Nick John

Standing 6-foot-5 and towering over the competition, Sadbiel Delzine appears poised to be the next breakout pitching prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Signed out of Venezuela in January of 2025 for $500K—the largest bonus given to an international arm by the organization since 2019—expectations have been high ever since. While he didn’t pitch much in 2025 (just 9⅓ innings across three starts in the Dominican Summer League), he showed enough promise that the organization brought him stateside for the 2026 season. To say it went well would be an understatement; making 11 appearances in the Florida Complex League, Delzine tossed 39⅔ innings while allowing just 12 earned runs on 24 hits and 18 walks. He showcased his potential to get out of trouble thanks in part to his 43 strikeouts. By the end of the season, Delzine was promoted to Low-A Salem and appeared to get stronger as his season went on. At that level, he struck out 36 batters in 25 innings. In each start, Delzine battled on the mound, going at least three innings. While not officially stated, it appeared that he was on a pitch limit, as he threw around 60 pitches in all but one outing. Notably, he struck out at least five batters in all but one of his starts, and in his final appearance of the season, Delzine flashed signs of ace potential. Going four innings, he allowed just one unearned run on four hits while walking no one and striking out six. Entering his final inning of work during that outing, Delzine labored as fatigue began to set in. After allowing leadoff single that quickly became a runner in scoring position due to a throwing error, Delzine gave up a one-out single to make it a 2-1 game. At that point, you could see that the right-hander was tiring. Despite that, he pushed through as he managed to strand the tying run on second base after ending the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Delzine’s dominance in Salem cannot be talked about enough. Entering his final start of the season, left-handed batters were just 5-for-26 against him while right-handed batters were 12-for-54. If a runner made it into scoring position against him, Delzine also kicked it up a notch, as opponents were just 3-for-29 in those situations. As a pitcher, Delzine relies heavily on a four-pitch mix that is led by his fastball. He also has good feel for his changeup and curveball, as they’re ahead of his slider when it comes to development and usage. His fastball especially has made a jump in 2026, going from the low-90s in 2025 to now sitting in the mid-90s and topping out at 98 mph. Part of that increase could be from the 20 pounds he added to his frame since signing with the Red Sox. His changeup has shown bat-missing ability early on in his career and in 2026 it sat around 86 mph. Meanwhile, his curveball has an 11-to-5 break that, at its best, has been able to be buried down and away from right-handed hitters. During 2026, his curveball sat between 79 and 82 mph. Delzine's dominance is thanks in part to his ability to throw strikes, whether by landing his pitches in the zone (51.5% of the time with Salem) or getting opponents to chase (29%). Both results helped him strike out 34.6% of batters while walking just 5.8% of them. While both of those numbers may be unsustainable when he moves up the minor-league ladder, they're a really positive sign for an 18-year-old. The scary part is he still has room to grow. Despite being 6-foot-5 with a strong frame, the right-hander is likely to get even stronger as he matures. Thus, the Red Sox could very well have another top pitching prospect in the lower ranks of the organization on their hands. Boston will work slowly with Delzine, making sure he properly develops, but if he takes the foundation he built in 2026 and runs with it, he’ll clim top prospect lists rapidly. View full article

