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Red Sox, Kyle Keller Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox are in agreement with reliever Kyle Keller on a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Nello Gamberdino client would be paid a $1.9MM base salary if he makes the MLB roster.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive adds that the deal includes multiple assignment clauses, the first of which has a mid-April date. At that point, the Red Sox would need to make Keller available to other teams if they haven’t called him up. If another team is willing to add him to the MLB roster, Boston would need to call him up themselves or let him go.

It’s a stronger than average minor league deal for the 6’4″ righty. Keller makes his return to affiliated ball after pitching four seasons in Japan. He spent the first two seasons with the Hanshin Tigers and the most recent two years as a member of the Yomiuri Giants. Keller posted a 2.42 ERA across 152 1/3 innings during his NPB career. He’s coming off a 3.11 showing in 46 1/3 frames. He fanned an above-average 26.3% of batters faced but issued walks at a near-12% clip.

Keller didn’t land a guaranteed roster spot, but he’ll have a chance at solid earnings if he’s able to pitch his way to the big leagues early in the year. He appeared at the MLB level each season between 2019-21. Keller saw time with the Marlins, Angels and Pirates and combined for a 5.83 earned run average over 46 1/3 innings. He sat in the mid-90s with a decent curveball but didn’t throw strikes consistently enough to stick in a big league bullpen.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has stockpiled a decent amount of non-roster relief depth who can compete for jobs in camp. Keller joins Vinny Nittoli, Seth Martinez, Devin Sweet, Tayron Guerrero and Hobie Harris as minor league signees.

Red Sox, Vinny Nittoli Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have a minor league deal with reliever Vinny Nittoli, reports Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News. The Gaeta Sports Management client receives a non-roster invitation to MLB Spring Training.

Nittoli is now on the 12th organization of a decade-long professional career. The 35-year-old righty has gotten to the major league level with five of those clubs. His career high in MLB appearances with one team is seven, as he threw eight innings for the Athletics in 2024. Nittoli has had cups of coffee with the Mariners, Phillies, Mets and Orioles as well. He has logged 18 2/3 major league innings, striking out 13 against five walks while allowing five runs.

A former 25th round pick, Nittoli has spent six seasons at the Triple-A level. He owns a 4.76 earned run average in 223 innings despite a strong 28.3% strikeout rate. Nittoli combined for a 4.58 ERA with a 26% strikeout percentage and 8% walk rate between Baltimore’s and Milwaukee’s top affiliates last year. He worked primarily with a cutter that averaged 89 MPH while mixing in a low-90s sinker and low-80s curveball.

Nittoli is out of options, so he’d need to stick on the MLB roster or be exposed to waivers if the Red Sox call him up. He joins Seth Martinez, Hobie Harris, Devin Sweet and Tayron Guerrero as non-roster invites who have MLB experience.

Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Most clubs have a slightly earlier report date this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Last year, the Cubs and Dodgers had earlier report dates because they were had an earlier Opening Day than everyone else as part of the Tokyo Series. Gavin Stone was the first player to land on the 60-day IL in 2025, landing there on February 11th. According to MLB.com, every club has a report date from February 10th to 13th this year.

It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until late May or beyond. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.

There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment. If a team wants to pass a player through waivers, perhaps they will try to do so in the near future before the extra roster flexibility opens up.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time or who have uncertain recovery timelines from 2025 injuries.

Angels: Anthony Rendon, Ben Joyce

Rendon’s situation is unique. He underwent hip surgery a year ago and missed the entire 2025 season. He is still on the roster and signed through 2026. He and the club have agreed to a salary-deferment plan and he is not expected to be in spring training with the club. His recovery timeline is unclear, but general manager Perry Minasian said earlier this month that Rendon would be “rehabbing at home,” per Alden González of ESPN. If they were going to release him, they likely would have done so by now, so he seems destined for the injured list.

Joyce underwent shoulder surgery in May and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. His current status is unclear. In August, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he didn’t know if he would be ready for spring training. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the Halos don’t expect him back before the end of May.

Astros: Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025. Wesneski was first, with his surgery taking place on May 23rd. Blanco followed shortly thereafter in early June. They will likely be targeting returns in the second half. Walter’s procedure was in September, meaning he will likely miss the entire season. All three should be on the 60-day IL as soon as Houston needs roster spots for other transactions.

