Tag: waiver claim

Red Sox lose Jeter Downs on waivers to Nationals

The Red Sox have lost infielder Jeter Downs on waivers to the Nationals, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon.

Downs, 24, was designated for assignment last week after the Red Sox needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida.

Boston originally acquired Downs — as well as outfielder Alex Verdugo and catcher Connor Wong — from the Dodgers in the February 2020 trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles. The native Colombian came into the Red Sox organization as one of its top prospects and a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, but he has since seen his stock fall significantly.

After the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, Downs did not make his organizational debut until last spring with Triple-A Worcester. The right-handed hitter struggled to the tune of a .191/272/.333 slash line to go along with 14 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases over 99 games (405 plate appearances) with the WooSox in 2021. He then showed some signs of promise in the Arizona Fall League and was subsequently added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November.

Downs returned to Worcester this past season and batted .197/.316/.412 with 16 home runs and 33 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases across 81 games (335 plate appearances). He made his major-league debut in June, but he went just 6-for-39 (.154) at the plate with one double and one home run while punching out in 51.2% of his plate appearances. Downs was sent back down to the WooSox in late July and then suffered a season-ending left ankle sprain on August 18.

The Red Sox, for their part, remained intrigued by Downs’ speed and power and were encouraged by the defensive improvements he has made since being traded. At the same time, though, his high swing-and-miss rates were certainly concerning and were part of the reason why the club ultimately elected to cut him loose.

“This was a tough one,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said of the decision to designate Downs last week. “The fact that he was in a position where we considered him and chose him to be designated, I think just speaks to some of the struggles we’ve had getting him on track. I still think there’s a lot of physical ability there but we haven’t been able to unlock it consistently. Certainly know he’s still young and there’s no reason to write him off but he has obviously had some struggles.”

In being claimed by the Nationals, Downs will now be joining his fourth pro organization. He was first drafted by the Reds in 2017 and was then traded to the Dodgers in 2018 before being dealt to the Red Sox in early 2020. Downs does have two minor-league options remaining, so he could be shuttled between Washington and its Triple-A affiliate in 2023.

(Picture of Jeter Downs: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

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Red Sox outright Caleb Hamilton to Triple-A Worcester after catcher clears waivers

Red Sox catcher Caleb Hamilton has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Worcester, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Hamilton and reliever Jake Reed were both designated for assignment on Tuesday so that the Red Sox could create space on their 40-man roster for the additions of Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and David Hamilton. Those five prospects needed to be added in order to receive protection from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

While Reed was claimed by the Dodgers on Friday, Hamilton cleared waivers and was sent outright to Worcester. The 27-year-old backstop did not have the ability to refuse the assignment since he only made his major-league debut for the Twins this past July.

Minnesota originally selected Hamilton in the 23rd-round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Oregon State University. The Washington state native spent parts of seven seasons in the minor-leagues before finally breaking in with the Twins over the summer.

In 22 games with Minnesota, the right-handed hitting Hamilton went just 1-for-18 (.056) at the plate with one home run, one RBI, five runs scored, four walks, and 14 strikeouts. The 6-foot, 185-pounder appeared in six games as a first baseman in addition to 11 games at catcher.

At the Triple-A level this year, Reed batted .233/.367/.442 with 10 doubles, 11 homers, 43 runs driven in, 34 runs scored, one stolen base, 43 walks, and 67 strikeouts across 62 games (251 plate appearances) with the St. Paul Saints. He also threw out six of 32 base stealers from behind the plate.

While catcher has served as his primary position in pro ball, Hamilton came up as a utility player of sorts in college and has past experience at every defensive position in both the infield and outfield.

It is unclear when the Twins removed Hamilton from their 40-man roster, but the Red Sox claimed him off waivers from Minnesota on October 11. His run on Boston’s 40-man roster lasted a little more than a month.

Hamilton, who turns 28 in February, should now provide the Sox with upper-minors catching depth in Worcester alongside Ronaldo Hernandez and Kole Cottam, among others.

