Nick John

I wouldn't say he's behind Burgos and Martinez on the depth chart. Burgos was called up because the Sox wanted someone who could give them "starter's innings out of the bullpen". Not sure on Martinez though I will say that Samaniego was lucky at times in Boston. His underlying metrics showed regression was likely.

The Boston Red Sox made a change to their pitching staff once more on Wednesday morning, as the team recalled left-hander Alec Gamboa from Worcester (as first reported by the Telegram & Gazette's Tommy Cassell). Gamboa last pitched for Worcester on August 7 and will be able to provide the team with innings out of the bullpen. The left-handed pitcher made his major-league debut this season with Boston and has made seven appearances overall. He's handled 13 innings out of the bullpen, recording one save and allowing just three earned runs while striking out 12 batters. To make room for him on the active roster, the team is expected to designate Seth Martinez for assignment. Martinez pitched in one game for Boston, appearing in the August 11 game against Toronto and tossing one inning while allowing one run on two hits. The Seth Martinez news was first reported by MassLive's Chris Cotillo. This will be the Red Sox fifth transaction for pitching since optioning Greg Weissert to Worcester on August 7. View full rumor

“There’s a different kind of confidence of him going to the plate nowadays." That's what acting Worcester Red Sox manager Iggy Suarez had to say about his star player, Kristian Campbell, when asked about the 24-year-old's recent hot streak. Yes, his 2026 season has been filled with ups and downs. Getting out to a hot start in April, he looked like the player who started 2025 with Boston, only for a prolonged slump to take place across May and June as he dealt with minor injuries and illness. Campbell struggled, hitting just .188/.354/.297 in May before those numbers crashed in June (.148/.270/.180 for the month). At that point, many wondered if Campbell would ever fully recover and be the player the organization invested $60 million into. Then the calendar flipped to July and Campbell took off. “I’ve been working hard on my hitting and trying to get it situated, especially coming back from June. June was super tough, but July made up for it,” Campbell admitted. Appearing in 19 games, he was scorching hot as he hit .379/.507/.552 en route to being named the International League Player of the Month. The summer heat didn't get to Campbell, as he managed to get on base 20 consecutive games until the streak concluded on August 7 where he went 0-for-4 despite having two batted balls with exit velocities above 102 mph. “It’s a part of the game, the ups and downs and learning [how to manage it]. Learning is a big thing for me and it’s part of the process,” Campbell explained prior to the team’s August 8 game against Lehigh Valley. In the game, he would end up finishing 1-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. “When it comes to seeing different pitching, when it comes to fielding, situational stuff, it’s part of the game. The more I get involved and the more I learn, the better. There’s a lot of baseball to be played and I haven’t played that much but there’s a lot to be played.” He’s starting to hit the ball harder, getting back to the player he was in 2024, and it’s been noticed by those around him on the team. Yet Campbell himself has taken everything one day at a time, working gradually to get back to the majors and help the big-league Red Sox. He noted how he’s gone on hot streaks before, so he's trying not to let his recent success define his process. The converted outfielder didn’t attribute his turnaround to any specific change in his approach, but rather just playing like himself. “Just keep it rolling, man. He’s been putting in a lot of work, and he’s been working tirelessly with Johnny and Getty [hitting coaches Johnny Reina and Rich Gedman]. It’s something that we keep reinforcing, the good at-bats, even pitches that he’s missing are good passes. Just being able to get consistent hard contact, that’s huge,” Suarez said. Of course, Suarez knows a thing or two about the former top prospect; he was able to see Campbell when he first joined the organization, getting to coach him for parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons in Greenville. After a rough first half this year, Suarez feels that Campbell is closer to being that player who exploded onto the scene in 2024. “That’s how baseball is. He’s getting rewarded right now, just kind of keep that momentum going.” Through 90 games this year, Campbell is starting to resemble a future star once again, especially after his amazing July. Overall, he’s hitting .250/.377/.351 with 16 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBIs. HIs numbers still aren't where anyone would want them to be, but they're slowly improving. Not just the stat line, but his underlying metrics as well. The outfielder is chasing pitches less, down to 24.7% on the year and his whiff percentage is also falling, having gotten back under 30% thanks to his great at-bats in previous week. He's walking at an impressive 15.8% rate, helping to offset a strikeout rate of just under 29% (which he has also improved upon after it passed 30% earlier this summer). And while he's still picky about when he swings, his play this past month has shown he's capable of making that approach work. Most importantly, it seems his quality of contact is back, as he’s been averaging an exit velocity of 90.7 mph along with a hard-hit rate of 53% over his past 15 starts. Keeping that up will fast-track his ticket back to Boston. View full article