Athletics: Zack Gelof

Gelof underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder in September, with the expectation of him potentially being healthy for spring training. At the end of December, general manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com that Gelof would be “a little bit behind” in spring. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the A’s think he’ll be out through late May.

Blue Jays: Jake Bloss

Bloss underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in May. He was on optional assignment at the time and stayed in the minors for the rest of the season. Going into 2026, the Jays could keep him in the minors but they could also call him up and place him on the major league IL. Doing so would open up a roster spot but would also mean giving Bloss big league pay and service time.

Braves: Ha-Seong Kim, AJ Smith-Shawver, Danny Young, Joe Jiménez

Kim recently fell on some ice and injured his hand. He underwent surgery last week, and the expected recovery time is four to five months. The shorter end of that window only goes to mid-May, so perhaps Atlanta will hold off on making a decision until they watch his recovery, especially since they have other guys with clearer injury timelines.

Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so he shouldn’t be back until the second half and is therefore a lock for the 60-day IL once Atlanta needs a spot. Young underwent the same procedure in May, so he should also be bound for the IL.

Jimenez is more of a question mark. He missed the 2025 season due to left knee surgery. He required a “cleanup” procedure on that knee towards the end of the season. His timeline isn’t currently clear.

Brewers: None.

Cardinals: None.

Cubs: Justin Steele

Steele will probably be a bit of a borderline case. He underwent UCL surgery in April but it wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery. The Cubs described it as a “revision repair”. Steele had undergone Tommy John in 2017 as a minor leaguer.

Since Steele’s more recent procedure was a bit less serious than a full Tommy John, the club gave an estimated return timeline of about one year, putting him in line to potentially return fairly early in 2026. Given his importance to the Cubs, they would only put him on the 60-day IL if his timeline changes and he’s certain to be out through late May.

Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear

The Snakes were hit hard by the injury bug in 2025. Burnes, Walston and Martínez all underwent Tommy John surgery. Burnes and Martínez had their procedures in June, so they should be targeting second-half returns and be easy calls for the 60-day IL. Walston would be a bit more borderline because his surgery was around Opening Day in late March last year. Puk had the slightly less significant internal brace procedure in June, so he could also be a borderline case.

Turning to the position players, Gurriel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in September. He required surgery which came with a return timeline of nine to ten months, so he should be out until around the All-Star break.

Locklear should be back sooner. He underwent surgery in October to address a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The hope at the time of that procedure was that he would be game ready to go on a rehab assignment around Opening Day and would therefore miss only about the first month. He would therefore only hit the 60-day IL if he doesn’t meet that timeline for some reason.

Dodgers: Brock Stewart

Stewart underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September. His timeline for 2026 isn’t especially clear. He will likely start the season on the IL but it’s unclear if he’ll be out long enough to warrant landing on the 60-day version.

Giants: Randy Rodríguez, Jason Foley

Rodríguez underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL and might even miss the entire 2026 campaign. Foley’s status is a bit more murky. He underwent shoulder surgery in May while with the Tigers. Detroit non-tendered him at season’s end, which allowed the Giants to sign him. He is expected back at some point mid-season. The Giants may want to get more clarity on his progress during camp before deciding on a move to the IL.

Guardians: Andrew Walters, David Fry

Neither of these guys is a lock for the 60-day IL. Walters had surgery to repair his right lat tendon in June with a recovery estimate of eight to ten months. Fry underwent surgery in October due to a deviated septum and a fractured nose suffered when a Tarik Skubal pitch hit him in the face. His timeline is unclear. It’s possible one or both could be healthy by Opening Day, so relevant updates may be forthcoming when camps open.

Mariners: Logan Evans

Evans required UCL surgery just last week and will miss the entire 2026 season. He was on optional assignment at the end of 2025, so the Mariners could keep him in the minors. Calling him up and putting him on the big league 60-day IL would open up a 40-man spot but would also involve Evans receiving big league pay and service time for the year.

Marlins: Ronny Henriquez

Henriquez underwent internal brace surgery in December and will miss the entire 2026 season, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL.

Mets: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and are likely to miss the entire 2026 season, making them locks for the 60-day IL. Núñez went under the knife in July, followed by Megill in September and Garrett in October.