It went mostly unnoticed, but the Boston Red Sox spent the past year overhauling their catching pipeline throughout the entire organization. Before the season began, Craig Breslow traded for catchers Luke Heyman, Ronny Hernandez, Nate Baez, and Adonys Guzman, along with signing catchers Jason Delay and Matt Thaiss to minor-league contracts. Then, during the season, the team made a huge splash by trading for Adley Rutschman. With all those catching transactions, it would be easy to overlook the catchers already in the system. Two of them broke onto the scene in 2026, but one of them was overshadowed by the other. After a 2025 campaign that saw Kleyver Salazar hit .215/.327/.276 with nine doubles, four home runs, 36 RBIs and 82 strikeouts in 99 games, it'd be easy to dismiss the backstop as nothing more than potential minor-league depth. However, Salazar broke out in a big way in Salem, putting himself firmly on the prospect radar. In 95 games. the backstop hit .293/.403/.479 with 25 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs and 69 RBIs. Salazar also managed to cut back on his strikeouts, lowering the number to 68 while walking 60 times. He was just as impressive with runners in scoring position, coming through often as he went 31-for-95 (.326 batting average) with seven home runs and 56 RBIs. The right-handed hitter’s improvement could be seen through his approach at the plate; in 2025, Salazar struggled to make contact with pitches in the zone, as he did so on just 79.7% of such pitches that he swung at. That number improved slightly to 80.04% in 2026, but it was how he hit the ball that mattered most—he started to pull the ball in the air more (17.8% pull air percentage in 2025, up to 23.1% in 2026). Salazar also showed a great understanding of the strike zone, walking 14.6% of the time and limiting his chase rate to 25.2%. Originally viewed as a defensive catcher with questionable offensive ability due to an inability to make consistent contact, Salazar changed the narrative around his potential thanks to a strong 2026. There’s no denying that you would like to see some more bat-to-ball skills from him, but at just 20 years old, you’ll take it, especially since he put up a wRC+ of 132 while playing in a home park that is incredibly friendly to pitchers. Carilion Clinic Field is tough on hitters, their tall outfield walls causing a lot of hitters to miss out on what should be home runs and at times even doubles. Salazar still provided double digits for both offensive categories, leading to some speculation of how he will do in a more hospitable environment like Fluor Field in Greenville. Defensively, Salazar made 55 appearances at catcher and finished the season with a .983 fielding percentage. He allowed just 18 passed balls but will need to improve his ability to hold runners; he allowed 107 stolen bases, only throwing out 31 would-be base stealers, good for a 22% caught stealing rate. With Salazar, you hope to see that number increase even if just slightly considering his value mainly came from his defense prior to 2026. Despite the breakout season, it went mostly under the radar due to Franklin Primera bursting onto the scene. Salazar’s 2026 season shouldn’t be forgotten however, as he has emerged as an excellent secondary prospect who could one day overtake Primera or be used as an intriguing trade piece. In other words, the Red Sox now have another catching prospect that could develop into something special. While nothing is certain in baseball, if the organization is to see its farm system improve after several depleting trades from Craig Breslow, then the continued development of a player like Salazar is necessary. View full article

IKF wasn't signed because of Story. He was signed because at the time we had very few infielders. Plus Dubón provides more versatility since he can play practically every position except catcher or pitcher. Last year Monasterio struggled mightily at the plate. I would rather upgrade the bench if given the chance. Send him to Worcester where he can be depth. If you can bring in a guy with 3 gold gloves and puts the ball in play to be your super utility guy for cheap money in today's game, you should do it.

