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  • Boston Red Sox Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Boston Red Sox free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
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    Matthew Lenz
    Despite being nine games under .500, the Boston Red Sox are looking to improve their lineup for a second-half push to the postseason. Although they currently sit 11 games out of the division lead, they are just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot in the Wild Card race.
    Buster Olney of ESPN is reporting that the Red Sox "are looking to add a right-handed bat and willing to spend money to do it."
    The Red Sox have had one of the worst lineups this year in large part due to some of their right-handed bats, such as Caleb Durbin, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Connor Wong (albeit the sample is small), and Trevor Story. Of course, it's not likely that they will find a solution to their woes at this juncture in the season. The hot stove has its pilot light on, but it has yet to ignite. Moreover, since the Wild Card expanded to three teams, it takes longer for teams to determine their path and buyers and sellers, and there are typically fewer teams willing to sell.
    Who do you think the Red Sox should pursue? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Steve Drumwright
    The Brayan Bello situation has taken another turn.
    The Boston Red Sox demoted Bello to Triple-A Worcester following yet another bad start by the right-hander Thursday, according to multiple reports.
    The move came after Bello allowed eight runs over five innings in an 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Six of those runs came in the first inning. It was the second game this season in which the 27-year-old has allowed eight runs, with another start yielding seven runs and yet another six runs. That is four of his 12 appearances this year, eight of which have been starts. The Red Sox have also tried using an opener for Bello, who is in the third year of a six-year, $55 million contract.
    When questioned by the media about his role on the team and whether he would be better off in the bullpen or the minors, Bello took exception.

    Bello has a 6.34 ERA and entered Thursday's game with an 8.2% walk rate and a 15.6% strikeout rate. While the walk rate is very close to the MLB average of 8.4% and just off his career mark of 8.3%, his strikeout rate is the worst of his career, below the 15.6% for his career and the MLB average of 22.4%. Opponents are also hitting .310 vs. Bello, the worst mark since his rookie season of .315.
    It was already a busy day on the pitching side for the Red Sox, who promoted right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle before the game and then traded for left-handed reliever Joe La Sorsa, who was in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization and will be added to the roster prior to Friday's series opener against the New York Yankees. La Sorsa is an easy swap for Bello's spot on the 26-man roster, but a 40-man move will need to be made.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    In need of some bullpen help, the Boston Red Sox have acquired left-hander Joe La Sorsa from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to a report Thursday by Ari Alexander of WHDH-TV in Boston. According to another report, the Red Sox only had to send cash to the Pirates.
    La Sorsa had an upward mobility clause in his contract that he exercised, which prompted the move by the Pirates. Pittsburgh is also in need of some bullpen help, which adds another interesting aspect to this transaction.
    The Red Sox will have to make a move before Friday's series opener against the New York Yankees to get La Sorsa on the 26-man and 40-man rosters.
    The 28-year-old La Sorsa had a 3.46 ERA at Triple-A for the Pirates. In 26 innings covering 20 appearances, he allowed six walks and 22 strikeouts with a .237 opponent batting average. He also pitched for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
    It is the second move involving the bullpen Thursday after promoting Tommy Kahnle from Triple-A in a similar situation.
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    However it happened, Tommy Kahnle is back on an MLB roster.
    The right-handed reliever was called up by the Boston Red Sox from Triple-A Worcester on Thursday and left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego was optioned to Triple-A. To make room on the 40-man roster, shortstop Trevor Story (sports hernia) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
     
    The 36-year-old Kahnle signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox late in spring training, March 19, and had a June 1 opt-out close if he was not brought up to the majors. The Red Sox had to make a decision by Thursday on whether to add Kahnle after he triggered the opt-out clause. He also had an upward mobility clause in his contract that he exercised in May, but he did not receive an MLB job.
    At Triple-A this season, Kahnle appeared in 18 games and covered 19⅓ innings, putting up a 1.40 ERA and converting all five save opportunities. He walked 11 and struck out 21.
    Kahnle was with the Detroit Tigers in 2025, when he posted a 4.43 ERA over 66 appearances (63 innings) with an 11.6% walk rate and 18.7% strikeout rate, both below average.
    Samaniego, who made his MLB debut this season, has appeared in 20 games over 20⅓ innings, with a 2.66 ERA. He walked eight and struck out 17.
    Moving Story to the 60-day IL was simply a paperwork move. There has not been a setback.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Boston Red Sox's depth is taking another hit.
    Infielder Nick Sogard will be placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox, who are calling up infielder Anthony Seigler from Triple-A Worcester, according to a report by MassLive.com's Sean McAdam. Sogard has soreness on his right side.
    Sogard, a switch-hitter, has not played since Saturday. Since being called up May 16, Sogard had produced a .257/.350/.371 with no homers and two RBIs in 12 games. The Red Sox are already missing star shortstop Trevor Story, who is on the 10-day IL with a sports hernia, and Romy Gonzalez, who is on the 60-day IL following surgery on his left shoulder, from their infield mix.
