Nick John

Drew and Zach Ehrhard are making history for the Portland Sea Dogs, as they became just the fourth set of brothers to play for Portland and only second pair to be on the team at the same time. On May 21, they got to play together in the same game. The brothers join the likes of Edinson (1994) and Edgar (1995) Renteria, Derek (2000-2001) and Dusty (2001) Wathan, and Jonathan (2005) and Joshua (2009) Papelbon. Zach Ehrhard had started the season in High-A Greenville, where he tore the cover off the ball. Hitting .342/.471/.459 with one home run and 22 RBI, Zach showcased the batting skills that made the Red Sox interested in him to the point they drafted him not once, but twice, both times under different heads of the baseball operations department. Chaim Bloom was the first to try and draft the outfielder, taking him in the 13th round back in 2021 out of high school, only for Ehrhard to not sign and instead play college baseball at Oklahoma St. After a junior year that saw him slash .330/.458/.627 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI, Ehrhard saw himself drafted by the Red Sox once again, this time in the fourth round in 2024 by an organization that was now being run by Craig Breslow. This time, he would sign, being assigned to High-A Greenville where he would get into 22 games and struggle to the tune of a .156/.264/.195 batting line with only five RBIs and 25 strikeouts. And Drew wasn’t doing much better than his brother. After playing in college for the University of Tampa for six years, the older Ehrhard brother went undrafted in 2023 before signing with the Red Sox as a 24-year-old, something that usually didn’t happen without a stop in Independent ball. Drew would only play in five games in the Florida Complex League. In 2024, he didn’t play much either, getting into a combined 27 games between Greenville and Portland where he hit .273/.364/.532 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. He would also fight through multiple stints on the Development List in 2024, spending three distinct periods on it between May and June, and then missing two weeks in July due to an injury. He still hasn’t played much in 2025. In 13 games on the season, the older Ehrhard is hitting .175/.267/.300 with one home run and four RBIs to go along with four walks and seven strikeouts in 40 at-bats. When looking at the brothers, Zach appears to be the better player thanks to his better hit tool, faster speed, and his above-average arm. Drew does have better power than his younger brother, though. Zach currently profiles as the best of the two, having spent time in all three outfield positions to begin the season without making an error. Should he continue to develop, the younger Ehrhard is projected to have a ceiling of a backup outfielder based on his contact skills and defense. The older Ehrhard, despite being a catcher who can play first, second and has played third in college, has mostly been the designated hitter when he’s played this season. That is in part due to there being two other catchers on the active roster — Mark Kolozsvary and Ronald Rosario. Should the older Ehrhard develop at a more rapid pace, he’s been viewed as a high-minors contributor, most likely bouncing between Portland and Worcester as he’s needed between the two teams. The grind of being a professional baseball player can be hard on many players, especially the wear and tear that the daily routine can do to one’s mind and body. However, having family on the same team might make it a little easier for the Ehrhard brothers, and if the duo is a little superstitious, they might want to believe that the trend of brothers who have both played for Portland continues with them. With each of the previous three pairs of brothers who played with Portland, one brother would go on to play in the major leagues. Whether that comes true or not will depend on how the Ehrhard brothers continue to play now that they have each other to rely on. View full article

If anything Cora was forced on Bloom rather than Dombrowski. Most heads of baseball operations hire their own guy, not the manager previously fired.

Since being hired before the 2018 season, Alex Cora has led the Boston Red Sox as manager, excluding his suspension during the 2020 season, but now it may be time for a different voice. Everyone remembers Cora positively for how 2018 ended with the greatest Red Sox team of all time winning the World Series; unfortunately, things have not been as positive since. 2019 saw the Red Sox under Cora attempt to repeat, but it’s never easy, and the team struggled with injuries and inconsistencies. The team saw injuries to the rotation as Chris Sale, David Price, and Nathan Eovaldi pitched in 25 or fewer games, with Eovaldi bouncing between the rotation and bullpen. Offensively, the team received only six games out of Dustin Pedroia, 29 games from Steve Pearce, and 91 games from Mitch Moreland. And yet they still had career years from Christian Vázquez, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Brandon Workman. There were great seasons from Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, while also getting a quality rookie season from Michael Chavis. And still, the team only won 84 games that season. 