(Picture of Caleb Hamilton: Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

Red Sox lose Jake Reed on waivers to Dodgers

Three days after designating him for assignment, the Red Sox have lost reliever Jake Reed on waivers to the Dodgers, the club announced earlier Friday afternoon.

Reed, 30, was designated for assignment on Tuesday alongside catcher Caleb Hamilton so that the Red Sox could create space on their 40-man roster for the prospect quintet of Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and David Hamilton. Those five minor-leaguers needed to be added in order to receive protection from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Boston originally claimed Reed off waivers from the Orioles on October 13. The right-hander posted a 7.02 ERA and 5.09 FIP with 13 strikeouts to eight walks over 18 relief appearances (16 2/3 innings) for the Mets, Dodgers, and O’s this past season.

A former fifth-round draft pick of the Twins out of the University of Oregon in 2014, Reed first broke in with the Dodgers last July after spending seven years in the Minnesota organization and part of the 2021 campaign with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.

Since being released by the Angels last June, Reed has been signed and designated by the Dodgers, claimed and designated by the Rays, claimed and designated by the Mets, claimed and designated by the Dodgers, claimed and designated by the Orioles, claimed and designated by the Red Sox, and claimed by the Dodgers again.

Between all those stops, Reed has pitched to a 5.74 ERA and 4.33 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 10 walks in 28 career appearances (one start) and 26 2/3 innings at the big-league level. That includes a 2.70 ERA (3.94 FIP) across 11 total outings (10 innings pitched) with Los Angeles.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Reed possesses a unique delivery and arm angle while primarily working with a sinker-slider combination that is complimented by a four-seam fastball and changeup. The Arizona native has one minor-league option remaining, so the Dodgers could elect to shuttle Reed between Los Angeles and its Triple-A affiliate next season if he can stick on their 40-man roster this winter.

(Picture of Jake Reed: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Red Sox designate Jake Reed, Caleb Hamilton for assignment

The Red Sox have designated right-hander Jake Reed and catcher Caleb Hamilton for assignment, the club announced earlier Tuesday evening.

Boston came into the day with 37 players on its 40-man roster. Ahead of Tuesday’s Rule 5 protection deadline, the club needed to clear two spots in order to add the prospect quintet of Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and David Hamilton. They did so by designating two recently-acquired players in Reed and Hamilton.

Reed, 30, was claimed off waivers from the Orioles on October 13. The righty had posted a 6.35 ERA in eight relief appearances (5 2/3 innings) with Baltimore after the O’s claimed him off waivers from the Dodgers in early September.

Up until that point in the year, Reed had split the 2022 season with the Dodgers and Mets, pitching to a 7.36 ERA with eight strikeouts to seven walks over 10 appearances (11 innings pitched) between the two clubs through the end of August.

A native of Arizona, Reed was originally selected by the Twins in the fifth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of the University of Oregon. He reached minor-league free agency at the end of the 2020 season and signed a minors pact with the Angels that November.

After appearing in eight games for the Halos’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City to begin the 2021 campaign, Reed was released last May. He inked a minors pact with the Dodgers shortly thereafter and made his major-league debut for Los Angeles in July.

Since then, Reed has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers, claimed and designated for assignment by the Rays, claimed and designated for assignment by the Mets, claimed and designated for assignment by the Dodgers, claimed and designated for assignment by the Orioles, and claimed and designated for assignment by the Red Sox.

It has certainly been an interesting journey for Reed, who now owns a lifetime 5.47 ERA and 4.33 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 10 walks across 26 2/3 innings at the big-league level. The fact that he possesses a unique delivery and has one minor-league option remaining could make him appealing to other teams.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was claimed off waivers from the Twins on Oct. 11. The 27-year-old backstop was originally selected by Minnesota in the 23rd round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Oregon State University. He spent six years in the minors before making his major-league debut in July.

In 22 games with the Twins this season, the right-handed hitting Hamilton went just 1-for-18 (.056) with one home run, one RBI, five runs scored, four walks, and 14 strikeouts. He also logged 38 innings behind the plate and 19 innings at first base.

