Nick John

With the trade of Rafael Devers to San Francisco, the Red Sox brought back four players in a combination of major league ready pieces and prospects that were still making their climb through the minor leagues. And while James Tibbs III and Jose Bello are both some time away from contributing at the major league level, the two of them are rather interesting prospects. Entering the 2021 draft, Tibbs was viewed as the third-best offensive prospect from Georgia, but he instead chose to attend Florida State rather than pursue professional baseball. There, he managed to hit .363/.488/.777 in 2024 and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. Entering the 2024 draft, Tibbs was viewed as offering one of the best combinations of swing decision and hard contact, as he has a smooth left-handed swing that exhibits plenty of bat speed and strength. This combination helps to supply him with solid contact to all parts of the field. Tibbs is in his first full season as a professional, having been drafted 13th overall last year by the San Francisco Giants, one pick after the Red Sox took Braden Montgomery. Unlike Montgomery, Tibbs did play a few games in 2024, as he played 26 games split between Low A and High A, where he hit .241/.293/.343 with five doubles, two home runs, and six RBIs, along with eight walks in 108 at-bats. He did strike out 36 times, however. While batting, Tibbs tends to start with his hands high, utilizing a leg kick to help with his timing as well. With quick hands, solid bat speed, a patient approach, and good swing decision-making, he has a low chase rate and consistently makes contact with pitches in the zone. He also isn’t against taking pitches and walking. Power-wise, he has shown above-average raw power that is best utilized with pitches middle-in. Defensively, he moved around the field in college as he played left field in his freshman season before moving to first base in his sophomore season. In his junior year, he was moved again to right field and has stayed there to begin his professional career. While the Red Sox plan to have him continue to play the corner outfield, Sea Dogs manager Chad Epperson has said that he will take grounders at first base and will eventually see game time at the position down the line, unlike when he was with the Giants. Prior to his trade to the Red Sox, the outfielder had played in 57 games with High-A Eugene, where he hit .246/.379/.478 with 10 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, and 32 RBIs. He also walked 42 times while striking out 45 times in 207 at-bats. So far this season, he has a 16.3% walk rate, an increase from 6.9% last season, while he has managed to cut back on his strikeouts. In 2024, he struck out at a 31% rate; so far in 2025, that rate has been lowered to 18.9%. Tibbs has been hitting the ball on the ground quite frequently this season, hitting ground balls at a 50.6% rate while hitting fly balls at a 29.9% rate. He also likes to pull the ball, as he’s been doing that at a 49.1% rate this season, something that, if he plays in Fenway, could be an advantage for him with his raw power. Currently, he’s viewed as potentially being a bat-first platoon outfielder, as he lacks a standout tool; however, that could change if he shows more consistency against off-speed pitches and makes better contact against velocity. He could also be viewed as a future platoon first baseman should he adapt to the position well enough that the Red Sox don't abandon the idea of teaching him. Bello, the second prospect in the trade, seems to be more of a wild card, as he’s 20 years old and has yet to play above Rookie ball, having only played in the Arizona Complex League since coming stateside. In two seasons there, Bello has appeared in nine games (eight of them this season) and has thrown 20 1/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits and four walks. He’s also managed to strike out 30 batters in that span. Bello relies on four pitches: a fastball that ranges from 92-94 mph and can top out at 96 mph, a cutter that ranges from 90-92 mph, a slider that ranges from 83-86 mph, and a changeup that has rarely been thrown in 2025. Bello throws from a three-quarters arm slot and has a short stride with long arm action. Unfortunately, his release point can be inconsistent. He does, however, have a bat-missing ability, as showcased by his 30 strikeouts in only 20 1/3 innings in the Arizona Complex League. His fastball, right now, may be his best pitch, as he can throw it for strikes and has solid command of it. Despite that, his slider tends to be his go-to out pitch, as it has bat-missing ability and can get batters to chase it. Should Bello pan out, the Red Sox may have found themselves an intriguing bullpen arm to add to their ranks. Still, Bello is a lottery to take as there’s no guarantee he pans out to be anything more than organizational depth. Regardless, the Red Sox may have done better on the prospect front than people first thought. Between Tibbs and Bello, they have two players with potential to either help them down the road or be traded in a package for a star player. Losing Devers hurts, but these two may help mitigate the pain somewhat, depending on their development. View full article

For the first time since May 12th against Detroit, Tanner Houck pitched in a live baseball game. Starting his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester, Houck toed the rubber as he began his journey to get back to Boston. The right-hander had a difficult time locating pitches in his first start in over a month, needing 27 pitches to get through the first inning. Overall, Houck lasted one inning (though he did face one batter in the second inning) and allowed one run on two hits and a walk. He was pulled after throwing 32 pitches. In that first inning, Houck allowed three hard-hit balls, the last two being two-out hits that were clocked at 103 mph and 101.2 mph, respectively. In the start, Houck relied on his usual pitch mix as he led with the sinker and sweeper while he used his splitter to attempt to keep batters off balance. His fastball was also tossed a few times, while the right-hander also appeared to throw a cutter for the first time all season, as he might be tinkering with his pitch makeup. His velocity maxed out at 95.6 mph with his sinker and was able to throw strikes throughout the short appearance. Of his 32 pitches, 12 were located in the strike zone, and he managed to induce 16 swings overall, resulting in a total of 18 strikes. Unfortunately, he only generated one whiff on his sweeper and struggled to put batters away once he reached two strikes. Due to this, his pitch count ballooned quickly as he was at 27 pitches by the end of the first. When it came to velocity, his average speeds were an increase over his last appearance in Detroit. While the sinker was nearly identical, averaging 94.3 mph on Wednesday night compared to 94 mph in Detroit, his sweeper showed an increased velocity, averaging 86.1 mph compared to 83.5 mph in Detroit. His fastball was a little slower, averaging 93.4 mph compared to 94.5 mph, but he also only threw two of them Wednesday night. The splitter was also slightly below, averaging 88.9 mph on Wednesday compared to 89 mph in Detroit. The increase in velocity on his sweeper was a positive sign, as it maxed out at 91.2 mph on Wednesday night, a full six mph increase from the maximum velocity it had reached in his last start at Detroit. It was very likely that Houck was on a low pitch count, considering the time frame it had been since his last start. The Red Sox probably hoped that he could manage to put batters away, however. In the first inning alone, Houck had two at-bats that resulted in at least eight pitches as he failed to put batters away. Houck would return for the second inning, facing one batter whom he walked on five pitches before being pulled for Isaac Coffey. The runner would eventually come around and score, closing the book on Houck’s night. Of his pitches thrown, the sinker was hit most often as it was fouled off three times and put into play another four times. When swung at contact was made every time. This was also present with his splitter, where it was fouled off four times and put into play once. One thing Houck will need to work towards in his next appearance is the ability to put batters away instead of them fouling off his pitches. With the Red Sox rotation heating up the last few weeks and fellow starter Richard Fitts likely to be recalled to the team in the foreseeable future, Houck may have some time to get back into pitching shape. Houck’s next rehab appearance appears to be Tuesday, June 23rd, in Scranton with the Woosox, followed by June 29th with the Woosox as well. Following the completion of the third rehab start, the team will likely assess Houck's current progress in the rehab process before making any decisions. Being only 28 years old and coming off an All-Star season just last year, Houck still has plenty of potential that the Red Sox would love to see him pitch for them. The organization will likely take its time with Houck as he ramps back up, but if he pitches decently over the next two rehab appearances, don’t be surprised if the team activates him before the All-Star break. View full article