2020 was a lost season. Cora was suspended and fired before the season even began due to the 2017 Astros’ cheating scandal. Then, the season was shortened due to COVID-19, limiting it to 60 games plus an expanded playoff. The Sox would stumble through that season before Chaim Bloom rehired Cora in 2021. Cora seemed to turn the team around, leading a team that had no reason to be only two games away from the World Series. The roster differed from his 2018 championship team as Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Moreland, Price, and Jackie Bradley Jr. were all gone. Chris Sale was returning from Tommy John surgery and made nine starts for the team. And yet Cora managed to keep the team over-performing as they were in contention for the division until the last few weeks of the season. They got into the playoffs as a wild card team and knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs in the Wild Card Game before taking the Tampa Bay Rays out in the Division Series. Eventually, their magic ran out, and they lost in six games during the Championship Series to the Houston Astros. Since then, the team has struggled. The Red Sox under Cora have not been above .500 since 2021, the closest being when they went 81-81 in 2024. The usual complaints were that the Red Sox dealt with injuries and didn’t have the depth or the players to make a playoff run. There was no debate as the pitching failed to hold up in 2022 and 2023, as both seasons ended with the same record of 78-84. However, the story couldn’t be different. In 2022, the Red Sox had 52 wins heading into the trade deadline and were indecisive on what to do. They sold off Vázquez to the Houston Astros, getting back two prospects in Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez. They also brought in Eric Hosmer, Reese McGuire, and Tommy Pham to try and strengthen the team for a playoff run. They collapsed down the season, winning only 27 games across August, September, and October as the pitching failed to hold up. 2023 was much of the same. Gone was veteran Bogaerts, who Red Sox ownership let sign with San Diego for an 11-year, $280 million contract. He was replaced at shortstop by Kiké Hernández, who was awful defensively. Things were still a struggle on the pitching side as not a single starter had an ERA under 4.00. And despite that, the Red Sox were still in contention. With 56 wins entering the trade deadline, the Red Sox were only 2 ½ games out of a playoff spot and, unlike previous seasons, had a farm system with prospects that could either help at the major league level or be packaged in a trade. Cora made it known which way he wanted the team to head in as he said to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, “We’re in a good place. But at the end of the day, the place that we would like to play is in October. It’s not about how many prospects you have or where your farm system is. It might be No. 1 or 30th or whatever. The one that counts is how many games you win in October and how many games you play in October. That’s what we’re shooting for.” At the time, Cora had every right to say that, especially as his team was fighting for a playoff spot after missing the postseason the prior season. They needed help, and they wanted it. They wanted the organization to say they believed the 2023 team could make the playoffs and compete for the World Series. Instead, Bloom failed to address the issues on the team, mostly surrounding the pitching, and the Red Sox collapsed down the stretch once more, winning only 22 games from August 1st until the end of the season. Bloom would be relieved of his position before the end of the season, and a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal didn’t come as a surprise when he wrote that “on the surface, the two seemed to co-exist professionally. But friends of Bloom, who spoke on condition of anonymity in exchange for their candor, believe Cora was not as supportive of Bloom as he could have been”. It isn’t a surprise that Cora wanted to win, and while Bloom did too, he didn’t make the moves Cora wanted to improve the roster. Instead, he wanted to build it up from within and support the next core with free agent signings. Bloom would not see his vision through, and Craig Breslow was hired as the President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox. While Breslow made moves by replacing Dave Bush as pitching coach with Andrew Bailey, 2024 turned into more of the same. While the team finished with an 81-81 record, the second-half collapse was the same as the past three seasons. At the end of July, the team had 57 wins, yet they finished down the stretch poorly, only winning 24 games, as once again the pitching collapsed. Unlike Bloom, Breslow did make moves. He brought in James Paxton, Luis Garcia, and Lucas Sims to try and bolster the pitching staff while also trading for Danny Jansen to be the backup catcher. After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, the team finally got aggressive in the offseason. They traded for Garrett Crochet and signed Aroldis Chapman, Alex Bregman, and Walker Buehler. They got the big names they hadn’t signed in previous years, and now the roster was ready to compete. And yet on May 25th, the Red Sox now sit 27-28 after splitting a four-game series with the 18-34 Baltimore Orioles. In a 10-game homestand against the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles, the team only went 5-5, and something has to give. While the team has dealt with injuries, this consistent inconsistency has been a staple of the 2025 season and even longer, dating back to 2022. The pitching fails to go deep into games, the bullpen is overtaxed and mismanaged at times, and the offense can completely vanish at times when needed. In this homestand alone, the Red Sox scored two or fewer runs in five games. In May, they’ve scored two or fewer runs in nine games so far. And the one constant since 2022 is the manager, Alex Cora. I’m not calling for him to be fired, but you must start discussing it. The Red Sox have not played very well, and many of their mistakes (fielding, baserunning, starters