the Red Sox’ farm system by SoxProspects.com.

(Picture of Freddy Valdez: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox make minor trade with Yankees by sending outfielder Greg Allen to New York

The Red Sox have traded Triple-A outfielder Greg Allen to the Yankees for minor-league right-hander Diego Hernandez and cash considerations, the club announced on Friday.

Allen, 30, joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent in mid-January. The speedy switch-hitter spent the first seven weeks of the 2023 season with the WooSox, batting .250/.407/.388 with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 21 walks, and 29 in strikeouts in 37 games (151 plate appearances). He also went a perfect 23-for-23 on stolen base attempts while seeing playing time in left and center field.

Per SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, Allen had an upward mobility clause in his contract. He triggered that clause earlier this week, meaning he will more than likely be added to New York’s major-league roster in the coming days. Boston addressed Allen’s departure by signing fellow outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minors pact and assigning him to Worcester on Friday.

In similar fashion to Zimmer, Allen was originally selected by the Guardians in the sixth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of San Diego State. The California native first broke in at the big-league level with Cleveland in 2017 and has since played for four different teams.

On that note, this will not be Allen’s first go-around with the Yankees, as he spent the entirety of the 2021 season in the organization. He appeared in 73 games for the club’s Triple-A affiliate and got into 15 major-league contests, going 10-for-37 (.270) at the plate with four doubles, one triple, two RBIs, nine runs scored, five stolen bases, five walks, and 13 strikeouts.

All told, Allen is a lifetime .232/.299/.366 hitter with 10 homers, 67 RBIs, and 45 stolen bases across 282 games (800 plate appearances) with the Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and Pirates. He is looking to get into at least one big-league game for the seventh consecutive season.

Hernandez, meanwhile, is an 18-year-old righty from Mexico who signed with the Yankees for $25,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. In 12 outings (five starts) in the Dominican Summer League last season, the Puebla native posted a 2.10 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks over 34 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .188 batting average against.

(Picture of Greg Allen: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox trade Franklin German to White Sox for right-hander Theo Denlinger

The Red Sox have acquired minor-league right-hander Theo Denlinger from the White Sox in exchange for reliever Franklin German, the club announced earlier Friday afternoon.

Denlinger, 26, was originally selected by Chicago in the seventh round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Bradley University (Ill.). The Cuba City (Wis.) High School product signed with the club for just $10,000 and made his professional debut in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

Last season, Denlinger posted a 4.47 ERA and 4.18 FIP with 66 strikeouts to 21 walks in 40 relief appearances (48 1/3 innings) between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. The righty initially broke camp with the Dash and pitched to a 3.60 ERA across eight outings (10 innings) before earning a promotion in early May.

With the Barons, Denlinger forged a 4.70 ERA and 4.63 FIP to go along with 49 strikeouts to 18 walks over 32 appearances spanning 38 1/3 innings of work. He also converted five of eight save opportunities. Among the 132 pitchers who accrued 30 or more innings in the Southern League last year, Denlinger ranked 29th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.50) and 30th in strikeout rate (29.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Denlinger features a 94-96 mph fastball with big movement and a slider that “looks good on paper” but is considered by scouts to be “very vulnerable,” according to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen.

Denlinger, who turns 27 in July, has been assigned to Double-A Portland. He very well could wind up in the Sea Dogs bullpen with fellow 2021 draftee Taylor Broadway, who the Red Sox acquired from the White Sox as the player to be named later in the Jake Diekman/Reese McGuire trade last August.

German, on the other hand, was designated for assignment on Monday so that the Red Sox could clear a spot on their 40-man roster for lefty Richard Bleier, who they acquired from the Marlins in exchange for Matt Barnes and cash considerations.

Boston originally acquired German alongside veteran reliever Adam Ottavino in January 2021. The righty worked out of Portland’s starting rotation to begin the 2021 season, but ultimately moved to the Sea Dogs’ bullpen and found success in a relief role. hat success carried over to the 2022 campaign, as German earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester last May.