Roman AnthonyMarcelo MayerFranklin AriasJhostynxon GarciaLuis PeralesMikey RomeroPayton TolleConnelly EarlyBrandon ClarkeYoeilin CespedesHunter DobbinsDavid SandlinMiguel BleisRichard FittsJuan ValeraJedixson PaezJustin GonzalesYophery RodriguezDorian SotoNelly Taylor

Roman AnthonyMarcelo MayerFranklin AriasJhostynxon GarciaLuis PeralesMikey RomeroPayton TolleConnelly EarlyBrandon ClarkeYoeilin CespedesHunter DobbinsDavid SandlinMiguel BleisRichard FittsJuan ValeraJedixson PaezJustin GonzalesYophery RodriguezDorian SotoNelly Taylor

On a rainy Tuesday night, the Worcester Red Sox took the field with three players from Boston rehabbing with them. Richard Fitts started for the WooSox, making his third and possibly final minor league start after the Red Sox optioned him to Worcester following his June 2 start against the Los Angeles Angels. Fitts dominated the opposing Buffalo Bisons’ lineup during the start, lasting five innings on 77 pitches. Across the five frames, Fitts managed to keep the Bisons scoreless, limiting them to just two hits. Fitts also managed to strike out three batters as he mixed and matched six pitches throughout the start. Fitts led with his fastball, tossing it 21 times and seeing it max out at 96.8 mph as it generated 10 swings. Of them, he managed two whiffs and only two were put back in play. The young right-hander used his sweeper, sinker, changeup, slider and curveball to play off of his fastball, though he struggled to get whiffs on all of his pitches. Of the 77 he threw, he only generated 39 swings, with nine of them being whiffs (23%), which is close to the rate he has managed to get in Boston this season (22.1%). What may have been his best moment came in the fourth inning. Buffalo managed to load the bases with one out after Michael Stefanic singled to lead off the inning before Leo Jiménez and RJ Schreck were hit by pitches following a Joey Loperfido fly out. With the bases loaded and one out, Fitts buckled down as he got Orelvis Martinez to swing at an inside sinker that cracked his bat and led to an easy ground ball to third baseman Blaze Jordan, who got the runner out at home. Fitts followed it up with a four-pitch battle against Yohendrick Pinango that ended with the left fielder flying out to deep center field on a 95.7 mph fastball. Fitts came back out for the fifth inning, having only one blemish in the inning as a comebacker to him couldn’t be turned into an out. With one out in the inning, Josh Rivera hit the ball back to Fitts, who appeared to block most of it with his glove. The pitcher couldn’t grip it properly and throw the runner out due to the slick conditions of the field making the ball slippery. After the play, Fitts waved off the training staff, telling them that he was just fine. Fitts managed to get the next two batters out, including Stefanic on a ground ball back to Fitts himself. Following Fitts’ departure after five innings and 77 pitches, the young right-hander was relieved by Chris Murphy, who was making his eighth rehab appearance as he continues to make his way back from Tommy John surgery. The left-hander has pitched for Greenville, Portland and Worcester as he made his third appearance with the Triple-A team. Murphy struggled at first, allowing back-to-back hits in the form of a double by Loperfido and then a single by Jiménez that had runners at the corners. In the next at-bat, Murphy managed to get Schreck to roll over on a 74.6 mph curveball as the defense turned a double play. Despite the run scoring, Murphy finished his outing by striking out Martinez in an eight pitch at-bat. In his one inning, Murphy tossed 15 pitches, using his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. Of the 15 pitches thrown, 14 of them were his fastball, curveball and slider. As he ramps back up, Murphy saw his fastball reach a max velocity of 94.3 mph. Unfortunately, batters made hard contact against Murphy, with an average exit velocity of 103.7 mph when they swung and hit his pitches. After eight rehab appearances, Murphy has a 4.91 ERA in 11 innings, as he’s allowed six runs to score on 12 hits and six walks. He’s also managed to strike out 12 batters. The final player to appear for the WooSox was Wilyer Abreu, who was in the lineup as the designated hitter. Abreu, who is recovering form a left oblique strain he suffered against the Yankees on June 8, ended up getting four at-bats before being pinch-hit for in the bottom of the eighth inning by Corey Rosier. In his four at-bats, the outfielder only reached base once with a fifth inning single to right field that drove Tyler McDonough in and made it a 2-0 game. In his first two at-bats, Abreu looked ready to return to action as he took a 92.6 mph fastball that was down and in and crushed it to center field only for it to be caught. His second at-bat was similar, as he worked the at-bat to get a 94.1 mph fastball that was middle-outside. Abreu drove it out to left field, but it died on the warning track and was caught for an out. In his fourth and final at-bat, Abreu popped out to the third baseman as he lifted an 86.5 mph cutter high in the air. Murphy and Abreu are likely to stick around for a few more games — at least through Thursday for Abreu, as many have said the team will activate him for Friday’s series opening game against the Giants. It’s also likely that Murphy will be in Worcester for quite some time until he shakes the rust off of his arm. Fitts may be the exception to the group, as there’s a chance he could be recalled to Boston now that he’s properly rehabbed, unlike when he first came off the injured list. It's purely speculative, but after Walker Buehler's difficult outing against the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox could position Fitts to take over his spot in the rotation. View full article

The entire offseason we had Cora and Breslow saying that Devers was the third baseman. It came up probably every other week and we heard it. From the Winter Meetings in December: "Rafael Devers is our third baseman, and we're really excited about that," Breslow told WEEI's Jones and Keefe. And then Cora at Fenway Fest in January: "Raffy Devers is our third baseman," Cora told NESN's Tom Caron. "Alex was a Gold Glover at third base and we all know that. In 2017, I had a conversation with him. He needed to play third because it was (Carlos) Correa and (Jose) Altuve. I always envisioned Alex as a Gold Glove second baseman."