failing to go deep into games) fall on the coaching staff. The team has changed its pitching coach and defense coaches, yet the same mistakes are happening. It’s a sign of the culture within the team, one that the manager sets. One thing that Cora cannot change is that it might be time for a change in managers. Cora can be a skilled manager; there’s no debating that. Sometimes he’s shown it by getting the most out of his players and winning games he had no business winning. But then there are times when you can’t help but question what he’s doing by pulling a pitcher early or handling the bullpen poorly in different situations. A key example being when he brought Sean Newcomb, a guy who pitches when the Sox are up or down by a lot, into a close game with runners on the corners. Or having exhausted his bullpen so much that he needs to rely on Brennan Bernardino and Luis Guerrero for high-leverage innings. But ever since winning the World Series in 2018, he’s had numbers that would have fired other managers. A manager who has better numbers than he did gets fired. Let’s look at Cora’s numbers since they won in 2018. Since that season, Cora has a .509 winning percentage, one postseason appearance, two last-place finishes, and three losing seasons. John Farrell's predecessor also won it in his first season in Boston in 2013. After that, he managed four more seasons before being replaced by Cora after 2017. In those four seasons, Farrell had a .517 winning percentage, two division titles, two last-place finishes, and three losing seasons. If that could get Farrell fired, why hasn’t there been a discussion about Cora being on the hot seat? There is too much talent on this team for them to struggle this consistently through not just 2025 but since 2022. The Red Sox have had three different people run the baseball operations under Cora, with Dave Dombrowski and Bloom being seen as the problems. Should the team keep losing, will Breslow be viewed as the issue? Coaching-wise, Cora has had three bench coaches, two third base coaches, five first base coaches, two hitting coaches, and three pitching coaches, which shows that the team will replace the coaches around Cora should they fail to produce the desired results. On the defensive side, José David Flores and Kyle Hudson handle the infield and outfield defense, respectively, the former taking over for Andy Fox, who had been in that position since 2022. Pitching-wise, the team viewed a need to change it up and bring in Bailey, who had done a magnificent job with San Francisco’s pitchers. That hasn’t been replicated in Boston. So, who’s to blame this time around? They got Cora the players he wanted, and last year, they changed the coaching staff. Now, the team is still mediocre. Something has to give; either the team starts winning, or John Henry and Breslow must start discussing what to do with Cora and his staff. The Red Sox have too much talent in their organization to let this continue. View full article

When the Boston Red Sox signed Nate Eaton to a minor league deal over the offseason, no one thought anything of it. As is the usual standard for all 30 major league clubs, the Red Sox brought in players who they felt could be good depth pieces should injuries occur. Eaton had previously played in the majors with the Kansas City Royals and was defensively versatile thanks to his ability to play all three outfield positions, along with third base and a little bit of second base. Projected to open the season with Triple-A Worcester, Eaton put together a spring training that had him in conversation as possibly making the Opening Day roster due to the thought that Wilyer Abreu may not have been ready in time after recovering from his illness. That wasn’t the case, and as expected, Eaton opened the season with Worcester, where he has played well, though success at the Triple-A level has been common for him. In 301 games as of this writing, Eaton is hitting .263/.327/.452 with 44 home runs and 153 RBI in 1131 at-bats. For Worcester alone, he’s hitting .276/.362/.435 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 46 games. Eaton has worked hard with Worcester, climbing his way up the batting order. On Opening Day, he was hitting ninth in the order for Chad Tracy and Worcester, but since May 11th, he has routinely been hitting fourth. And while he hasn’t been hitting the ball extremely hard (a hard-hit rate of only 42.7%), he’s still managing to barrel the ball up at 8.9%, putting him slightly above the Triple-A average of 6.6%. There are other offensive issues with his game, as he chases 26% of the pitches thrown to him outside of the zone while whiffing on 28.3% of all pitches thrown to him, which has led to a 24.1% strikeout rate. Something relatively high for a 28-year-old in Triple-A, especially when his walk rate is only 9.7%. Eaton, however, has shown hustle and grit while with Worcester as he is third on the team in RBI with 22, tied for second in walks with 20, tied for third in runs with 29, is second out of qualified hitters in batting average, and leads the team in doubles with 15. He may not have the power to impact the game, but should he put the ball in play, there’s a good chance he can use his speed to stretch hits or take extra bases when a teammate hits. Defensively, he has been good in the outfield, having played 29 games there. He has yet to commit an error in 70 chances and has five outfield assists in that span. Since moving to third base in early May, Eaton has struggled a little with three errors in his first 15 games. For Worcester, he has seemed to be at his best defensively while in the outfield thanks to his strong arm, excellent speed, and a showcase of solid range. Eaton will probably never see playing time in Boston, barring a huge injury, but the right-handed hitter is precisely the kind of player you’re looking for to round out a Triple-A roster. A veteran leader who can continue to develop himself and be a voice for the younger guys, thanks to his experience at the major league level and from his previous time in Triple-A. Should Eaton continue to play at this level leading up to the trade deadline, it should not be surprising to see another team needing outfield help call the Red Sox for the versatile player. With many players from Worcester being called up to Boston the past couple of weeks, Eaton will likely be leaned on to help carry the team both offensively and defensively. View full article

