Tag: worcester red sox

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’ Niko Goodrum earns International League Player of the Week honors

Red Sox minor-league infielder Niko Goodrum has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of June 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Goodrum had a strong week for Triple-A Worcester in its latest series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park. Starting all six games, the switch-hitting 31-year-old went 10-for-21 (.476) at the plate with four doubles, one home run, four RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, seven walks, and six strikeouts to close out the first half of the minor-league season. That one homer came on Tuesday, which also happened to be his daughter’s second birthday.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Goodrum has batted .279/.443/.428 with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, 47 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 63 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 63 games (280 plate appearances) for the WooSox. His 22.5 percent walk rate ranks first among qualified International League hitters, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Goodrum has put up these numbers while seeing playing time at four different positions for Worcester. The versatile 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has logged 243 innings at first base, 171 1/3 innings at second base, and exactly 100 innings at third base. He also made one start in right field back on May 18.

A veteran of six major-league seasons between the Twins, Tigers, and Astros, Goodrum signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox in December. Though he did not make Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, he has fared well in Worcester and has made a positive impact in the clubhouse as well.

Bobby Dalbec said as much in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, noting that Goodrum pulled him aside in between a doubleheader earlier this season and “kind of showed me something on my swing path and it was very clear to me.”

WooSox manager Chad Tracy, meanwhile, had glowing reviews for Goodrum’s approach at the plate when speaking with MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day back in late April.

“He’s a pro, very professional,” Tracy said. “He swings at strikes, gets deep in counts, manages at-bats, foul things off. You’re watching a guy who has played in the big leagues for a while. He’s got a plan of what he’s trying to do when he goes in there and sticks to it.”

According to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, Goodrum can opt out of his contract on July 1 (this Saturday) if he has not yet been added to the Red Sox’ active roster. Given how he has performed as of late, the odds have him opting out in order to find a better opportunity elsewhere have likely increased.

(Picture of Niko Goodrum: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Rafaela was informed of the decision following Portland’s 7-3 loss to the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field on Sunday afternoon. He did not play in the game.

“It’s very exciting,” Rafaela told Speier. “I’ve been waiting for this chance. I’m happy I get it. I need to go up there and do the same thing I’ve been doing . . . I’ve been working, developing, and I feel very ready right now.”

In 60 games for the Sea Dogs this season, Rafaela batted .294/.332/.441 (107 wRC+) with 18 doubles, six home runs, 37 RBIs, 40 runs scored, an Eastern League-leading 30 stolen bases, 14 walks, and 55 strikeouts across 266 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old initially got his 2023 campaign off to a slow start, but he has turned it around as of late and is slashing a stout .341/.384/.533 (143 wRC+) in his last 34 games (152 plate appearances) dating back to May 13.

On the other side of the ball, Rafaela is considered to be one of the more polished defenders in the Red Sox organization, as evidenced by him being named the club’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. This season alone, the versatile 5-foot-9, 165-pounder made 43 starts at center field and seven at shortstop for Portland. He committed eight errors in 163 defensive chances.

While the defensive abilities are undoubtedly there, there are some concerns when it comes to Rafaela’s plate discipline. He struck out in 20.7 percent and walked in only 5.3 percent of his plate appearances with the Sea Dogs this year, though he has worked to improve both of those marks in recent weeks.

A native of Curacao, Rafaela originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent in June 2018. He has since risen through the ranks and was added to Boston’s 40-man roster last November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Rafaela, who turns 23 in September, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system behind only Marcelo Mayer, Miguel Bleis, Nick Yorke, and Roman Anthony. He is now slated to join a talented WooSox roster that includes other top prospects such as Shane Drohan, Brandon Walter, Enmanuel Valdez, and Wilyer Abreu.

By earning a promotion to Worcester, Rafaela is one step closer to reaching the major-leagues. To get there, he will need to show that he can handle and succeed against advanced competition at the Triple-A level.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro signs minor-league deal with Rockies

Exactly one week after being granted his release from the Red Sox organization, veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro has found a new home.

Alfaro signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Saturday, per the club’s transactions log. The soon-to-be 30-year-old backstop (his birthday is on Sunday) has been assigned to Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, N.M. and is in the Isotopes’ starting lineup for their game against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

Alfaro originally inked a minors pact with the Red Sox in January but did not make Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training. The right-handed hitter instead began the season with Triple-A Worcester, batting a stout .320/.366/.520 with 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs, 22 runs scored, four stolen bases, nine walks, and 43 strikeouts in 43 games (191 plate appearances) for the WooSox.

