Nick John

The international free agent signing period kicked off last week, and the Boston Red Sox have remained busy during the beginning period. Already to this point, the Red Sox have signed 18 international players. For the franchise, the international market has been huge for them the past few seasons when it comes to adding talent to the farm system. And while the only international free agent prospect who has made the majors for the Red Sox since 2020 was Jhostynxon Garcia, their current top prospect list is filled with such players. Franklin Arias, Juan Valera, Justin Gonzales, Dorian Soto, Miguel Bleis, and Enddy Azocar are just a few top prospects the team has signed through the international free agent signing period. Now, the team has added to their depth by signing 18 prospects, including two that were ranked within the Top 50 of the 2026 class. Let's dive into some of the top prospects the Red Sox signed in this international class. Garielvin Silverio was the highest-ranked player the team signed, placing 32nd in the class according to Baseball America. Silverio, who will turn 18 in October, is a left-handed hitting outfielder from the Dominican Republic and was one of the top offensive threats in the class. Thanks to fast bat speed that is paired with a strong, broad-shouldered build, he’s able to produce some of the best raw power of any hitter out of the Dominican Republic this year. He was praised for his hitting ability that includes an advanced feel for squaring up breaking pitches. Due to his limited athleticism, he is destined for a corner outfield spot as he’s a below-average runner with an average arm. The Red Sox are hoping his hitting develops and can carry him through the minor leagues. The second-best player signed by the Red Sox was shortstop Dawvris Brito out of the Dominican Republic, ranked 37th by Baseball America. Like Silverio, Brito won’t turn 18 until the end of the season in mid-September. When it comes to athleticism, Brito is the opposite of Silverio in every way, as he’s an above-average runner who moves around the field well. Thanks to his quickness, range, and consistent ability to make routine plays, he handles shortstop well and has a good chance of sticking at the position despite having an average arm. Brito uses his athletic explosiveness while batting to generate solid bat speed. Due to his rawness at the plate, he’s looking to be a power-over-hit player; if he fully develops, he would give the Red Sox a shortstop prospect with power and speed. Joskairo Ramirez follows the Red Sox's trend of signing players out of the Dominican Republic. Ramirez, an outfielder, was ranked 64th in the class by Baseball America. He is another left-handed outfielder, but unlike Silverio, is currently slated for center field thanks to his ability to get great reads off the bat along with taking clean routes to cover ground in the outfield. Despite being just 5-foot-10, Ramirez is considered rather strong and has been viewed as having great hand-eye coordination that results in great bat-to-ball skills. His power also appears to be mostly gap-to-gap at the time of signing. The final player ranked by Baseball America in the Top 100 is right-handed pitcher Claudio Pereira at 91 out of Brazil. Pereira was the top prospect out of Brazil in the 2026 class and has been compared to Eury Perez, as he’s a skinny 6-foot-6 pitcher who weighs 190 pounds at the age of 17. Currently his fastball touches 90 mph, but his frame shows a projection that he should be able to add significant velocity upon gaining weight. Along with the fastball, he has a changeup that he has a good feel for, along with a curveball. While not in the Top 100, shortstop Isaac Velasquez was signed out of Colombia and could be an interesting prospect. Currently standing at 6-foot, 185 pounds, he stands out mostly for what he does at the plate. Velazquez doesn’t chase much and manages to manipulate the barrel of his bat to make frequent contact that is then mixed with good bat speed, making him an excellent pull-side hitter. Velasquez is an offensive-focused shortstop and could eventually be moved elsewhere in the infield, but should he gain some quickness in the field and become more efficient with his arm, he could stick at the position. Another outfielder, Freyerson Vasquez out of Venezuela, is someone who had scouts interested even when he was an extremely thin player at 130 pounds thanks to a high-contact bat from the left side of the plate. He’s since grown, now standing at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, and has maintained the bat control that originally impressed scouts. Currently, he’s projected for a corner outfield spot thanks to a plus arm. Other prospects the team signed include: Infielder Esterlin Casanova out of the Dominican Republic Infielder Anderber Urbina out of Venezuela Infielder Wilneyker Bruce out of Venezuela Pitcher Yeider Pineda out of Venezuela Outfielder Eber Miranda out of Colombia Catcher Edgardo Gutierrez out of Venezuela Shortstop Anderson Gonzalez out of Venezuela Infielder Axell Herrera out of the Dominican Republic Pitcher Harry Canedo out of Colombia Pitcher Isaac Brujan out of the Dominican Republic Pitcher Luis Cayama out of Venezuela Pitcher Angel Roa out of Venezuela Grabbing four of the top 100 prospects in the class should help rebuild the lower levels of the farm system, as the team will now look to develop these players in the Dominican Summer League during the 2026 season. Some will see competition in the Florida Complex League by 2027, while others may take longer or may not even make it to the next level. Prospects are always a gamble, and the Red Sox are hoping they pay off in the long run. View full article