Despite their 20-25 record, the Greenville Drive is an exciting and fun team to watch. Led by incredible talent on both the pitching and hitting sides, it’s likely you’ll see something exciting while watching them. The team currently has several names on their roster that should excite Red Sox fans as they wait for them to develop. Jojo Ingrassia, Jedixson Paez, Brandon Clarke, and Payton Tolle are just some of the exciting young pitchers on the team who will constantly pitch excellent outings. On the offensive side, the team is led by 19-year-old top prospect Franklin Arias, fellow infielders Andy Lugo and Antonio Anderson, and outfielders Miguel Bleis, Yophery Rodriguez, and Nelly Taylor. So far in 2025, the team has been filled with success as players have been promoted from Greenville after successful starts to the season, such as Zach Ehrhard and Hayden Mullins. And despite that, the Drive continues to roster several players who fans hope will develop into future stars. Leading the Drive offensively is Arias, someone who we’ve talked about previously on the site. Arias, a top prospect for the Red Sox, is hitting .360/.406/.517 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 21 games with the Drive. A spark plug in the lineup, Arias is joined by Taylor and Lugo when it comes to getting on base, as the two hitters have on-base percentages of .366 and .348, respectively. Not only does Taylor get on base, but once there, he becomes a threat on the basepaths with his speed. Currently, he leads the Drive with 13 stolen bases. Despite a slow start to the season, Miguel Bleis, who is trying to put together a complete season since playing in the Florida Complex League in 2022 leads the Drive in home runs with five and in RBI with 28 showing that the talent that once had him projected to be a top prospect is still there. Though he is still striking out at a high rate, having 41 strikeouts in just 32 games played. Although for the 21-year-old, it may be his defense that has been fun to watch, as he has been an excellent defender thanks to his instincts and reads. And yet it’s the pitching side of things that makes this team so interesting and a desire to watch. With a rotation that has the likes of Tolle, Clarke, Noah Dean, and others in it, there’s a good chance you’re in store for a pitching performance from whoever is starting that night for the Drive. Their pitching is filled with so much talent that Juan Valera, a 19-year-old who only made seven starts in Salem before starting 2025 with the Drive, isn’t one of the players talked about the most. That honor is split between Tolle and Clarke, the two left-handers drafted by Craig Breslow in the 2024 draft. Tolle, drafted in the second round, was known for his fastball in college, which helped him rack up strikeouts, and that hasn’t changed since pitching in Greenville. Despite a fastball that sits between 93-95 mph, Tolle has been able to make it appear much faster, thanks in part to a combination of an elite extension and a low release height. In his first display of professional baseball, Tolle is 1-2 in seven starts, tossing 28 1/3 innings. In that span, he struck out 49 batters and only walked five. What may be most impressive are his 89 whiffs so far this season. Clarke, on the other hand, was a fifth-round pick in 2024, but has showcased talent that has led some evaluators to believe he might have been selected in the first round if the draft were to be conducted again. Unlike Tolle, who uses extension to make his fastball appear faster, Clarke relies on a fastball that tops out at 100 mph regularly. Opening the season in Salem, Clarke dominated in three starts before being promoted to the Drive and continuing his dominance. In four games with the Drive, Clarke has tossed 14 1/3 innings, allowing only five runs on five hits and seven walks while striking out 21. Much like Tolle, Clarke can generate swings and misses, having caused 40 in his four appearances with the Drive. The duo creates an interesting combination of strikeout pitchers for the Drive, a pair of left-handers that may not be out of place in High A should they continue to handle the competition as they have. And it shouldn’t be a surprise, should one of them be promoted to Portland once Connelly Early gets promoted from there to Worcester. Greenville has had no shortage of star prospects make their way through the team, with players such as Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer all having played there at various points. With the current core that is being developed, it feels like Drive games will continue to be exciting for the time to come. It should go without saying that if you want to see what the future of the Red Sox might look like, it would make sense to tune in to a few Drive games. View full article

Funny enough he ended up getting sent right back to Worcester after the game for Zack Kelly. He'll be back up at some point in June though.