In 32 relief appearances with the WooSox, German posted a 2.58 ERA with 46 strikeouts to 16 walks over 38 1/3 innings of work. He pitched to a miniscule 1.54 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .431 OPS against from July 6 through September 14, which resulted in him getting called up by the Red Sox three days later.

The 25-year-old got shelled for four runs while failing to record an out in his big-league debut against the Royals at Fenway Park. He then allowed runs in his next three outings before ending his season with a scoreless appearance against the Blue Jays on October 2. All told, German produced an ERA of 18.00 (eight earned runs in four innings) with four strikeouts and four walks in his first taste of big-league action.

Despite that rough showing, the Red Sox were able to find a trade partner for German, who still has three minor-league options remaining and is coming off a 2022 season in which he was named Boston’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year.

Regardless of how he pans out with the White Sox, German becomes the latest member of the 2022 Red Sox be lopped off the 40-man roster and join a new organization this winter. He joins the likes of Barnes, Darwinzon Hernandez, Connor Seabold, Eduard Bazardo, Tyler Danish, Eric Hosmer, Franchy Cordero, and Jeter Downs, among others.

(Picture of Franklin German: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire lefty reliever Richard Bleier from Marlins for Matt Barnes

The Red Sox have acquired left-handed reliever Richard Bleier from the Marlins in exchange for right-hander Matt Barnes and cash considerations, the club announced earlier Monday evening. In order to make room for Bleier on the 40-man roster, righty Franklin German was designated for assignment.

Bleier, who turns 36 in April, comes over to the Red Sox after spending the previous two-plus seasons with the Marlins. The lefty posted a 3.55 ERA and 3.27 FIP with 32 strikeouts to 10 walks in 55 relief appearances (50 2/3 innings pitched) for Miami last year.

A native of Miami Beach, Bleier was college teammates with Chris Sale at Florida Gulf Coast University before being selected by Texas in the sixth round of the 2008 amateur draft. He spent time in the Rangers, Blue Jays, and Nationals organizations before breaking in with the Yankees in 2016. After one season in the Bronx, Bleier was traded to the Orioles in February 2017. He established himself as a solid reliever in parts of three seasons with Baltimore and was traded to Miami in August 2020.

All told, Bleier owns a lifetime 3.06 ERA and 3.49 FIP with 171 strikeouts to 49 walks in 308 career appearances (two starts) spanning 299 2/3 innings of work seasons between the Yankees, Orioles, and Marlins. He has proven to be particularly effective against left-handed hitters in his seven big-league seasons, as evidenced by the fact that lefties have hit just .225/.260/.313 off him in his career. That includes a .676 OPS against in 2022.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Bleier operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a sinker, a cutter, a slider, a changeup, and a rarely-used four-seam fastball that typically sits between 90-91 mph. Last year, the veteran southpaw ranked in the 94th percentile of all major-league pitchers in walk rate (4.5 percent), the 90th percentile in barrel rate (4.5 percent), and the 77th percentile in chase rate (32.3 percent), per Baseball Savant.

Bleier is under contract for $3.5 million in 2023. He also has a $3.75 million club option for 2024 that comes with a $250,000 buyout, so the Red Sox have control over him for the next two seasons. Boston was in need of a left-handed reliever after trading Darwinzon Hernandez to the Orioles and Josh Taylor to the Royals in recent weeks.

The addition of Bleier is just the latest to what figures to be a new-look Red Sox bullpen in 2023. Since the hot stove season began in November, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. have signed veterans like Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Joely Rodriguez while acquiring Wyatt Mills from Kansas City and trading away Barnes, Hernandez, and Taylor. Bleier and Rodriguez now project as the top two lefty options available out of the bullpen for manager Alex Cora heading into the spring.