Nationals: Trevor Williams, DJ Herz

Williams underwent internal brace surgery in July. That’s a slightly less serious variation of Tommy John but still usually requires about a year of recovery. Herz underwent a full Tommy John procedure in April. Since that surgery usually requires 14 months or longer to come back, both pitchers are likely out until around the All-Star break and therefore bound for the 60-day IL once the Nats need some roster spots.

Orioles: Félix Bautista

Bautista underwent shoulder surgery in August, and the club announced his recovery timeline as 12 months. He’s a lock for the 60-day IL and may miss the entire season if his recovery doesn’t go smoothly.

Padres: Yu Darvish, Jhony Brito, Jason Adam

Darvish underwent UCL surgery in November and will miss the entire 2026 season. Instead of going on the IL, he may just retire, but it seems there are some contractual complications to be ironed out since he is signed through 2028.

Brito and Adam could be borderline cases. Brito underwent internal brace surgery in May of last year. Some pitchers can return from that procedure in about a year. Adam ruptured a tendon in his left quad in early September. In November, he seemed to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. As of now, a trip to the 60-day IL seems unlikely unless he suffers a setback.

Pirates: Jared Jones

Jones required UCL surgery on May 21st of last year. The Bucs announced an expected return timeline of 10 to 12 months. The shorter end of that window would allow Jones to return fairly early in 2026. If it looks like he’ll be on the longer end of that time frame, he could wind up on the 60-day IL.

Phillies: Zack Wheeler

Wheeler underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in September, with a timeline of six to eight months. As of now, it seems unlikely Wheeler would require a trip to the 60-day IL, but it depends on how his ramp-up goes. He’s also approaching his 36th birthday, and the Phils could slow-play his recovery.

Rangers: Cody Bradford

Bradford required internal brace surgery in late June of last year. He recently said he’s targeting a return in May. That’s a pretty aggressive timeline, but perhaps the Rangers will delay moving him to the 60-day IL until that plan is strictly ruled out.

Rays: Manuel Rodríguez

Rodriguez underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of last year and is targeting a return in June of this year, so he should be a lock for the 60-day IL.

Reds: Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar

Both of these pitchers required Tommy John surgeries late in 2024, Williamson in September and Aguiar in October. They each missed the entire 2025 season. Presumably, they are recovered by now and could be healthy going into 2026, but there haven’t been any recent public updates.

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, Triston Casas

Houck is the most clear-cut case for Boston. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2025 and will miss most or perhaps all of the 2026 season. Casas is more borderline. He’s still recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in May of last year. It doesn’t seem like he will be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline apart from that is murky.

Rockies: Jeff Criswell, Kris Bryant

Criswell required Tommy John surgery in early March of last year. With the normal 14-month recovery timeline, he could be back in May. Anything slightly longer than that would make him a candidate for the 60-day IL. Bryant’s timeline is very difficult to discern. He has hardly played in recent years due to various injuries and is now dealing with chronic symptoms related to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Updates will likely be provided once camp opens.

Royals: Alec Marsh

Marsh missed 2025 due to shoulder problems and is slated to miss 2026 as well after undergoing labrum surgery in November.

Tigers: Jackson Jobe

Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He will miss most or perhaps even all of the 2026 season.

Twins: None.

White Sox: Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, Prelander Berroa

These three hurlers all required Tommy John surgery about a year ago, Bush in February, followed by Berroa and Thorpe in March. Given the normal 14-month recovery period, any of them could return early in 2026, but they could also end up on the 60-day IL if the timeline pushes slightly beyond that.

Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe

Schmidt is the only lock of this group. He required UCL surgery in July of last year and should miss the first half of the 2026 season. Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of last year. His target is expected to be late May/early June, so he has a decent chance to hit the 60-day. However, given his importance to the club, the Yankees probably won’t put him there until it’s certain he won’t be back by the middle of May.

Rodón had surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’s expected to be back with the big league club in late April or early May, so he would only hit the 60-day IL if his timeline is pushed. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October. He’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline beyond that doesn’t seem concrete.

Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images

White Sox Notes: Hicks, Sandlin, Leasure

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The White Sox pulled off another significant transaction yesterday, acquiring right-handers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two players to be named later, and $8MM in cash (to help cover Hicks’ $24MM salary) for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later.  It is the third notable move in four days for Chicago, after the Pale Hose signed Seranthony Dominguez and Austin Hays to free agent contracts.