“This decision was not taken lightly,” Fenway Sports Group’s Sam Kennedy stated in his opening remarks. “Nor did it come suddenly. We obviously, over the last week or so, reached an inflection point. And as difficult as that inflection point was, um, as the hallmark of this organization, I guess over the last 24 years, we acted boldly and decisively. And we came to the very difficult decision to make a deal that serves the best interest of the Boston Red Sox in both the short-term and the long-term.” It has now been over 24 hours since Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants in a move that has left all of Red Sox nation speechless. A trade that seemingly came out of nowhere as the team was coming off a weekend sweep of the New York Yankees and looked to carry momentum into their west coast trip. Other than announcing the trade officially, there were no remarks from upper management in regard to the trade, instead reserving them for an eight o'clock Zoom meeting with the media on Monday night. In what amounted to nearly 39 minutes of questions, both Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow answered them to the "best of their ability" as they tried to justify trading a player of Devers’ caliber. The first question from Ian Browne of MLB.com brought up an excellent point, mentioning how all of their previous moves were with a focus on 2025, but how did trading Devers help the team for the season? Breslow answered how one would expect him to, admitting that “When you move a player of Raffy’s caliber, how can I sit here and say that, you know, we’re a better team? And I acknowledge that, on paper, we’re not going to have the same lineup that we did.” Breslow continued his answer, pointing out that, “This isn’t about the game that is played on paper, this is about the game that’s played on the field. And, ultimately, about winning the most games that we can. And in order to do that, trying to put together the most functional and complete team we can.” One key thing Breslow mentioned was the flexibility of the lineup as they now planned to rotate players through the designated hitter spot in the lineup to allow all three of their left-handed outfielders to be in the game without moving Ceddanne Rafaela to the bench. Another key point that he made with the trade was that they managed to bring back a few interesting pieces that would both help the 2025 Red Sox while also helping them continue to build for the future in the likes of Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and minor-league outfielder James Tibbs III along with minor-league righty Jose Bello. While Tibbs and Bello are some ways away (Tibbs will report to Double-A Portland, while Bello has yet to pitch above the Arizona Complex League for the Giants), both Harrison and Hicks provide interesting options for pitching. Harrison, a former first-round pick, will report to Triple-A Worcester to begin working with Boston’s pitching lab to try and unlock the potential that made him a once-highly-touted prospect. It’s similar to Quinn Priester last year, where the Sox hope to work with him and unlock a new level of skill. Hicks, on the other hand, was a dominant reliever before signing with the Giants, where they attempted to make him a starting pitcher due to his stuff. The attempt appears to have ended as he was shipped to Boston. Breslow himself stating in the interview that Hicks will be used as a reliever as he had before signing with San Francisco entering the 2024 season. Now, what may have been Breslow’s strangest comment was his belief that the Red Sox may be better without Devers than with him, going as far as to say “I do think there is a real chance at the end of the season, we’re looking back, and we’ve won more games than we otherwise would have.” It’s something interesting to believe in, that trading your best player would make you better. Of course, both himself and Kennedy repeated that the team is more than a single player and while correct, in baseball and any professional sport, it’s the star players who put a team over the top. If the 2004 Red Sox didn’t have the exceptional hitting of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez or the pitching of Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez, they don’t win the World Series. In 2007 if they didn’t have a Cy Young-caliber season from Josh Beckett to go along with offensive outputs from Ortiz, rookie Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, along with an all-star in closer Jonathan Papelbon, they don’t win the World Series either. 2013 may be the exception, as there weren’t many players who were considered “stars” on that roster, but they had many quality veterans who had successful careers ranging from Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino and Stephen Drew in the field to John Lackey, Jon Lester and Jake Peavy in the rotation. Not to mention the always-clutch Ortiz leading the way for the lineup, aided by Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Napoli. And, of course, 2018 was guided by a combination of big name stars and homegrown players who quickly became stars. The team was filled with players of All-Star-caliber, such as Chris Sale, David Price, Craig Kimbrel, Mitch Moreland, Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. The point is: you need stars who are already stars to help guide a team, something that the 2025 iteration of the team currently lacks as they attempt to thrust the young core into the spotlight. Throughout the media availability, many asked questions relating to how things with Devers could have gone differently and what went wrong, but one of the most interesting answers might have come from Kennedy, when he was asked what was "missing" from Devers as a person and as a player. The President of the Boston Red Sox answered with, “In terms of what was missing, it just was that alignment in terms of what we felt we needed from him that would be in the absolute best interest of the ballclub. That’s a non-starter for us. We have to have that. We couldn’t get there.” Notice how he failed to actually state just what was considered the best interests of the ballclub. Was it that they wanted him to play first base? Could it have been that he wasn’t being a vocal leader in the clubhouse? Was he not available enough to the media, or perhaps the team's young core? All of these possible issues were things they knew previously about Devers. He was never going to be the media darling they wanted, he isn’t comfortable enough to speak in front of reporters in the same way the likes of Betts, Bogaerts, Sale and especially Ortiz were able to do before him. Another interesting moment came when Mike McCarthy of 98.5 the Sports Hub asked a few questions, especially opening up with the fact that the team traded Betts just five years ago and now Devers, two players who very well could be Hall of Famers by the end of their respective careers. McCarthy asked why the organization kept doing it — what are the organizational factors that have created an environment where the Red Sox are repeatedly trading away Hall of Fame talent? Kennedy appeared a little uncomfortable by it, stumbling over his words at the beginning before finally saying that each and every player decision is “A whole, individual decision.” He tried to state that it’s really hard when they can’t line up with their players who become free agents or those that they can’t agree to extensions with both being different circumstances. He did say, “I’ll put our record up against anybody else’s’ in major league baseball over the last 24 years. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built here. We’ve got more trophies and banners to show for it than any other organization in major league baseball. We are so proud of that. And this clubhouse believes in itself and we believe in them and I think our players, are, uh, going to be pretty vocal over the next couple months about the belief in themselves.” Kennedy continued to ramble on with his answer, stating that Breslow knows what it means to be a champion in Boston as he won in 2013, and his tenure as the Chief Baseball Officer has been defined by bold, decisive, aggressive moves. Kennedy said they’ll never stop being bold in their decisions and hopes that it leads to them being right more often than wrong. McCarthy was quick to follow up by pointing out all the stars they have lost in previous years, mentioning Betts, Devers, Lester and Sale as players the team has either lost or moved on from and asked if they were afraid if losing star players was becoming part of the organization’s culture. And later, Jeff Passan of ESPN asked Breslow to explain what they want the Red Sox culture to be that it wasn’t with Devers. Breslow responded with the idea, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. That each individual is contributing and finding a way to help a team win, whether that’s in the batter’s box, on the pitcher’s mound, on the bases, on defense, in the clubhouse, on the bench. It’s the willingness to step up and sacrifice at times of need and essentially do whatever is necessary to help the team win. And I think that’s the identity, this relentless pursuit of winning that we’re looking for, it’s the identity that the World Series championship teams have had in the past.” To imply that Devers never stepped up or sacrificed at times is disingenuous at best and shameful by Breslow considering what he had seen of Devers since being hired before the 2024 season. Devers played through the entire 2024 season with reoccurring shoulder issues and still attempted to carry the offense as they fought for a playoff spot until the end of August. You could see Devers wincing in pain with each swing he took, doing his best to stay in an already-depleted Red Sox lineup until their chances of making the playoffs were all but gone. And even this season, Devers stepped up and carried the offense once again, as he drove in 33 runs in May alone, keeping the offense afloat while many regulars struggled and Alex Bregman got hurt. Passan followed up by asking which of those roles was Devers not fulfilling and Breslow refused to answer, skirting around the topic completely by stating that “I don’t think, um, it makes sense at this point to kind of be overly pointed or critical. Um, I think we failed to reach that alignment. It was a really strong fit for a really long time and then became evident that it has started to diverge and so you know, I think, best to identify it, own it, and act decisively to fix it.” Again, neither Breslow nor Kennedy actually answered the question, skirting around it with an answer that, when read into, tells you that Breslow had personal issues with Devers. Breslow’s inability to properly communicate and be honest with his star player led to this, and instead of trying to remedy his mistake, he instead shipped him out of town. The press conference helped to really sell that perhaps it was a mutual breakup, but that Breslow himself was a cause behind a lot of the issues, his ego being the key reason why any issues between himself and Devers could not be mended. Had he just been truthful to Devers and admitted they were looking for a new third baseman, maybe he would have been more welcoming to playing first base after Triston Casas went down. Now, however, it’s just a sad end to what should have been a lifetime in a Red Sox uniform for Devers. The Red Sox will look to move on with the currently constructed roster and attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. This time, however, they’ll need others in the lineup to step up and carry the offensive burden. View full article