Franklin AriasJustin GonzalesHenry GodboutFranklin PrimeraSadbiel DelzineJuan ValeraJake SchaffnerYoeilin CespedesDorian SotoMikey RomeroMarcus PhillipsJohanfran GarciaBlake WehuntJohn HolobetzOwen HullMartin ShelarKaleb LaFavorJack WinnayGerardo RodriguezLuke Heyman

July was an extremely friendly month for the entire Boston Red Sox organization. Not only did the major-league club go on a run that put them comfortably into a playoff spot, but the minor-league teams went on their own respective runs. The pitching infrastructure was a big reason for that success, with players across every level shining. Today, we’re going to discuss the top five pitchers in the farm system during the month of July. Ranking Red Sox's Best Minor League Pitchers In July Honorable Mention: Anthony Eyanson (Portland Sea Dogs) Despite being traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline, it would be wrong to not include Eyanson in some form, hence the honorable mention. The right-hander made four appearances, three of them being starts, and tossed 17 2/3 dominant innings. Opponents hit just .161 against him and he walked just seven batters, good for a WHIP 0.96. Eyanson struck out 30 batters in that same span, continuing to showcase his strong ability to get batters out by strikes. To add to his impressive month, the right-hander allowed only four runs, one by a home run as he finished the month with a 2.04 ERA. Eyanson had two starts that stood out, his July 18 start showcasing his dominance on the mound as he tossed five innings and allowed just one hit while striking out eight batters. That was followed up with his final start in the Red Sox organization where he struck out a career-high 10 batters in 4 2/3 innings. Now, he will look to continue his dominance in Baltimore. Honorable Mention: Tyler Uberstine (Worcester Red Sox) Another pitcher traded at the deadline, Uberstine was quite the arm out of the bullpen for Worcester in July. The right-hander tossed 14 1/3 innings and allowed just three runs for the entire month. Opponents hit just .152 against him and his WHIP was 0.70. Uberstine made eight appearances for Worcester in July, including one spot start, and in that span struck out 18 batters while issuing just three walks. Uberstine was dealt to the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline and will now have a clearer path to return to the majors. Whether out of the bullpen or part of the rotation is unknown, but the right-hander should be able to provide quality innings for the Braves. #3 Angel Bastardo (Worcester Red Sox) Bastardo, who is a reliever, may be a surprise addition to those who haven’t followed him this season. Having been taken in the Rule 5 draft prior to the 2025 season by the Toronto Blue Jays, Bastardo was returned to the Red Sox organization while still recovering from Tommy John surgery from 2024. Since returning, he has shown some electric stuff during his outings, but everything seems to have finally clicked this summer. Bastardo appeared in nine games during the month of July and was one of the most trusted arms out of acting manager Iggy Suarez’s bullpen. The right-hander tossed 14 2/3 innings and allowed just four earned runs, good for an ERA of 2.45. More impressive was the fact that opponents hit just .137 against him and his WHIP was an impressive 0.48. Over those 14 2/3 innings, he didn’t allow a single walk and struck out 23 batters. His performance throughout July has quickly brought his name into the conversation surrounding potential depth pieces for the major-league bullpen should Boston need reinforcements down the stretch. #2 Jason Gilman (Salem RidgeYaks) Gilman showcased the potential that made the Red Sox interested in him during the 2025 draft. With a pitch arsenal made up of a fastball, curveball and changeup, Gilman mowed down the competition in four July appearances including three starts. Tossing 21 1/3 innings, the left-hander allowed just seven earned runs. Overall, he held opponents to just a .164 average while punching out 25 batters. Despite tossing a complete game, his best start may have come on July 4 where he tossed six shutout innings. In that outing, he allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out nine batters. Following his strong month of July, Gilman was promoted to High-A Greenville. #1 John Holobetz (Portland Sea Dogs/Worcester Red Sox) The month of July was a great one for Holobetz, who not only performed great on the field, but also got a promotion to Triple-A. The right-hander, who was the player to be named later in the Quinn Priester trade, has moved through the system quickly since being acquired. Las month, Holobetz appeared in five games, making four starts while being workhorse by minor-league standards. Tossing 23 innings, the right-hander allowed just seven earned runs good for a 2.74 ERA. His control was exceptional, walking just four batters and striking out 32 as his WHIP was 0.91. Opponents also struggled to make good contact as he allowed 17 hits across the 23 innings. Holobetz made his final start of the month in Worcester where he delivered a gem. In his Triple-A debut, the right-hander tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six batters. Now in Worcester, the plan is to tinker with his pitch arsenal and see if he can get a sweeper, sinker or cutter to join his current four-pitch mix. He's turning himself into a legitimate piece of the pitching puzzle for 2027 and beyond. View full article

Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox made a huge splash at the trade deadline as they acquired Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles and vastly improved their roster. The addition wasn’t without some loss, however, as the price to pay was stark and one that the Red Sox had been rebuilding their farm system for. To recap: The Red Sox acquired Rutschman along with fellow catcher Jake Rogers and cash considerations from the Baltimore Orioles for a package of three top prospects, Carlos Narváez and a player to be named later. For the sake of the article, we’re only going to break down the three prospects that the Red Sox gave up in order to secure one of the best catchers in major league baseball, but it's shouldn't be lost on people just how good of a defender Narváez is, even if he would have been totally superfluous with Rutschman in tow. The thought of trading for Rutschman came with the knowledge of giving up a lot. However, many fans were not expecting just how big of return the Red Sox relinquished would be. Among the three prospects, the Red Sox sent back Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon and Enddy Azocar. At the time of the trade, the three prospects were Talk Sox’s 2nd, 3rd and 6th ranked prospects, respectively. Eyanson, who was the Red Sox's top pitching prospect, was dominating at Double-A and was coming off of a career high 10 strikeout start on Friday. The right-hander is unique, as he didn’t throw as hard as most Breslow pitchers tend to do (his fastball in his final start with Portland was sitting around 93 to 94 mph). It was his curveball, slider and splitter that are really worth fawning over. For Baltimore, they might be getting a pitcher who could eventually develop three above-average offerings. However, a lot of his success comes from his release height and release angle. Prior to his promotion to Portland, Eyanson was releasing the ball at a height that was higher than 94% of minor-league pitchers, creating a unique angle and eye line for opposing batters to deal with. Due to that, his pitches all appeared at a steeper-than-average angle, making it tough for batters to square up. His fastball also relies heavily on its vertical break due to a lack of spin, The same is true with his slider, which doesn't have the characteristics of a modern sweeper. Eyanson’s potential will be tied to how well he can use his pitches and release height to keep batters off-balance. No matter what you think of his future potential, the Orioles managed to get one of the fastest rising pitching prospects in the game, as it took Eyanson less than a year since being drafted to dominate Double-A. He'll be in Baltimore in short order. In Witherspoon, the Orioles acquired a second highly talented arm, but one that may not have been able to reach his true potential with the Red Sox. Witherspoon struggled in his time with Boston, allowing 40 earned runs and 34 walks in 75 1/3 innings. He got off to a rough start with Boston as he allowed 14 earned runs in his first 17 2/3 innings. However, in June, he looked like he was back on the right path and had a 3.38 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, July was a step backwards, as prior to the trade he had allowed 10 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings, good for a 4.91 ERA. Witherspoon's arsenal is made up of a fastball, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup, though he was known for tinkering with his pitch grips and shapes on his own prior to joining the organization. A pitcher who had the talent to join the likes of Payton Tolle and Connelly Early as success stories of pitching development instead struggled to adapt to what the Red Sox wanted from a pitching infrastructure point of view. Now with Baltimore, the Orioles will have a chance to tinker with Witherspoon and hopefully get him back to the pitcher he was in college. Much like Eyanson, the Orioles got an exciting young pitcher that should help their rotation within a couple years. While those two players are quite talented, the final prospect may have been the biggest one the Orioles received. Azocar broke onto the scene this season after putting together a rather pedestrian finish at Low-A Salem in 2025. In 71 games he slashed .202/.273/.314, so it would be easy to assume he wasn’t going to be a big prospect. But at the time, he was one of the youngest players in the entire league, and he had some exciting underlying numbers in his back pocket. Azocar hits the baseball with emphasis, having some of the best exit velocities in the minors. Because of that, when added with his new approach in 2026 to lift the ball more, Azocar had a breakout in the power department and had 18 home runs between Salem and Greenville prior to the trade. He does have a fair share of swing and miss in his game (95 strikeouts in 85 games in 2026), but the power makes up for it as he had 27 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs, and 63 RBIs. Azocar isn’t just an offensive weapon but also an athletic defensive outfielder that should be able to stick in center field. He’s been viewed as being able to play all three outfield spots at an above-average level, so even if the Orioles want to move him to one of the corner spots, there won’t be a drop-off in his defensive prowess. He also has an above-average arm, allowing him to make plays from the outfield against runners looking to take an extra base. With a combination of offensive and defensive skills, the Orioles very likely acquired a future star in the making for their outfield. Of course, this is dependent on how his hit tool develops against tougher competition when he eventually gets to Double-A and Triple-A. Overall, the Orioles managed to take three of the Red Sox's youngest, most exciting players. The losses of Eyanson, Witherspoon and Azocar will lead to the farm system taking a big hit. But this trade feels very much like it will be a win-win for both sides. Rutschman is a star in his prime, and he should immediately become one of the faces of this era of Red Sox baseball. View full article

100% agree. It just, in my opinion, makes no sense to trade for White while Eaton is still in the organization. But we'll see what Breslow has planned.