Between the $12MM owed to Hicks in 2026, Hays’ $6MM guarantee in a one-year deal, and the $8MM allotted for Dominguez in the first season of his two-year, $20MM contract, it adds up to a $26MM outlay for the White Sox on this trio for the upcoming season. It’s a pretty close match for the $20MM Chicago had committed to Luis Robert Jr. before the outfielder and his contract were dealt to the Mets on January 20.

“With the payroll flexibility that we gained through that move, we wanted to utilize that money toward players that could help us for the long term as we continue to take the next step.  There are different avenues to do that,” White Sox GM Chris Getz told reporters (including SoxMachine’s James Fegan and MLB.com’s Scott Merkin), further noting that “adding a Sandlin is essentially part of a Luis Robert return.”

That’s a bit of a eyebrow-raising comment, given that Chicago’s payroll currently sits at a paltry $85.5MM, per RosterResource.  To suggest that Sandlin’s acquisition was only possible in conjunction with a Robert trade would imply that the Chicago-based club can’t support a payroll that includes Robert, Dominguez, Hays and Hicks — but that would’ve only pushed the payroll to around $105MM.  Perhaps owner Jerry Reinsdorf truly won’t green-light a payroll north of $100MM at present, but the South Siders trotted out a $181MM Opening Day payroll as recently as 2023 (and $193MM in 2022).  Getz’s assertion that Sandlin is indirectly part of the Robert return is either a case of some serious spin or an eye-opening acknowledgement of severe budget restrictions put in place by Reinsdorf.

Regardless,  it seems that Sandlin has been on Chicago’s radar for a good while now, and Getz views the hard-throwing right-hander as someone who’s “going to come into Spring Training and compete for a spot” in the team’s rotation.  Sandlin has only 23 2/3 Triple-A innings to his name, and he struggled to a 7.61 ERA during that brief stint with Triple-A Worcester in 2025.  Even if he doesn’t crack the club’s Opening Day rotation, it’s perfectly plausible that he’ll be an option to join the staff later in the season as he gets more experience at the top minor league level.

Beyond this young arm in Sandlin, Hicks brings some experience to the pitching staff, though he’s a pure rebound candidate.  The righty posted a 6.95 ERA across 67 1/3 innings with the Giants and Red Sox in 2025, with subpar strikeout (18.5%) and walk (10.2%) rates.  Hicks’ 4.41 SIERA also wasn’t great but is a better reflection of his performance, since it factored in some bad batted-ball luck, as the grounder specialist was hurt by a .352 average on balls in play.

Health was also a factor. Hicks spent a little under two months on the injured list dealing with toe inflammation and then tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.  On this front, Hicks told media that he has recovered well, and is up to throwing 99.5mph in a recent bullpen session. “My body’s in a great place, probably the best it’s been since 2023,” Hicks said.  “I’m fit for whatever role that the team needs me in.  I think that I can do very well in both [starting and relieving].  I’m just excited for the opportunity mostly, and ready to get back on the field.”

For now, the White Sox plan to use Hicks as a relief pitcher, Getz stated.  This isn’t surprising given how Hicks struggled as a starter with the Giants and was converted back to relief work partway through each of the last two seasons.  Hicks has spent the bulk of his career in the ’pen and had better results as a reliever than as a starter.

Speaking of relief pitchers, the White Sox discussed another reliever during their negotiations with the Red Sox.  MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the two sides “had serious discussions” about including Jordan Leasure in the deal before the Red Sox instead went with Ziehl as the named player in the two-player return.

Whereas Ziehl has yet to reach Triple-A, the 27-year-old Leasure has two seasons of MLB experience, with 101 games for Chicago.  Leasure made his debut in 2024 and posted a 6.32 ERA over 31 1/3 innings, but improved on that mark significantly with a 3.92 ERA and 30.1% strikeout rate over 64 1/3 frames in 2025.  The right-hander’s 11.2% walk rate was still on the high side, but a step up from Leasure’s 12.7 BB% in 2024.

There’s no real reason to think Chicago is actively shopping Leasure, but it’s of some note that they at least considered it — particularly with how many clubs around the league are looking for affordable bullpen help.  Leasure will pitch the bulk of the upcoming season at 27 (28 in mid-August), has a pair of minor league options remaining, and won’t be arbitration-eligible until next offseason, when he’ll likely be a Super Two player.