The Boston Red Sox swept the New York Yankees, got above .500, are on a five-game winning streak, and only sit 0.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. And yet, Red Sox fans are rightfully furious following the trade of Rafael Devers on Sunday night. A trade that never should have happened. This was, unfortunately, a divorce waiting to happen between Devers and the Red Sox, but not due to a lack of production. Devers has been one of the best offensive players in Boston since being called up in 2017, this season being no exception despite starting the campaign in an 0-for-21 slump. Prior to the trade, Devers had a stat line of .272/.401/.905 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 18 doubles and 56 walks in 272 at-bats. He carried the offense in May with 33 RBIs. He’s 10th all time for home runs by a Red Sox, 17th in career RBIs, and is still only 28... yet, he was traded. All because of Breslow. This divide began over the offseason when the Red Sox were linked to Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado, both Gold Glove-caliber defenders. Despite that, Devers was reassured that he would be the third baseman, the idea being that they were looking at these guys to play second or first base. No matter what, Devers was supposedly the team’s third baseman of the present and future. Even Alex Cora said he viewed Bregman as a Gold Glove second baseman, the statement continuing the narrative that they weren't going to move Devers. Then, they managed to sign Bregman, and the truth came out. Breslow had no plans to have Bregman play second. He wanted him at third base, while he envisioned rookie Kristian Campbell breaking camp as the starting second baseman. He wanted to take Devers’ glove out of the field and push him into the designated hitter role, something that wouldn’t have been a bad idea had he and the rest of the organization didn’t tell him he was their third baseman. The sudden change was a shocker; Devers wanted to play third base. His position. The position they promised him would remain his throughout the entire offseason. Devers came around on the idea of being the designated hitter after some pushback and, despite wanting to play the field, did as he was asked and put his glove away. He wasn’t happy, but he was doing what could help the team, joining his bat with Bregman's to give the team a dynamic duo in the lineup while adding a Gold Glove defender. And then, on March 28th, Alex Cora was asked if Devers taking ground balls at third base before the team’s first two games of the season meant they were keeping him ready for potentially filling in at third base if needed. As written by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Alex Cora responded with a “No,” followed with “Raffy is the DH. With Raffy, we had a conversation and we talked about it," Cora said. "He's DHing. He's the DH of the Boston Red Sox." They had no plans for him to touch the field, and they told him as such. Breslow created this problem by his inability to be truthful to his star, his face of the franchise, and instead lied to try and keep him happy. Instead, it created a divide, and members of the media tried to paint Devers as having given up on the team, of him being disgruntled and wanting out. Despite the noise, Devers continued to produce, and was having another All-Star season as a designated hitter when an injury struck the Red Sox. Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon against the Minnesota Twins on May 2, effectively ending his season. The Red Sox didn’t have many options to replace Casas in the field, as Romy González was the backup but the depth was lacking. The team had Nick Sogard in Triple-A Worcester along with possible options in Nathan Hickey and Abraham Toro who could have been added to the 40-man roster. Breslow had a different idea and approached Devers about picking up his glove and learning first base. Keep in mind this was the same man who lied to Devers the entire offseason. Devers stated that he would not play first base for the team, as he wasn’t someone who could just slide into a new position. He needed time to learn it, but at the moment, he did not want to play first base. You couldn’t really blame him after he was jerked around by the very man who asked him to move to first base after saying he wasn’t a good defensive third baseman. On May 8, Devers was quoted as saying “they told me that I was going to be playing this position, DH, and now they’re going back on that. So I just don’t think they stayed true to their word.” The tension rose to the point that on May 9, John Henry flew out to Kansas City, as reported by ESPN, to talk with his star. Henry was joined by Breslow and Sam Kennedy. Cora was there too, where they had “an honest conversation about what we value as an organization and what we believe is important to the Boston Red Sox” according to Breslow. Now, just over five weeks since that conversation, Devers has been traded on the night he hit his 500th career extra-base hit, a home run that gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead against the Yankees in a game they eventually won, 2-0. There’s little doubt that the trade was due to the tension from him being unwilling to play first base. And, even if you think his unwillingness to change positions was selfish, you can’t blame Devers for it. Breslow as the chief baseball officer should have handled the entire situation better. You don’t blindside your face of the franchise during the first week of spring training with a position change without talking about it beforehand. The lack of communication hurts your relationship with the player and will lead to issues down the road like the team saw with Devers’ unwillingness to play first base. Per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Devers never demanded a trade. When he was first caught off guard in spring training, he considered asking for one but never did; he was willing to give the only team he played for in his career a chance. He never wanted out, but grew frustrated from the mixed messages from people within the organization. Ultimately, he felt like a scapegoat for what was becoming an untenable situation. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe stated that his sources said “the team’s feeling was that a $313.5M contract comes with responsibilities to do what is right for the team and that Devers did not live up to those responsibilities. They had enough and they traded him.” Again, none of this should have happened. The Red Sox signed Devers to that extension because of his extremely impactful bat. Breslow should have been honest with him from the beginning of the offseason and told him that they wanted to improve defensively at third base. That, as a team, they couldn’t look to rely on him after he made 12 errors in 2024 and had -9 Defensive Runs Saved. Instead, they gave him the runaround, destroyed the relationship between the franchise and their star player, and shipped him off to a team they’re playing in less than a week, all for a return package that was less than he was worth. The only positive of the trade is that the San Francisco Giants are taking on the entire contract, though, in what is a clear slap in the face to Devers, the Giants are also covered at third base by a premier defender (Matt Chapman). Losing Devers less than two years into his extension is a mistake. It should be a fireable offense, but unfortunately, Breslow will be safe for the time being. The Red Sox will now have to navigate an offense that just lost its best bat while waiting for Wilyer Abreu, Bregman and Masataka Yoshida to return from the injured list. Breslow just sunk all the momentum the team just built for this season. His tenure in Boston doesn't have to be defined by this trade, but if the core he's building doesn't work out, it will be. All I can say now is best of luck with the Giants, Raffy. Hopefully, they treat you right. View full article

