Nick John

The Red Sox have added three new starters in the past two weeks. What does that mean for the back end of the bullpen? With the recent signing of Walker Buehler, it is safe to assume the Red Sox rotation is now set, barring an unanticipated trade. It looks to be in much better shape than it did in either 2023 or 2024. Thanks to the additions of Buehler, Garrett Crochet, and Patrick Sandoval, no longer will Garrett Whitlock have to try to make it through the entire season as a starter. At this moment, the front of the rotation should be comprised of Crochet, Tanner Houck, Lucas Giolito, and Walker Buehler, but there's a legitimate argument to be had about whether Brayan Bello or Kutter Crawford is most deserving of the fifth spot. At first glance, Bello seems like he should unquestionably get the job. The Sox have high hopes for the young right-hander and signed him to a six-year extension back in March. He’s younger than Crawford as well; he won't turn 26 until the middle of May while Crawford will be 29 at the start of April. Additionally, Bello has always been viewed as a starter, while Crawford spent 2022 and 2023 bouncing between the bullpen and rotation. It’s easy to see why Bello seems like the obvious favorite. When you look closer, though, the two pitchers have some important similarities. Both had one good half and one awful half in 2024: Crawford ran a 3.00 ERA in the first half only to more than double it in the second half, while Bello dropped his ERA from 5.32 in the first half to 3.47 in the second. Both pitchers set career-highs in innings pitched, Bello with 162 1/3 and Crawford with 183 2/3. All together, the two pitchers had very similar seasons even though they relied on different styles. Bello induced one of the highest groundball rates in the league while Crawford ran one of the highest fly ball rates, resulting in plenty of homers. Crawford had the better results, but the advanced metrics like xERA and FIP preferred Bello. Crawford managed to limit hitters to a .223 batting average and a BABIP of just .247, but he led all of baseball with 34 home runs allowed. Bello had less luck (and a weak infield defense to contend with), and batters hit .252 against him despite a BABIP of .303. With new coach Jose Flores instructed to shore up the infield defense, Bello will hopefully get more help in 2025. The fact that he surrendered just 19 home runs will certainly be a point in his favor. But if Bello wants to claim the last spot in the rotation for himself, he'll limit his walks. His 9.1% walk rate ranked ninth among qualified starters. Because the two players had similar overall stats on the season, it's possible that how they finished could play an outsized role in the decision, which would point toward Bello. Crawford went 3-9 losses to go with a 6.59 ERA in 13 games, a run that saw him surrender 20 home runs in 69 2/3 innings. Bello managed to pitch to a 3.47 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, and allowed just 28 runs across 72 2/3 innings. Spring training may provide the duo a chance to battle it out for the last rotation spot (something Crawford has had to do in the past two spring trainings). They always say that competition brings out the best in others, so there’s a chance this opportunity elevates both pitchers to even higher heights. In the end, wonder whether the fifth rotation spot will go to Kutter Crawford or Brayan Bello is a pretty good problem to have. View full article

'Twas the night before Christmas, and Craig Breslow was busy acquiring yet another pitcher who recently had Tommy John surgery. It may be the holidays but the Red Sox are staying busy. On Christmas Eve, a day after signing Walker Buehler to a one-year, $21-million contract and the same day that the Patrick Sandoval signing became official, the Sox made a move to bring in more pitching depth. Mickey Gasper is headed off to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for 27-year-old lefty Jovani Morán. The move, which opens a 40-man roster spot for the Red Sox, sees the team move on from catcher/first baseman Mickey Gasper. A New England native, Gasper was a feel-good story after the Sox picked him in the minor league Rule 5 draft from the Yankees. He started the season in Double-A Portland and made it all the way up to Boston for a cup of coffee. During his time in Portland and Worcester, Gasper played in 92 games, slashing an outstanding .328/.440/.531 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI. The switch hitter appeared in 13 games for the Red Sox, but he went 0-for-18 with four walks, including one in his first big league at-bat. With the signing of Buehler, it was only a matter of time before the Red Sox made a corresponding move to clear up a spot on the 40-man roster, and Gasper was the odd man out. Morán appeared in 79 games for the Twins across three seasons, but he missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November 2023. Yes, the Red Sox have acquired yet another player who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, making it clear that this is very much a trend. In 2022, he made 31 relief appearances and ran a sublime 2.21 ERA and 1.78 FIP. However, in 2023, he made 43 relief appearances with a 5.31 ERA in 42 1/3 innings pitched and got sent down to Triple A in August. He doesn't throw particularly hard, even for a lefty, and he walks far too many batters, largely because he doesn't earn enough chases. However, if you look under the hood, it's not hard to see why the Red