The MLB trade deadline has officially come to a close, as the Red Sox overhauled their roster considerably. Bringing in six total players (catchers Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers, pitcher Erik Miller, infielder Curtis Mead and outfielders Eli White and Carlos Gutierrez) while sending out four prospects (pitchers Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon and Tyler Uberstine, and outfielder Enddy Azocar) along with three players from that played key roles on the major-league roster when healthy (pitcher Connelly Early, catcher Carlos Narváez, and infielder Marcelo Mayer). Compared to the last half-decade of deadlines, this one was rather exciting, as news broke early of the Rutschman trade and fans waited in suspense to see if it would be completed or fall through due to medical concerns. Unlike previous years when the team made just one or two moves, Craig Breslow appeared to go all-in ,as he made multiple trades in the span of a few hours, not to mention the Mead trade that had been made a week prior. But was the deadline as good as people think it was? The problem with grading trades immediately after they happen is a rather difficult and sometimes pointless thing. What one person views as a great trade, another may consider it to be lackluster or an overpay for a player. The reactions to the Mead trade proved that right away, as every armchair GM took to social media to give their thoughts on it. Despite that, it still serves as a way to recap what happened. Plus, when you look back on the grade later on, it’s fun to see if your views on it changed. For now, I’ll share my thoughts on this year’s deadline and how Breslow handled it before assigning grades to each trade. Overall, this was Breslow’s best trade deadline. Of course, that’s not saying much when in 2024 he had the right process and the wrong results of adding around the margins with additions of Danny Jansen, James Paxton and relievers Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia. Last year wasn’t much better with the overpay for Dustin May, though Steven Matz was a fine addition to the bullpen. Instead, this year Breslow went right to work, striking early by acquiring Mead from the Nationals before the market had truly been set. He managed to bring in a former top-40 prospect who has seemingly figured it out and all it cost was Early, who had become replaceable thanks to the emergence of Jake Bennett. Breslow described that trade as not trying to win every deal in a vacuum, but instead trying to make the Red Sox better as a whole. Was this trade deadline perfect? Of course not. There were things I had wanted from Breslow that never materialized (another starting pitcher and clearing the outfield logjam) and he also left me stumped with one move (the White trade). Overall, I think like always, Breslow entered the trade deadline with a plan and was going to see it through no matter what. There was surprise with how much they gave up for Rutschman, but when you’re bidding against the New York Yankees, you have to pay up, especially for an intradivision trade. Could they have focused on a different player once the price was set so steep? Yes. But Breslow clearly identified Rutschman as his top target once he became available and stuck to his plan. While the farm system took a massive hit, the major-league roster is much better off now. And despite the hefty price it took, that’s a success for a man who has struggled in previous trade deadlines. Boston Red Sox 2026 Trade Deadline Grades Trade: Boston Red Sox trade LHP Connelly Early to Washington Nationals for INF Curtis Mead Obviously, this trade doesn’t look as good after Mead fractured his wrist in his second plate appearance with his new team. You can’t predict injuries when you make a trade, so it's impossible to really grade this one right now. But Mead is very much a result of great process. He fits what the Red Sox are trying to do as he doesn’t whiff, doesn’t chase, and he walks. Not to mention he pulls the ball in the air, a lot. The Red Sox also have him under contract through the 2030 season, so they got a lot of value from Early. Unfortunately, it’ll be some time until we see Mead take the field again, if we see him at all in 2026. Though knowing he’ll be under control for four more seasons softens that blow. Once healthy, he’ll become the team’s starting second baseman of the future, effectively replacing Marcelo Mayer in that role. Early isn’t no small loss, of course. Since making his debut in September of 2025, he had been a staple of the rotation and was loved by fans. Despite that, Breslow understood that it would be impossible to have a rotation of five left-handed pitchers once everyone was healthy and decided to move Early, as he was at the bottom of the depth chart of the team’s three excellent left-handers. Plus, there's real concern with the state of his elbow right now, putting both players involved in this deal in a weird limbo with their new teams. Grade: N/A (on account of both players being injured) Trade: Boston Red Sox trade RHPs Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, OF Enddy Azocar, C Carlos Narváez and a PTBNL to Baltimore Orioles for Cs Adley Rutschman, Jake Rogers and cash considerations This was Breslow’s big blockbuster. First reported early during the trade deadline’s final day, all of Red Sox nation were glued to any bit of information as the announcement of the trade dragged on due to medical concerns. In the end, Breslow got his guy. Personally, I really like Rutschman, especially after he was hyped up by our very own @Alex Mayes and @Maddie Landis. He’s what the Red Sox have lacked since Jason Varitek retired: a catcher who is elite defensively and plus offensively. And he’s the type of player you can swallow the loss of such high rated prospects for. When it comes to Rutschman, the Red Sox would be wise to work on an extension after surrendering so much young talent to a division rival. While he is worth it, if you let Rutschman walk after 2027, it’ll set the organization back. The switch-hitting catcher is worth an extension in the similar range that the team previously handed out to Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet. And bringing in Rutschman was a much better move than trading for a catcher like Liam Hicks, who would have cost less in prospect capital but isn’t as well-rounded a player. Rogers is also coming back in the trade, likely to offset the loss of Narváez until Rutschman is healthy and playing in the majors again. That’s not to say that the Red Sox didn’t surrender a lot. Eyanson was the team’s top pitching prospect and was dominating in Double-A after being drafted a little over a year ago. Baltimore got themselves an exciting pitcher who has used his release height and angle to offset a lack of spin on his pitches. Joining him is Witherspoon, the team’s 2025 first-round pick. Witherspoon had struggled during his time in the organization and there were some concerns that he wasn’t taking to the pitching philosophy like others, especially as he reverted back to his style from college at one point in the year. Now Baltimore will be able to work with him in a different pitching infrastructure and might be able to tap into the potential that made him a first-round pick. The biggest player on his way to Baltimore in my opinion is Azocar. Just 19 years old, he’s been having a breakout campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville ,where he’s hit 18 home runs and has shown no signs of slowing down. Thanks to elite exit velocities, Azocar burst onto the scene as a top prospect during the spring this year and has only garnered more attention with each passing month. Able to play elite defense in the outfield and with the ability to drive the baseball offensively, the Orioles very likely just attained their center fielder of the future. The last piece in the trade (that we currently know of) was Narváez, who after a fantastic season in 2025 fell out of favor early on in 2026. Narváez lost the starting catcher’s job to Mickey Gasper in May, and after Gasper’s demotion spent most of his time in a platoon with Connor Wong. Narváez has taken a big step back this season, but Baltimore is still getting a sterling defensive catcher who should be an excellent backup behind Samuel Basallo. It’s a lot to give up, but Rutschman was worth it. Grade (if extended): A Grade (if not extended): B Trade: Boston Red Sox trade INF Marcelo Mayer to San Francisco Giants for LHP Erik Miller, OF Carlos Gutierrez It was a surprise for the Red Sox to move on from Mayer so quickly after the former top prospect made his debut in 2025. Injuries and inconsistent play led to Breslow and the organization deciding to move on from Mayer in a deal that greatly improves the bullpen while also bringing back something to help replenish the farm system. Miller is a pitcher who checks off all the boxes Breslow looks for in a pitcher. He’s tall (6-foot-5), big (269 pounds), has elite extension (6.7 feet) and throws hard (his fastball averages 96.8 mph). With the Red Sox in need of a late inning left-handed arm, Miller can slot in nicely alongside the trio of Justin Slaten, Tyron Guerrero and Garrett Whitlock to bridge the game to closer Aroldis Chapman. Not to mention that he’s under contract for three more seasons after 2026, possibly setting the Red Sox up to have their next closer waiting in the wings once Chapman is gone. Miller is near the top of the league in whiff percentage and strikeout rate, owning 34.8% and 31.7% rates, respectively. He’s also been able to limit opponents from hitting his pitches hard and has a 53.4 ground-ball rate -- which with defenders like Caleb Durbin, Nick Sogard, Anthony Seigler and Contreras -- will do wonders for him. The biggest issue with Miller is he doesn’t get much chase, hence why he walks a lot of batters (he's currently sitting on a ghastly 15.5% walk rate). In 32 2/3 innings this season, he’s walked 22 batters, something the Red Sox will have to work on with him once they get him into the pitching lab. Gutierrez is still young at just 21 years old, but he's been putting together an impressive season in High-A. In 83 games, he’s hitting .271/.385/.441 with 18 doubles, three triples, nine home runs and 45 RBIs. He’ll likely report to Greenville. As for Mayer, the former top prospect who was viewed as the future shortstop of the organization will relocate to the West Coast where, once healthy, he will get a chance to start over. Rushed to the majors, Mayer missed out on a lot of development as a prospect; with the Giants appearing to be in a rebuild phase, hopefully he will get the chance to slowly come along and be the player we believe in. While people believed Mayer could have landed a more talented player, the Red Sox decided to make an all-in push for a quality leverage reliever. Grade: B- Trade: Boston Red Sox trade RHP Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta Braves for OF Eli White This one just makes no sense. I tried looking at it from every angle as to what White brings to the organization, and the 32-year-old light-hitting, speedy outfielder doesn’t do much. This felt like a player Breslow liked, wanted, and got despite not having a place on the roster and the team already having players who could do his job. Breslow stated that by bringing in White, it would allow the team to have a right-handed bat in the outfield, which should allow them to rest Ceddanne Rafaela down the stretch. But the team already had Jahmai Jones who could do that. Though, White has hit slightly better against left-handed pitchers than Jones this season, but not enough for it to make a huge difference. So, I thought maybe it’s his speed and his defense as a late-game pinch runner and defensive replacement. White is in the 99th percentile for sprint speed and his arm strength is in the 78th percentile, both great numbers for late-game substitutions, especially in October. But the Red Sox already have Nate Eaton in Triple-A who is a similar player but hits better. Not to mention they have the fastest man under the sun in Braiden Ward in Worcester, who is the kind of player you carry in October for his speed alone. Simply put, the trade just makes no sense. The Red Sox didn’t lose much in Uberstine. He’s a decent pitcher who moved to the bullpen in Worcester out of necessity rather than poor performance as a starter. Atlanta will likely use him out of the bullpen should he pitch in the majors this season, but going forward I wouldn’t be surprised if they take a look at him in a rotation that is rather thin due to multiple injuries. Grade: D+ View full article