The Red Sox have started to turn their season around following the promotion of all three of their top prospects. As the month of June nears its halfway point, the Red Sox look to continue stacking wins despite still dealing with injuries to several key players. The good news is that the team remains in the thick of the Wild Card hunt, and a number of injured players appear to be making significant progress in their recoveries. Kutter Crawford Crawford has been dealing with a combination of injuries since the beginning of spring training. What was originally right patellar soreness has also expanded to right wrist discomfort. Throughout the season, Crawford has been scheduled to throw either bullpen sessions or game action down at Fort Myers, but has failed to actually get into them. Now, he’s being slowed by soreness in his right wrist, which has limited him to only playing catch. Alex Cora stated they hope to know more in the coming days, though, it seems less and less likely that Crawford will be an important member of the pitching staff this season. Tanner Houck Houck opened the year in the rotation and was rather awful, as he had an 8.04 ERA in nine games. He was nowhere close to the pitcher that was an All-Star in 2024, and after a May 12th start in Detroit that saw him allow 11 runs in only 2 1/3 innings, he was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain. Since then, Houck has been working to get back on the mound, and on June 10th threw his second bullpen session in the span of four days. Should he continue to respond well to an increased workload, don’t be surprised if there will be talk of a potential rehab assignment in the coming days. However, it seems unlikely Houck is back with the Red Sox before the All-Star break. Nick Burdi After having his contract selected by the Red Sox, pitching in two games and being optioned back to Worcester, Burdi was recalled to Boston, where he appeared in two more games and compiled three innings pitched. In his last game against the Los Angeles Angels, Burdi suffered a right foot contusion while covering the bag and handling an off-target toss by Romy González. Burdi seems to be progressing as expected and should be starting a rehab assignment by Father’s Day weekend. Even if the rehab appearance goes well, Burdi will not be eligible to return from the injured list until June 18th at the earliest. Wilyer Abreu Abreu appeared to hurt his oblique during the first June series with the New York Yankees. Due to that, he was placed on the injured list to allow the Red Sox to fill his spot on the roster and give him a chance to properly rest and recover. The severity of the injury doesn’t appear concerning, and the Red Sox themselves expect him to return to the team for when they play the San Francisco Giants starting June 20th. Masataka Yoshida It’s been a long and draining season for Yoshida, who has yet to even be assigned to a rehab assignment yet. Offseason shoulder surgery has left him unable to play, as he and the team look to strengthen his shoulder. Previously, Yoshida had been seen before the game on May 4th tossing the ball a few times, only to stop due to what looked to be pain. Lately, he has told WEEI.com that he’s currently throwing up to 105 feet and is turning a corner when it comes to throwing. During the series with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was shown taking batting practice before one of the games with little issue. Yoshida believes he should be able to begin a rehab assignment by early July the latest, but it seems he still won’t be back with Boston until after the All-Star break. He could prove to be a nice second-half reinforcement. Justin Slaten Slaten went down with right shoulder inflammation at the start of June, and while many hoped it would be a short injured list stint, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, Slaten hasn’t been progressing as everyone hoped as he’s yet to begin throwing again. The hope is that he’ll be back at some point in July to bring help to a tired bullpen. Chris Murphy Murphy missed all of 2024 after having Tommy John surgery and has started a rehab assignment. Murphy has pitched in six games so far, tossing a total of 8 1/3 innings as he works his way back to Boston. Prior to getting hurt in 2024 Murphy was viewed as a key member of the bullpen, and once healthy, could slot in as a multi-inning reliever who could help bridge the middle innings to the late-inning crew. Alex Bregman Bregman appears to be recovering at a faster rate than when he hurt his quad back in 2021, as he’s currently running. Bregman was placed on the injured list after injuring his quad on May 23rd against the Baltimore Orioles. According to Bregman and Cora, the duo have a date in mind for his return, but will not reveal what it is just yet. Assuming there's no setbacks, Bregman should be back at some point in July, missing just over a month. Triston Casas Currently, Casas has yet to get a definitive timeline for when he could return to the field, but after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee and undergoing season-ending surgery, he’s started his rehab to be ready for next year. Casas has stated that despite not having a set timetable, he’s been told it shouldn’t take longer than a year to recover and hopes to play on Opening Day in 2026. Liam Hendriks Hendriks has suffered several injuries and setbacks since signing with the Red Sox, with his right hip inflammation issue being the latest. Hendriks went back on the injured list on May 30th, with the transaction being retroactive to May 28th. Since then, he’s also shown symptoms similar to a sports hernia, but has said that was not why he’s on the injured list. The earliest he could have returned would have been June 13th, but without throwing in any rehab appearances just yet, a July return is much more likely. Patrick Sandoval Sandoval continues to recover from his UCL injury. There hasn’t been much in the way of updates with Sandoval, as the latest information was him throwing off a mound in late May. Sandoval is still expected not to return to action until after the All-Star break and probably won’t throw in a game for Boston until August. That was expected when the team signed him to a two-year deal, with the hope he’d be back to full health for 2026. View full article