Following their Wild Card Series sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox will be spending the offseason with the hopes of improving their offense. A team that dealt with several injuries along with inconsistency across not just the starting lineup, but also their bench, could turn to a number of options. And while it may not be what some fans are looking for as a huge splash, signing a player such as Mauricio Dubón could be something that moves the offense in the right direction. Dubón, a utility player that has some experience defensively at every position besides catcher, would be the perfect replacement on the roster for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. While slightly older than him, Dubón would provide an upgrade in the offensive department. This season with the Atlanta Braves, he slashed .276/.321/.399 with 28 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. He isn’t known for his power; his 12 home runs were a career high and just the second time in his career where he reached double digit home runs. However, where Dubón excels is his bat-to-ball skills, a trait that Craig Breslow has taken a liking to when it comes to position players. His latest draft class had several players known for their contact ability. This year, Dubón had one of the best whiff rates in the league, failing to make contact on just 15.3% of his swings. Add to it an elite strikeout rate of just 11.8% and he'd be a great fit in Red Sox lineup that was at its best while focusing on putting the ball in play and moving runners along the basepath. Along with that, Dubón has shown a tendency to hit fastballs, something the Red Sox struggled mightily with during the playoffs. Since his debut in 2019, there has been only just one season where he had 100 at-bats against fastballs and hit under .260, that coming in 2022 when he hit just .220 against them. L he hit .286 and slugged .370 against them in 322 at-bats. Another offensive trait that could be appealing is his pull-air rate. He saw that number drop to 15.5% with the Braves, but for his career it has sat right around 16%. That number could increase once he gets into the Red Sox hitting lab, like how Willson Contreras committed to pulling the ball more after coming over from the St. Louis Cardinals. The slight tweak could turn him into a batter that would pelt the Green Monster with wall-ball doubles. More importantly, Dubón is a savant with the glove in his hand. Described as one of the best utility players in the game, his defensive versatility could provide Chad Tracy and the Red Sox with an endless number of lineup possibilities. He was nominated for a Gold Glove this year, after all, and has one two throughout his career as a utility man. For a team like the Red Sox that has made the thought of run prevention a big part of their roster construction, Dubón would fit perfectly as another Gold Glove-caliber player who is decent with the bat. And with them possibly being close to what they’re willing to spend without knowing if a salary cap will be implemented, Dubón could slide into the budget rather easily. Last season, he made just $6.1 million with the Braves. While early in the offseason, it’s been projected that Dubón could make around $8 million for 2027. Some experts, such as the Athletic’s Jim Bowden, feel that a deal in the area of two years and between $16-18 million could be what he receives. To put into perspective of how good that contract would be, last year the team paid Kiner-Falefa $6 million for 1.1 fWAR. Dubón on the same contract put up 2.4 fWAR and he stayed healthy for the entire season. That’s not to say Kiner-Falefa was not worth the money, but if Dubón could replicate his 2.4 fWAR for about $8 million, it would be a bargain for the Red Sox. If Breslow could bring in a highly regarded utility defender with great bat-to-ball skills, it would immediately raise the floor and ceiling of the team’s bench. It would also create a full circle for Dubón, as he was drafted by the Red Sox back in 2013 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016 for Tyler Thornburg. View full article

The Arizona Fall League is starting to wind down and in preparation of the end of the season, they have announced their yearly Fall Stars. The Fall Stars Game will be played on Sunday, November 8 as the American League and National League will send the best prospects in the AFL to face off against each other. The Boston Red Sox have one representative out of their eight AFL prospects. Antonio Anderson, who has been one of the best hitters not just on the Mesa Solar Sox but for the entire league, will be taking part in the Fall Stars Game after putting together a fantastic season. He's also going to take part in the AFL's Home Run Derby. So far through 16 games, Anderson is hitting .361/.500/.623 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 20 RBIs. He’s also walked 17 times to 20 strikeouts. With Mesa, he currently leads the team in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, home runs, and RBIs. He’s also tied for the lead in doubles and walks. Compared to everyone in the fall league, Anderson is tied for fifth in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, and eighth in slugging and home runs. View full rumor