The Boston Red Sox continue to make roster moves today, as the team designated left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb for assignment following game one of their doubleheader with the Baltimore Orioles. Taking his place on the active roster is young right-hander Luis Guerrero, who has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester. Newcomb was a surprise addition to the roster at the start of the season, as he had originally signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training over the offseason. After an impressive spring training, Newcomb saw himself win the fifth spot in the rotation after starters Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito all ended up on the injured list during camp. Newcomb would make five starts for Boston during his time in the rotation, tossing 22 1/3 innings and allowing 11 earned runs on 32 hits and 11 walks. He also struck out 27 as part of the rotation. Upon the return of injured starters Giolito and Bello, Newcomb was pushed into the bullpen, where he often served as a long man to preserve the rest of the bullpen. He appeared in six games in this role, tossing 17 2/3 innings and appearing to have more success as a reliever. He allowed only six runs on 22 hits and five walks but struck out 14. With the Red Sox having three other left-handed relievers in their bullpen and need of a fresh arm, Newcomb was the casualty. It didn’t come as much of a surprise as the left-hander has thrown 139 pitches combined in his last three appearances while preserving the rest of the bullpen. Guerrero has spent the 2025 season bouncing between Boston and Worcester, where he has had two different seasons. While with Boston Guerrero has yet to give up a run, appearing in three games and tossing four scoreless innings while striking out three. However, with Worcester, he has allowed 10 runs across 13 appearances. In 18 1/3 innings for Worcester, Guerrero has allowed five home runs and 10 walks but has struck out 16. As demonstrated between Boston and Worcester, Guerrero relies on four pitches: a fastball, a changeup, a slider, and a splitter. Having some of the best raw stuff in the organization, Guerrero could see himself thrown into a high-leverage role within the bullpen should he manage to keep walks under control up in Boston. Though upon his latest return to the majors, he’ll likely be used as a middle reliever. The right-hander will provide much-needed assistance for the bullpen, which has been leaned upon due to short outings by the starting rotation over the last few series. A fresh arm is exactly what the team needs, and Guerrero will be a breath of fresh air for the team. View full article

The Boston Red Sox are calling up Marcelo Mayer. As first reported by Katie Morrison-O'Day of MassLive on X (formerly Twitter), Mayer was receiving congratulations from teammates and coaches and appears headed for Boston for the second game of today’s doubleheader with Baltimore. Mayer, drafted fourth overall in 2021 is one of Boston's top prospects and is currently ranked second on several lists. Since being drafted Mayer has hit .273/.360/.466 in 315 games. For Triple-A Worcester this season Mayer has hit .271/.347/.471 in 43 games. He’s also hit nine home runs and driven in 43 runs. Update 5/24/25 5:30pm Mayer has officially been announced as being called up by the Boston Red Sox and will wear number 39 with the team. To make room for Mayer on the 40-man roster, Boston moved Triston Casas to the 60-Day injured list. To create room on the 26-man roster Boston placed Alex Bregman on the 10-Day injured list with a right quad strain. More information will be added as it becomes available. View full article

Nick Burdi made his Boston debut Friday night as he threw seven pitches, five of them strikes, to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning. While his final stat line of just a third of an inning pitched isn’t that fascinating, the story behind him making it to the Red Sox is. Burdi, now 32 years old, began his journey over a decade ago. Drafted back in 2011 by the Minnesota Twins in the 24th round, Burdi decided to bet on himself and turned down their offer, instead attending the University of Louisville where he became one of the top prospects in the 2014 draft. Led by a fastball that could reach 100 miles per hour, Burdi was selected by the Minnesota Twins once more, but this time in the second round of the 2014 draft and signed for a $1.2 million bonus. Burdi was assigned to the Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels to begin his career, but after throwing 13 innings where he had a 4.15 ERA and struck out 26, he was promoted to High-A Fort Myers and continued to dominate in seven appearances. In 7 1/3 innings that season for Fort Myers, he didn’t allow a run and struck out 12. After that, it was an up-and-down journey for Burdi, opening 2015 with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts only to struggle early with a 5.93 ERA that got him demoted back to Fort Myers in June. He wasn’t there for long, pitching in 13 games and throwing 20 innings with a 2.25 ERA and striking out 29. In his return to Double A, Burdi would close out the season throwing 20 1/3 innings with a 1.77 ERA for Chattanooga, bringing his stats at the level to 30 appearances, 43 2/3 innings and a 4.53 ERA on the season. Overall, he finished with 63 2/3 innings in 43 games and a 3.82 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 2015. After the season, Burdi was selected for the Arizona Fall League and got into eight games, pitching eight scoreless innings and striking out 11. 2016 would be a lost season for Burdi, throwing only three innings due to a bone bruise in his right elbow that would lead to him starting 2017 in Double-A once more. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a long 2017 for Burdi either, as the right-hander would need Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May of that season, costing him the rest of that season and what was expected to be most if not all of 2018. In 14 games for Chattanooga in 2017, Burdi threw 17 innings and struck out 20 with a 0.53 ERA. The 2017 offseason saw the first of many changes of scenery for Burdi, as he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 draft. He wasn’t meant to stay with the Phillies for long, being dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates for $500,000 of international signing bonus money. Burdi would rehab for most of the 2018 season as he made his way back from surgery. He would go on to appear in 10 minor league games across three levels of the Pirates' farm system, throwing 11 combined innings and logging a 5.73 ERA. Despite that, Burdi would be activated from the injured list on September 1st, 2018, when rosters expanded and would go on to make his MLB debut on September 11th, throwing one-third of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Burdi wouldn’t appear much more after that, only getting into one more game and finishing 2018 in the majors with a 20.25 ERA in 1 1/3 innings pitched. 