Despite the strong offensive performance, there were and still are some concerns when it comes to Alfaro’s defense at catcher. The 6-foot-2, 249-foot backstop logged 225 1/3 innings behind the plate for Worcester, allowing six passed balls and throwing out just five of 35 would-be base stealers. He also made two starts at first base, but was not an apparent fit at the position for Boston.

Because the Red Sox expressed confidence in their current catching tandem of Connor Wong and Reese McGuire, Alfaro triggered the opt-out clause in his contract last Thursday. As previously mentioned, it did not take the native Colombian all that long to find a new landing spot.

With the Rockies, Alfaro will look to break back in at the big-league level after spending the 2022 season with the Padres. Colorado currently carries two catchers (Elias Diaz and Austin Wynns) on its 26-man roster and three additional catchers (Daniel Cope, Jonathan Morales, and Brian Serven) on its Triple-A roster.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, already addressed Alfaro’s departure from the organization by promoting catching prospect Stephen Scott to Worcester on Friday. Scott joins Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez in making up Boston’s catching depth at the top flight of the minors.

(Picture of Jorge Alfaro: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote catching prospect Stephen Scott to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted catching prospect Stephen Scott from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Scott, 26, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 35 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The left-handed hitter batted .248/.369/.448 (124 wRC+) with five doubles, one triple, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 23 runs scored, four stolen bases, 24 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 37 games (149 plate appearances) with the Sea Dogs this season.

Among qualified Eastern League hitters coming into play on Friday, Scott ranks 22nd in on-base percentage, 24th in slugging percentage, 24th in OPS (.817), 20th in isolated power (.200), 23rd in wRC+, and 15th in walk rate (16.1 percent), according to FanGraphs.

Defensively, Scott logged 257 innings at catcher for Portland while splitting time behind the plate with Nathan Hickey and Elih Marrero. In those 257 innings, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound backstop allowed six passed balls and threw out 61 would-be base stealers.

A native of North Carolina, Scott was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Vanderbilt. At the time he signed with Boston for just $50,000 that July, Scott was primarily viewed as a first baseman/corner outfielder, but he began catching full-time last year and has not really looked back since.

In Worcester, Scott will join Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez in helping fill the void left behind by veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro, who exercised the opt-out in his minor-league contract with Boston last week and was granted his release from the organization this past Saturday.

(Picture of Stephen Scott: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to call up left-hander Joe Jacques from Triple-A Worcester, per report

UPDATE: The Red Sox did indeed select Jacques’ from Worcester on Friday. They cleared a spot on the 26-man roster for him by optioning Enmanuel Valdez and cleared a spot on the 40-man roster by transferring Chris Sale to the 60-day injured list.

The Red Sox are promoting left-hander Joe Jacques from Triple-A Worcester, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post.

Jacques, 28, will be active for Friday’s series opener against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, per MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. The Red Sox will need to create openings on both their 26- and 40-man rosters in order to accommodate the addition of Jacques.

As noted by Smith, Boston is also expected to activate outfielder Adam Duvall from the 60-day injured list on Friday, meaning the club will need to add him back to the 40-man roster as well.

To that end, the Red Sox already opened a spot on their 40-man roster by designating Matt Dermody for assignment following Thursday night’s 10-3 loss to the Guardians in Cleveland. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe recently speculated that they could create another 40-man spot by transferring pitching prospect Bryan Mata — who has been on the minor-league injured list since May 10 — to the 60-day injured list. That, of course, would start Mata’s service time clock.

Jacques, meanwhile, was originally selected by the Pirates in the 33rd round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Manhattan College. The New Jersey native spent the first five years of his professional career in the Pittsburgh organization before being plucked by the Red Sox in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft last December.

In 23 appearances (one start) for the WooSox this season, Jacques has posted a 3.58 ERA and 5.00 FIP with 24 strikeouts to nine walks across 27 2/3 innings of work. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound sidearmer relies primarily on a sinker and slider combination.

Dermody, who last pitched for Worcester on Wednesday, is in line to make his major-league debut if he gets into a game with the Red Sox this weekend. He would become the second pitcher and fourth player to accomplish that feat for Boston this season, joining fellow lefty Chris Murphy, second baseman Enmanuel Valdez, and outfielder Masataka Yoshida.

(Picture of Joe Jacques: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox officially call up Matt Dermody, option Chris Murphy to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have officially selected the contract of left-hander Matt Dermody from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Guardians. In a corresponding move, fellow lefty Chris Murphy was optioned to Worcester following Wednesday’s 5-2 loss at Progressive Field.

