The Boston Red Sox have placed reliever Justin Slaten on the 15-day injured list with a right oblique strain. To replace him in the bullpen, the team has called up LHP Tyler Samaniego before the series finale with the Brewers.
Alex Cora revealed in his media availability after the 3-2 win on Tuesday that Slaten was dealing with soreness on his right side but hesitated to call it an oblique injury at the time. Now, we have conformation that Slaten will be missing time while he heals up. While Slaten has been useful out of the pen, his injury history isn't exactly brief, so it's disheartening to see him go down again so early in the year.
Samaniego has appeared in three games for the WooSox, posting a 3.38 ERA with three strikeouts and a 1.31 WHIP over 5 1/3 innings. He was impressive in spring training after he fully recovered from some initial back issues. His fastball tops out at 97 mph but he lacks a solid secondary pitch at the moment. With some development, he could be an incredibly useful arm out of the bullpen down the stretch. Expect to see him serve as an up-and-down reliever for the entirety of the season.
Justin Slaten landing on the IL again is not great news for a team already pushing their bullpen to the maximum this early in the season, but Samaniego has the opportunity to show that his strong spring was more than just a fluke once he arrives in Boston.
In what was an expected outcome, the Boston Red Sox have declined Liam Hendriks' $12 million option for the 2026 season. Hendriks will instead receive a $2 million buyout. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported the news first.
Hendriks, who signed with the Red Sox as spring training was beginning in 2024, was rehabbing from surgery. While he started a rehab assignment in the second half of the season, Hendriks did not pitch in the majors in 2024.
2025 was more of the same when it came to Hendriks staying healthy as he opened the season on the injured list die to right elbow inflammation before being activated on April 19. Hendriks would end up back on the injured list with right hip inflammation on May 30 before being transferred to the 60-Day injured list in early July.
When healthy, Hendriks struggled with the Red Sox, appearing in 14 games and going 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.
Hendriks, entering his age-37 season will look to sign with another team an in attempt to continue his career.
The Boston Red Sox designated infielder Abraham Toro for assignment Thursday, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.
Across 77 games and 284 plate appearances, the switch-hitter slashed .239/.289/.371 with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in. His fWAR came in at -0.7.
It wasn't all bad for Toro, who entered play on June 13 hitting .330 with a 151 wRC+ and five home runs. However, he hit the wall hard, particularly from a power standpoint, slugging just .255 with two home runs in his final 185 plate appearances. He struggled particularly since the trade deadline passed, where the Red Sox didn't acquire a first baseman, hitting just .131 with a -1 wRC+ in 53 plate appearances.
His fWAR during that span was -0.7, tied with Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos for last among 188 qualified hitters.
The corresponding move returns middle infielder David Hamilton to Boston ahead of their four-game weekend series with the New York Yankees.
Hamilton has struggled between inconsistent playing time and results, posting a .174/.227/.265 slash line with a 32 wRC+ in 69 games in MLB this season. However, his defense at second base remains great, where he's tied for fifth with seven defensive runs saved despite being 37th in innings.
His speed and baserunning is also super valuable, as he's top-60 in Base Runs (BsR) and in the 93rd percentile for sprint speed.
In nine games with Triple-A Worcester, Hamilton hit .282 with two home runs and six stolen bases. Perhaps with uncertainty surrounding the availability of outfielder Wilyer Abreu, the Red Sox are preparing for more Ceddanne Rafaela in center field, thus opening an opportunity up for Hamilton to play second base, despite his skillset overlapping a lot with fellow speedster Nate Eaton.
The Boston Red Sox made a move Thursday afternoon to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, as they needed to reinstate several players from the 60-day injured list. To open up room on the roster, the team designed right-handed pitcher Luis Guerrero for assignment, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
Guerrero, a 17th-round draft pick in 2021, spent parts of two seasons in the majors with the Red Sox, appearing in 22 games and throwing 27 1/3 innings to a 2.63 ERA. Despite having some of the best raw stuff of anyone in the system, his command and control along with inconsistency held him back during his time in Boston. In his 27 1/3 innings pitched, Guerrero had allowed 16 walks. The 2025 season was when his inconsistency issues were at their worst, as he allowed 14 walks in 17 1/3 innings across 13 games.