“I think he’s a first-rounder,” Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald told Miami Herald about Roman Anthony leading up to the 2022 MLB draft. “He won’t go past the second round. He can hit, he has power, an above-average arm, he’s athletic, and he has a good work ethic.” Red Sox fans are well aware of those traits, as they’ve watched the number one prospect in all of baseball develop since getting drafted 79th overall in the 2022 MLB draft. He would sign for a $2.5 million signing bonus, the highest given out by the Red Sox in the 2022 draft. Anthony had been considered a top prospect entering the draft, having finished his high school career by hitting .520 with 52 hits, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 36 runs while being named the Broward 7-A Player of the Year while playing for Marjory Stoneman Douglas. That stat line in his senior year position Anthony as the 100th best player in the draft according to Baseball America, due in part to having already committed to playing college baseball for Ole Miss. There were also concerns about swing-and-miss potential that came with his raw power. That didn’t scare the Red Sox from grabbing the highly-talented outfielder with the 79th pick, a compensation pick from the Detroit Tigers for signing Eduardo Rodríguez in the offseason. You couldn’t blame the Red Sox, as in 61 career games for Stoneman Douglas, Anthony hit .443 with 20 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 61 RBIs, all while going 46 for 46 in stolen base attempts. His on-base percentage was .556 and his OPS was an astounding 1.376. Despite that, Anthony was not viewed as a top prospect around the league when he first broke in. Several prospect rankings only had him as high as the ninth best prospect in the Red Sox system, and he did not break into MLB’s Top 100 until after the 2023 season started. Anthony’s small sample of a season in 2022 saw him play 20 games between the Florida Complex League and for the Salem Red Sox. His time in Salem did not go too smoothly, as he struggled and only hit .189/.279/.243 with only two doubles and five RBIs. In total he went 7-for-37 in his first taste of pro ball. It was in 2023, however, when he burst onto the scene. Opening the year in Salem, he appeared to struggle, as he only hit .228/.376/.316. However, despite the low batting average, Anthony was showing he was more than capable of a promotion, as his underlying metrics were very impressive especially thanks to his 38 walks and batted ball data. As Brian Abraham said in an article by MassLive’s Christopher Smith, “The way he was hitting the ball pull0side, how hard he was hitting it, the ball coming off the bat and the angles he hit the ball off the bat to the pull side, showed that there was going to be more success, more power coming in the near future”. Upon reaching Greenville. he proved that analysis correct. In 54 games with the Drive, Anthony began to enter the conversation for top prospects in the game. By mid-August, Anthony had risen up to be No. 37 on MLB Pipeline’s top prospect rankings and was the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox organization. Anthony managed to hit .294/.412/.569 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and 40 walks in his stint in Greenville. He would finish the 2023 season in Portland, playing ten games for them where he absolutely crushed everything thrown to him. In 44 plate appearances, he hit .343/.477/.543 with one home run and eight RBIs. After a phenomenal run, Anthony entered 2024 as the 24th ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, and while Pipeline had him ranked as the second overall prospect in the Red Sox organization still, other rankings had him ranked first. 2024 was more of the same for Anthony, as he proved his 2023 was no fluke. Opening the year in Portland, Anthony would go on to play 84 games there, slashing .269/.367/.489 to go along with 15 home runs, 20 doubles and 45 RBIs. He also scored 60 runs and walked 48 times in that span. Anthony had officially cemented himself as one of Boston’s “Big Four” alongside first-round picks Nick Yorke, Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer. As the season went along, however, Anthony only improved and ran away with the designation of Boston’s top prospect. By mid-August, he was promoted once more, this time to Triple-A Worcester, where he immediately knocked on the door for the majors in just 35 games. In that short time with Worcester, Anthony dominated, hitting .344/.463/.519 in 131 at-bats. He also had three home runs, 20 RBIs and 12 doubles to go along with 31 walks despite being over six years younger than the average age of players in Triple-A. As the season came to a close, Anthony was named the number one prospect in all of baseball for a short time, being usurped only by Roki Sasaki after he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The discussion during the offseason leading into the 2025 season was if Anthony would break camp with the Red Sox or if they would keep him in Worcester for a short while. That topic only picked up steam when the Red Sox invited him to spring training as a non-roster invitee and he played exceptionally well. Discussions were had by the fanbase if Anthony would play right field to begin the year, should Wilyer Abreu be unavailable due to an illness that kept him out most of spring training. That wasn’t the case, as Anthony was reassigned to minor league camp and was told he would open the season with Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox continued to say that there were some things Anthony needed to work on, but both the eye test and his stat line proved otherwise. In 58 games with Worcester this season, Anthony dominated the competition despite being one of the youngest players in the league. The young outfielder hit .288/.423/.491 along with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Anthony also walked 51 times in that span, showing a keen eye and an understanding of the strike zone. His final weekend in Worcester included not just a series sweep of the Rochester Red Wings, but also a 497-foot grand slam to right-center field. During his time in Worcester, Anthony only swung at pitches outside of the zone 18.5% of the time while making contact on pitches in the zone at 83.3% of the time. What may be most exciting about the young outfielder was the fact he was in the 100th percentile for walk rate (19.3%), to go along with other categories that saw him in the 100th percentile such as average exit velocity (95 mph), barrel rate (20.3%), and hard-hit rate (58.9%). He did have a few issues, however, as he has only pulled balls in the air at a 5.7% rate, and has only pulled the ball at a 33.5% rate. Though, when you look at the build of Fenway, that may work out well for the 21-year-old, as he can quite often take advantage of the Green Monster. Defensively, he has played all three outfield positions, but this year, he has mainly played left field. Anthony is now up in Boston, the final member of the new Big Three to make it up as he joins Kristian Campbell and Mayer as key pieces for not just the present, but the future of the Red Sox. As he’s shown throughout his entire life playing baseball, Anthony will continue to put in the work to be the best player he absolutely can be. There may be some struggles as he adjusts to a new level of competition, but it will only make Anthony a better player in the long run. The future is now, as Anthony will look to be a potential spark plug for a team that is trying to turn a corner on their inconsistent season. View full article

As the temperature heats up, so too is Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis, as the outfielder has been on a tear lately. Bleis, a former top prospect in the Red Sox system twho originally signed for $1.5 million as an international free agent in 2021 as a 16-year-old, has seen his fair share of struggles in pro ball. Despite that, he’s beginning to put together his best season since being promoted out of the Florida Complex League. As the first week of June has come to an end, Bleis has managed to turn not just his season, but also his chances of being a top prospect, back around. While the right-handed outfielder is unlikely to reach the heights of his former status that saw him enter 2023 as the 88th ranked prospect by Baseball America, there is a good chance he could show the talents that once made him a highly-touted prospect, such as his amazing power, speed and defense that have been hampered by injuries throughout his professional career. Since signing with the Red Sox in 2021, Bleis has dealt with a lower back injury that ended his season early in 2022, a left shoulder subluxation that led to season-ending surgery in June of 2023, and minor injuries in 2024 such as a root canal and finger sprain. Even in 2025, he began the year hurt as he dealt with a quad injury. There’s a good chance that the quad injury he began the year with played an impact on his early-season struggles, as the outfielder only hit .231/.310/.519 in 13 games in April. He did manage to hit four home runs and drive in 15 RBIs, but also struck out 22 times in just 52 at-bats. The good news is Bleis’ numbers improved the longer the season has gone on, as he started to hit better in May, though at a peculiar expense of his power. Across 23 games last month, Bleis managed to increase his numbers to a stat line of .256/.333/.390 to go along with two home runs and 15 RBIs. He also showed off his speed a bit more, as he swiped six bases in the month. Most importantly, perhaps, was that his strikeout rate dove — he struck out two less times in 30 more at-bats this month. And, as June begins to heat up, so too is Bleis, as he is off to a torrid start. The young outfielder is slashing .350/.409/1.000 to go along with four home runs, eight RBIs and two more stolen bases, while having only struck out four times in 20 at-bats. Overall on the season, Bleis has appeared in 41 games and is hitting .260/.355/.513 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He’s also stolen 11 bases and has tied the number of hits he had with Greenville last season with 40, all of this being done in just 154 at-bats. Due to his high number of strikeouts in April (22 in 52 at-bats), his percentage on the season may be a little skewed, as it sits at 26.6%, a number that is 5.2% higher than last year and 3.5% higher than his percentage in Greenville for 2024. One positive way to look at it, however, is that since the start of May, his strikeout percentage is only 23.5% in his last 102 at-bats. His walk percentage is also another area to look at, as he’s now walking at just under at 9.8%, an improvement over his 7.7% rate in Greenville for 2024. Bleis also has an issue with using the whole field, typically pulling the ball most of his at-bats as the percentage of all his batted balls is currently 65.7%. The young outfielder is very pull happy and might be using the wall in left field of Fluor Field to help his numbers as there’s a vast difference between his home and away splits. So far in 2025 he’s hitting .284/.366/.580 at home and while on the road those numbers drop down to .227/.292/.424. Despite the struggles, Bleis is still young and has showcased flashes of his potential at every stop of his minor league career. There’s a reason the Red Sox gave him the largest bonus in their 2021 international free agent class, and his recent display at the plate is helping to show it. Should Bleis manage to stay healthy, then there’s a good chance he develops into the player everyone thought he could be, but that is a big "if" for a guy who hasn't managed a fully healthy season once since signing. His previous struggles could have been due to recovering from various injuries and being unable to put things together, but now that he’s played close to 100 games in High-A Greenville, Bleis seems to be turning a corner and making a push for a promotion to Double-A Portland. That might sound too aggressive for a young guy with injury issues, but the Red Sox need to see how he fares against more advanced competition, especially seeing as how he will be Rule 5 Draft eligible this coming offseason. Should the Red Sox not protect him, there’s a chance another team will swoop in and take him, especially with his prospect pedigree. If Bleis can stay healthy and continue to improve as the season continues, the decision may become a bit easier for the Red Sox if they want to protect him or even possibly move him in a deal to improve to the major league roster. View full article