2019 seemed to be a chance for Burdi to get back to his old self, as he made the Opening Day roster. However, he would only appear in 11 games and struggled to the tune of a 9.35 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. though he did strike out 17. On June 25th he would undergo surgery once more, this time needing thoracic outlet surgery to relieve his symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome and would cost him the rest of 2019. The 2020 pandemic-shortened season would be more of the same for Burdi, as he appeared in only three games before going on the injured list once more with an injury to his right elbow. In August, he would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection to try and avoid surgery on the elbow, but it was futile as in October he underwent his second Tommy John surgery ruling him out for the 2021 season. In November of 2020, he would be designated for assignment by the Pirates and became a free agent on November 9th. He wouldn’t be a free agent for long, as Burdi would go on to sign with the San Diego Padres on a minor league deal on December 22nd, 2020. Burdi would not pitch a single game in 2021 as he recovered from his October surgery. In 2022, he would be assigned to the Padre’s Triple-A team, the El Paso Chihuahuas, but ended up being released on April 21st before making his first appearance. He would resign with San Diego on a minor league contract on May 4th but would not make a single appearance. After missing two years recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, Burdi would go on to be selected by the Chicago Cubs in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft on December 7th, 2022. He would finally return from surgery in 2023 as he pitched in 11 games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. In that span, he tossed 10 2/3 innings where he earned five saves and struck out 19 with a 3.38 ERA. Seeing that he was pitching well, the Cubs selected Burdi’s contract and added it to their active roster on May 15th. After nearly two and a half seasons, Burdi was back in the majors. Unfortunately, his stint wasn't long, as he was placed on the injured list on May 24th after undergoing an emergency appendectomy, and on June 13th, he was moved to the 60-day injured list. He would only appear in three games with the Cubs, throwing three innings and striking out four with a 9.00 ERA. After the season, he was removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to Iowa, though on November 6th, he elected to become a free agent. Burdi’s time as a free agent would last about two months. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on December 21st, 2023 with an invitation to spring training. He would have such a great spring that he broke camp with the major league team and carried that hot start into the season. Through his first 12 games of 2024, Burdi would throw 9 2/3 innings, striking out 12 and recording a 1.86 ERA. Unfortunately, injury issues would occur once more for Burdi, as he would go back onto the injured list on May 24th with right hip inflammation. The right-hander would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hip but it didn’t help much, and he would be moved to the 60-day injured list on June 23rd. Burdi would go on to be activated on August 1st, though he wouldn’t pitch again for the major league team and was designated for assignment by the Yankees on September 7th. Burdi would clear waivers and be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where he played for the RailRiders for the remainder of the season. Overall, with Scranton, he would appear in 18 games, tossing 17 innings and posting a 2.65 ERA with 24 strikeouts. Burdi would elect free agency after the season, though did not sign a new contract until after spring training had begun. On February 28th, 2025, Burdi agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He would go on to open the season with Worcester, becoming one of their top arms in the bullpen as we've covered previously. Burdi appeared in 13 games for Worcester, tossing 16 2/3 innings while earning three saves and striking out 25 with a 0.54 ERA. His impressive showing was enough for Boston to give him a chance with their bullpen in need of an arm after recent struggles in the rotation caused them to pitch quite often in Detroit. Burdi is now pitching for his sixth (technically seventh, but we won’t count the Phillies since he was immediately traded) organization, with the hopes that this time, he can finally show teams just what made him so good in college and his early minor league career before injuries derailed everything. Despite the two Tommy John surgeries, Burdi is still able to reach 97 on his fastball, showing an unbelievable amount of grit an tenacity for a 32-year-old. His journey to this point has been arduous, but no one can doubt Burdi's drive. He's an easy guy to root for, and he'd make for one heck of a success story if the Red Sox can keep him healthy in 2025. View full article

Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2023, no one expected Franklin Arias to break out into a top prospect like he has. Signing for $525,000 on January 15th, 2023, Arias was viewed as one of the better defensive shortstops but failed to stand out offensively. That has all changed since his stateside debut in 2024, where he burst onto the scene in the Florida Complex League with a slash line of .355/.471/.584 in 51 games. Arias opened the 2025 season on a tear with Salem, and all he’s done since earning a promotion to Greenville is continue to put on a display at the plate. Watching him play, you would never have thought that Arias is one of the youngest players in High-A, three years younger than the average age, as he’s been one of Greenville's best hitters. Some would even argue that he’s been a better hitter with Greenville than he was with Salem due to the increase in extra-base hits. In 13 games with Greenville, Arias is slashing .309/.377/.491, and he’s also hit his first two home runs of the season. With his six extra-base hits, he already has