Guerrero last pitched for Boston on June 27 against Toronto, when he went 1/3 of an inning and allowed two runs on a walk and two hits. He would be placed on the 15-day injured list the next day for a right elbow strain before being transferred to the 60-day injured list on August 2.
With the DFA of Guerrero along with previous cuts of Isaiah Campbell and José De León, the Red Sox 40-man roster currently sits at 40.
The Boston Red Sox, off to a 10-17 start, fired manager Alex Cora and five members of the coaching staff Saturday in an early-season stunner. A sixth coach is being reassigned.
Hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major-league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin were also fired by the Red Sox. Game-planning coach Jason Varitek is considering a possible reassignment.
Chad Tracy, the 40-year-old manager of Triple-A Worcester since 2022, has been named interim manager.
"Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude,” Red Sox principal owner John Henry said in a released statement. “He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived. I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude."
The moves came shortly after the Red Sox pounded out a 17-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles snapped a four-game losing streak.
Despite that offensive showing, the Red Sox were last in the AL East and had a .667 team OPS, which ranks 26th out of 30 teams, and ranked 20th in runs scored with 112 in 27 games (4.15 per game). Entering Saturday, the Red Sox had lost four straight and six of seven.
Cora's contract runs through 2027 and has just over $13.5 million remaining following an extension in 2024.
Cora led the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series championship following a 108-54 record in his first season as an MLB manager. Cora compiled a 620-541 record, missing the 2020 season as a result of a suspension for his involvement in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. He was initially fired by the Red Sox in January 2020, then rehired after the season. After posting winning records in his first three seasons, the Red Sox finished 78-84 in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons and 81-81 in 2024. Boston went 89-73 last year. His 620 wins are the third-most in Red Sox history.
The Red Sox made the postseason just twice in the eight seasons since winning it all in 2018, losing to the Houston Astros in six games in the 2021 AL Championship Series, then falling to the rival New York Yankees in the final game of the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series last year.
Double-A Portland manager Chad Epperson will become the third base coach and Worcester hitting coach Collin Hetzler will join the Red Sox's hitting staff.
Cora also played four seasons as an infielder for the Red Sox, including being a member of the 2007 World Series championship team. His last season as a player was in 2011.
As spring training gets closer to concluding, the Boston Red Sox have continued to shape their Opening Day roster. On the first day of March Madness, the team optioned and reassigned multiple players to the minor leagues.
The team wound up optioning two players, including one member of last year's roster in Nick Sogard. He was joined by Tsung-Che Cheng. Sogard appeared in 30 games last season for Boston, providing defensive versatility for the organization while also securing a few clutch hits at the plate. Overall, he hit .260/.317/.344 with eight doubles and nine RBIs. Sogard also played a big role in the Red Sox's Game 1 win over the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.
Cheng, who was selected off waivers from the Nationals, is only 24 years old and made his debut last season with the Pirates. He went hitless in seven at-bats. Cheng was never expected to compete for a roster spot and instead will serve as depth in Triple-A.
Players who were reassigned to minor league camp include utility players Max Ferguson and Tyler McDonough, infielder Mikey Romer, outfielder Allan Castro, and first baseman and catcher Nathan Hickey.
It wasn’t just the roster that saw changes occur prior to the Winter Meetings, as the front office acquired new talent as well. According to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Cubs director of pitching Ryan Otero is leaving the Cubs and joining the Boston Red Sox's front office.
Otero will be a special assistant to Craig Breslow. This move is a reunion for Otero and Breslow, as the duo worked together during the latter’s time in Chicago. While serving as an assistant general manager and the senior vice president of pitching, Breslow’s, right-hand man was Otero. After Breslow left, Otero was promoted to the role of pitching director for the organization. His transition to Boston should go smoothly considering the past relationship between the two.