A busy Trade Deadline Day continued to provide the Red Sox with a new roster as Breslow completed a trade with the Atlanta Braves. The Red Sox sent Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta and received Eli White in return. Uberstine was drafted by the Red Sox in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and worked his way through the system before being added to the 40-man roster following the 2025 season. Entering 2026, he was viewed as starting pitching depth but was moved to the bullpen after the Boston bullpen needed reinforcements early in the season. The right-hander made his debut with Boston on April 5, where he pitched 2 2/3 innings and took the loss after surrendering one run. Shortly after the outing, Uberstine ended up on the injured list, where he began a rehab assignment on May 26. Overall, he’s made 15 appearances for Worcester, tossing 32 innings with a 2.81 ERA. Atlanta receives a serviceable arm that will provide them with innings either at the back end of their rotation or out of the bullpen. For Boston, they received White. An outfielder, White has been used as a defensive replacement and pinch runner late in the game, with only 34 of his 60 games played being starts. Mostly playing right field, White has also seen time in left and center field. He is also viewed as a rather fast runner, being in the 99th percentile for sprint speed. In the playoffs, that could be a game-changer in late-inning situations as a pinch runner. Offensively, there isn’t much to talk about as he’s near the bottom of all offensive metrics if he qualified for them. He has hit left-handed pitchers better, slashing .241/.312/.446 in 83 at-bats this season. View full rumor