Sox are interested in him. Morán had a 3.82 FIP in 2023, meaning that he likely faced some very bad batted ball luck. He also ran an absurdly high 37% whiff rate and an absurdly low 27.5% hard-hit rate. With his potent swing-and-miss stuff, the ability to either hit the zone more often or figure out a way to tempt batters outside the strike zone would allow Morán to cut down on the walks and improve upon what he does best: missing bas and inducing weak contact. Over his career, he has 123 strikeouts and just three home runs in 91 innings. Morán should be ready early into the 2025 season. He’ll look to be relief depth for the Red Sox though will start the season behind the likes of Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson, Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy on the depth chart. Following the trade, the Red Sox 40-man roster now sits at 39 players, as the team has yet to officially announce the Buehler signing. View full article

Many trade rumors have connected Alex Bregman to the Red Sox. How would the Houston star fit in Boston? The Boston Red Sox are in pursuit of talent to help transform their team into a playoff contender. After missing out in the Juan Soto Sweepstakes, the team has continued trying to make moves, finally connecting with the trade for Garrett Crochet on Wednesday. When it comes to the offense, however, the work hasn't even started yet. One of the best players available might have some fans questioning how he would fit in: Alex Bregman. The third baseman has spent his entire nine-year career with the Houston Astros, winning two World Series championships during that span. Bregman has a career 135 wRC+ with 191 home runs. Even more interesting are his 576 walks and 646 strikeouts. Both statistics are important to consider his fit with this current Boston Red Sox team. Bregman possesses excellent plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, something that the Red Sox could have used last season. His 13.6% strikeout rate was the ninth-lowest among all players. His 12.8% whiff rate and 23.6% chase rate were also elite. Quite simply, Bregman is one of the best players in the game at controlling the strike zone and has been for years. The Red Sox ran a 25.4% strikeout rate in 2024, the third-highest mark in baseball. They could desperately use some of Bregman's skills. Six of their starters struck out over 110 times each, and Jarren Duran led the way with 160 K's. Bregman's gaudy home run totals come despite the fact that he's never hit the ball particularly hard. His exit velocities and hard-hit rates have generally hovered right around the league average. However, he has specialized in pulling the ball in the air, a surefire way to supercharge your power. Playing in Houston, with the Crawford Boxes providing a short porch in left field, that approach has paid outsized dividends. With the Green Monster sitting out in left, Bregman could take advantage of the wall in the exact same way that he has in Houston. Bregman may not hit the ball harder than most, but the Green Monster is sitting just 310 feet from home plate and Bregman has a career 45% pull rate. It’s easy to picture him peppering the Green Monster with wall ball doubles for years to come. It isn’t just the offense that makes Bregman an intriguing option. Bregman is a two-time Gold Glover who has even moonlighted at shortstop on occasion. Bregman would help out with the infield woes that have plagued the Red Sox these past few seasons. And yet surprisingly, his help wouldn’t come at third base, but at second. With Rafael Devers penciled in as the starting third baseman for the foreseeable future, Bregman would have to play a different position if he were to join Boston. So far, he’s told the media that he's open to such a move, but being the starting second baseman in Boston wouldn’t necessarily mean the end of his days at third base. Instead, it would allow the team a chance to rest Devers and slot him at DH every so often. Bregman's potential move to second base could also help in multiple ways. First, and foremost, it could bring an end to the revolving door at the position. Since Dustin Pedroia retired the Red Sox multiple players have played second base but none has been able to hold onto the position. Adding Bregman would bring stability to the position. Bregman can also provide much-needed leadership off the field. Having plenty of playoff experience and entering his 10th season, Bregman will provide a veteran voice in the clubhouse, something the young team sorely needs. In the past, Boston has had Chris Sale, Justin Turner, and Chris Martin to serve as a veteran presence for the younger players. Currently, the roster doesn’t have a leader in that sense, as Devers is much more of a lead-by-example type of player. Bregman can help guide the team through the dog days of August as well as a playoff run. Over the past two seasons, the Red Sox have gone 13-15 in August, tied for the ninth-worst record in baseball, and it cost them the chance to make the playoffs in both seasons. Someone like Bregman, who’s been through not just a playoff run but also two championship seasons, can be a stabilizing force within the clubhouse. Whether the Sox sign Bregman will come down to how much he’s looking for and how much the team would be willing to offer. However, there is little debate as to whether Bregman could be useful to the team. View full article