more than he did in 19 games with Salem. Between the two levels Arias is hitting .331/.395/.436 with two home runs, 19 RBIs, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 32 games played. Upon his promotion to Greenville Arias struggled out of the gate, going hitless in his first 11 at bats. Since then, he has continued his impressive display of hitting as he’s gone 17-for-44 since and recently had a six-game hitting streak. Arias was originally signed as a glove-first middle infielder, so to see this development as a hitter is a welcome surprise. The production from his bat transformed Arias into one of Boston’s top prospects as he ranks third on MLB Pipeline’s rankings, fifth on SoxProspects’ rankings, fourth on MassLive’s rankings, and 68th on Baseball America’s Top 100 list. As many of these lists state, Arias was not viewed as a major prospect until he surprised everyone with his improved batting. While it appears power will unlikely be a major part of his game, Arias makes up for it with his ability to barrel up the ball and hit it hard. Thanks to quick hands and a smooth swing that is line-drive oriented, Arias is able to keep the barrel in the zone for a long time and generate hard contact and high exit velocities. This could change as he grows, considering Arias won’t be 20 years old until November 19th. Another change that could lead to more power (but at the expense of his contact skills) is by altering his swing from its line-drive orientation and adding a bit more of an upward plane to it to hunt for more optimal launch angles. As is expected of someone of Arias’ age, he still struggles at time with not getting overly aggressive and could be compared to a less-aggressive Ceddanne Rafaela. Much like Rafaela, his defense is incredible thanks to his smooth actions and soft hands. While at shortstop, he has shown solid range and veteran-like poise that helps to make difficult plays look more routine than they should. However, there is debate if Arias will stick at shortstop, as he is viewed as potentially being even more above-average defensively at second base. Arias’ development at the plate will be the deciding factor for how he will be viewed as a prospect as he climbs the ranks of the minor leagues. So far, he’s been able to hold his own at each level he’s played at despite the age difference, but the competition will only grow tougher as he gets promoted. Should he continue to play well with Greenville, don’t be surprised if Boston gives him a small stint in Portland to end the year. Thanks in part to his hard work and desire to learn, Arias has set himself up to be Boston’s top prospect once Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell graduate from prospect status. View full article

At the beginning of the season, there were question marks surrounding left-hander Shane Drohan and how he would bounce back after an injury-plagued 2024. We previously wrote about Drohan’s hot start to the 2025 season and whether he may be back to the pitcher that had made him one of the Red Sox’s top pitching prospects. While there were some issues, he looked to be closer to the pitcher he was in the first half of 2023, and he's continued that hot start into May. So far on the season, Drohan has appeared in seven games, making six starts in his third stint with Worcester. Through those seven games, he’s thrown 26 2/3 innings, allowing only six earned runs on 17 hits and 11 walks. He’s also managed to strike out 38 batters in that span, helping to keep teams from starting large rallies against him. Drohan this season has a 3.11 FIP, higher than his 2.03 ERA but still mighty impressive. In fact, FanGraphs has it listed that a 3.20 FIP is excellent, putting Drohan in what would be considered the upper-echelon of Triple-A pitchers. To compare it to Boston’s ace, Garrett Crochet currently has a 2.82 FIP across his first eight starts. And while the level of competition is different, it still shows the dominant season Drohan is having. If Drohan qualified for the International League statistics, his FIP would have him ninth out of all Triple-A pitchers. His WHIP on the other hand is just as good, sitting at 1.050 on the season. To put it plainly, he’s allowing about one runner per inning pitched on average. This has shown his dominance in limiting the opposing hitters from getting into a groove, Drohan keeping them off base and working quick innings to allow his own team to get right back onto offense. Pitch-wise, Drohan has been leading with his fastball, having thrown it 32.2% of the time. While it isn’t the fastest pitch, Drohan has seen it’s average speed increase, as it was averaging around 92.6 mph back in early April but is now sitting around 93.2 mph on the season and has even hit 96 mph in a few starts. What may be helping it is how it plays off of his secondary pitches. Drohan has thrown a slider, cutter, curveball and changeup during the season, and each pitch has been important for his revival. The slider has been his second-most used pitch at 24.3% and has small but sharp break — 4.5-inch horizontal break towards Drohan’s glove side, away from left-handed batters. His cutter is currently being used just under 20% of the time. His second-fastest pitch at 88.9 mph on average, his cutter may also be his worst pitch this season. While it has a vertical rise of 12.6 inches, it only breaks 0.3 inches horizontally. It hits the zone the most at 55.4%, but everything else is problematic. Batters are chasing it at only 21.6% of the time and it’s being whiffed on at only a 20.6% rate. Meanwhile, the xwOBA allowed on the pitch is .466, showing that when batters are swinging, it’s being hit. One key example is from a recent start from Drohan where he left a cutter out over the middle of the plate and saw it get crushed for a three-run home run. Used mostly to keep batters off-balance by mixing it with his fastball and slider, his cutter needs to be placed near perfectly else it’ll be hit hard. Surprisingly, it may be his curveball that could be one of his most dangerous pitches. Being thrown only 12.5% of the time, Drohan mixes it in as a means to change eye levels and speeds. Averaging 77.7 mph, it’s his slowest pitch, and it also drops 12 inches while also breaking towards his glove side another 12 inches. Its purpose isn’t to hit the zone often, landing in it just 40.7% of the time, but rather to try and generate whiffs when it is swung at. Despite only being chased 25% of the time, he’s still generating an extremely high whiff rate of 63.2%. Finally, his changeup has been just as good, as he’s used it 