In finding a trade partner for Barnes, the Red Sox were able to offload some the 32-year-old’s salary for this coming season. According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Boston is sending a little more than $5.5 million to Miami in this deal to cover part of Barnes’ $7.5 million salary for 2023 (and his $2.25 million club option for 2024). For competitive balance tax purposes, the Red Sox will be taking on approximately $9.25 million ($3.75 million for Bleier plus $5.5 million for Barnes), which represents a slight decrease from the $9.375 million Barnes would have cost on his own.

Barnes, who turns 33 in June, briefly held the title as the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox after Xander Bogaerts left for the Padres in free agency last month. He was expected to have an important role in the Red Sox bullpen in 2023 after a strong finish to his 2022 campaign, but he instead lost his spot on Boston’s 40-man roster when the signing of Adam Duvall was made official last Tuesday.

That Barnes was traded comes as somewhat of a surprise, but the former All-Star will now have the chance to bounce back with a new organization. The Red Sox originally selected Barnes with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He debuted for Boston in 2014 and currently ranks second in franchise history in both career relief appearances and relief strikeouts.

To begin the 2022 season, Barnes struggled to a 7.94 ERA (5.29 FIP) in his first 20 outings. The Red Sox placed him on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation in early June. Upon returning to action in early August, Barnes proceeded to put up a far more encouraging 1.59 ERA (2.80 FIP) with 20 strikeouts to nine walks over 24 outings (22 2/3 innings) to close out the year.

Despite those improved results, some within the Red Sox organization “believe Barnes’ late-season showing was not as impressive as the numbers show,” according to Cotillo. While Barnes was initially expected to be a key part of Boston’s bullpen in 2023, Cotillo reports that the club “plans on prioritizing flexibility when it comes to its bullpen,” meaning younger pitchers with minor-league options — such as Mills or Kaleb Ort — took precedence over Barnes.

Barnes becomes the latest member of the 2022 Red Sox to jettison the organization this winter, joining other mainstays such as Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and Nathan Eovaldi, who all signed elsewhere in free agency. With Barnes’ departure, Ryan Brasier, Rafael Devers, and Chris Sale are now the only three players remaining from Boston’s 2018 World Series championship team.

(Picture of Matt Barnes: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Red Sox acquire Adalberto Mondesi from Royals in exchange for Josh Taylor

The Red Sox have acquired infielder Adalberto Mondesi and a player to be named later or cash considerations from the Royals in exchange for left-handed reliever Josh Taylor, the club announced earlier Tuesday afternoon.

This is the second trade the Red Sox and Royals have made this winter, as Boston previously sent pitching prospect Jacob Wallace to Kansas City for reliever Wyatt Mills last month.

Unlike that trade, though, Tuesday’s deal represents a swap of two major-league caliber players who are both coming off injury-plagued 2022 seasons. Mondesi was limited to just 15 games with the Royals last year before suffering a torn left ACL in late April that ultimately required season-ending surgery. Taylor, on the other hand, did not pitch at all for the Red Sox due to complications from a low back strain.

Mondesi, 27, is the son of former big-league outfielder Raul Mondesi. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Royals as an international free agent coming out of San Cristobal in July 2011. He was regarded as one of the top prospects in Kansas City’s farm system before becoming the first player in MLB history to make his debut during the World Series in 2015.

In parts of seven seasons with the Royals, Mondesi was limited to just 358 total games. He was handed down a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs as a rookie in 2016 and has since been hindered by injuries. In 2018, for instance, Mondesi missed time with a right shoulder impingement. The following year, he was sidelined with a groin strain and left shoulder subluxation. After avoiding the injured list completely during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, Mondesi was hampered by a left hamstring strain and strained left oblique.