In need of opening a 40-man roster spot to complete the signing of Ranger Suárez, the Boston Red Sox authored a trade with the Minnesota Twins per MassLive's Chris Cotillo and the Boston Globe's Alex Speier. Being shipped from Boston to Minnesota was Tristan Gray, the utility infielder having previously been acquired in a trade on November 18. Gray, who has played 47 career major-league games, was viewed as potential utility depth by the organization thanks in part to his ability to play all infield positions. In return, the Red Sox received minor-league catcher Nate Baez. Baez, a former 12th-round pick back in 2022 will turn 25 in mid-May. The young catcher made it to Double-A last season where he played in 51 games and hit .237/.297/.400 with eight doubles, four triples, five home runs, and 31 RBIs. Baez is the sixth minor-league catcher that Craig Breslow had added to the organization as the team has overhauled their catching depth. Fortunately for both Gray and Baez, neither will have many issues dealing with finding new housing for spring training, as both the Red Sox and Twins have their complexes in Fort Myers. View full rumor

“It was somewhat of a surprise,” Hayden Mullins said as he thought back to the day he was drafted. “My agents called me a couple picks before I got picked.” Mullins, who was the Boston Red Sox's 12th-round pick in 2022, has dealt with injuries since his senior year of high school. At one point thinking of entering the draft as a teenager, an injury his senior season saw his chances of being picked crater. Thus, he instead chose to play baseball at Alabama. Unfortunately, things did not get much better on the health front. Mullins' freshman season was cut short due to COVID-19 canceling the college baseball season. He appeared in five games in relief. His sophomore season was also cut short, as he made just seven appearances before another injury ended his season. Finally, it seemed like his junior season was the mark of a new dawn. Making 11 appearances, including eight starts after getting moved to the rotation, Mullins pitched 34 2/3 innings and struck out 43 batters. Then, injury struck once more as he required Tommy John surgery. By the time he went under the knife and had the surgery, his college baseball career was over; by the time he would be able to get back on the mound, his senior season would have ended. And so he chose to enter the draft. “I didn’t get surgery until July 14 and I tore my elbow on April 29. I was trying to rehab it and get back to pitch for the postseason. I realized I would not get to pitch my senior year and that weighed into the decision,” Mullins explained. Despite the surgery, the southpaw was still taken by the Red Sox as the team decided to gamble on his raw talent. “It was awesome. I’m sitting there in an elbow brace, three days out of surgery. So I’m sitting there hoping a team takes a chance, and I’m grateful it was the Red Sox,” Mullins continued when asked about his draft experience. Unfortunately for the left-hander, he was unable to get into any games until the tail end of the 2023 season. At that point, he made four appearances, tossing a combined 6 1/3 innings between the Complex League and Low-A Salem. It was the 2024 season when he started to really showcase his talents, as shown by his 118 strikeouts in 89 innings with High-A Greenville. Mullins credits the bump in strikeouts to the organization's extensive planning with each pitcher. “You’re receiving reports, this is what you do well. This is what you don’t do so well. These are the things we’re going to work on. Once you go into a game, you’re not really thinking about it, but it just plays a part in a lot of success." Some significant changes have also been seen in his arsenal, the left-hander having tweaked his pitch repertoire since being drafted. “I’ve always thrown fastball, slider, changeup for most of my life. Now, the grips, we can alter them to make the ball move a little bit more downward or horizontal. Adding the sweeper was a big step — I added it in the offseason of ’23. This past season I added a cutter. And I think those will be two really good drivers of success because they’re two different shapes and one is a little bit harder and the other is softer." Much like Blake Wehunt, who we interviewed earlier in the offseason, Mullins felt that the addition of a cutter will play nicely against his natural, arm-side-run four-seamer. Mullins dominated in 2025, going 8-2 in 22 appearances (21 starts) and tossing 101 2/3 innings with an ERA of 2.21. In that span, he struck out 123 batters, splitting his time between Greenville and Portland. He spent most of the season in Portland's rotation and would finish the season as the Sea Dogs' Pitcher of the Year. In all likelihood, the 25-year-old will open the 2026 campaign in Triple-A Worcester, though with their currently loaded rotation, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him work out of the bullpen (especially since the major-league team is in need of potential left-handed options out of the bullpen). With his ability to rack up strikeouts, Mullins could be a potential late-game option down the road if he can stay healthy. The left-hander has talent to succeed at every level of the sport, and it should be just a matter of time before he makes his major-league debut. View full article