White Sox Acquire Jordan Hicks

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The White Sox are using a stripped down payroll to add to the system, announcing Sunday that they’ve acquired right-hander Jordan Hicks, pitching prospect David Sandlin, two players to be named later and cash from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league righty Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later. Chicago will take on two-thirds of the money on Hicks’ underwater contract, so the trade effectively amounts to the White Sox purchasing Sandlin from the Red Sox.

Boston clears $16MM of the $24MM Hicks was owed over the next two seasons off their books. The move lowers their current luxury tax payroll to $258MM according to RosterResource, just below the $264MM threshold for the second tier of penalization.

There have been some indications dating back to the early parts of the offseason that Boston prefers to stay under that second threshold, though trades for pricey veterans such as Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in addition to the signing of Ranger Suarez had previously pushed them over that line. Trading away the bulk of Hicks’ salary has allowed them to sneak back under, though with the team still known to be looking for infield help it’s entirely possible that additional moves could change that positioning.

In order to get Hicks off the books, the Red Sox are parting ways with Sandlin, ranked as Boston’s No. 11 prospect by Baseball America headed into the 2026 campaign. The soon-to-be 25-year-old righty struggled over 23 2/3 Triple-A innings last year, but he pitched to an impressive 3.61 ERA across 17 outings (13 starts) at the Double-A level with a 25.4% strikeout rate.

Sandlin is viewed as a player with a chance to stick in a big league rotation who could’ve helped Boston’s bullpen as soon as this year, but now he’ll head to Chicago where he’ll have an easier chance to find a big league role in the short-term. Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, and Sean Newcomb currently stand as the team’s projected starters entering Spring Training, but Sandlin could join players like Jonathan Cannon, and fellow former Red Sox hurler Chris Murphy in standing as a primary depth option behind those players, with a chance to earn a job on the big league club out of camp this spring.

Going the other way is Ziehl, who Baseball America ranked as Chicago’s No. 21 prospect headed into the 2026 campaign. Acquired from the Yankees over the summer in the Austin Slater trade, Ziehl made his pro debut last year with a 4.12 ERA in 22 appearances (21 starts) across the Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels. The righty has a five-pitch repertoire led by a solid sweeper, but the rest of his arsenal draws unimpressive marks despite previous scouting reports that suggested his fastball could top out at 97mph. The righty figures to start the year at Double-A for the Red Sox, but questions remain about whether he can be more than a long reliever in the majors.

The deal is a sensible one for the White Sox to make as they look to accelerate their rebuild and gather more credible MLB talent. After trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets in a deal that garnered infielder Luisangel Acuña, the Sox have reinvested in the big league club by signing Austin Hays to replace Robert in the outfield and adding Seranthony Dominguez to a bullpen that needed some veteran late-inning help.

This latest move adds another young pitcher close to the majors (Sandlin) while also bringing an intriguing bounce-back candidate into the fold. While Hicks wasn’t likely to have a role with the Red Sox this year after struggling to an 8.20 ERA with the club, there’s little reason for Chicago to not roll the dice on a player with an upper-90s fastball and a history of success in the majors.

Hicks has primarily pitched as a starter in recent years after signing with the Giants as a rotation piece, but his biggest successes (including a dominant 2023 season with the Cardinals and Blue Jays) saw him pitch in relief. It’s unclear what role Hicks will take with the White Sox this season, but given their lack of established bullpen pieces (outside of Dominguez) and their deep group of potential starting options, perhaps a move back to the bullpen could make some sense for the hard-throwing righty. Should he return to the bullpen this year, he’ll have the chance to join the likes of Mike Vasil, Jordan Leasure, and Grant Taylor in handling setup duties behind Dominguez.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that Hicks and Sandlin were being traded to Chicago. James Fegan of Sox Machine reported that Ziehl and a PTBNL were going the other direction. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported financial details of the swap.

Red Sox, Matt Thaiss Agree To Minor-League Deal

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The Red Sox have agreed to a minor-league deal with catcher Matt Thaiss, according to Andrew Parker of SoxProspects (link via Chris Cotillo of MassLive). Thaiss receives an invite to big-league Spring Training.

The 30-year-old was a first-round pick out of the University of Virginia in 2016 by the Angels. He debuted for them in 2019, batting .211/.293/.422 with an 86 wRC+ and a .211 ISO in 164 plate appearances that year. Thaiss has continued to post mid-80s wRC+ values throughout his career. After not getting much playing time from 2020-22, he got an extended look in 2023, making 307 PA in 95 games for the Halos. His 27.0% strikeout rate that year was worse than average, though his above-average 11.7% walk rate kept his on-base percentage above .300 even as he posted a low batting average.