Breslow spoke highly of Otero earlier in the year, saying "his ability to speak very technically, and then also in everyday language that resonates with players and coaches, was something I was drawn to... And so, I was like, this is a guy that I need to pull close and give significant responsibility to."
The addition of Otero, while in a different position, should help offset the loss of Justin Willard, who was hired by the New York Mets to be their new pitching coach.
While the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers continue to battle it out in the World Series, the Boston Red Sox have begun to build up depth for the 2026 season. Late Sunday night, the team came to an agreement with free agent catcher Jason Delay on a minor league deal according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo. It was first reported by Just Baseball Media's Aram Leighton.
Delay, who has played parts of three seasons in the majors, will immediately slot in as the third catcher on the depth chart behind Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong. Delay will turn 31 in March and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would go on to make his major league debut in 2022 and play in 134 games between then and 2024. Across that span, he hit .231/.295/.315 with 20 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 35 RBIs. In 2025, he split time with Atlanta‘s Double-A and Triple-A teams. In truth, Delay's glove is what he's better known for, as he was a strong framer in 2022 and 2023 while also throwing out 16 baserunners during his time in the majors.
While the details of the contract are currently unknown, it is likely Delay has received a non-roster invite to spring training. The move, however, is more about acquiring depth at Triple-A in the event of a potential injury.
The Boston Red Sox have finally started shaving down their major-league roster, optioning or re-assigning eight players to minor-league camp on Monday, March 9.
Jake Bennett is the most notable name on that list as a member of the 40-man roster and one of the team's top prospects. Still, he's got a long way to go before making his MLB debut, as he's still behind Payton Tolle and Connelly Early on the organizational depth chart.
Three of those pitchers (Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Vinny Nitoli) are either hurt or have been delayed in their ramp-up for the regular season. Both catchers (Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario) are projected to open the season in Double-A as depth behind Triple-A options Jason Delay and Mickey Gasper. The other two arms (Devin Sweet and Jeremy Wu-Yelland) are intriguing bullpen options who struggled mightily in their limited spring training action.
Expect more rounds of cuts in the coming weeks, especially as the team's 15 representatives at the World Baseball Classic make their way back to camp.
The Red Sox have made another series of spring training moves, reassigning multiple names to minor-league camp. This group is exclusively pitchers this time, which makes sense in the wake of the team signing southpaw Danny Coulombe last week. The names being reassigned are: left-handed pitcher T.J. Sikkema, and right-handed pitchers Seth Martinez, Wyatt Olds, and Noah Song.
This leaves big league camp at 54 while Craig Breslow and the coaching staff begin to whittle away the depth options in the bullpen. It’s been a mixed bag for each of these four pitchers during their time in spring training. Song posted a stellar 1.13 ERA across six games, but lacked control as evidenced by his three wild pitches. He did post nine strikeouts though, indicating that there’s still life left in his pitch mix and he should be pushing for a spot on the 26-man roster at some point this season.
Olds fared much worse, posting a 6.75 ERA over seven games, but he also struck out nine. Martinez held a 7.27 ERA with only five strikeouts. Sikkema clocked in with the highest ERA at 9.00 over three games, but struck out five in those three appearances.
Song is perhaps the most shocking name to be reassigned so far in camp, but he doesn’t have a true spot in the bullpen as it’s currently constructed. Should he show out in Worcester early in the season, expect to see his name called early and often. As for the other three, the reassignment makes sense as none of them have shown to be dependable enough in camp to warrant consideration for the big-league roster at this point.
We’re getting closer and closer to Opening Day, so expect more names to be reassigned to minor league camp as Breslow and Alex Cora start making the tough roster decisions.
The Boston Red Sox are making a few moves prior to their home opener on Friday. With a need for pitching, the Red Sox have recalled pitchers Zack Kelly and Tyler Uberstine, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
Kelly, who seemed to have a bullpen spot secured during spring training until the final week, opened the season with Triple-A Worcester. During the first week of the minor league season, he’s pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Since 2022, Kelly has made 98 appearances with the Red Sox. He’s tossed 115 innings with a 4.15 ERA.