At the Triple-A level this year, Hamilton batted .233/.367/.442 with 10 doubles, 11 homers, 43 runs driven in, 34 runs scored, one stolen base, 43 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 62 games (251 plate appearances) with the St. Paul Saints. Though catcher is his primary position, the 6-foot, 185-pounder has past experience at every other defensive position.

Hamilton, who turns 28 in February, has two minor-league option years remaining. So, he, too, could be of interest to opposing clubs. The Red Sox will have the next seven days to either trade, waive, or release Hamilton and Reed.

Neither Hamilton nor Reed has been outrighted before in their careers, so the Red Sox could look to retain both as non 40-man roster players if they clear waivers in the coming days.

By adding Murphy, Walter, Rafaela, Abreu, and Hamilton and subtracting (Caleb) Hamilton and Reed, Boston’s 40-man roster is back at full capacity. With the non-tender deadline looming on Friday, though, that status could soon change.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the likes of Franchy Cordero, Ryan Brasier, Josh Taylor, and Darwinzon Hernandez are all candidates to be let go before Friday’s deadline. Cotillo notes that the Red Sox are “considering options” when it comes to Cordero, so he could be on the immediate chopping block.

(Picture of Jake Reed: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Red Sox claim Jake Reed off waivers from Orioles, designate Eduard Bazardo for assignment

The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Jake Reed off waivers from the Orioles. In order to create space for Reed on the 40-man roster, fellow righty Eduard Bazardo was designated for assignment, per the team’s transactions log.

Reed, 30, was designated for assignment by the O’s on Tuesday after they claimed veteran outfielder Jake Cave off waivers from the Twins.

Interestingly enough, Reed was originally selected by Minnesota in the fifth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of the University of Oregon. The Arizona native did not make his major-league debut until last July with the Dodgers and has since pitched for two different clubs in the Mets and Orioles.

In 10 appearances (one start) between Los Angeles and New York last season, Reed allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts over 10 innings of work. That is good for an ERA of 3.60 and FIP of 3.07.

While those numbers are certainly respectable, it was more of a struggle for Reed this year. In the process of bouncing around between the Mets, Dodgers, and Orioles, he surrendered 15 runs (13 earned) on 17 hits, eight walks, and 13 strikeouts across 16 2/3 innings. That translates to a 7.02 ERA and 5.09 FIP.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Reed primarily operates with a sinker and slider, though he also mixes in a four-seam fastball and changeup from time to time.

Given that he still has one minor-league option remaining, Reed has the ability to be shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Worcester for one more season. For his minor-league career, he owns a lifetime 3.84 ERA in 150 outings (215 2/3 innings) at the Triple-A level.

Bazardo, meanwhile, has now been designated for assignment on two separate occasions this year. After clearing waivers in April, the 27-year-old hurler spent the majority of the season with the WooSox before having his contract selected in September.

Upon returning to the big-league club, Bazardo pitched to a 2.76 ERA and 6.05 FIP to go along with 11 strikeouts to four walks over 12 relief appearances spanning 16 1/3 innings of work. He owns a 2.33 ERA since breaking in with Boston last April.

Unlike Reed, Bazardo has two minor-league options remaining, which could make him more appealing to other teams. Should he clear waivers in the coming days, the native Venezuelan will have the ability to reject an outright assignment to the minors in favor of free agency since he has previously been outrighted.

By effectively swapping Reed for Bazardo, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster remains at full capacity. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has been plenty busy this month, as Easton McGee was claimed from the Rays last Wednesday and Caleb Hamilton was claimed from the Twins on Tuesday.

Since this particular transaction took place during a postseason game, it will not be officially announced until Friday morning.

(Picture of Jake Reed: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Red Sox claim Caleb Hamilton off waivers from Twins, designate Abraham Almonte for assignment

The Red Sox have claimed catcher Caleb Hamilton off waivers from the Twins. In order to create space for Hamilton on the 40-man roster, outfielder Abraham Almonte was designated for assignment, per the team’s transactions log.

It is not clear when Hamilton was removed from the Twins’ 40-man roster. The 27-year-old was originally selected by Minnesota in the 23rd round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Oregon State University. He made his major-league debut in August and went 1-for-18 with one home run, one RBI, five runs scored, four walks, and 14 strikeouts over 22 games.