    Seigler was the third player the Red Sox acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the six-player Caleb Durbin trade that cost Boston left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton. The Red Sox also picked up infielder Andruw Monasterio in that deal. Seigler will be making his Red Sox debut after putting up a .298/.425/.471 slash line with three homers and 21 RBIs at Worcester. Seigler has the ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond, including catcher, and made his MLB debut last year with the Brewers, playing in 34 games and slashing .194/.292/.210 with no homers and five RBIs.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    In a bad news, good news situation, the Boston Red Sox are losing one of their top relievers, right-hander Garrett Whitlock for the next two weeks. The good news is the injury doesn't appear to be as serious as it could have been.
    The Red Sox on Thursday placed Whitlock on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left knee and called up left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester. Whitlock was injured on his first warmup pitch as he entered Sunday's game, a 6-5 walk-off loss to the Minnesota Twins. The conditions were not ideal, with rain making the mound muddy and slippery. Whitlock said he hyperextended the knee.
    However, he stayed in to pitch in the top of the sixth with two outs and runners on first and second. The usually reliable Whitlock gave up a tying double and a two-run go-ahead single before getting the final out of the inning.
    Whitlock has made 20 appearances over 19⅔ innings, with a 3.20 ERA, six walks and 25 strikeouts.
    Samaniego is in his third stint with the Red Sox this season, his first in the bigs. He has been excellent across 18 appearances, posting a 1.04 ERA in 17⅓ innings, with seven walks and 13 strikeouts.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The uneven start to the season for Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story has hit a pothole.
    Story is reportedly being placed on the 10-day injured list, likely due to the minor groin issue that he has been dealing with most of the season. Infielder Nick Sogard was called up from Triple-A Worcester. Andruw Monasterio is likely to get a bulk of the time at shortstop in Story's absence.
    The oft-injured Story, coming off his first healthy season since 2021, has struggled at the plate and in the field this year. He has a .206/.244/.303 slash line with three homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games. This comes after a 25-homers, 96-RBI season in which he slashed .263/.308/.433.
    Sogard will be seeing his first action of the season with the Red Sox after a combined 61 games over the last two years in which he had a slash line of .266/.321/.335 with no homers and 17 RBIs. He was slashing .269/.417/.454 at Triple-A this year with five homers and 23 RBIs.
    Steve Drumwright
    In what promises to be a busy weekend for bullpen moves, the Boston Red Sox have swapped out another arm.
    The Red Sox on Saturday activated right-handed reliever Justin Slaten from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-handed reliever Jack Anderson to Triple-A Worcester. Slaten was on the IL since April 8 with a strained right oblique.
    Anderson had just been called up Friday and didn't pitch in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox entered the weekend without a designated starter for the Saturday and Sunday games. Left-hander Payton Tolle is starting today.
    Slaten appeared in four games and didn't allow an earned run in 3⅓ innings, walking two and striking out five. He posted a 4.24 ERA in 36 appearances with the Red Sox last year after a 2.93 ERA in 44 games in 2024.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Boston Red Sox continue to shuffle their pitching staff.
    Right-hander Jack Anderson was called up by the Red Sox from Triple-A Worcester on Friday, with left-handed starter Jake Bennett being sent back to Triple-A.
    Anderson, who is in his second stint this season with the Red Sox, has started three of his five appearances at Worcester, but all three of his games in the majors have been in a relief role, including his MLB debut. The Red Sox have not officially named a starter for Saturday or Sunday, the final two games of the series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. It is possible Anderson appears in either role Saturday and is sent back down for a fresh arm for Sunday.
    Anderson has allowed three runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts with the Red Sox. At Triple-A, he allowed nine runs on 21 hits, including four homers, with three walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 innings.
    Bennett made two starts as he also had his MLB debut. He gave up five runs on 11 hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 10⅓ innings.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The topsy-turvy season of the Boston Red Sox took another turn when left fielder Roman Anthony was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a sprained right wrist.
    Catcher-infielder Mickey Gasper was called up from Triple-A Worcester to replace Anthony on the 26-man roster
    Anthony was injured during a checked swing Monday in a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers. In the time since, Anthony has been receiving treatment and the wrist was showing improvement, but the Red Sox decided to take the safer route and put Anthony on the shelf for a brief period and not rush him back into the lineup or leave the roster shorthanded for any further games.
    Anthony's performance at the plate could also use some time off. The left-handed-hitting slugger has put together a .229/.354/.321 slash line with one homer and five RBIs in 30 games. That is a stark contrast to what he did last year after making his MLB debut. In 71 games in 2025, Anthony had a slash line of .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and 32 RBIs. He was MLB's No. 1 prospect when he was promoted last year.
    Gasper has a .296/.429/.519 slash line in 28 games at Worcester with six homers and 27 RBIs. Gasper made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in 2024, playing in 13 games, going 0-for-18, then was traded to the Minnesota Twins and played in 45 games last year. Between the two seasons, he has a .133/.250/.195 with two homers and 11 RBIs. The Red Sox picked him up this offseason after twice being designated for assignment.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    It was indeed a short stay in the injured list for Sonny Gray.