Uberstine is being called up for the first time in his career after fighting for a bullpen spot during spring training. In his lone start with Worcester this season, he tossed four innings, allowing one run on two hits, and struck out three batters. Uberstine is currently TalkSox's 17th-ranked prospect.
In response, Garret Whitlock is being placed on the paternity list as he and his wife are expecting their next child in the coming days.
Johan Oviedo was also placed on the injured list with a right elbow strain. Oviedo's velocity was noticeably down in his final spring training appearance and his Red Sox debut, leading to some speculation that an injured list stint could happen for the right-hander.
The Red Sox spent the offseason acquiring pitching depth to handle such injuries, and it seems to already be paying off.
Sometimes when playoff rosters are announced, there's a surprise or two that gets the fans buzzing.
The Red Sox have opened no such door for us this time around. Their Wild Card Round roster was just announced prior to Game 1 against the New York Yankees, and it's gone to chalk.
INFIELDERS (4): Alex Bregman, David Hamilton, Nathaniel Lowe, Trevor Story
OUTFIELDERS (4): Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder, Masataka Yoshida
INFIELDER/OUTFIELDERS (4): Nate Eaton, Romy Gonzalez, Ceddanne Rafaela, Nick Sogard
The big name missing is Lucas Giolito, though it was already previously announced that he'd miss the series with an elbow issue. The fallout will be if a Game 3 is necessary, as the Red Sox will need to figure out who will start that contest.
What do you think of the Red Sox's playoff roster? Are you surprised by any decisions made by Alex Cora and the front office?
While the Boston Red Sox weren’t the World Series champions in 2025, the team still managed to bring home some hardware in the form of two Gold Glove awards thanks to some amazing defense from their outfield.
Winning his second consecutive Gold Glove award in right field was Wilyer Abreu, as the outfielder managed to put on a defensive display despite being limited to just 104 games in right field this season. In 847 1/3 innings, Abreu wound up with 215 putouts and seven outfield assists. He also started three double plays. In total, he finished the season with a .978 fielding percentage while putting up 15 Defensive Runs Saved, eight Outs Above Average, and a Fielding Run Value of eight. Of all right fielders in the majors, Abreu’s DRS was tied for second, his OAA was tied for second, and his FRV was second. He also led all right fielders with a 5.8 FanGraphs' defensive value.
Joining Abreu is Ceddanne Rafaela, as the center fielder won his first Gold Glove after appearing in 141 games at the position. In 1167 1/3 innings, the walking highlight reel made 319 putouts while also earning eight assists. For the season he finished with a .985 fielding percentage at the position. Though, that may be an understatement of just how good he was in center. Out of all center fielders, Rafaela led all of the majors with 20 DRS, a good five runs above second place which belonged to Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs. His 22 OAA just barely allowed him to pass Crow-Armstrong for first, as did his Fielding Run Value of 22. Rafaela also led all center fielders with a defensive value of 18.7. Rafaela had previously been named the 2025 Fielding Bible Award winner for center field back near the end of October, being the first-ever Red Sox center fielder to win the award, though Abreu had won it in 2024 for right field.
Carlos Narváez was also a finalist for a Gold Glove award for catchers, but the award instead went to Dillon Dingler of the Detroit Tigers
Part of the Red Sox's success in 2025 was due in part to the great defensive effort of the outfield, and now two of the main contributors to that are being recognized with their rightfully owed awards.
Just as the Boston Red Sox were seemingly getting back to full health, they were struck by injury once more.
This time the team will be without rookie Marcelo Mayer as he hits the 10-day injured list with a right wrist sprain. Mayer was forced to leave the Red Sox's latest game, being seen on camera pointing to his wrist. Mayer did say that it was only a sprain and not hamate or broken bone related.
In 44 games, Mayer was hitting .228/.272/.402 with eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 10 RBIs. Mayer's greatest production was defensively as he bounced between second base and third base and played excellent defense despite coming up through the system as a shortstop.