The Boston Red Sox have been busy as the Winter Meeting is in its penultimate day, first making a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Garrett Crochet. Now, they have followed it up with a trade with the New York Yankees. Coming over from the Yankees is twenty-six-year-old catcher Carlos Narváez, who made his major league debut this past season. In a small sample size, Narváez appeared in six games for the Yankees, slashing .231/.333/.231 across 13 at-bats. Narváez spent most of the season in Triple A, playing 96 games where he hit 11 home runs and drove in 58 RBI. After the season ended, Narváez played in the Venezuelan Winter League, appearing in 23 games. In that time, he slashed .366/.439/.676 in 71 at-bats. Narváez was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster in November of 2023, although he was viewed as their fourth catcher on the depth chart. Offensively, he has managed to be roughly league average at each minor league stop but is vulnerable to high fastballs. Major league pitchers can get him out easily if they can control their fastball to the upper levels of the strike zone. Narváez’s best tool is his fielding. The catcher has an incredibly quick release and an accurate arm. However, despite that, he has allowed 79% of base stealers to steal successfully. However, the visual scouting report of his ability to control the run game is more encouraging than what the numbers show. Overall, he’s viewed as a competent defender who is fair with blocking balls in the dirt. He will most likely be viewed as the Red Sox's third catcher waiting in Triple-A Worcester if they manage to bring another catcher. Otherwise, at the current moment, he would be the backup catcher to Connor Wong. Heading back to the Yankees to complete the deal is right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, TalkSox’s 15th-ranked prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Rodriquez-Cruz was drafted in the 4th round of the 2021 draft and spent last season between Salem and Greenville. Overall, he finished the year with a five and five record across 21 games split between the two levels. He pitched to a 2.91 ERA and struck out 102 batters in 89 2/3 innings. The Red Sox are also sending an $250,000 of international bonus pool space to the Bronx in the deal. Rodriguez-Cruz, profiled as a long reliever, will be an interesting acquisition for the Yankees. He is only 20 years old and has a fastball that tops out at 99 mph. As a corresponding move to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Narváez, Enmanual Valdéz was designated for assignment. Acquired in the Christian Vazquez trade to Houston in 2022 alongside Wilyer Abreu, Valdez spent parts of two seasons in Boston. In 125 career games, Valdéz slashed .235/.287/.400, hitting 12 home runs and driving 47 RBI. View full article

Tyler O’Neill has found a new team to call home this offseason. The outfielder signed a three-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles Saturday night. Jon Heyman was the first to report O’Neill’s contract. The official terms are three years and $49.5 million. The contract also includes an opt-out after the 2025 season. O’Neill’s signing helps the Orioles fill the void not only in their outfield but also in their lineup with the free agency of Anthony Santander. Santander was the starting right fielder last season for the Orioles and was a key offensive piece of their lineup. The switch hitter slashed .235/.308/.506 across 155 games. He also had 44 home runs and 102 RBI. Santander spent eight seasons in Baltimore, hitting a total of 155 home runs, but with O’Neill’s signing, it is assumed he will join a new team. O’Neill will now join his third team in the last three seasons. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018 through 2023 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox. Boston acquired the outfielder for two minor league pitchers, Victor Santos and Nick Robertson, and he did not disappoint in his lone season with the Sox. Despite four stints on the IL across the 2024 season, O’Neill managed to play in the second most games of his career with 113 and had the second-best offensive season of his entire career. In 2024, he managed to slash .241/.336/.511. His 31 home runs for the season led Boston, while his 61 RBI ranked fourth. While it was likely that O’Neill wouldn’t return to Boston based on their current outfield situation, his right-handed bat will be missed in a lineup that leans heavily left-handed. Boston will now need to replace his right-handed power in the lineup, and with Willy Adames having signed with the San Francisco Giants Saturday, the options for free-agent bats are starting to dwindle. The Red Sox remain invested in wooing Juan Soto to join them. While he is a left-handed hitter, his skills will help offset the loss in production that O’Neill’s departure creates, especially against left-handed pitchers. Last season alone, he slashed .313/.430/.750 in 156 plate appearances against lefties. For O’Neill, he will look to help a young Orioles’ core make it back to the playoffs following their Wild Card round exit at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. With his addition, the lineup will only be deeper as he’ll play alongside Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, and Cedric Mullins. Add to it the fact that Baltimore is moving in the left-field fence at Camden Yards, and he could put up another monster season that would allow him to opt out of his new deal and hit the market once more at 30. View full article