With Alex Bregman signing a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox are now in an unenviable situation. The third base position is completely unsettled, just one year after it appeared the team had two franchise-caliber options (Bregman and Rafael Devers) at the position. Now, they'll likely have to entrust the future to an unproven youngster. That latter qualification is especially applicable when it comes to their former top prospect, Marcelo Mayer. Mayer, who was originally drafted as a shortstop and viewed as the heir apparent to the position, has been blocked there due to a combination of Trevor Story along with his own health issues. Making his major-league debut in 2025, Mayer played the majority of his games at third base when Bregman was out with a quad injury. In total, Mayer appeared in 44 games with the Boston Red Sox in his rookie season, 39 of them involving an appearance at third base. And despite playing the position just six times prior to the promotion, Mayer played well enough defensively to hold down the position until Bregman’s eventual return from the injured list — he made only made one error in 68 opportunities. Add to it that his fielding run value was 2.0 while his total defensive run value was 3.0, and you have some concrete proof that Mayer took to the position rather well. There is no denying that losing Bregman will be a big blow to the team, from both a leadership standpoint along with his bat. However, Mayer should be able to handle picking up the slack on the defensive end. He had always been viewed as an above-average defender and that much was shown in 2025. Where the team will be asking for Mayer to truly step up will be on the offensive end. The infielder will be entering his age-23 season and what will likely be his first full season in the majors. What will be a detriment for Mayer will be his injury history that limited his development in the minors. Since being drafted in 2021, Mayer appeared in 315 games across five minor league seasons, including a career-high 91 games in 2022. Besides a rough stretch in 2023 with Portland where he slashed .189/.254/.355, which was due in part to trying to play through an injury, Mayer has looked good at the plate. However, his missed development time was on display while facing major-league pitching while with Boston. In his time with the Red Sox last season, Mayer slashed .228/.272/.402 with eight doubles, a triple, four home runs and 10 RBIs. He also struck out 41 times while walking just eight times; overall Mayer walked at a 5.9% rate while striking out in 30.1% of his plate appearances. Taking his age into consideration, Mayer has plenty of room to improve upon those numbers. And for the Red Sox to play well, he’ll have to. Of course, it could be argued that once Mayer was finally getting used to the quality of pitching in the majors, his injury occurred. In the month of July, he was beginning to heat up, as he slashed .244/.277/.333 with four doubles and three RBIs. The Red Sox will need Mayer to step up into a prominent role this year, perhaps more than anyone thought at the onset of the offseason. But after losing Bregman, the team may look to hand the long-term keys to the hot corner to their budding young star. Mayer, who has performed well at every stop in his minor-league career and has rebounded from struggles, will need to build off of his shortened rookie season and make a leap at the plate. Defensively, he has shown he is more than capable, but now it’s time for his offensive potential to be consistent. It's a lot to ask of a player with such limited time in the pros, but losing two franchise superstars at one position in such a short time is almost impossible to recover from. Mayer is the Red Sox's best chance at somehow escaping that debacle unscathed. View full article

After two-and-a-half months, the Boston Red Sox have finally signed a free agent. They improved upon their already strong rotation by bringing in Ranger Suárez on a five-year, $130 million contract. Suárez, who made his major league debut back in 2018 with the Philadelphia Phillies, will slot right into the rotation as the number two to ace Garrett Crochet. Suárez originally signed with the Phillies as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2012 as a 16-year-old. The left-handed pitcher worked his way through the system and by 2018, made his Double-A, Triple-A, and major-league debut. In his short sample in the majors, Suárez made four appearances, three of them starts as he tossed 15 innings, had a 5.40 ERA and struck out 11 while walking six. The 2019 campaign saw Suárez opening the year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, ranking as the team’s number 10 prospect at the time. Suárez wound up making a couple brief call-ups in June before receiving his final promotion on June 20. Unlike in 2018, Suárez was used exclusively out of the bullpen as he made 37 appearances. The then-23-year-old wound up tossing 48 2/3 innings as he struck out 42 batters while walking 12. Thanks to his strong performance out of the bullpen, there was belief he would contend for a rotation spot in 2020, but his season was derailed from testing positive for COVID-19 right before Opening Day. By the time he was allowed to leave quarantine and begin rehabbing, it was already late August. In order to get him back sooner, the team moved him to the bullpen where he would make just three