He would likely be a rental as I doubt the Sox would resign him (but you never know). There is a risk in giving up prospects but I'd imagine it wouldn't cost much for 2 months of service. Probably somewhere between 20th and 30th on the prospect rankings plus another minor league guy.

I wanted to stay away from pitchers on teams within the division. Otherwise I would have included Gausman who is my top want as a rental pitcher but I doubt Toronto would send him here.

Against all odds, the Boston Red Sox are buyers this summer. The question now becomes: Which positions do they plan to target for an upgrade? One area we know that they're looking to improve at is their middle infield. Entering the season, the organization hoped that the pair of Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer could man shortstop and second base respectively, but injuries and poor offensive performances led to the team cycling through various alternatives such as Nick Sogard, Tsung-Che Cheng, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. Second base is the more pressing area between the middle-infield positions. The team, looking for an offensive boost made a shocking trade with the Washington Nationals. Sending Connelly Early to the Nationals, the Red Sox received power-hitting infielder Curtis Mead. He was expected to slot into the second spot in the lineup while playing second base. His offensive potential is huge, as he had 17 home runs with Washington, but in just his second at-bat following the deal, disaster struck (on the wrist). Mead would be removed from the game and the following day be diagnosed with a fractured wrist. A replacement is now atop the priority list, but thankfully, the second base market isn't completely bereft of talent. Ranked 48th on DiamondCentric’s top trade deadline candidates list, Gleyber Torres could be a player the Red Sox look to acquire. The right-handed hitting infielder has missed significant time this season due to two stints on the injured list with an oblique strain, but he's currently playing every day in the Detroit Tigers' lineup. While healthy, he’s put together a solid .270/.383/.392 slash line through 50 games. That also includes impressive walk (15%) and strikeout (19.8%) rates. While he has had four straight seasons of at least 15 home runs, that streak is likely to end as he currently has just five due to his time spent on the injured list. Part of the problem is that he is not a big pull hitter this season. For his career, he’s pulled the ball around 34.4% of the time, but in 2026 that number has plummeted to just 19.9%. Likewise, his pull-air rate is just 7.5%, which makes makes you wonder how his swing will hold up in Fenway Park. However, his line drive rate and fly ball rate are nearly the same, sitting at 26% and 27.4% respectively, which is something that could lead to Torres hitting a lot of doubles into the right field corner or the right-center gap. The infielder is on an expiring contract and will likely leave in free agency, so it's likely that Detroit will optimize their potential returns on the soon-to-be free agent. For the Red Sox, they would be acquiring a high-contact bat that would lengthen their lineup for a marginal cost. His speed is a non-factor and his arm strength is in the 8th percentile among all infielders, but Torres is a known quantity at a position of need. As the second second baseman acquired, it would be hard for the front office to do better than adding the former Yankees All-Star to their deadline haul. View full article