From behind the plate, Hamilton logged 38 innings at catcher and did not throw out any of the six baserunners who attempted to steal off him. The 6-foot, 185-pounder also made six appearances at first base and has experience at every other defensive position in the minor-leagues.

At the Triple-A level this season, Hamilton appeared in 62 games for the St. Paul Saints. The right-handed hitter batted .233/.367/.442 with 10 doubles, 11 homers, 43 runs driven in, 34 runs scored, one stolen base, 43 walks, and 67 strikeouts across 251 trips to the plate. He made 29 starts at catcher and threw out six of 32 base stealers.

Hamilton, who turns 28 in February, has two minor-league options remaining. The Washington state native becomes the fourth catcher on Boston’s 40-man roster, joining the likes of Reese McGuire, Connor Wong, and Ronaldo Hernandez.

During the team’s end-of-season press conference at Fenway Park earlier this month, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom indicated that catcher would be one position group the club explores making external addition at over the winter.

“This is one of the areas I fully expect that we’re going to explore additions,” Bloom said. “It’s nice to know that we have two guys (McGuire and Wong) that are familiar with how we do things, that showed a lot of good things. But we owe it to ourselves and everybody who cares about this team to look to get better and catcher is certainly not going to be an exception to that.”

It is no sure thing that Hamilton will stick on the Sox’ 40-man roster through the off-season, but the fact that he is versatile and posted a 1.027 OPS against left-handed pitching at Triple-A this season certainly makes him intriguing if he is given an opportunity to fight for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster in the spring.

Almonte, meanwhile, was acquired from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations towards the end of July. The well-travelled 33-year-old appeared in 32 games for Triple-A Worcester before having his contract selected on September 7.

In 15 games with the Red Sox, the switch-hitting Almonte slashed .257/.297/.400 to go along with two doubles, one home run, two RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and 12 strikeouts over 37 plate appearances. He saw playing time at all three outfield positions.

If Almonte goes unclaimed and clears waivers in the coming days, the native Dominican has the ability to refuse an outright assignment to the minor-leagues since he has already accrued more than five years of big-league service time.

Following Tuesday’s series of moves, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is back at full capacity. Expect the team to make an announcement on Wednesday morning since they are not allowed to do so during postseason games.

Red Sox claim Easton McGee off waivers from Rays

The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Easton McGee off waivers from the Rays, the club announced Wednesday afternoon. They did not need to make a corresponding move since they had a vacancy on their 40-man roster.

McGee, 24, was designated for assignment by the Rays on Monday after making his major-league debut against the Astros on Sunday. The native Kentuckian allowed one unearned run on four hits and zero walks to go along with one strikeout over three innings of relief in a losing effort at Minute Maid Park.

Despite that relatively strong performance, McGee lost his spot on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster when fellow righty Kevin Herget had his contract selected from Triple-A Durham earlier this week. Herget has since been designated for assignment himself.

The Rays originally selected McGee in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Hopkinsville High School. He forwent his commitment to the University of Kentucky by signing with Tampa Bay for $673,700. At that time, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom served as the Rays’ vice president of baseball operations, so there could be a connection there.

Before debuting for the Rays on Monday, McGee had spent the entirety of the 2022 minor-league season with Durham. In 27 appearances (22 starts) for the Bulls, he posted a 5.43 ERA and 5.72 FIP with 82 strikeouts to 20 walks across 107 2/3 innings of work. His 4.3% walk rate ranked second among International League pitchers who accrued at least 100 innings this year, per FanGraphs.

In a “Best Scouting Tools” survey conducted by Baseball America in late August, McGee was recognized by Triple-A managers for having the best control in the International League.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, McGee works with a slider, a sinker, a cutter, a changeup, a curveball, and a four-seam fastball. Against the Astros on Sunday, he induced all three of his swings-and-misses with his slider — a pitch he threw 19 times — and topped out at 93.9 mph with his sinker — a pitch he threw 15 times.