The Red Sox organization continues to bring in awards at the minor league level. Last week, it was announced that a pair of prospects had been named Player of The Week for their respective leagues, and now, it’s been announced that a trio of prospects were named Player of The Month for their respective leagues. Blaze Jordan, Franklin Arias and Freili Encarnacion were all named Player of The Month for their respective leagues after each player had unbelievable stats for the month of May. Each player put on a showcase in the month of May, allowing fans to see what talent is still in the minors as Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer get ready to graduate from prospect status and Roman Anthony not much further behind them. Jordan, the former third round pick in the 2020 draft, exploded onto the scene in May after a rather less than ideal April. After struggling to a stat line of .235/.321/.324 through 18 games in April, the right-handed hitter appeared to turn a corner in May. Through 26 games in May, Jordan delivered as he hit .390/.490/.671 to go along with six home runs and 24 RBI. The slugger also added 14 walks while striking out only 11 times. In total, Jordan’s performance reengaged conversation about his presence as a prospect in the organization. The outstanding offensive performance forced a promotion to Triple A where he’s only continued to hit in his first two games. With the Red Sox thin at first and third base, there’s a chance Jordan could continue to force the Red Sox hand when it comes to a future promotion to Boston. In the month of May Jordan led all qualified Eastern League hitters in hits, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. He was also tied for fourth in runs scored, tied for second in home runs and tied for seventh in walks as he put up a well-rounded offensive approach across the month. Arias, the former international free agent, has been putting on quite the show all season. After opening the year in Salem, the 19-year-old infielder forced his way up to Greenville and has only become a better hitter since then. In the month of May alone he created a conversation about whether he was ready for Double-A Portland already as he hit a torrid .404/.438/.576 in 23 games. The infielder who was signed originally for his defense has impressed immensely with the bat since coming over stateside and looks to be a future star in the making. To go along with such a high batting average was nine doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI while also walking six times and striking out in seven at-bats. Despite being 19 years old there are already people wanting to move him to Portland and see how he handles the advanced competition. Currently he is on a 14-game hitting streak and has shown no signs of slowing down in Greenville. When compared to other South Atlantic League players who appeared in at least 20 games in the month of May, Arias led them in batting average, OPS, hits and doubles. He was also third in slugging, fifth in on-base percentage and tied for third in RBI. Should Arias’ bat continue to develop, he might be the organization’s next number one prospect after Anthony’s graduation. The final player, Encarnacion, was signed as an international free agent in 2022 and was just recently called up to Greenville at the start of June after a monstrous May. Another infielder just like the other two, Encarnacion is 20 years old and has spent most of his time this season split between first and third base while also playing a few games at second base while with Salem. Moving around the infield didn’t affect his bat, however, as he went on a tear in May. Across 23 games the right-hander hit .333/.402/.655 and also hit seven home runs, seven doubles and drove in 15 runs. For the entire month he also had 29 hits and scored 20 times. His best skill is his raw power and that was on display with his seven home runs across the month of May. Should he find consistency with his hit tool, those numbers may climb even higher. For the month of May, Encarnarcion led all players who appeared in at least 20 games in home runs, slugging and OPS. He was also near the top in several other categories for players who appeared in at least 20 games as he finished third in batting average, eighth in on-base percentage, tied for second in doubles, second in hits and fourth in runs scored. The Red Sox continue to show an ability to develop hitters, and the month of May showcased the results as three hitters in three different leagues earned Player of The Month honors. It’s unknown whether these three players will have a future with the Boston Red Sox, but their growth is a good sign to trust the minor league process and believe in the prospects that are being developed. View full article

The Boston Red Sox have found a star in the making with Franklin Arias, as the young infielder has been on a tear at the plate this season. And after a hot April, it was hard to expect even more from him yet in May Arias performed even better than expected. At 19 years old Arias is nearly three years younger than the average age in the South Atlantic League where Greenville plays, yet he might be one of the best players in the league. Arias was promoted to Greenville on April 29th after 19 games with Salem that saw him slash .346/.407/.397 with nine RBI, six walks and 12 strikeouts. That is impressive for a 19-year-old to do. Upon being promoted to Greenville he only played better which is why he’s TalkSox’s minor league hitter of the month for May. In 23 games in May, Arias has managed to hit .404/.438/.576 in 99 at-bats. To go along with it, Arias has demonstrated more in-game power in May as he’s hit nine doubles, a triple and two home runs in this span. In Salem he only had four doubles when it came to extra base hits. The young infielder has also driven in more runs with 19 RBI so far and scored 14 times. Though what may be more impressive is that despite playing against older competition, Arias has managed to cut back on his strikeouts, having only done so seven times in the month of May. Arias’ improvement at the plate has been shown throughout the season, lowering his strikeout rate from 14% in Salem down to 7.9% during the month of May with Greenville. The young infielder has a habit of hitting the ball on the ground, as half of all his batted balls are ground balls with his line drive rate sitting at 23.4% and a flyball rate of 26.6% with Greenville. When swinging, Arias does not miss often, having a contact rate of 92% during his month with Greenville, managing to put the ball in play often. And to go with his high contact rate is an approach that includes hitting to all fields. Arias doesn’t rely too much on pulling the ball, managing to do so at a 38.8% rate while going to the opposite field at a 34.7% rate. He tends to go back up the middle only 26.5% of the time, however. To showcase just how dominant Arias has been at the plate, the young infielder appeared in 23 games in May and has only failed to register a hit in three of those games and still got on base twice in one of them. Across the month he has led the South Atlantic League in hits with 40 along with being tied for the lead in doubles and tied for third in RBI. Likewise, his seven strikeouts ranks him as first for least strikeouts out of players who have played at least 15 games this month. Arias’ continued transformation at the plate will only allow his ceiling to grow as the prospect will be knocking at Portland’s door soon especially if this level of play continues. The Red Sox found a special player when they originally signed him for his defensive capabilities. The play from him this month alone showcased that as he took his play to a whole new level. Now it’s up to Arias to take the foundation he built and run with it. View full article