In 2024, Logan O’Hoppe’s ascension to the starting catcher role limited Thaiss’s playing time. That November, the team signed Travis d’Arnaud as their new backup catcher and designated Thaiss for assignment. He was traded first to the Cubs and then eventually to the White Sox. He split 2025 between the White Sox and the Rays, batting .218/.349/.288 with an 89 wRC+ that was plenty serviceable for a backup catcher. Reviews of his defense were mixed. He was worth 3 Defensive Runs Saved in 411 2/3 innings behind the plate this year, drawing positive marks for his blocking. On the flip side, Statcast rated his caught stealing rate, framing, and pop time all in the 18th percentile or lower.

For the Red Sox, Thaiss is a no-risk depth option behind incumbent Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong. Narvaez had a 97 wRC+ in 446 PA this year and was worth 10 DRS behind the plate. Wong and Thaiss won’t challenge him for starting time, but Thaiss’s consistent mid-80s wRC+ and above-average walk rate could challenge Wong for the backup spot, where Wong was a decent defender but a black hole offensively in 2025 (39 wRC+). Thaiss has over three years of service time and is out of options.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Red Sox “Checked In” On Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw

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Alex Bregman’s decision to sign with the Cubs left the Red Sox with some uncertainty within their infield picture, as both second base and Bregman’s old third base position remain unsettled heading into Spring Training.  Top prospect Marcelo Mayer seems to be penciled into one of the two spots, with Mayer likely playing third while the collection of Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, and/or Kristian Campbell will handle the playing time at the keystone.

A new acquisition could certainly change this picture, and such free agents and trade targets as Isaac Paredes, Brendan Donovan, and Eugenio Suarez remain available.  Plenty of other players remain on Boston’s radar, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes that the Red Sox “are among the many teams that have checked in about” Cubs infielders Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw.

There would be some irony if a trade came together between Bregman’s new and former teams, though there is no sense that a deal is anywhere close between Boston and Chicago.  Trade speculation swirled around Hoerner and Shaw even before Bregman arrived in Wrigleyville, with the Yankees, Giants, and Mariners all reportedly showing interest in Hoerner.  While the Cubs may be at least open to hearing offers for Hoerner out of due diligence, however, there isn’t much indication that the team has any real interest in moving the two-time Gold Glover.

The Bregman signing solidified Chicago’s starting infield alignment as Bregman at third, Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and Michael Busch at first base.  Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki line up as the starting outfield trio, and the open DH spot could be a revolving door for several players to get partial rest days.  This in turn would open up playing time for Shaw or another top prospects in Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara, and give these youngsters some semi-regular at-bats in the majors without the pressure of a true everyday role on a contending team.

Trading Hoerner or Shaw would immediately alter the Cubs’ plans for the coming season at least, and moving Shaw would have a longer-term impact since he only just made his MLB debut in 2025.  Hoerner is a free agent next winter, and with Bregman now locked into the hot corner, the thought has been that Shaw could take over from Hoerner as second base.  (The Cubs are also considering Shaw as an outfield option to expand his versatility.)

Even with Hoerner nearing the open market, it would take a lot for the Cubs to part ways with a proven veteran who is probably the best defensive second baseman in baseball, not to mention an above-average hitter (106 wRC+) over the last five seasons.  It would take even more for Chicago to deal a top prospect like Shaw who comes with so much team control, yet Boston’s pitching depth could at least get the Cubs to take notice.  Since Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd will also be free agents next season, bringing aboard a Payton Tolle or a Connelly Early would be an intriguing way for the Cubs to bolster their rotation over the longer term.  It is safe to say that Tolle or Early would only be on the table (if at all) for Shaw, as the Sox aren’t likely to move either of those arms for one year of Hoerner.