McGee, who turns 25 in December, comes with club control since he has three minor-league option years remaining. It should be interesting to see what the Red Sox do with him this off-season, as they could designate him again in hopes that he clears waivers and can be retained as a non-40-man player.

(Picture of Easton McGee: Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Red Sox lose Phillips Valdez on waivers to Mariners

The Red Sox lost reliever Phillips Valdez on waivers to the Mariners over the weekend. Seattle claimed Valdez on Friday and promptly optioned him to its Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, Wash.

Boston had designated Valdez for assignment three days prior in order to create space for Josh Winckowski, who did not count against the club’s 40-man roster while he was out on the COVID-19 related injured list.

Valdez, 30, was originally claimed by the Red Sox off waivers from the Mariners in February 2020. The right-hander made Boston’s Opening Day roster that summer and impressed during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign by posting a 3.26 ERA with 30 strikeouts to 16 walks over a career-high 24 relief appearances (30 1/3 innings pitched).

After producing a 5.85 ERA in 2021, Valdez had spent much of the 2022 campaign with the Red Sox being shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Worcester. With the big-league club, the Dominican-born hurler pitched to a 4.41 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 13 punchouts to seven walks across 13 outings spanning 16 1/3 innings of work. With the WooSox, he yielded a 3.06 ERA to go along with 19 strikeouts to 14 walks over 17 2/3 innings of relief.

Equipped with a changeup, sinker, and slider, Valdez has but one option year remaining, meaning the Mariners could stash him away at Triple-A for the rest of the season if they so choose.

That being said, Valdez made his Rainiers debut on Sunday, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in an 8-3 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas. He was followed by another former Red Sox reliever in Fernando Abad, who worked a shutout ninth inning to preserve the victory.

(Picture of Phillips Valdez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox claim Jaylin Davis off waivers from Giants, option outfielder to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have claimed outfielder Jaylin Davis off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon. A corresponding move was not needed since Boston had an opening on their 40-man roster.

Davis, 27, was designated for assignment by San Francisco last week after the Giants acquired right-hander Cory Abbott from the Cubs. Boston has optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.

A former 24th-round draft choice of the Twins out of Appalachian State University in 2015, Davis was dealt to the Giants in the same trade that sent Sam Dyson to Minnesota at the 2019 trade deadline. The North Carolina native made his major-league debut for San Francisco that September and appeared in 26 big-league contests with the club from 2019 to 2021.

In that 26-game span, the right-handed hitting Davis has batted .159/.221/.270 with one double, two home runs, four RBIs, five runs scored, one stolen base, three walks, and 18 strikeouts over 68 total trips to the plate. He has also seen playing time at both corner outfield positions with 139 1/3 of his 147 1/3 career defensive innings coming in right.

After failing to make the Giants’ Opening Day roster out of spring training this year, Davis was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, where he hit .295/.340/.500 (109 wRC+) to go along with three doubles, two homers, seven RBIs, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and 14 strikeouts over 10 games (47 plate appearances) with the River Cats.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, Davis, who turns 28 in July, should provide the Red Sox with some intriguing outfield depth in Worcester given the fact he has plus speed and power. It also helps that he has one minor-league option year remaining.

While Boston did not need to make a corresponding move to accommodate the addition of Davis on Thursday, they will need to make room on their 40-man roster on Friday when Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford are activated from the restricted list in Baltimore.

(Picture of Jaylin Davis: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Red Sox lose Ralph Garza Jr. on waivers to Rays

Less than two hours after designating him for assignment, the Red Sox have lost right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. on waivers to the Rays, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin.

Garza Jr., who celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday, was originally claimed off waivers by the Sox on March 24 after being designated for assignment by the Twins two days prior.

Boston immediately optioned Garza Jr. to Triple-A Worcester upon acquiring him from Minnesota. The righty travelled with the WooSox for their first series of the season against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this week, though he did not appear in a game for the affiliate.

All told, Garza Jr. spent just two weeks with the Red Sox, as he and fellow reliever Eduard Bazardo lost their respective spots on the 40-man roster on Thursday so the club could add the likes of Hansel Robles and Travis Shaw to their Opening Day squad.

(Picture of Ralph Garza Jr.: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)