Dermody, who will wear the No. 67, will make the first start of his major-league career on Thursday night. The 32-year-old hurler originally signed a minor-league contract with Boston in January and has posted a 4.50 ERA (4.06 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to nine walks in nine appearances (eight starts) spanning 44 innings of work for the WooSox.

Prior to joining the Red Sox organization over the winter, Dermody had spent parts of four seasons in the big-leagues. The Iowa product forged a 5.33 ERA in 28 relief appearances for the Blue Jays from 2016-2017 and appeared in two games with the Cubs from 2020-2022.

Dermody’s promotion has been met with a heavy amount of criticism after it was revealed that the southpaw posted — and eventually deleted — a homophobic tweet in 2021.

On June 26, 2021, Dermody tweeted: “#PrideMonth. Homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will go to hell. This is not my opinion, but the #Truth. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9. May we all examine our hearts, ask Jesus to forgive us and repent of all our sins. I love you all in Christ Jesus!”

As noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, manager Alex Cora was asked on Thursday if he is OK with the Red Sox giving Dermody a start given the circumstances and that it is Pride Month.

“He’s going to pitch and he’s here,” Cora said of Dermody. “Obviously as an organization, we made this decision as an organization. We’ve done a lot of stuff to educate our players on the subject. I don’t know how many organizations … do it with their employees and their players as far as like educating them about being inclusive and obviously accepting everybody in the clubhouse and your work environment.

“Obviously not too many people agree with the tweet of Matt. I’m not here to tell him what to say or what to do,” added Cora. “But one thing is for sure, when you put this uniform (on), what we want is for people to be inclusive. I think the clubhouse is a reflection of the world if you think about it. We’ve got people from different races, different beliefs, not only religious beliefs but politics. My job as a leader of the group in here is to maintain that clubhouse as close as possible respecting everybody’s thoughts. I think at the end of the day, what I want is for them to get along together and respect each other. And obviously compete for the same thing that I want to compete for, which is winning a World Series.”

Murphy, meanwhile, made his major-league debut out of the bullpen on Wednesday night. The 25-year-old pitched well, scattering two hits and one walk to go along with five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings of relief in which he induced seven swings-and-misses.

While the Red Sox needed to option Murphy to create a spot on the 26-man roster for Dermody, they already had an opening on the 40-man roster after designating outfielder Raimel Tapia for assignment on Monday.

(Picture of Matt Dermody: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote Matt Dermody for Thursday start against Guardians

Left-hander Matt Dermody will get the start for the Red Sox in their series finale against the Guardians on Thursday night, according to MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

Dermody, who already has a locker in the visitors’ clubhouse at Progressive Field, originally signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox back in January and — up until this point — has spent the entirety of the season at Triple-A Worcester.

In nine appearances (eight starts) for the WooSox, Dermody has posted a 4.50 ERA and 4.05 FIP with 47 strikeouts to nine walks over 44 innings of work. The 32-year-old last pitched on May 28, as he was scratched from his latest start and was in Boston this past weekend as an emergency option.

It remains to be seen if Dermody will only be making a spot start on Thursday or will be staying in the starting rotation moving forward. The Red Sox, of course, have been down a starter after losing fellow southpaw Chris Sale to left shoulder inflammation last week.

Regardless, Thursday’s outing will mark the first start of Dermody’s major-league career. The Iowa product first broke in with the Blue Jays in 2016 and spent two years with Toronto, compiling a 5.33 ERA in 28 total relief appearances (25 1/3 innings).

After being released by the Jays in 2019, Dermody latched on with the Cubs. He appeared in one game for Chicago during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and another last August. All told, he owns a lifetime 5.60 ERA with 22 strikeouts to seven walks across 27 1/3 innings of relief at the big-league level. Dermody has also pitched for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds, Dermody operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a mid-80s slider, a low-90s four-seam fastball, a low-80s changeup, a low-90s sinker, and a mid-70s curveball. He is in line to become the ninth different pitcher to start a game for the Red Sox this season.

Dermody will need to be added to the 40-man roster before officially being called up. To that end, Boston has a vacancy there after designating outfielder Raimel Tapia for assignment on Monday. In order to make room for Dermody on the 26-man roster, lefty Chris Murphy is expected to be optioned back to Worcester after impressing out of the bullpen while making his major-league debut on Wednesday.

(Picture of Matt Dermody: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox to call up top pitching prospect Chris Murphy, per report

The Red Sox are calling up top pitching prospect Chris Murphy from Triple-A Worcester, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. To make room for Murphy on the active roster, right-handed reliever Kaleb Ort was optioned back to Worcester following Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Rays at Fenway Park.