The severity of the injury isn’t known but in response to the injury, David Hamilton was recalled from Worcester. Alex Cora also said that Ceddanne Rafaela will play more second base for the time being. The move to the middle infield for Rafaela will clear up the outfield logjam and will likely make the starting outfield be Roman Anthony in left field, Jarren Duran in center field and Wilyer Abreu in right field.
Do you think this is just a minor injury and Mayer will be back quickly? Could it be a longer absence? Should Rafaela be in center field regardless? Leave your thoughts below in the comments.
After a busy morning of finalizing roster decisions, the Boston Red Sox continued to whittle down the roster heading into the final day of spring training. Among the group were Zack Kelly, Tyler Uberstine, and Payton Tolle. Tommy Kahnle was also reassigned to minor league camp.
Of those optioned, Kelly seemed to be a lock for low-leverage innings in the bullpen up until the signing of Danny Coulombe. With the announcement that Ryan Watson had made the team, it seemed likely that Kelly was going to be sent to Worcester, especially after the team said they might keep one of Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early or Tolle as a reliever to open the season.
Uberstine was another player once considered for a long reliever role in the bullpen but instead was optioned back to Worcester where he will likely pitch out of the rotation. Tolle will join him there also pitching from the rotation as the duo will provide depth for the organization should injury or inconsistency hit.
Kahnle, on the other hand, was reassigned to minor league camp, having joined the team on a minor-league contract. The organization must have felt he needed a bit more time to catch up with the other pitchers despite playing in the World Baseball Classic. Kahnle is a veteran of 11 seasons and has an assignment clause on May 1 and an opt-out on June 1.
It is now all but guaranteed that both Early and Oviedo will have spots on the Opening Day roster.
The Red Sox selected Christian Foutch, a pitcher from Arkansas, 148th overall in the fifth round of the draft. Foutch was ranked 231st overall by MLB Pipeline. Foutch originally comes from Colorado, and was the top ranked pitcher in the state in 2022.
Foutch came out of the bullpen at Arkansas, and he finished his collegiate career with 3.81 ERA. His two best pitches are his fastball and his splitter. The fastball topped out at 100 mph this season, and is his highest graded pitch from scouts.
Foutch has a high ceiling, as he can generate a ton of whiffs with his plus stuff. However, he never showed great command in college, and that will be his biggest flaw as a prospect. Pipeline also notes that Foutch saw his role stray away from high-leverage situations as the season went on in 2025. The Red Sox clearly believe they can help modify his mechanics and improve his command, and that will be necessary for Foutch to ever pitch at the highest level. The pick carries a slot value of $479,000.
What do you think of the Red Sox's decision to draft Foutch?
UPDATE: Johan Oviedo is hitting the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Anderson; Tyler Samaniego is being optioned to the minors to clear a spot on the active roster.
Original post as follows.
In need of bullpen assistance after Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson from Triple-A Worcester, per Ari Alexander of 7News Boston.
Anderson, who was a selection in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft back in 2024, spent most of 2025 with the Portland Sea Dogs before making three late season starts for Worcester.
2026 has been an up-and-down year so far for the 26-year-old after pitching for Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic. Since the minor-league season began, he’s made two starts for Worcester tossing 9 2/3 innings. In that span, he’s allowed four runs on eight hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out nine.
There has yet to be a corresponding roster move; both the active roster and the 40-man roster are currently full and will require reconfiguring to make room for Anderson.
The Red Sox got their second day of the MLB Draft started by selecting Mason White, a shortstop from the University of Arizona. White was the 118th selection, and was ranked 143rd on MLB Pipeline's draft board.
White grades out as a well-rounded prospect with a powerful swing from the left side of the plate. He finished this season hitting .327 with 20 homers. His power is his calling card, but Pipeline also notes that some scouts are worried about his long-term ability to avoid strikeouts, as his long swing comes with a ton of whiffs.