The Red Sox have made their desire for Soto abundantly clear, but no one knows what will come next. The Boston Red Sox appear to be ramping up their pursuit of Juan Soto. The offseason's top free agent appears to be narrowing the teams in consideration, and the Red Sox don’t want to be left off his list. Thursday night, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported that the Red Sox have requested a meeting with Soto and his representatives to figure out what price it would take to get the outfielder to Boston. The move is an interesting one, signaling Boston’s desire to get a deal done with the generational talent. At the moment, however, it is not known if the meeting has been agreed upon or even taken place. Although the Juan Soto Sweepstakes has featured surprisingly few leaks, the denouement seems likely to arrive soon. Many newsbreakers throughout baseball have voiced the opinion that Soto will announce his decision by the end of the upcoming Winter Meetings, and possibly as early as their opening on Sunday. "We’ve had meetings with a number of franchises," said Scott Boras, Soto's agent. "He’s begun the process of eliminating teams." By all appearances, the Red Sox have managed to stay in the hunt. Their competition is widely reported to include the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, division rival Toronto Blue Jays, the Steve Cohen-led New York Mets, and of course the Sox' eternal rivals, the New York Yankees. It’s been reported that currently the Red Sox have upped their latest offer to the slugger for over $600 million, as have the other four teams in contention. Soto is coming off of a monster season with the Yankees, slashing .288/.419/.569 to go along with 41 home runs and 129 RBI. Jay Jaffe's JAWS metric, which estimates worthiness for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, already counts Soto as the 53rd-most deserving right fielder, and he's just 26 years old. If the Red Sox manage to convince the slugger to join a lineup that already includes Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, and Triston Casas, it could make for a terrifying force. Add in a healthy Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu looking to take a step in his second full season, and the Red Sox could have as deep a lineup as any in the American League. Excitement about the possibility of landing Soto isn't limited to the fans and the front office. On Thursday, the Globe's Julian McWilliams relayed comments from reliever Liam Hendriks: While the Red Sox have given every indication that they are extremely serious in their pursuit of Soto, as far as the public knows, it’s anyone’s game. If they do manage to snag the offseason's top prize, they could become one of the favorites in the American League. If the pursuit of Soto turns out to be unsuccessful (and basic math still says that you should take the field over any one team), the Red Sox will need to pivot in a hurry in order to fulfill the promises made by Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow. Once the big domino has fallen, there may well be a rush on free agents, and the Red Sox have serious holes to fill in order to make the team into a contender once more. While not as enticing a name, the team could look to bring back outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who had a decent season with the club, or bolster their infield with the addition of stars Willy Adames or Alex Bregman. The Red Sox know they have to do everything in their power to convince both Soto and Boras that they mean business, and they’re trying to do just that. View full article

Blake Snell will not play for the Red Sox, and the rich keep on getting richer. What does this mean for Boston? One of the Red Sox's top potential targets is officially off the board. Late Tuesday night, Blake Snell hinted at a possible signing as he posted an image of himself in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform on his personal Instagram. He had done the same last offseason, right before announcing that he had signed with the San Francisco Giants. Sure enough, the breaking news tweets began to roll out with the announcement. Blake Snell had signed with the Dodgers for five years and a grand total of $182 million. Of that $182 million, $52 million will come in the form of a signing bonus, as reported by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported that roughly $60 million of the remaining $130 million will be deferred and that while Snell doesn't have a no-trade clause, he would receive an additional $5 million from the Dodgers if they were to trade him. Deferring money has become a trend with the Dodgers of late. Most notably, Shohei Ohtani is making $70 million a year, but a whopping $68 million is deferred. Snell will not receive the full amount until years after his contract has expired. Assuming the deferrals are spread out evenly, Snell's average annual value would work out to $34.34 million for the purposes of the Competitive Balance Tax. Snell is the first major free agent to sign this offseason and is likely to jumpstart the free agent market. Signing this early in the offseason is a stark difference from last year. The left-handed pitcher didn't sign until March 19 this past offseason, inking a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants with an opt-out after the first season. Leaving $30 million on the table, Snell bet on himself and opted out. That gamble paid off handsomely, as he became the first free agent in this year’s class to sign a nine-figure deal. Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, had previously been in contact with the Red Sox. How deep these conversations went is unknown but they had been in a meeting as recently as last week. Despite heavy interest from the Red Sox, Snell had made it no secret across his career that he preferred playing on the West Coast. He'll now remain on the West Coast for the foreseeable future. Snell will turn 32 on Wednesday, and in joining the defending World Series champions will fit somewhere in a rotation that already houses superstars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. That doesn't even include the back end of the rotation being filled in by some combination of Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, Tony Gonsolin, and Dustin May. With Snell off the table, Bob Nightengale reported that Red Sox are now focusing on Max Fried. The left-handed pitcher will enter the 2025 season at 31 years old and will likely cost less than Snell’s $182 million contract. Coming off of an 11-win season in which he ran a 3.25 ERA over 174 1/3 innings, Fried would easily slot in at the top of the Red Sox rotation alongside Tanner Houck. Boston will also likely focus on Corbin Burnes. The righty just turned 30, making him younger than both Snell and Fried. He’s likely to cost more. Despite pitching well for the Orioles, Burnes has seen a decline since his Cy Young-winning season in 2021. He is still capable of being an ace, but the big red flag is the fact that his cutter isn't quite the same pitch it once was, which has hurt his strikeout rate. Despite that development, Burnes saw an improvement in his slider and introduced a sweeper in 2023. By leaning on these pitches, he could offset the decline in his cutter and remain an ace-caliber pitcher for years to come. Snell wasn’t the first free agent the Red Sox lost out on and he won’t be the last. However, if the Red Sox are serious about upgrading their rotation, they need to go out and sign one of the other premier starting pitchers still on the market. With Snell unavailable, it is likely that other teams will get desperate. The Red Sox do not want to end up in a bidding war with a desperate team and should look to act quickly, even if that means overpaying slightly. View full article

The Red Sox announced their coaching staff for the 2025 season today, and there's one new name to learn. The Boston Red Sox announced the latest addition to their coaching staff today with the hiring of 53-year-old José Flores as their first base coach and infield instructor. The hiring of Flores will fill the void left by the firing of Andy Fox back in October. Fox spent one season as the first base coach after being the field coordinator from 2022 through 2023. Flores will be tasked with working with a Red Sox infield that has struggled the previous two seasons, a fact that must have forced the organization to put a lot of thought into their decision. Last season the Red Sox infield committed 62 errors, something that must change if they want to be competitive in their hunt for a playoff spot. Prior to coaching, Flores spent parts of five seasons in the minor leagues with the Astros. Debuting as a 19-year-old, Flores was drafted in the 38th round of the 1990 draft. His final season was in 1994 when he played 47 games for the Double-A Jackson Generals. Following his retirement, Flores found himself coaching in the Puerto Rican Winter League and even managed the Puerto Rican national baseball team during the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games and the 2011 Baseball World Cup. Flores is also no stranger to being part of a major league coaching staff, having coached first base in 2018 for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also coached for the Baltimore Orioles during the 2019 and 2020 seasons serving as both the third base coach and the infield instructor. The position that might have led most directly to his current role was serving five years as the infield coordinator for the Chicago Cubs from 2013 up until the end of the 2017 season. Most recently, Flores served as the bench coach for Triple-A Worcester since 2022. Coaching alongside manager Chad Tracy, Flores would occasionally coach third base in addition to his duties as bench coach. On the occasion, Tracy would be tossed from a game, and Flores would take over as the acting manager. During this time, he built solid relationships with many of the young players who have called Worcester their home, both those who have gotten the call to Boston and those who are still in Worcester. Flores built an excellent reputation in Worcester thanks to a combination of knowledge and experience as a minor league infielder, a coach in the Puerto Rican Winter League, and then finally a coach in the majors and minors. His ability to form relationships with players and his willingness to tell people what he thinks will be important for a young team like Boston to reshape its defensive identity. One has to wonder whether Flores's ability to build relationships with players was an important factor, considering that Boston’s top four prospects are all at Triple A now and spent time with him last season. All four players will likely be up in Boston at some point in the season, and a familiar face could help ease the transition for them. On the current roster, players Flores coached in Worcester include Triston Casas, Ceddanne Rafaela, Connor Wong, Vaughn Grissom and Wilyer Abreu. Though he will be missed in Worcester, there’s no denying that Flores deserves this opportunity after the work he put in at Triple A. Flores will have his work cut out for him in reshaping the Sox defense, but he may be the man best suited for fixing it, thanks to his vast coaching experience and his experience with the specific players he'll be coaching. He knows how to talk to them and handle the various personalities in order to can get the best out of them. It will be a tall order, but hopefully Flores can fix one of the weakest parts of the team. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 Top 20 prospect rundown! Last time, we covered the fourth spot on our list with Kyle Teel. With only three spots left on our list, we move on to shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who ranked third as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #3 SS Marcelo Mayer (Portland Sea Dogs) Marcelo Mayer was drafted by the Red Sox 4th overall in the 2021 draft, falling to them after he was viewed as a top-three pick entering the draft. Some had even viewed him as the top prospect in that year's draft. In his senior season of high school, Mayer impressed many playing for Eastlake in California, putting up a slash line of .392/.555/.886 across 34 games to go along with good defense. Currently, Mayer stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 188 pounds. Since being drafted, there has been no doubt about Mayer’s potential, not just in the Red Sox organization but throughout baseball itself. He entered the 2022 season viewed as a consensus top-20 prospect and even as a top-10 prospect entering 2023. However, despite his intriguing skill set and potential, Mayer has been hit with a string of injuries since the 2022 season, which has limited his playtime. In four seasons within the Red Sox organization, Mayer has played in 272 games, slashing .274/.362/.465. His 2024 season saw him perform well for the Portland Sea Dogs before it ended due to an injury. In that time, he played 77 games for the Red Sox Double-A team and hit .307/.370/.480 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. All stats courtesy of FanGraphs What to Like: There’s a lot to like about Mayer as a player. When healthy, he has quite the skillset. His offense and defense are viewed as potentially above-average, with the worst-case scenario being just an average hit tool. On offense, Mayer possesses a fluid swing, a solid feel for hitting, and quick hands. His bat speed and bat control are also impressive and viewed as above average. His raw power is a plus. The young shortstop already shows that he can drive the ball to all parts of the field and has been viewed as potentially having above-average game power once he reaches his prime. Mayer’s defense is where he might shine, however. Viewed as being a potentially plus defender at shortstop, Mayer moves well as he sometimes looks like he’s gliding on the field. With soft hands and solid footwork, he can move well and has plenty of range for a shortstop, especially at his size. To go with his fielding ability is a plus arm that allows him to make throws with plenty of zip. What to Work On: The big one for Mayer is to stay healthy. While it’s hard to control injuries, there is no doubt in many Red Sox fans’ minds that Mayer has been rather injury prone during his time with Boston. Across his first three full seasons, he has never played more than 91 games and last season he played in his least at 77 games. In 2022 he missed roughly a month from a wrist sprain and in 2023 he suffered a shoulder injury while sliding in early May. Despite only missing a week from that injury, it still lingered and affected his performance until he was placed on the injured list in early August and missed the rest of the season. 2024 was much of the same as he managed to play in 77 games before being placed on the injured list on August 1st while still playing for Portland. This time it was a lumbar injury which would keep him out for the remainder of the season despite a promotion to Worcester on August 11th alongside his fellow teammates Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony. Offensively Mayer has some work to do when it comes to pitch recognition and tighten up his approach. While his skillset has the potential to be average to above-average, he currently leaves himself vulnerable against soft stuff. He did improve upon this issue in 2024 compared to 2023, but he still needs to continue to improve on it compared to how he handles fastballs. Because of this, there are some questions on how his contact skills will translate to more advanced pitching. He will also need to add strength to his game and he could see a lot of doubles turn into home runs in the future. What’s Next: Assuming Mayer starts Spring Training healthy, there is no reason to doubt he’ll get an invite to spring training as a non-roster invitee. The Red Sox will want to get a good look at his skillset and see how he’s developing not just skill wise but also when it comes to durability. However, much like Teel and other prospects on this list, do not be surprised if his name is included in mock trades. Despite his injuries Mayer is still an incredibly talented player that teams will be willing to take a chance on and the Red Sox will likely see if he could bring an ace in return in a trade. Mayer’s floor is that of an above-average shortstop, his defense helping him stay in the lineup even if his offense never develops to its full potential. However, his ceiling is that of a regular All-Star, an everyday shortstop that has the offensive skills to hit at the top of a contenting team’s lineup. Many scouts believe he could be a four-tool player if everything develops to their full potential. However, much like the other prospects we’ve discussed this offseason, it is unlikely that Mayer will break camp with the Red Sox barring a historic spring or an injury to one of the middle infielders already on the team. More likely, Mayer will begin the season with Worcester and get his first official taste of Triple-A after being unable to play following his promotion there in August. Unless traded, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mayer got a call up to the majors at some point this season unless he suffers another injury or struggles against the competition. View full article