Murphy, who is celebrating his 25th birthday on Monday, will be active and available out of the bullpen for Tuesday’s series opener against the Guardians in Cleveland. Depending on how things play out, the left-hander could get the start in Thursday’s series finale at Progressive Field since the Red Sox have not yet named a starter for that contest.

In 10 outings (9 starts) for the WooSox this season, Murphy has posted a 7.71 ERA and 5.56 FIP with 42 strikeouts to 25 walks in 39 2/3 innings of work. His last appearance came out of the bullpen, as he struck out three and did not issue a walk over three scoreless, one-hit frames in an 8-6 loss to the Louisville Bats on June 1.

Among 87 International League pitchers who have accrued at least 30 innings to this point in the year, Murphy ranks 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (9.53), 77th in walks per nine innings (5.67), 37th in strikeout rate (21.6 percent), 70th in walk rate (12.9 percent), 27th in swinging-strike rate (12.1 percent), 78th in batting average against (.309), 84th in WHIP (1.91), 82nd in ERA, 61st in FIP, and 52nd in xFIP (5.33), per FanGraphs.

A native of California, Murphy was originally selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of San Diego. He signed with Boston for $200,000 and was added to the club’s 40-man roster last November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Murphy throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-96 mph four-seam fastball, an 84-89 mph slider, an 83-85 mph changeup, and a 73-76 mph curveball.

Despite the struggles he has endured with Worcester this season, Murphy is still regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, places the southpaw 14th on its list.

Assuming he gets into a game this week, Murphy will become the third player to make their major-league debut with the Red Sox this season, joining second baseman Enmanuel Valdez and outfielder Masataka Yoshida. He is also in line to become the 22nd different non-position player pitcher to be used by the club so far this year.

Ort, meanwhile, was initially recalled from Worcester over the weekend and appeared in each of Boston’s last two games against Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old righty pitched well, striking out three in two perfect innings on Sunday and tossing a scoreless ninth inning on Monday.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Ort has forged a 5.87 ERA and 5.31 FIP with 16 strikeouts to seven walks over 14 appearances (15 1/3 innings) for the Red Sox. With the WooSox, he has put up a 2.45 ERA and 5.29 FIP with nine punchouts to six walks in eight outings spanning 7 1/3 innings of relief.

 (Picture of Chris Murphy: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jorge Alfaro opts out of minor-league deal with Red Sox

Veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro has opted out of his minor-league contract with the Red Sox and intends to test free agency, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The club now has 48 hours to decide whether to block the 29-year-old backstop’s opt-out by adding him to the active roster.

Alfaro, who turns 30 later this month, joined the Red Sox on a minors pact in January after being non-tendered by the Padres last November. Though the right-handed hitter did not make Boston’s Opening Day out of spring training, he elected to remain in the organization and has since torn it up with Triple-A Worcester.

Entering Thursday, Alfaro has batted a stout .320/.366/.520 with 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs, 22 runs scored, four stolen bases, nine walks, and 43 strikeouts in 43 games (191 plate appearances) with the WooSox. Defensively, the native Colombian has allowed six passed balls and has thrown out five of 35 would-be base stealers while splitting time behind the plate with Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez. He has also made two starts at first base.

Despite the strong offensive performance, it does not appear as though the Red Sox are keen on adding Alfaro to their 26-man group. That being the case because they are comfortable with the tandem of Connor Wong and Reese McGuire and do not intend on carrying a third catcher at this time.

When speaking with reporters (including Cotillo) prior to Wednesday’s loss to the Reds at Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged that Alfaro would be a tough fit on the roster as things stand now.

“He’s swinging the bat well,” Cora said. “We’ll see where we’re at. Obviously, right now, we’re very comfortable with Reese and Wong. There’s (another) 29 teams out there. They might have a chance or not. In a selfish way, hopefully, nobody wants him. As a person and a player, I would love him to be in the big-leagues, either with us or somebody else. It’s where we’re at right now. We’re very comfortable with these two guys. I’ll repeat myself.”

As noted by Cotillo, the Red Sox will presumably wait until the 48-hour deadline to make their official decision on Alfaro. That way, they can protect themselves in the event that either Wong or McGuire suffer some sort of injury in the interim.

If Alfaro does indeed leave the organization, though, Hamilton and Hernandez would emerge as the top two catching options for the WooSox while Stephen Scott and Nathan Hickey are right behind them at Double-A Portland.

(Picture of Jorge Alfaro: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)