Undrafted out of North Georgia, Andrews Opata has made a name for himself since signing with the Boston Red Sox, thanks to his elite speed. Just one day after setting the single-season stolen base record for Single-A Salem, Opata sits down with Talk Sox's Nick John to discuss his journey to professional baseball, along with his love of soccer and a competitive spirit towards pickleball with his teammates. View full video

Heading into the final weekend before the MLB trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox have every reason to continue tinkering with their roster. Despite having one of the best rotations in the major leagues, the Red Sox would be wise to build upon their strength, especially with the unknown return of ace Garrett Crochet and the possibility of their young starters regressing due to the workload of pitching career high innings. Add to that the loss of Connelly Early (who was traded to Washington), and it's clear that the team will need innings coverage down the stretch. To remedy that, it would be wise for the team to double down on their strength and acquire a veteran starter who can alleviate some of the responsibility from the young starters. Likewise, due to the uncertainty pertaining to the upcoming CBA negotiations between the owners and MLBPA, it might be in the Red Sox's best interest to pursue just rental arms. Today we’ll look at three veteran rentals the team could look to acquire to help their rotation in their pursuit of the playoffs. Robbie Ray, LHP, San Francisco While the rotation is already filled with left-handed starters, Ray would be an addition that pushes the quality of the pitching staff to another level. Through 21 games, 20 of them starts, Ray has been the ace for San Francisco as he’s gone 9-6 with a 3.16 ERA in 116 2/3 innings. His strikeouts have dropped this year (20.6% K-rate), but he’s managed to work around it. While he’s no longer the pitcher who was a Cy Young, Ray would slot in nicely at the back end of the rotation and provide quality innings. The Red Sox would be on the hook for around $9.5 million for the remainder of the season. There is a command concern, as he’s walking opponents at an 11.4% rate and relying on a lot of contact. Despite that, his off-speed and breaking pitches have performed well. The Red Sox like good spin on pitches and good velocity on fastballs. Ray’s fastball sits at 93.2 mph, lower in velocity than most of the Red Sox rotation, but opponents are hitting just .235 against it and have struck out 41 times. His underlying metrics are a bit concerning and point towards a possible regression despite how well he’s been pitching, but with Boston’s fantastic defense, some concerns could be mitigated. On top of that, as a potential back-of-the-rotation arm, all you’re looking for out of Ray is to provide five or six innings of competitive ball every time he goes out there. Casey Mize, RHP, Detroit Compared to Ray, Mize might be the best available option for Boston. That’s not to mention he checks off a lot of boxes for what Breslow looks for in a pitcher. Standing at 6-foot-3, he creates 6.8 feet of extension. His fastball doesn’t reach quite as high of a velocity as other starters, as it averages just 93.5 mph, but he can get players out with it. Opponents are hitting just .202 against the fastball and the only pitch opponents are hitting above .250 is against his sinker (.256). Along with his fastball, Mize’s slider and splitter have been near untouchable, as batters are hitting .198 and .213 respectively against them. Naturally, he's a reliable strikeout pitcher, shown by a 24.9% strikeout rate. He’s also been able to generate whiffs when needed, sitting on a 27.8% rate on the season. What may be most impressive is his ability to limit walks, having allowed just 19 on the season, good for a 5.6% rate. Along with his outstanding control, Mize has been able to limit hard contact against him, allowing it just 36% of the time while batters have only been able to barrel up his pitches at a 6.4% rate. The one major concern for Mize is his durability. Since making his debut in 2020, he’s only pitched 28 or more games twice: in 2021 and last season. Innings-wise, his career high is 150 1/3, which he set during the 2021 season and in 16 starts this year he’s pitched just 86 2/3 innings. On the flip side, that means the right-hander is a ways off from his career high and could provide the team with plenty of innings down the stretch. Brady Singer, RHP, Cincinnati While Singer wouldn’t be the first choice to be acquired from the Reds’ rotation, he is the most likely to be moved should the team sell; Cincinnati is currently 16 games back of the NL Central and six games back of the third NL Wild Card but would need to leapfrog six teams to get into a playoff position. Singer, who will be a free agent after the season, could be moved in the right deal while opening a rotation spot for one of the Reds' young pitchers in Triple-A. Singer has been a middle-of-the-road pitcher this season, making 21 starts with a 4.35 ERA in 107 2/3 innings. He doesn’t really do anything outstanding and relies heavily on his defense, as shown by a 19.4% strikeout rate. If there is one thing that Singer has done well this season, it's limit walks, allowing just 32 of them (good for a 7% rate). Singer would come with some risks: his fastball averages just 91.3 mph and while seldom used, is being hit at a .400 clip this season. His arsenal is typically a three-pitch mix of his sinker, slider and sweeper, with a cutter and four-seam fastball mixed in sometimes. Only one of those offerings (the slider) has been an above-average pitch this season. Despite the concerns, Singer is a workhorse by today’s standards. He’s pitched at least 153 innings each season since 2022 and has made 29+ starts in three consecutive years. As far as rotation stabilizers go, it's hard to beat that kind of consistency. View full article