appearances, though he struggled mightily. In four innings, Suárez allowed nine earned runs and four walks compared to just one strikeout. The 2021 season was more of the same for Suárez. The Phillies decided to have him open the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he didn’t make a single appearance before being recalled to the Phillies. His role changed across the season, originally serving as a multi-inning reliever. Suárez was eventually asked to fill in as the closer after the Phillies attempted to use two other relievers and they both struggled. Fortunately for the Phillies and Suárez, the team acquired Ian Kennedy at the trade deadline to become the closer while Suárez was moved once more, now into the rotation. Upon that transition back to starting, Suárez was dominant. The left-hander made 12 starts and tossed 65 2/3 innings where he allowed just 11 earned runs. In that span, he struck out 65 batters and walked just 19. On the season as a whole, Suárez appeared in 39 games and threw 106 innings to the tune of a 1.36 ERA. From that point on, he has been in the Phillies' rotation permanently. He made a career-high 29 starts in 2022, and then would go on to make 22, 27, and 26 starts respectively over the next three seasons. Since 2022, however, Suárez has missed time each season due to low back spasms in 2022, a left elbow strain and a right hamstring strain in 2023, lower back soreness in 2024, and lower back stiffness in 2025. Despite the injuries, Suárez is a performer on the mound. As a starter with the Phillies, Suárez made 119 starts, going 42-32 with a 3.45 ERA. In total he tossed 666 innings while striking out 619 batters, also securing an All-Star appearance in 2024. More importantly, he allowed just 60 home runs in that span, showing an ability to keep the ball in the park during his career. While the southpaw's durability is a genuine concern (his career high for innings is 157 1/3, which he set in 2025), the quality of his innings has no debate. And to add to it, he’s performed excellently in the playoffs. To this point in his career, Suárez has appeared in 11 games in the playoffs with a career record of 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA across 42 2/3 innings. He's struck out 44 batters, walked 13 and allowed just three home runs. The veteran pitcher will now slot into the rotation as the number two starter the Red Sox have wanted for more than a year. Whether he pitches after Crochet is unknown, however, as manager Alex Cora may choose to break the pair of lefties up and slot fellow rotation addition Sonny Gray between them. There is no doubt, however, that Suárez will serve as the bona fide No. 2 after Crochet, regardless of the rotation order. Of course, as with all big free-agent contracts, there is a chance that he’ll fall off as the years go by. The fact that he doesn’t throw hard and relies on his sinker along with movement from his secondaries could (and probably will) delay that fact. By the time it does happen (as it invariably does for everyone), it shouldn’t be an issue for him to become the number four or five arm as the Red Sox will (hopefully) be relying on Crochet, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early to carry the rotation. The Red Sox can expect around 25 to 29 starts from Suárez based on his track record of health. And with those starts, they can expect All-Star worthy outings, as his worst season as a starter came in 2023 when he dealt with two injuries including an elbow strain. When healthy, there’s no denying he can be one of the top pitchers in baseball, as shown by the fact that he is tied for the 14th-highest fWAR since 2023 for starting pitchers. To say he’s expected to take the ball every fifth day with the intent to win is the obvious statement. However, with his presence he will be able to help shoulder the load with Crochet and the younger pitchers. Last season, there were signs that Crochet was tiring down the stretch, but he pushed through as the team needed him. Now, he’ll have someone in the rotation to back him up when the toughest stretch of the season begins. He’ll also be able to provide postseason experience to the pitching staff. Yes, the team made the playoffs last season, but they played in three games. Crochet pitched one, Early pitched one, and Brayan Bello pitched the other. They didn’t get much experience from it, and Suárez can provide that in spades for the entire staff. He’ll be the guy the Red Sox send out in Game 2 hoping to either close out a series or take control of one. Craig Breslow greatly improved the team with this signing. In a world of baseball where a pitcher isn’t needed to go seven innings anymore thanks to analytics and great bullpens, Suárez should be able to give the team great quality and length. The team is stronger and now has arguably one of (if not the) best rotation in the American League when you factor in their depth. Teams won’t want to face the two-headed beast that is Crochet and Suárez in the playoffs and so long as the Red Sox improve their offense, they may emerge as the clear-cut favorite in the Junior Circuit behind their pair of southpaws. View full article

In an exclusive interview with Talk Sox, Hayden Mullins discusses his time in college, where he dealt with injuries leading up to the draft, along with his time in the Red Sox organization. Mullins goes over his pitch repertoire along with how the Rule 5 draft went for him this offseason. View full video