One day after being designated for assignment, Eduardo Rivera has found a new team as Craig Breslow traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. The trade was first reported by SoxProspects’ Andrew Parker With the organization needing to get their 40-man roster down to 40-active players, Rivera was a casualty of the numbers crunch. It had been reported that the Red Sox were trying to trade him previously but with the roster deadline approaching and no takers, he was DFA'd instead. Now, he’s on his way to St. Louis. Rivera, who joined the organization as a minor-league free agent after being released by the Athletics in 2024, rose through the system and made his major-league debut in 2026. The left-hander made four appearances in Boston, going 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings. His season came to a conclusion when he was placed on the 60-Day injured list on September 1. In return the Red Sox are receiving 18 year old right-handed pitcher Juan García. García made 11 starts in the DSL where he pitched 43 innings and recorded a 4.40 ERA while striking out 39 batters. View full rumor

The fourth week of the Arizona Fall League has come to a close and the Mesa Solar Sox had what may have been their best overall week of the season; they went 3-2 to bring their overall record to 9-11-1. Despite that, they still sit firmly in fifth place, a good three games back of the Peoria Javelinas who are in first place. Offensively, the team did better than anyone could have expected, having two games where they scored double-digit runs, including a 21-5 win against the Salt River Rafters. Overall, the prospects from the Boston Red Sox did pretty well as they were led by the consistent hitting of Antonio Anderson. The young infielder now has a nine-game hitting streak. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Anderson continues to shine under the Arizona sun as the switch-hitter now has a hit in nine straight games. This week, he appeared in four games where he went 6-for-18 with a home run and seven RBIs. He also walked four times and struck out four times. In his first at-bat of the week, Anderson took an 88.7 mph slider that was on the inner third of the plate and deposited it into right field for a two-run home run, his third of the AFL season. The batted ball had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph and came off of Brooks Auger, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 28th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. Auger made 17 starts at High-A in 2026. His second hit of the week came in the top of the sixth against the Glendale Desert Dogs in the same game. Facing right-hander Samuel Carpio of the Miami Marlins organization, Anderson took a 2-1 fastball that caught too much of the middle of the plate and shot it into left field for a two-run single. The exit velocity off of his bat was 94.6 mph. Carpio pitched all of 2026 in Low-A. Anderson’s third hit came against the Scottsdale Scorpions where he hit a single back to the pitcher. On an 0-1 count, he reached for a changeup off the outer edge of the plate and managed to make contact. The hit came against Marcus Johnson, the Tampa Bay Rays’ 29th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. The right-hander made 10 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in 2026. In Mesa’s huge 21-5 win against Salt River, Anderson’s first hit was a pop-up single that the Rafters’ second baseman couldn’t come up with. Hitting a 90.4 mph fastball that was down in the zone, Anderson ended up with some luck to get his fourth hit of the week along with another RBI. The hit came against Luke Craig, a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Much like his first hit in the game, Anderson’s second hit (and fifth of the week) was a blooper. Getting jammed with a 93.1 mph fastball up and in, he managed to muscle it out to right field to drive in a run. The hit came against Cleiber Maldonado, who is in the Minnesota Twins organization. His final hit of the week came in the first inning against the Scottsdale Scorpions. Ahead in the count 2-0, Anderson took a down and in 80 mph slider and drove it out to left field. Thanks to some aggressive baserunning, he managed to take second base. The hit had an exit velocity of 81.3 mph and came against Maddox Long of the Detroit Tigers organization. Overall on the season, Anderson has played in 15 games and is hitting .333/.472/.579 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 17 RBIs. He also has 15 walks to 19 strikeouts and leads the team in slugging, OPS, home runs and RBIs. He’s also second on the team in batting average, on-base percentage, and walks. Mason White 2B/SS To say it was a rough week for White would be an understatement. The middle infielder appeared in three games while going 1-for-11 with a triple, two RBIs, a walk and four strikeouts. One positive for the young infielder is that despite his batted balls not landing for hits, he still managed to put the ball in play. His lone hit of the week was a triple to give Mesa a 4-3 lead in the top of the 8th inning. Facing an 0-1 count, White took a slider (a good sign, considering his struggles agains the pitch historically) that was in the bottom third of the strike zone and pulled it to right field. The exit velocity was marked at 94.3 mph and came against Joshua Quezada of the Milwaukee Brewers. Overall, he’s appeared in 14 games and is hitting .163/.311/.265 with one triple, one home run and five RBIs. He also has 10 walks and 19 strikeouts. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/3B/OF Zanetello appeared in just three games this week for Mesa, going 1-for-10 with a triple, three RBIs, four walks and four strikeouts. His lone hit of the week came during the team’s fourth game of the week against Salt River. Hitting in the top of the third with one out and runners on first and second, Zanetello worked a 1-1 count. He drove a changeup that was middle-middle, into right field at 96.5 mph for a one-out triple and driving in both runners. Defensively, Zanetello played one game at second base, one game at third base and one game in center field. Overall on the season, he’s hitting .156/.356/.311 with two triples, one home run, seven RBIs, 14 walks and 21 strikeouts in 14 games. Harry Blum Blum made two appearances this week, having two vastly different outcomes. Pitching a total of 1⅓ innings, he allowed one run on two hits while striking out four batters. His first outing came in the first game of the week, entering the first inning against Glendale after the starter failed to make it through the inning. Unfortunately, he was met with hard contact as he allowed back-to-back hits in the form of a single and double to open the inning. He then followed that up with a strikeout before being pulled to start the second inning. Overall, he threw 11 pitches, with nine of them going for strikes. He topped out at 95.2 mph and generated one whiff. His second outing was much better, tossing a perfect inning while striking out the side. Coming into the game in the top of the 9th inning, Blum made things look easy as he tossed 13 pitches, with 10 of them going for strikes. In this outing, he appeared to focus on his cutter, tossing it for seven of his 13 pitches. He topped out at 95.3 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall on the season, he’s appeared in six games and has an 0-1 record. He’s tossed 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and six walks. He’s also struck out 11 batters. Madinson Frias Frias made one appearance this week, providing length out of the bullpen as he pitched three innings. During that stint, he allowed one run on three hits while striking out three batters. Entering in the bottom of the 4th inning, Frias was greeted with a line drive single from Jett Williams who promptly stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error. He would be brought home by the next batter as Zyhir Hope singled to center field. After that, Frias appeared to settle down as he retired four straight batters until Nick Monistere singled with one out in the fifth. After that, not another hitter reached base as he got a double play before striking out the first two batters in the bottom of the 6th and getting Hope to fly out. Frias topped out at 96 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games with an 0-1 record and tossed 10⅓ innings. He’s allowed five runs on 12 hits (one being a home run) and seven walks. He’s also struck out 10 batters. Caden Vire Vire made two appearances this week, pitching a total of 1⅔ innings where he allowed two hits, one walk and struck out three batters. In his first outing, Vire entered with one out in the second inning with Glendale ahead 8-3. He allowed an infield single to the first batter he faced which put runners on the corners before getting out of the jam with two straight outs. In total, he threw 17 pitches with 11 of them being strikes. His velocity topped out at 95.3 mph with his sinker and he generated two whiffs. His second appearance was even better, as he tossed one inning and allowed just one walk while striking out three. Entering the game in the bottom of the 8th inning, he struck out the first batter before walking Nathan Flewelling. Vire followed that up with back-to-back strikeouts of Williams and Hope. He tossed 21 pitches with nine of them being strikes. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 3⅓ innings while allowing one run on two hits and four walks. He's also struck out four batters. Nicholas Judice Judice had one of his better outings this week, appearing in one game and tossing 1⅓ scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and walked a batter as well. Entering with two outs in the top of the 8th inning, Judice had the bases loaded when he allowed a single that scored two runs and put Scottsdale ahead 11-4. He immediately got the next batter out with a pop-up before getting two quick outs in the top of the 9th inning. A two-out walk was followed by a fly out. In total, he threw 19 pitches with 11 of them for strikes, while his velocity topped out at 90.1 mph and he generated two whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 5⅓ innings. He’s allowed four runs on five hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell did not appear in a game this week. So far on the season, he’s tossed five innings across three games and allowed three runs on three hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five batters. View full article

Honestly I doubt either returns to Boston. Gray will probably cost too much to bring him back (not that I'm against him returning) and the Red Sox could probably find a serviceable enough #5 starter for much cheaper. Sandoval I would be surprised after how he pitched most of the time, but you never know with Breslow.