The Boston Red Sox have seen quite the number of awards this season in their organization, as several prospects have impressed across the first two months. As May came to a close, the awards continued to accumulate with two up-and-coming prospects earned Player of the Week honors for their respective leagues Catching prospect Brooks Brannon was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week, while right-handed pitcher David Sandlin was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. These respective awards are a statement to the growth both players have exhibited this year. Brannon, drafted in the ninth round of the 2022 draft, has had a history of being unable to stay on the field. Since being drafted at the age of 18, Brannon has only managed to play 84 games, including a career high of 62 games in 2024. This season has been different, as the young catcher has managed to stay healthy and put together the kind of season the organization expected when they drafted him. In 40 games in 2025, Brannon is hitting .273/.317/.442 with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 46 strikeouts in 154 at-bats. However, Brannon’s offensive output exploded over the last week, as he slashed an astounding .524/.524/1.048 to go along with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs. His outburst at the plate helped the Greenville Drive go 5-1 against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. His best game of the series came on Saturday when he had three hits, two of them being home runs, and drove in four runs. With the Red Sox lack of catching depth after trading Kyle Teel for Garrett Crochet in the offseason, the development of Brannon is greatly welcomed, and he could soon provide depth in the upper minors should he continue to be a quality offensive bat and remain healthy. As for Sandlin, the former 11th-round pick in 2022 was acquired at the start of spring training in 2024 as part of a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Red Sox, seeing an abundance of right-handed pitchers, traded John Schreiber to the Royals in exchange for Sandlin. At the time, Sandlin had yet to pitch above High-A with the Royals and was entering his age-23 season. He was viewed as a developmental prospect who was behind the learning curve. In 2024, he struggled between Greenville and Portland, finishing the season with 18 starts between the two levels. In them, he only pitched 57 1/3 innings, allowing 34 runs on 61 hits, 14 home runs, and 18 walks for a 5.34 ERA. However, Sandlin showcased his upside with 82 strikeouts. The right-hander reported back to Portland this season where he’s pitched in nine games, eight starts, and has appeared much more comfortable. So far, he’s tossed 43 innings in those nine appearances and has only allowed 18 runs on 39 hits, four home runs, and 12 walks. He’s also struck out 45 batters. His latest start may have been his best since joining the Red Sox organization, as it helped earn him Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. On May 29th, Sandlin tossed a seven-inning complete game in game one of a double-header (in minor league baseball, double-headers are only seven innings each). Across those seven innings, he allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out eight. The right-hander only needed 83 pitches for the entire outing. Both players are testaments to the organization’s improving player development system and will only help generate more depth in the case of injuries or trades. While there’s a chance one or both may never play for the Red Sox, one thing they are doing is generating interest in their talents. Should the duo continue to grow, they'll have an important role to play in Boston's future. View full article

Blaze Jordan has been a member of the Red Sox organization since being drafted in the third round of the 2020 draft. In that time, he has shown a natural ability to hit, though he has had to persevere through some adversity and struggles. Not quite viewed as a top prospect in the organization, Jordan still has skills that could be of interest to the Red Sox especially with their current offensive woes. Jordan has been playing in Portland for nearly two seasons now, as he was promoted to Double-A during the 2023 season and put up rather pedestrian numbers in his first taste of the upper levels of minor league baseball. In 49 games to close out that season, Jordan would hit .254/.296/.402 while striking out 28 times in 189 at-bats. What may have been most impressive for him were his ten doubles, six home runs and 31 RBIs in that span. Entering 2024, Jordan slimmed down with the hope of playing third base along with his usual first base. He came into spring training looking better than he had previously with the Red Sox, and showed a better ability to move in the field. Unfortunately, 2024 would not be his season, as the right-handed hitter would get hurt and miss a significant amount of time. In only 89 games, Jordan posted solid offensive stats, hitting .261/.305/.388 with seven home runs, 22 doubles and 61s RBI in 353 at-bats. After the season, Jordan was left off the Red Sox’s 40-man roster, leaving him eligible for the Rule 5 draft that offseason. Fortunately for the Red Sox, he was not selected by another team. That turned out to be fortuitous for Boston. In his third go-around at Double-A this year, he's finally figuring things out. Through 39 games so far in 2025, Jordan is hitting .306/.401/.485 with five home runs, nine doubles and 30 RBI in 134 at-bats. What may be the biggest sign of improvement for the 22-year-old is the fact that he’s walking more in Portland. This season alone, he’s walked 19 times, a personal best for him while in Portland, while also cutting back on strikeouts (only 17 so far on the season). Thus far, Jordan is walking 12.1% of the time while striking out in only 10.8% of his at-bats, both numbers representing career bests for the slugger since joining the organization. Likewise, his wRC+ is the second highest of his career at 156, only beat by a 158 wRC+ he had in 19 games back in 2021. When put in comparison to the rest of the Eastern League, Jordan ranks tied for sixth in batting average, tied for 14th in home runs, eighth in runs scored with 25, fourth in RBIs with 30, tied for 15th in doubles, and tied for 12th in hits with 41. He’s shown he’s more than capable of handling Double-A pitching over the past two months. Another reason the Red Sox should feel lucky that Jordan wasn’t taken this offseason is due to recent issues with the major league club. Triston Casas is out for the season, and now Alex Bregman is expected to miss significant time. Prior to Bregman’s injury, the team was already thin at the corner infield spots, but now they’re really being pushed to the limit. Enter Jordan, who can play both first and third base. This is the perfect time to get Jordan up to Worcester and see how he handles the final level before the majors. Allow him a chance to get ample playing time at first base, third base and designated hitter so that the organization can see if they have anything to work with in the immediate term. They would be foolish to not call Jordan up to Worcester and get him plenty of at-bats, especially since the only true first baseman on the roster is Ryan Noda, as Nathan Hickey is a catcher who is learning first base and playing it consistently for the first time this season. Currently at third base is Nate Eaton, following the promotions of Abraham Toro, Nick Sogard and Marcelo Mayer. This could be the perfect opportunity for Jordan if he’s promoted. Either he plays well enough to force his way onto the Boston Red Sox, or he has a middling summer that could make him intriguing for another team that sees more potential in his profile. Either way, Jordan has created a conversation around his prospect status that will only help his career. View full article