The Red Sox have made some roster moves in order to hold onto up-and-coming prospects. Consider The Password protected. Just before the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, the Boston Red Sox selected pitcher Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. In corresponding moves to open spots for them, the team designated right-handed pitchers Bryan Mata and Isaiah Campbell for assignment. Both Dobbins and Garcia were a part of Talk Sox’s offseason prospect rankings. Dobbins was voted as the 18th-best prospect in the system while Garcia made it to 10th. Dobbins, a former eighth-round pick in the 2021 draft, split time between Portland and Worcester this past season. The right-hander went 125 2/3 innings over 25 starts. he finished with eight wins and five losses to go along with a 3.08 ERA. Dobbins has the potential to be a back-of-the-rotation starter and will be viewed as depth for the rotation should a spot starter be needed entering the 2025 season. Garcia was an international free agent signing with the Red Sox in July of 2019. An outfielder, Garcia has the ceiling of an everyday player and his 2024 season showcased that. Garcia started the season with low-A Salem and managed to make it all the way up to Portland before the end of the season. Still only 21 years old, he can still grow as a player, and between his power and fielding he could become an impact player with the Red Sox down the road. In 2024 he finished the season slashing .286/.356/.536 across 107 games split between Salem, Greenville, and Portland. To make room, the Red Sox designated Mata and Campbell, a couple of pitchers previously viewed as candidates for the bullpen in 2024, though neither managed to make a major impact. Mata spent the entire season on the injured list, making 11 rehab appearances between injuries. This had been a constant trend for Mata during his time in Boston, as he missed some time in every season since 2017. He finishes his seven years in the Boston system with 29 wins and 27 losses across 108 games and a 3.46 era in 447 2/3 innings. Campbell was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Luis Urías in November of 2023 and was viewed as an addition to the bullpen. The right-hander struggled in Boston however, losing a single game across eight appearances. He pitched to a 16.20 ERA in 6 2/3 innings and had a couple stints on the injured list. Campbell would make 14 appearances for triple-A Worcester, losing a single game and running an era of 2.20 in 16 1/3 innings. Dobbins and Garcia both look to be promising additions to the roster with the former likely to help at some point in 2025 and the latter possibly making an impact in 2026, if not sooner. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! Last time we talked about the newest addition to the Sox farm system in 2024, first-round pick Braden Montgomery, who was number five! We move onto the top four prospects in the system, with catcher Kyle Teel ranked fourth as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #4 C Kyle Teel (Portland Sea Dogs/Worcester Red Sox) Kyle Teel was drafted by the Red Sox 14th overall in the 2023 draft, as it was a shock he had fallen that far to them in the draft. However, this wasn’t the Sox's first time looking at Teel, as they had heavily scouted the catcher back when he was in high school and even played for their team at the East Coast Pro showcase. Teel is currently listed as being 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds. In college, he played at Virginia, where he won the 2023 Buster Posey Award as the nation’s top catcher and would go on to set UVA single-season records for hits and doubles with 105 and 25, respectively. He would finish his junior year of college, slashing .407/.475/.655 in 65 games. Teel’s hot hitting continued after being drafted as the catcher was sent to the Florida Complex League Red Sox. His stay was short, hitting .429 in three games before being promoted to Greenville. Teel would go on to play in 14 more games with Greenville, proving to be offensively capable against the players in that league before ending the season with a nine-game sample in Portland. 