Jason Delay takes immense pride in his defensive capabilities. Since being taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2017 MLB Draft, Delay has put a focus on his glove, using his years of experience along with an incredible work ethic to make himself the best catcher he can be. Currently serving as one of four catchers on the Worcester Red Sox, Delay has appeared in 58 games while hitting just .227/.328/.343 (78 wRC+) with 13 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 28 RBIs. That production is pretty much in line with what he's done in the majors throughout his career (69 wRC+), though no one has ever mistaken him for a true slugger. It all comes down to his work behind the plate, not at it. Through the first half, the 31-year-old catcher tied for fifth in all of Triple-A in framing runs, sitting at a value of 3.48. For those unaware, framing runs is a metric that measures a catcher’s ability to turn borderline pitches into strikes, with 0.125 runs being added for each gained strike or lost. If Delay’s 3.48 was to be compared to catchers in the majors during that window, he would be sitting just outside of the top 10. On top of that, he has been one of the top catchers in the minors when it comes to his success with the ABS system. An understanding of the strike zone along with years of experience helping him. Though, for Delay, sometimes winning an ABS challenge isn’t always a sign of great catching. “To be honest, being good at challenges isn’t something I take a lot of pride in. Just because if I’m challenging pitches that are in the strike zone, that means I’m not getting them called [as] strikes. I would prefer to be good at receiving, good at framing. It’s been a strength of mine for years and it’s something I take pride in,” the veteran backstop explained. It's obvious why he's prideful of his abilities. In 2022, when he appeared in 57 games with the Pirates, his framing value was at +4, only for the value to increase in 2023 where in 70 games he sat at +7. Delay admits that entering each game he studies the umpire behind the plate to prepare for his own game calling and to be ready on the receiving end of the pitches being thrown to him. In his first 41 games behind the plate, he managed to steal 52 called strikes for his pitchers, the 11th-most in Triple-A. On the flip side, he lost only 36 called strikes, many that would be overturned through an ABS challenge. “I do my own homework on the umpires, where their cold zones are within the [strike] zone, so I know going into any game,” Delay told a media scrum in Worcester. “I am looking at the iPad pretty much between each inning to see, like, that pitch I thought was close, did it clip? Was it out of the zone? Doing that for years now, that’s probably how I started to win the zone. And if it’s a close pitch, I’ll kind of look into the dugout and they have a lot of feedback too.” “Delay’s a smart guy. Just smart in general, he’s a Vanderbilt guy, but the baseball IQ is there,” acting Worcester manager Iggy Suarez said. “That’s something he tracks on his own. When he challenges, if he’s going to miss it’s going to be pretty close and if he does miss, it’s a spot where we’re trying to grab a strike, stop an inning or take a chance. He’s coming in and asking, peeking in the dugout to see what the pitch was. And you can tell if he misses one, he’s kind of like ‘that could have helped us out.' I can only imagine how the pitchers feel knowing that [when] this guy rips a challenge, it’s going to probably be a strike.” For Delay and fellow catcher Matt Thaiss, it isn’t just their on-field contributions that have paid dividends for the organization. Being a veteran catcher that spent multiple years in the bigs, Delay offers a viewpoint for the younger pitchers in Worcester hoping to make it to The Show themselves. The experience is comforting for the pitchers, knowing that they’re throwing to a catcher who has experienced the top level of competition. Delay provides an edge for the pitchers not just when it comes to calling a game, but also the preparation he does before the game. “Just the way he prepares and how he goes about it, there’s no panic. Young catchers start panicking and call aggressively. Guys that have experience like Delay, whether he’s struggling at the plate or not, he’s gonna be dealing behind the plate. So, to have that experience at the big-league level will be good for guys,” Suarez explained. And Delay has been good, helping both young pitchers and veterans alike each time he gets behind the plate. That experience and his defense could be beneficial to a playoff team come September, something that Delay might be thinking in the back of his head even if he won’t say it. As part of his contract he signed prior to spring training, he has one remaining opt-out clause remaining. The first was June 30, though he chose not to exercise it. The next comes on August 15, at a time where more teams may be inquiring about his defensive skills. It would be easier to find a path to the majors as a defensive third catcher for the month of September, a role that could be alluring to the veteran backstop after spending nearly two years in the minor leagues. If the Red Sox want to keep someone like that in the organization, they may have to reward his defensive prowess with a trip to Boston. View full article