When healthy, though, Mondesi has been able to put his tools on full display. The switch-hitter owns a career .244/.280/.408 slash line to go along with 54 doubles, 20 triples, 38 home runs, 157 RBIs, 180 runs scored, 133 stolen bases, 60 walks, and 412 strikeouts across 1,366 big-league plate appearances. As far as speed is concerned, he led all of baseball with 10 triples and stole a career-best 43 bases in 2019, then led the American League with 24 steals in 2020. Prior to tearing his left ACL last April, Mondesi went 7-for-50 (.140) at the plate with three RBIs, three runs scored, five stolen bases, four walks, and 20 strikeouts in his first 15 games of the year.

Defensively, Mondesi has past experience at every infield position besides first base. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder saw the majority of his playing time in Kansas City come at shortstop, where he accrued 23 outs above average and an ultimate zone rating of 13.3 over 2,126 career innings.

Mondesi, who turns 28 in July, will earn $3.045 million in 2023 after agreeing to a deal with the Royals to avoid arbitration last month. He is currently slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career next winter. In the meantime, Mondesi figures to provide the Red Sox with versatile infield depth since he can play all over the diamond and hits from both sides of the plate.

With Trevor Story expected to be sidelined well into the 2023 season after undergoing right elbow surgery, Enrique Hernandez will step in as the club’s starting shortstop while Christian Arroyo will handle things at second base. Mondesi, meanwhile, can handle both positions in place of Hernandez and Arroyo depending on other factors such as infield/outfield alignments and pitching matchups.

The Red Sox were able to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for Mondesi by trading away Taylor, who they originally acquired from the Diamondbacks as the player to be named later in the March 2018 trade that sent infielder Deven Marrero to Arizona.

Taylor first broke in with Boston in May 2019 and impressed as a rookie by forging a 3.04 ERA in 52 appearances (47 1/3 innings) out of the bullpen. The southpaw was then limited to just eight outings in 2020 due to a bout with COVID-19 and left shoulder tendinitis, but he bounced back in 2021 by posting a 3.40 ERA (2.83 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 23 walks over 61 relief appearances spanning 47 2/3 innings of work.

Despite those strong results, Taylor first began experiencing back issues towards the tail end of the 2021 campaign. As a result, he began the 2022 season on the injured list and never got healthy enough to return to the Red Sox. He made a total of eight rehab outings between Triple-A Worcester and Double-A Portland, but was shut down from throwing in mid-July.

Taylor was still tendered a contract in November, but he clearly became expandable for the Red Sox on account of his inability to stay on the mound as of late. The 29-year-old will earn a salary of $1.025 million with the Royals in 2023 and will not be eligible for free agency until the end of the 2025 season.

(Picture of Adalberto Mondesi: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox trade Connor Seabold to Rockies for a player to be named later or cash considerations

The Red Sox have traded right-hander Connor Seabold to the Rockies in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the club announced earlier Tuesday afternoon.

Seabold, 26, was designated for assignment last Thursday so that the Red Sox could clear a spot on their 40-man roster for newly-signed veteran starter Corey Kluber.

Boston originally acquired Seabold from the Phillies alongside fellow righty Nick Pivetta in the August 2020 trade that sent relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to Philadelphia. The California native had been regarded as one of the better pitching prospects in the Red Sox farm system and had served as upper-minors rotation depth for the better part of the last two seasons.

In 11 starts for Triple-A Worcester in 2021, Seabold posted a 3.50 ERA with 52 strikeouts to 19 walks over 54 innings of work. He followed that up by forging a 3.32 ERA with 89 punchouts to 19 walks across 19 starts (86 2/3 innings) for the WooSox in 2022.

Unfortunately, the success Seabold has enjoyed at the Triple-A level has yet to carry over to the major-leagues. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound hurler lasted just three innings in his big-league debut against the White Sox in September 2021 and then allowed a total of 23 earned runs in 18 1/3 frames (11.29 ERA in five starts) for the Red Sox last year.

All told, Seabold owns a lifetime 10.55 ERA and 6.82 FIP in six career major-league outings (21 1/3 innings). He has, however, been marred by injuries (right elbow inflammation, pectoral strain, right forearm extensor strain) in each of the last two seasons, which has likely played a role in his four-seam fastball hovering in the low-90s in the majors as opposed to the mid-90s when he was a member of the Phillies organization.