In an exclusive interview with Talk Sox, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo talks about the current state of the Red Sox's free agency and some potential targets the team could pivot to. They also take a look at Bregman’s departure and how the Red Sox could potentially pivot from the shocking loss of their All-Star third baseman. View full video

The Boston Red Sox are still recovering from the shocking revelation of Alex Bregman signing with the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. They'll attempt to pivot with around four weeks remaining until the team reports to spring camp. While they have made improvements through the trades of Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Johan Oviedo, the team still has some holes to fill, especially on offense. In an effort to understand where Craig Breslow and the front office may go from here, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo joined Talk Sox for an exclusive interview. We asked the Red Sox insider about Bregman, the relief market, the team's pitching depth, and much more. Here's a breakdown of the main points that were discussed, and we ask you to please stay tuned for the full video recording of our interview, coming out shortly after publication of this article. The relief market hasn’t moved as well as expected. While the big names came off the market and signed around the Winter Meetings, there are still plenty of options for the Red Sox to sign to a contract in the range of one year and around $2 million, or even on minor-league deals. If Justin Wilson chooses to pitch for another season, he could be a good option for a reunion. At the moment, it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of separation between the guys available and those currently in the organization. However, if someone the Red Sox really like is available, the closer they get to spring training, the more aggressive they may become. Currently, the bullpen is a big question mark outside of Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock, because of the losses of guys who had big roles like Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy. Also, guys who were in the bullpen at the end of the year like Payton Tolle and Kyle Harrison will begin spring training being stretched out to be starters. Of the free-agent right-handed options, Seranthony Domínguez could be a target for the Red Sox to pursue if they think they can rein in his control. It seems likely that the Red Sox will enter spring training with the plan to build out two full rotations who could be called upon between Boston and Worcester. It is much easier to decrease a pitch count instead of building it up. That way, the team won’t have to turn to guys like Matt Dermody or Kyle Barraclough if they run into an injury to their rotation or need someone from Triple-A. They’re in a good spot with starting pitching depth even after Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, and Cooper Criswell have been traded or lost. If the team eventually needs a good, high-leverage bullpen arm during the season, then they could look to transition someone from the rotation to the bullpen. At full strength, it’s currently tough to see any of the young guys or Kyle Harrison getting a spot in the rotation over Kutter Crawford or Patrick Sandoval to begin the season. Though it’s a big "if" for them to open the season completely healthy after both starters missed the entire 2025 season. The Red Sox underestimated how big of a stink Rafael Devers would put up over losing his position and then they underestimated how hard it would be to retain Alex Bregman after the season. Those two events came together and for a big-market team, you can’t allow that to happen. Cotillo feels that losing Bregman is very similar to how the Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres by underestimating the market and allowing a motivated team to come in and sign the player. The Red Sox could either remain focused on offense or pivot to pitching and defense, as raised by Rob Bradford. Cotillo believes the team will remain engaged on Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suárez to a lesser extent. The team could turn to the trade market too for Brendan Donovan or Isaac Paredes, who the team was engaged on before the Winter Meetings. From a pitching standpoint, they could go after Zac Gallen, Ranger Suárez, or Framber Valdez due to the starting pitching market not developing as many free agents hoped it would. Paredes, if the Red Sox looked to trade for him, could require a very similar deal to the Contreras package, which makes a lot of sense for a starting point in discussion. The Red Sox gave up Dobbins, Blake Aita, and Yhoiker Fajardo for Contreras, three young, controllable pitchers with upside. Paredes is a good fit for the Red Sox, as he’s under control for two more seasons, can play third base for the team and has power (20 home runs in 102 games last season along with an .809 OPS). But Cotillo wonders if the Red Sox want to keep trading away prospects after they’ve already traded so many this offseason. Lastly, for all those who follow along on Cotillo’s Twitter account, only a few spots remain for his latest workshop, though time is limited as it begins tonight (January 13) at 7pm EST. View full article