He may stick at shortstop, but White can play across the infield as well. He played some third and second throughout college, so it will be interesting to see where the Red Sox want to develop his defense. He is an average runner, so if they move him to the outfield, it will likely be into one of the corners.
Overall, White presents a fun profile with bat speed and big-time power. If he can develop a better approach and cut down on his whiff rate, he has a chance of accelerating through the team's farm system.
What do you think of the team's pick? Let us know in the comments!
The Boston Red Sox continue to add to their infield depth, as they signed Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training as first reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
Rodgers is the second veteran infielder that Craig Breslow has brought into the organization in the past 24 hours, previously signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year contract. Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove in 2022, will compete for a roster spot in spring training.
The veteran infielder spent most of his career for the Colorado Rockies where he played in 452 games from 2019 until 2024. In that time, he hit .266/.316/.409 with 92 doubles, eight triples, 45 home runs and 197 RBIs. Rogers spent the 2025 season with Houston where he appeared in 43 games and struggled offensively. Overall, he slashed .191/.266/.278 with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.
Offensively, Rodgers has a lot of swing and miss in his game and doesn’t walk enough to make up for it. In his short run with the Astros, Rodgers put up career highs in both walk percentage and strikeout rate at 8.6% and 35.9%, respectively. In 2025, his approach changed slightly as he began to pull the ball more in the air than he previously did in his career.
The Red Sox are no strangers to bringing in veteran players on minor-league deals and getting production out of them. Amidst a gaggle of veterans competing for time at second base, Rodgers could emerge as a key contributor in 2026.
The Boston Red Sox made a move to continue their attempts to stockpile pitching depth, as the team agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with left-handed pitcher Alec Gamboa. The signing was first announced by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Gamboa was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2019 and made it to Triple-A by 2023. He would go on to spend all of 2024 and open the 2025 season in Triple-A before being released to pursue an opportunity overseas. In 53 appearances at Triple-A, Gamboa tossed 133 1/3 innings while striking out 106 batters.
Signing with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization league, Gamboa would make 19 starts and go 7-8 with a 3.58 ERA. He also struck out 117 batters in 108 innings.
Should Gamboa make the major league roster, his salary would increase to $925,000.
All offseason, the Boston Red Sox were looking for a left-handed reliever to add to their bullpen, and with the regular season just two weeks away the team has signed one. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the Red Sox and free-agent reliever Danny Coulombe came to an agreement Thursday night on a one-year deal. The contract is said to be a major-league deal, meaning he'll join the 40-man roster. The contract is worth $1 million according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
Coulombe had a season of two halves in 2025. Beginning the season with Minnesota, the reliever was one of the best left-handers in the game as he appeared in 40 games and tossed 31 innings. In that span, he allowed just four earned runs on 21 hits and nine walks. He also struck out 31 batters. However, after getting traded to Texas at the trade deadline, he didn’t perform as well. Appearing in 15 games, he struggled in 12 innings as he allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and nine walks.
Prior to 2025, he spent two seasons in Baltimore where he was once more a dominant bullpen arm. In 94 games with Baltimore, he tossed 81 innings and allowed just 23 earned runs. He also walked just 17 batters and struck out 90 in that span.
With the Red Sox's 40-man roster full, the team is placing Romy González on the 60-Day Injured List to open up a spot.
On the day before the team’s much celebrated Fenway Fest, Craig Breslow remained busy as he brought in more depth to the organization through a minor-league contract. Per SoxProspect’s Andrew Parker, the team has signed right-handed pitcher Seth Martinez. The deal also includes a non-roster invite to spring training.
The 31-year-old provides Boston with another experienced arm as insurance for the bullpen that will most likely be kept in Worcester to begin the season. Martinez, who was drafted in 2016 by the then-Oakland Athletics, has spent parts of five seasons in the majors. The bulk of his time came from 2021 through the 2024 seasons as he appeared in 111 games out of the bullpen for the Houston Astros, tossing 137 1/3 innings.