    The right-hander was activated from the 15-day injured list by the Boston Red Sox so he could start Wednesday's series finale vs. the Detroit Tigers. Gray had been sidelined since April 21 due to a strained right hamstring, meaning it was exactly a 15-day absence. Left-hander Alec Gamboa was sent to Triple-A Worcester.
    Gray's return to the rotation comes at a time when ace left-hander Garrett Crochet is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation and left-hander Ranger Suarez's status is up in the air as he deals with tightness in his right hamstring.
    Before the injury, Gray had made five starts with a 4.49 FIP (4.30 ERA) with a very nice 5.1% walk rate and a below-average 13.1% strikeout rate. Gray had a 26.7% strikeout rate a year ago.
    Gamboa was called up Monday and made his MLB debut Tuesday, pitching a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    Expected to be a key contributor to the Boston Red Sox's bullpen, left-hander Danny Coulombe has mostly been solid, with one minor blowup. But now, he will be lost for the near future.
    Coulombe was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with cervical spasms. Left-hander Alec Gamboa  was called up from Triple-A Worcester to make his MLB debut. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Gamboa on the 40-man roster.
    Coulombe is the eighth pitcher to currently be on the Red Sox's injured list. His overall numbers don't look great, but his 5.63 ERA in eight innings over 12 appearances is skewed by an April 23 outing vs. the New York Yankees. That is when he allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning of a 4-2 loss.
    The 29-year-old Gamboa has made three starts at Worcester this season, allowing nine runs on 17 hits and five walks against 15 strikeouts in 13 innings. He was signed as a minor-league free agent this offseason after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared in just eight games (two starts) at Triple-A last year.
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    It is Jake Bennett's day.
    The Boston Red Sox called up Bennett, a left-hander, from Triple-A Worcester to make his MLB debut as the starter in Friday's game against the Houston Astros. Infielder Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday.
    Bennett, Talk Sox's No. 12 prospect, was acquired from the Washington Nationals in the offseason in a trade for another top prospect, right-hander Luis Perales. In five starts at Worcester, Bennett had a sparkling 0.86 ERA in 21 innings, allowed just three runs (two earned) on 12 hits with three walks and 16 strikeouts. He has a chance to stick in the rotation with the recent injury to ace Garrett Crochet.
    Bennett was a second-round pick of the Nationals in 2022 out of Oklahoma. Bennett missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023. He returned in 2025 to appear in 19 games (one in relief) and compiled a 2.27 ERA in 75⅓ innings with 19 walks and 64 strikeouts.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Boston Red Sox will be without their ace for a while.
    Left-handed starter Garrett Crochet went on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to inflammation in his left shoulder. Third baseman-outfielder Nate Eaton was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take Crochet's roster spot. Crochet had been slated to start Friday, with left-hander Jake Bennett a likely candidate.
    Crochet hadn't displayed the same form that led to his brilliant 2025 season, when he finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting and went 18-5 with a 2.89 FIP with an 5.7% walk rate and 31.3% strikeout rate, leading MLB with 255 strikeouts. In six starts this year, Crochet had a 4.33 FIP and 6.30 ERA, having allowed five runs twice and 11 in another. He has a 8% walk rate and 26.8% strikeout rate.
    Surprisingly, this move comes after perhaps his best start of the season. In Saturday's 17-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, Crochet went six shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.
    Eaton played in 41 games for the Red Sox last year, putting up a .296/.348/.383 slash line with one homer, four RBIs and nine stolen bases. In 27 games for Worcester this year, Eaton's slash line is .292/.373/.458 with three homers, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    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.
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Boston Red Sox feel Eduardo Rivera is ready for a big jump.
    A day after promoting the left-handed starter from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox called up Rivera on Wednesday to make his MLB debut. So Rivera is basically going straight from Double-A to the majors. Right-handed reliever Jack Anderson was optioned back to Triple-A. First baseman Triston Casas (ruptured left patellar tendon, abdominal strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL to make room for Rivera on the 40-man roster.
    What role the 6-foot-7 Rivera will fill is another question as the rotation currently has a hole due to right-hander Sonny Gray going on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a strained right hamstring. But the bullpen has also been overworked in recent days and left-hander Payton Tolle, Talk Sox's No. 1 prospect, is primed to be called up to fill Gray's spot.
    The 22-year-old Rivera had made two starts at Double-A Portland this year, pitching 10 innings with three walks and 16 strikeouts. In 2025, splitting time between High-A and Double-A, Rivera made 15 starts and five relief appearances, walking 46 and striking out 108 in 87 innings. Rivera pitched for Puerto Rico this spring in the World Baseball Classic.
    Anderson was called up April 14 to make his MLB debut and has pitched three times covering eight innings, which could be the role for Rivera. Anderson allowed one run in each of those outings, while giving up eight hits and two walks while striking out six.
     
     
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