On the day before the team’s much celebrated Fenway Fest, Craig Breslow remained busy as he brought in more depth to the organization through a minor-league contract. Per SoxProspect’s Andrew Parker, the team has signed right-handed pitcher Seth Martinez. The deal also includes a non-roster invite to spring training. The 31-year-old provides Boston with another experienced arm as insurance for the bullpen that will most likely be kept in Worcester to begin the season. Martinez, who was drafted in 2016 by the then-Oakland Athletics, has spent parts of five seasons in the majors. The bulk of his time came from 2021 through the 2024 seasons as he appeared in 111 games out of the bullpen for the Houston Astros, tossing 137 1/3 innings. 2025 was a rough year for Martinez, as he bounced around on waivers going from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Miami Marlins to the Seattle Mariners and then back to the Marlins all before the start of the season. Martinez spent most of the year in Triple-A pitching for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before getting added to the roster on August 27. In total, he made six appearances and tossed 6 2/3 innings. Miami would go on to designate him for assignment on September 11 and Martinez became a free agent on September 13. View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox currently have a bullpen problem, at least when it comes to the lack of left-hand options available for manager Alex Cora. Currently on the 40-man roster, there are ten left-handed pitchers and, of those arms, eight are viewed as either being in the rotation or depth for the rotation in the event of an injury. Another is closer Aroldis Chapman. The lone player who doesn't fit either description may soon be a secret weapon for Cora as the season draws nearer. Jovani Morán was acquired from the Minnesota Twins on Christmas eve in 2024 for Mickey Gasper, a move at the time seemed to be rather small and inconsequential. Morán had missed the entire 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery in November of 2023 and there were no sure bets he would rebound and be more like his 2022 self (2.21 ERA, 54 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings) compared to his 2023 self (5.31 ERA, 48 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings). It was a risk worth taking, as Gasper was getting moved off the roster regardless. Morán ended up missing the first two months of the 2025 season while still recovering from surgery before finally beginning his rehab in June. His numbers were about what you would expect, making six appearances between the Red Sox Complex team and High-A Greenville and tossing 7 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs. Upon being activated from the injured list, Morán was sent to Worcester, where he began to look like a potential weapon out of the bullpen. In his first 12 appearances there, he tossed 18 1/3 innings while allowing just seven earned runs and striking out 26 batters. That included a stretch of 7 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. With the Red Sox needing an arm, they selected his contract and added him to the active roster. His stint with Boston didn’t last long, though, as he appeared in just two games where he tossed four innings before spending the rest of the season with Worcester. However, Morán remained on the 40-man roster through the end of the season and while other left-handed options such as Chris Murphy and Brennan Bernardino have been moved in trades that brought back minor-league talent, Morán has remained. The left-hander, who relies on a four-pitch mix of a fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball, is out of options and will have to break camp with the Red Sox. While there is no guarantee that the team won't bring in another left-handed reliever, Morán looks likely to break camp as the middle-innings southpaw. For those doubting his upside, his recent stint in the Puerto Rican Winter League may be showing why the Red Sox kept him out of all their left-handed bullpen arms. Making 11 appearances out of the bullpen for Criollos de Caguas, Morán has gone 1-1 with an ERA of 0.82 across 11 innings. His fastball, which saw a drop in velocity while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is back to its pre-surgery velocity of 93-95 mph. In 2025, it routinely sat 92-94 mph (and with Boston it averaged 92.3 mph) so the slight increase is a welcome addition for Morán. Across his 11 innings, he has allowed just four hits while striking out 15 batters, flashing the potential that he showcased at the start of his career. Should Morán fully return to his pre-injury self, the Red Sox could have a dangerous weapon out of the bullpen. In 2022, batters hit just .172 against him, their OPS being just .490 as he struck out nearly 33% of the hitters he faced. Plus, throughout his career, he has managed to limit hard contact against him, rocking a career 27.4% hard-hit rate while batters have only managed to barrel up his pitches 5.1% of the time. Even the average exit velocity he allows is low, sitting at 85.7 mph for his career, which, across a full season, would have placed him near the very top of the league. At his best in 2022 and 2023, had he qualified, Morán would have been near the top of the league for whiff rate. The 2022 campaign saw him get just under 39% of whiffs on the pitches he threw, while 2023 saw that number drop slightly to 37%. Along with that, he’s fared equally well against right-handed and left-handed batters, which could allow Cora to mix and match when and where he’s used in the game. Morán may not seem it, but he could very well provide Cora with a key arm that could help bridge the middle innings to the back end of the bullpen, especially if a starter is struggling to get past the fifth inning. However, there is no telling what is going on in Craig Breslow’s mind as he shapes the roster over the remainder of the offseason. There’s still a lot of time between now and the start of the season, so plans could change. But the fact that the Red Sox held onto Morán could signal that they view him as an important piece of their bullpen puzzle in 2026 — and perhaps as the heir apparent to Justin Wilson's soon-to-be-vacated role as the set-up southpaw to Chapman. View full article