2024 was more of the same for Teel as he continued to hit well to begin the season in Portland. Appearing in 84 games at the Double-A level, Teel would go on to slash .298/.390/.462, along with 11 home runs and 60 RBI. Along with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, Teel would be promoted to Triple-A Worcester on August 12th and remained there to finish the season. His time in Worcester began slowly as he struggled in his first four games, going 1-13 with five strikeouts. The month of August was his worst offensively for the entire season, as he slashed .198/.295/.309 in 21 games. Teel began to figure out the pitching in Triple-A in September, turning his season around by ending the season with a slash line of .375/.516/.542 in 14 games. Overall, Teel’s 2024 saw him hit .288/.386/.433 with 13 home runs and 78 RBI in 112 games across the two levels. All stats courtesy of FanGraphs What to Like: Teel is already considered a strong defender in the Sox system, potentially above-average to plus. His soft hands and ability to manipulate his glove position make him a strong framer for his pitchers. He also moves well behind the plate and has no problem blocking pitches in the dirt or reacting quickly to base runners. Teel’s arm is also seen as having plus arm strength; his throwing motion and quick release allow him to produce a pop time of roughly 1.9 seconds when trying to throw out potential base stealers. Offensively, Teel does not get cheated at the plate, and his body explodes when he swings. Thanks to his knowledge of the strike zone, he has above-average bat speed and a solid approach at the plate. His power is considered above-average raw power but only potentially average game power. Despite that, he has shown the ability to hit the ball with backspin. Teel also has a high baseball IQ, which allows him to become a leader and helps him handle the challenges of catching at the major league level. What to Work On: Offensively, Teel's swing and stride can sometimes get long. This has led to increased strikeouts as he’s advanced through the minor-league levels. After 22 strikeouts in his short sample size of 26 games in 2023, that number grew to 116 in 112 games. Pitchers have been able to beat him with velocity up-and-away, along with backfoot breaking stuff as well. Another area of concern for Teel is his current size. He lacks the typical size and bulk of an everyday catcher, and his lack of strength sometimes impacts how he receives pitches. However, there is hope that this could be changed if he added strength to his upper body. What’s Next: Coming off of a great 2024 season, Teel will likely be invited to Spring Training as a non-roster addition. Barring any injuries or a breakout performance during spring training, Teel will be slated to open the season in Worcester, though they will likely be one of the first names talked about for a call-up should there be an injury in Boston. Don’t be surprised to hear his name mentioned this winter. He could be included in many mock trades for a potential top-of-the-rotation arm, such as Garrett Crochet of the White Sox. Overall, Teel’s true potential depends on how his hitting continues to develop. Should it stagnate, Teel has the potential of an average regular, thanks to his defense being so good. However, if his bat continues to improve, his ceiling will be viewed as an impact everyday catcher who will be more of a contact hitter instead of focusing on power. View full article

Today, the Boston Red Sox made their first signing of this free agency period, looking to improve their options of left-handed relievers. Many hope this offseason will lead to multiple signings. The Red Sox have signed a one-year contract with left-handed reliever Justin Wilson. While details about the contract haven’t been fully revealed yet, it is believed to be similar to his previous contract with the Cincinnati Reds: a one-year deal worth $1.5M with up to $1M in incentives. Wilson is a 37-year-old reliever who has played for six different teams. Making his debut for the Pittsburg Pirates at 24, the former 5th-round draft pick spent parts of three seasons with the Pirates before being traded to the New York Yankees in November of 2014. Wilson would only spend a single season in the Bronx before being shipped to Detroit. Following a year and a half with the Tigers, Wilson was on the move again as part of a deal that sent Isaac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario from the Chicago Cubs back to the Tigers. After a year and a half pitching for the Cubs, Wilson became a free agent following the 2018 season and signed with the New York Mets. He pitched for the Mets until 2021 he signed with the Yankees. He returned to the team for half a season before being shipped to Cincinnati. Since that trade, Wilson has pitched on and off for the Reds. He dealt with injuries in 2022 and 2023, which forced him to miss the entire 2023 season. This past season, Wilson pitched the most innings in a season for him since his 2018 season, throwing a total of 46 2/3 innings across 60 games. The lefty won one game and lost 5 for the Reds while striking out 51 batters and walking 13 in those 46 2/3 innings. Though his ERA was 5.59 for the season, it was bloated by allowing eight earned runs in just six innings pitched during September. Last season, Wilson also had a walk percentage of only 6.2% while striking out batters at 24.4% and chase percentage of 33.8%. Wilson throws four pitches, mainly relying on his four-seam fastball, slider, and cutter for 99% of his pitches last year. Rarely would Wilson throw a splitter that made up the remaining 1%. His fastball averaged 95.5mph last season and could be an interesting weapon for the veteran lefty when paired with his slider and cutter. Wilson will look to earn a spot in Alex Cora’s bullpen during Spring Training with competition from last year’s team consisting of Cam Booser, Bailey Horn, and Brennan Bernardino, along with Chris Murphy, who looks to bounce back from missing all of last season. View full article