Red Sox Sign Hurler With 102 MPH Sinker To Bolster Bullpen Depth
The Boston Red Sox have yet to make the splash fans have been yearning for with just a few weeks until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
The market for some of the top free agents remaining has moved at a snail’s pace and could take some time to be resolved.
Meanwhile, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made some depth moves, including taking a lottery ticket on a low-risk, high-reward power arm.
The Red Sox signed former San Francisco Giants pitching prospect Melvin Adón to a minor-league deal last Wednesday, per the club’s transactions log.
Adón posted a 7.43 ERA with a 50-to-37 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .297 batting average against and a 2.10 WHIP in 40 innings last season across 32 relief appearances.
The 29-year-old did little to prove himself in 2023 but he does have a 100+ mph sinker and an above-average power slider that could be the key to his turnaround.
The new pitching development regime appears to be looking for high-end arms they can mold, with the idea that it’s hard to develop elite arm talent but they’ll be able to improve pitchers’ control and pitch usage.
Adón is a great player to take a shot on at this point in the winter. The fact that he does not take up a 40-man roster spot makes this a fantastic move. He’ll either become something special or be released down the line for little cost.
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MLB insider floats potential return if Red Sox trade Kenley Jansen
If the Red Sox want to shed more payroll before signing free agents, Kenley Jansen might be a good option for them to do so. The veteran closer earned 29 saves last season and was named an All-Star. But what kind of haul could Boston’s pitcher actually get?
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal joined MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast and discussed what the Red Sox could realistically expect if they were to trade away the 36-year-old.
“I would imagine you get a mid-level prospect for Kenley Jansen because, keep in mind, the team is taking on 16 million. That gets him. That’s his salary. Now granted at the Red Sox pay half, they get a better prospect. We know how that works,” Rosenthal said. “But I don’t know that he’s bringing it two or three guys. Granted, it’s a one-year deal, he’s a high-performing guy, someone you can basically count on. But I don’t expect it to be a massive kind of haul. I’d expect to get something decent, but nothing that you’re going to say a top 100 guy for Kenley Jansen. I don’t expect that to happen.”
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