There’s no doubt that Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox failed to capitalize on the trade of Rafael Devers. The much-maligned trade has garnered mostly negative conversation from the fanbase, especially based on the return package the team received for their star slugger. While the relationship between the organization and Devers had become fractured and beyond repair, looking back it feels like the return has been a bit of a letdown. Of the four players who were part of the return package, one (James Tibbs III) has already been traded in a separate, failed trade, one (Jose Bello) won’t be close to reaching the majors for a few seasons, and the remaining two (Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison) have been mixed bags. Despite that, Harrison may prove to be both the most intriguing and important piece of the trade. At least for the immediate present. Harrison, who spent most of his time with Worcester after coming over in the Devers’ trade, made key changes to his pitch arsenal as he worked on a new changeup grip along with incorporating a cutter into his pitch usage. As always with a learning experience, there were ups and downs, but Harrison looked to have taken to the Red Sox approach, making 12 starts with Worcester and beginning to look closer to how he did as a rookie in 2023. Then, needing pitching help, in September the team looked to him, and he helped the team by pitching both out of the bullpen and making two starts (including the postseason clincher). Overall, in those three appearances he looked like an arm the team could look towards for 2026, tossing 12 innings and allowing just four earned while striking out 13 batters. However, with the additions of Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo along with the presence of young pitchers Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and David Sandlin, Harrison may not be needed for the rotation. With that in mind, many have wondered just what Harrison’s role will be. And considering the level of talent the team gave up acquiring him it wouldn’t sit well with the fanbase for the Red Sox to just cast him aside. Instead, Harrison’s role may actually be one that didn’t seem like a perfect fit at the start of the offseason. Placing Harrison into a swingman role similar to the one Kutter Crawford filled during 2022 and 2023 could be perfect for Harrison and the Red Sox at the moment. Currently the Red Sox have one guaranteed lefty in the bullpen in Aroldis Chapman while he’s likely to be joined by Jovani Morán, there’s nothing set in stone. Likewise, the team is expecting both Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval to return from their respective injuries but there’s nothing that guarantees they’ll return to their pre-injury selves immediately. While the Red Sox could plug in both Tolle and Early as left-handed options either in the rotation or bullpen, the team may rather have them open the year in Triple-A to continue their respective developments after seeing how the duo performed in September with the Red Sox. This is especially true for Tolle who, despite displaying a phenomenal fastball, needs more work with his secondary offerings. This is where Harrison steps in. Should the rotation need help he could fill the role of the fifth starter until another option becomes healthy and then be moved into the bullpen where he becomes a left-handed arm who can get right-handed and left-handed batters out while providing some length for manager Alex Cora. There are also many cases where the Red Sox could look to incorporate him as an opener who provides two to three innings due to a favorable matchup. The thought of Harrison not having a defined role may be a bit of a turn off for the fanbase, but his versatility between the rotation and bullpen and the flexibility it provides the organization could be rather helpful across an entire season. As everyone saw in 2025, the pitching staff you open the season with never makes it through the entire year. Instead, players will be asked to step up and fill various roles for the organization. Harrison already showed he can pitch both as a starter and reliever and after a full offseason of working with the Red Sox pitching lab on his pitch arsenal he could look even more comfortable in a swingman role. Harrison is still young, he won’t turn 25 until August, and the swingman role would be temporary until a permanent role in either the bullpen or the rotation is viewed as his final destination by the Red Sox. But for right now it would be a waste to have him rotting away in Triple-A for the 2026 season when he could be providing support to both the rotation and bullpen by bouncing back and forth between the two. Of course, as a pitcher it’s never that easy considering that as a starter he would need to be stretched out in order to throw five or