11.8% of the time. The pitch currently averages at 84.4 mph, breaking 14.3 inches away from right-handed batters. Much like the curve, it doesn’t hit the strike zone often, landing in it only 31.4% of the time and being chased just 22.9%. However, when swung at, batters are missing quite often, as he's generated a 40.9% whiff rate with the changeup. Looking into his metrics also showcases Drohan’s ability to induce soft contact. Through 26 2/3 innings, the average exit velocity off of him sits at 86.6 mph, while batters are only getting hard hits 31% of the time. That’s not to mention that batters are whiffing on 38.9% of his pitches, which is in the 100th percentile in Triple-A. Drohan still has a few issues to work out. He walks guys at a high percent (10.2%), and his cutter needs work to limit hard contact, but for the most part, Drohan is making amazing strides this season. However, it isn’t the first time he’s put up an amazing start to the season. In 2023, he started the season with Portland on a tear, starting six games and dominating Double-A. He pitched 34 innings and only allowed five runs on 19 hits and nine walks. However, he fell off due to fatigue as the season progressed after his promotion to Worcester. Drohan needs to show that this pitching won’t fall off as the season progresses. Tying into that, one other issue is that the southpaw has not pitched deep into games. Of his six starts on the season, he’s only gone five innings twice, and he’s never gone past the fifth inning once this season. In his latest start, he only lasted three innings. Because of his stamina issues, Drohan may be best out of the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever, similar to what Garrett Whitlock is often used as. Pitching only a couple innings also allows him to go all out from the beginning and will limit opponents from getting a read on his secondary offerings multiple times through the order. Regardless, the Red Sox need all the pitching depth they can develop right now, and whether it’s in the rotation or bullpen, Drohan should be someone to keep an eye on as a potential addition to the Boston roster before the end of the season. View full article

You're not going to see Arias for another 2 years at least. With how he's playing this year I wouldn't be surprised if he ends the season in Portland and then splits 2026 between Portland and Worcester. He's only 19 so there's no need to rush him but my prediction has him called up at some point in 2027.

I feel that Romero hasn't proven enough to me yet to be a major league guy right now. I think he will be in that discussion next season (unless he's moved at the deadline). As for Arias, I have him ranked above Romero as a prospect.

Since being drafted in 2022, Mikey Romero has been seen as injury-prone after dealing with back injuries across his first two seasons. In 2024, while not injured, he was also limited to just 78 games due to his recovery from the injury that cost him all but 34 games in 2023. Now finally healthy in 2025, Romero is putting together a season that has shown why the Red Sox made him a first-round pick back in 2022. Off to a hot start, Romero is making a case for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester once an opening for playing time is available. Through 26 games, Romero is slashing .280/.368/.530, a stat line that is better than any season he’s had previously. Add to it five home runs and 14 RBIs, and Romero is showing that last season’s power surge of 16 home runs was not a fluke. What may be most impressive, however, has been Romero’s newfound patience at the plate. The left-handed batter has shown an increased ability to work the count and hunt for pitches he can hit with authority. Through his first 26 games, Romero has walked 13 times on the season, a huge improvement when compared to 2024. Last season he played in 78 games but walked only 18 times. While Romero began the season on a decent stretch, it’s been his play in May that has really brought his improved approach to the limelight. Despite only walking one time through his first eight games, Romero has managed to cut back on his strikeouts considerably. Romero has also improved how he’s hitting the ball, lowering the amount of time he’s pulling it compared to his first stint in Portland late last season. In 2024, he was pulling the ball 55.3% of the time, but in 2025, he’s lowered it slightly to 47.1% while increasing the percentage of balls hit to the opposite field from 17% to 24.3%. Also, he's hitting more line drives this season, hitting them at a 27.9% clip in 2025 (up from 21.7% last year). When compared to his competition in the Eastern League, Romero is proving to be among the top in several offensive categories. His five home runs are tied for fifth, he’s 29th in RBIs, tied for fourth in runs with 21, 29th in walks, 21st in batting average and has the fifth best ISO (measures a batter’s power by showing how many extra bases they average per at-bat and calculated by subtracting the player’s batting average from their slugging percentage) at .250. Finally, he is tied for third in the Eastern League in wRC+. Defensively, Romero has split time between shortstop, third base and designated hitter, while also playing one game at second base. Drafted as a shortstop, that has been his primary position during his time in the organization, and he's played 15 games there already in 2025. Admittedly, he’s been playing below his usual mean, as he's already made five errors this year. In 2024. he made 10 errors across the entire campaign. When drafted, he was viewed as being unlikely to be a standout defender, but his soft hands and strong instincts along with showcasing average range made it seem that he could possibly stick at the position. However, it’s much more likely he will be switched to second or third base with Marcelo Mayer blocking his way at shortstop long-term. If Romero is to continue advancing up the minor leagues, he'll have to continue evolving at the plate, since he'll never be a defensive wiz. Thanks to his first healthy offseason since being drafted, Romero has opened the year looking the best physically he has since signing with the organization. A call to Triple-A Worcester should come soon for the shortstop, especially if Mayer is called up to Boston at some point. Though, should he continue to play as he has this season, there’s a chance he could be promoted to play alongside Mayer. Either way, Romero is finally healthy and he’s showcasing himself in a way fans, the organization and himself have been waiting for. View full article