With the addition of Kluber, the Red Sox have further bolstered a starting rotation mix that already includes Pivetta, Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Brayan Bello, Jamex Paxton, and Tanner Houck. While those seven will likely be contending for spots in Boston’s Opening Day rotation, the likes of Josh Winckowski, Kutter Crawford, Bryan Mata, Chris Murphy, and Brandon Walter will presumably start the year at Triple-A, meaning Seabold only became more expandable.

Seabold, who turns 27 later this month, will now look to capitalize on a new opportunity with the Rockies. He still has one minor-league option remaining, so Colorado would be able to send Seabold to the minors without first exposing him to waivers.

Regardless of how he fares with the Rockies, though, Seabold becomes the latest member of the 2022 Red Sox to be lopped off the 40-man roster this winter and join a new organization after the fact. Most notably, Eduard Bazardo, Franchy Cordero, and Darwinzon Hernandez have all ended up with the Orioles while Tyler Danish signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees. Jeter Downs was claimed off waivers by the Nationals and Eric Hosmer has inked a one-year contract with the Cubs.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox trade Darwinzon Hernandez to Orioles for cash considerations

The Red Sox have traded reliever Darwinzon Hernandez to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, the club announced earlier Wednesday afternoon.

Hernandez, 26, was designated for assignment last Friday so that the Red Sox could clear a spot on their 40-man roster for newly signed infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner.

Boston originally signed Hernandez for just $7,500 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2013. The Ciudad Bolivar native established himself as arguably the top pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system before making his major-league debut at the age of 22 in April 2019.

Hernandez made one start for the Red Sox early on before moving to the bullpen on a full-time basis that July . The left-hander posted a 4.32 ERA — but much more respectable 2.81 FIP — with 46 strikeouts to 20 walks over 27 relief appearances (25 innings) from that point forward to wrap up what was an otherwise solid rookie campaign.

Injuries and a bout with COVID-19 limited Hernandez to just seven outings during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. He bounced back by forging a 3.38 ERA (4.80 FIP) in 2021, but he did so while averaging exactly seven walks per nine innings.

This past spring, Hernandez failed to break camp with the Red Sox and instead began the 2022 season at Triple-A Worcester. The burly lefty was then forced to undergo surgery in May after suffering a torn right meniscus that kept him sidelined well into the summer. He made his return to the majors on July 14 got rocked for 16 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings (21.60 ERA) before being sent down in mid-August.

While with the WooSox last year, Hernandez produced a 5.73 ERA with 51 strikeouts to 27 walks over 23 appearances (seven starts) spanning 33 innings of work. He returned to his home country this offseason to play winter ball for the Cardenales de Lara. There, he pitched to a 3.86 ERA to go along with 23 punchouts to nine walks across 16 1/3 frames of relief.

Hernandez, who does not turn 27 until next December, has one minor-league option remaining and is not yet eligible for salary arbitration. Those factors, as well as the fact that his pitch arsenal consists of a high-octane four-seam fastball, a mid-80s curveball, and a high-70s curveball, surely made the 6-foot-2, 255-pound southpaw appealing to a team such as the Orioles.

Although Hernandez has dealt with command issues in the past, he does own a career strikeout rate of 32.3% in parts of four big-league seasons. If Baltimore can harness his ability to induce swing-and-misses without giving up too many walks, perhaps Hernandez can get back on track with a new organization.

Hernandez becomes the latest former Red Sox prospect the Orioles have acquired in some capacity this winter. Last month, they signed right-hander Eduard Bazardo to a minor-league pact and selected fellow righty A.J. Politi in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. They also signed first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero to a split contract on Dec. 2.

(Picture of Darwinzon Hernandez: Elsa/Getty Images)