2025 was a rough year for Martinez, as he bounced around on waivers going from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Miami Marlins to the Seattle Mariners and then back to the Marlins all before the start of the season. Martinez spent most of the year in Triple-A pitching for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before getting added to the roster on August 27. In total, he made six appearances and tossed 6 2/3 innings. Miami would go on to designate him for assignment on September 11 and Martinez became a free agent on September 13.
While Red Sox nation was preparing for Thanksgiving, Craig Breslow continued to prepare for the 2026 season as he signed infielder Vinny Capra to a minor-league deal on Thursday. The signing was first reported by SoxProspects’ Brendan Campbell.
Capra, who will turn 30 next July, spent the 2025 season with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox. He would appear in 47 games for the two teams hitting a combined .125/.157/.177 with two doubles, a home run and sox RBIs. Defensively, Capra spent time at second base, shortstop and third base along with a few outfield appearances in Triple-A.
While it hasn’t been announced yet, his minor league deal is likely to include a non-roster invitation to spring training. Should he make it through spring training, Capra will most likely report to Worcester where he will serve as infield depth thanks to his ability to play all over the diamond.
In need of opening a 40-man roster spot to complete the signing of Ranger Suárez, the Boston Red Sox authored a trade with the Minnesota Twins per MassLive's Chris Cotillo and the Boston Globe's Alex Speier.
Being shipped from Boston to Minnesota was Tristan Gray, the utility infielder having previously been acquired in a trade on November 18. Gray, who has played 47 career major-league games, was viewed as potential utility depth by the organization thanks in part to his ability to play all infield positions.
In return, the Red Sox received minor-league catcher Nate Baez. Baez, a former 12th-round pick back in 2022 will turn 25 in mid-May. The young catcher made it to Double-A last season where he played in 51 games and hit .237/.297/.400 with eight doubles, four triples, five home runs, and 31 RBIs.
Baez is the sixth minor-league catcher that Craig Breslow had added to the organization as the team has overhauled their catching depth.
Fortunately for both Gray and Baez, neither will have many issues dealing with finding new housing for spring training, as both the Red Sox and Twins have their complexes in Fort Myers.
The Boston Red Sox made yet another round of cuts in camp, mere days away from Opening Day. Notably, OF/INF Kristian Campbell headlines the group reassigned to minor-league camp. Pitchers Alex Gamboa, Tayron Guerrero, and Kyle Keller were also reassigned. Catcher Jason Delay, infielder Vinny Capra, and outfielder Braiden Ward were also reassigned, but they are remaining in major league spring training for now.
Obviously, Campbell headlines the reassignment group for this round. Campbell came into camp with more muscle and with new mechanics at the plate. While he had some promising moments, his performance left a bit to be desired. He appeared in 18 games for the Red Sox this spring, slashing .220/.304/.645 with one home run, two doubles, a 23.9 K%, and a 4.3 BB%. If you’ve tuned into any spring training games so far, you’ll have noticed that he seems far more comfortable at the plate now, but he’s still adjusting to his new swing. When it clicks, he should take a giant step forward to hopefully become the player the team envisioned when they extended him at the start of the 2025 season.
Guerrero was impressive in camp but his reassignment seems to indicate that the Andrew Bailey-led pitching lab doesn’t think what he’s currently working with is sustainable at the big-league level, yet. He’s a flamethrower, but the rest of his game needs more refinement. Keller has looked overmatched for much of spring training so his reassignment isn’t surprising. Gamboa falls into the same category as Keller; both obviously need more work and aren't likely to see the big-league roster any time soon.
Delay, Capra, and Ward being reassigned also isn’t surprising. but the decision to keep them in Major League spring training is an indicator how high the organization is on them as capable depth options. Ward is likely going to be a late season call up to give the team a boost off the bench in pinch running situations, so look for him to continue to shine on the basepaths with Worcester for the bulk of the season. Delay was in the mix for the backup catcher role but this likely means he’s out of that race for now. Capra proved to be more than capable at handling infield duties while guys were given days off for rest down the stretch of spring training.
Watch for at least one more round of cuts as the front office gets the team down to the 26-man roster before Opening Day on March 26.