more innings. You don’t want to risk injury by getting a pitcher used to tossing an inning or two and then asking them to go out and give the team five innings. Most pitchers need time to be stretched out, work their pitch count up so that they can comfortably throw deeper into games. With that in mind, it would make more sense to keep him stretched out in the beginning, being the fifth starter or a long reliever who gives the team multiple innings until the team decides on a path for him for the full season. Even as a reliever, he could easily be slotted in as an opener for several games and provide three or even four innings depending on what is needed from the team. There’s no doubt the Devers’ trade will never be viewed in a positive way, but Harrison has a chance to make it look not as bad as it currently does. Like everything in baseball there’s no guarantee, but should Harrison take the foundation he built in 2025 with the Red Sox organization and run with it he could turn into a key piece of their pitching staff for 2026 and beyond. View full article

The Boston Red Sox have yet to sign a free agent to a major-league contract this offseason, but at least the team has remained engaged with several free agents. Currently,the team has a lack of left-handed relief options and with that in mind, the Red Sox have been linked to options such as Danny Coulombe, Tim Mayza, and Cionel Pérez as reported by MassLive's Chris Cotillo. The Red Sox currently have nine left-handed pitchers on the 40-man roster, but of them only three are currently viewed as relief options, and one is closer Aroldis Chapman. With just Jovani Morán and Tyler Samaniego as potential left-handed relievers for 2026 following the trades of Chris Murphy and Brennan Bernardino, it is only natural the team is looking to improve its reliever situation. Of the three relievers the team has been linked to, Coulombe is the most attractive option despite a late-season meltdown with the Texas Rangers. Coulombe split the 2025 season between Minnesota and Texas, appearing in 55 games and tossing 43 innings as he finished with a 2.30 ERA. To finish the season, Coulombe pitched in 15 games for Texas after being traded, but struggled as he walked nine batters in 12 innings while allowing three home runs. Should Coulombe pitch closer to how he did in Minnesota (and with Baltimore in 2023 and 2024: he struck out 90 batters in 81 innings while walking just 17) he would slot in immediately as a high-leverage weapon out of the bullpen. Both Mayza and Pérez had less successful seasons in 2025. Mayza pitched in just 15 games split between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, tossing 16 2/3 innings and striking out 15 batters. The lack of appearances was due to a lat strain that cost him a good portion of the season. While healthy, he had an 87th percentile extension at 6.9 feet, a trait that the Red Sox have been interested in the past couple seasons. He also is a ground ball pitcher and could do well if the Sox continue to improve their infield defense. Pérez struggled in 2025, appearing in 19 games with Baltimore while tossing 21 2/3 innings. In that span, he struggled with his command, allowing 18 walks. Pérez was designated for assignment in late May and spent the rest of the season with Triple-A Norfolk where his struggles continued. In 22 1/3 innings, he walked 19 batters and finished with a 6.85 ERA. While he had a 16.4% walk rate with Baltimore, he did manage to limit barrels as batters only barreled up his pitches 2.9% of the time. He also managed to get groundballs 60.9% of the time, something that could play well when paired with the Red Sox's infield. View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox have begun to add to their spring training roster, naming seven non-roster invitees. While most names on the list are of no surprise, it also doesn’t close the book on other players being added as a non-roster invitee the closer we get to the team reporting to Fort Myers. The group of seven are made up of catcher Jason Delay, infielder Vinny Capra, right-handed pitchers Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Devin Sweet and left-handed pitchers Alec Gamboa and T.J. Sikkema. Among the seven players announced, six of them signed minor-league deals with the Red Sox across the offseason while the seventh (Harris) re-signed with the Red Sox on a minor-league contract back at the end of September. While non-roster invitees may not seem all too exciting, they help create competition in camp for the final few roster spots, along with exciting storylines. And, sometimes, they may even break camp with the team. Last season, the team saw non-roster invitees Kristian Campbell and Sean Newcomb make the team, while the likes of Trayce Thompson, Matt Moore, and Adam Ottavino created discussion pertaining to the back end of the roster. Overall, the group is comprised of veterans who have either limited experience in the majors or have spent several seasons in the minors as they attempt to showcase why they should be in the major leagues. Of the seven, four have some time spent on a major-league roster. Sikkema, a left-handed pitcher, signed with the Red Sox shortly before the announcement. Now 27 years old, he was a former first-round pick by the Yankees back in 2019 (39th overall). Last season, he split time in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization as he played for both Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. View full rumor