The Boston Red Sox are facing a rostering crunch right now, which is made only more difficult with the desire to protect various prospects and impending minor-league free agents. One player facing that ticking clock right now is switch-hitting outfielder Allan Castro. Castro, who could be in consideration of being placed on the 40-man roster to avoid minor-league free agency, was signed by the Red Sox in 2019. A player who has struggled at times offensively, he has also flashed immense potential. Making it to Triple-A Worcester in 2026, Castro led the WooSox in both home runs and RBIs with 15 and 77, respectively. He was second on the team in stolen bases with 20 while being third on the team in walks with 51. Overall, he appeared in 119 games for Worcester, hitting .252/.325/.397. September was where he really showcased his offensive prowess, hitting .300/.371/.650 with three doubles, six home runs and 19 RBIs while striking out just eight times in 15 games. “The game keeps putting him in spots to kind of deliver like that,” WooSox acting manager Iggy Suarez explained about Castro following a seven-RBI game. “It’s a huge boost for him just because of the grind he’s been going through. Seeing the growth, he started from the beginning of the season, even from spring training, you could say he was struggling. But to end it on a high note, you want that for guys.” The start of the season was a definite struggle for Castro, as the 23-year-old slashed just .185/.255/.283 in 24 March and April games. He concluded that span with far more strikeouts (33) than he had hits (17). Following that, he slowly improved, breaking out in June when he hit over .300 while driving in 14 runs. While he dropped off slightly in the following months (.257 and .261 bating average for July and August), the quality of his at-bats rarely wavered. “He realized what they’re trying to do to him. He’s going the other way more with some pop instead of selling out. He’s realizing he can still do some damage over there. To be able to have the confidence and patience to not chase outside of his comfort zone, but also realizing that when they go on the outer third, he can do damage to that pitch,” Suarez said on Castro’s turnaround. “I see how he’s reacting when he’s not getting results and you think, is this gonna take four or five at-bats for him to get back into it? But the window is very short now. It’s a growing moment for young players, especially him.” With young players, adjustments are always a part of the game, especially once the league figures them out. Castro finally began responding to that varying attack plans, taking that next step that separates big leaguers from organizational depth. Now potentially a free agent, he should have plenty of teams calling for a chance at his services, even if on a minor-league contract. When it comes to Castro, the switch-hitting outfielder will likely never become a starting outfielder—at least not on a playoff team. His hit tool is the one that would keep him from being a starter in Boston. High velocity still gets him, and some work is needed when it comes to his pitch recognition. However, he will still make contact with pitches in the zone, and with his power he could carve out a role in the majors as a fourth outfielder, especially against left-handed pitchers. Defensively, he’s likely to be nothing more than an average outfielder, though in Boston they could hide him in left field thanks to the Green Monster. With that in mind, should the Red Sox add Castro to the 40-man roster, there’s a good chance that spells the end of Jahmai Jones' time in Boston. Brought in to be a lefty killer off the bench, Jones hit .308/.408/.585 with four doubles, one triple, four home runs and nine RBIs in 37 games. He was used almost exclusively against left-handed pitchers and as a designated hitter. In total, he played left field three times. Castro provides a younger player who could be similar to Jones in the role of a lefty killer off the bench but with more room to grow. Likely a better fielder and runner than Jones, it makes sense for the Red Sox to see what they have in Castro as a potential fourth outfielder, especially if the team decides to move on from Jarren Duran. Castro also has something that can be very enticing to the Red Sox in the form of minor-league options. The caveat to Castro is his lack of a track record; 2026 was his best season in the system but even that had its growing pains. While the Red Sox could send Castro back to Worcester if he had a prolonged struggle, it would leave them searching for a bench outfielder. All of these things must be considered before the rostering deadline later today. Regardless of their decision, Castro should have a fascinating career ahead of him following his long-awaited breakout. View full article