While Shaw has the prospect pedigree to interest any team, it would be quite a pivot if the Red Sox traded from their high-level pitching depth to acquire a young infielder, given how Boston (in theory) already has plenty of position-player building blocks in place.  If Mayer is able to stay healthy and break out as a big leaguer, that provides a ton of stability at either third base, second base, or at shortstop if Mayer is ultimately the heir apparent to Trevor Story.  In this sense, bringing in Hoerner as a somewhat overqualified stopgap for the 2026 season might be a better fit to give the Sox more time to see what they have in Meyer or Campbell.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been very active on the trade front since taking over Boston’s front office in October 2023, though the Garrett Cooper-for-cash considerations deal in April 2024 remains the only deal swung between Breslow and his former team.  For the 2019-23 seasons, Breslow worked in the Cubs front office, and he was promoted to an assistant GM role during the 2020-21 offseason after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of Chicago’s baseball operations.

Red Sox Have Had Trade Talks Involving Jordan Hicks

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The Red Sox seemingly have enough pitching depth to consider trading some. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports that Patrick Sandoval, Brayan Bello and Jordan Hicks have been discussed in trade talks. Reporting back in December indicated that both Bello and Sandoval were garnering interest from other clubs.

It isn’t specified which party brought up Hicks in these trade talks but presumably the Sox have been trying to shop him, as opposed to other teams trying especially hard to acquire him. He has some good major league results on his track record but hasn’t been effective lately and his contract is not favorable.

Two years ago, the Giants signed him to a four-year, $44MM deal, hoping to convert him from the bullpen to the rotation. That experiment went well initially before Hicks seemingly ran out of gas. He posted a 1.59 earned run average through the end of April, but then had a 3.99 ERA in May, 5.24 in June and 8.40 in July.

He was moved back to the bullpen later in the year and also spent some time on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. He didn’t get things on track in 2025. He was eventually included in the Rafael Devers trade as financial ballast and finished the season with a 6.95 ERA between the two clubs.

Prior to signing that deal, Hicks had some decent results out of the St. Louis bullpen, riding his triple-digit velocity to a groundball-heavy approach. At the end of the 2023 season, he had a career ERA of 3.85. His 12.8% walk rate was high but he struck out 24.5% of batters faced and induced grounders on 60.4% of balls in play. Some teams probably have interest in him as a bounceback candidate but he is still owed $24MM over the next two years, so Boston would have to pay down most of that in order to line up a deal.

The commonality with Sandoval, Bello and Hicks as that they’re all making decent money, with Bello still owed $50.5MM through 2029, including the $1MM buyout on a 2030 club option. Sandoval will make $12.75MM in 2026.

RosterResource currently projects the Sox for a payroll of $197MM and a competitive balance tax figure of $266MM. They finished 2025 with a pure payroll of $209MM and a $247MM CBT calculation. If they are willing to spend to last year’s levels, the pure payroll has some wiggle room but perhaps the upcoming higher tax budget eats up some of that difference.

Trading one of these contracts could create some extra payroll room. The Sox could use a second base upgrade, though free agency doesn’t really have any amazing solutions remaining. Guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ramón Urías are out there but arguably don’t provide a huge upgrade over Boston’s current group of Romy González, Nick Sogard and David Hamilton. The Sox are also looking for catching upgrades and presumably want to add another reliever or two while leaving some wiggle room for in-season maneuvering.

Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images

Does Kristian Campbell Have A Role On The 2026 Red Sox?

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Kristian Campbell was one of the most exciting players in the sport at this time a year ago. Baseball America had ranked him the #4 prospect in MLB on the heels of a .330/.439/.558 showing in the minors. Campbell was generally viewed alongside or even slightly above Marcelo Mayer as the Red Sox’s second-best prospect behind Roman Anthony. The organization seemed to share that assessment, as they built their trade package for Garrett Crochet around Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery rather than including anyone in their top three.

Campbell broke camp despite a mediocre Spring Training performance. He started at second base on Opening Day and got out to a roaring start, hitting .301/.407/.495 through the end of April. Boston quickly locked him up on an eight-year extension that guaranteed $60MM and extended their club control window by as many as four seasons.

Nine months later, it’s not clear if he has a path to playing time in the short term. Campbell’s bat cratered after the scorching start. He hit .159/.243/.222 over 140 plate appearances between the start of May and the middle of June. The Sox optioned him to Triple-A on June 20 and kept him in the minors for the rest of the season.

Campbell posted good numbers in the minors, at least on the surface. He hit .273/.382/.417 across 319 Triple-A plate appearances. It certainly wasn’t on par with his breakout 2024 season, but that’s above-average production at age 23. Yet it came with an elevated 26.3% strikeout rate that was more than six points higher than his mark from the previous season. Campbell also averaged a paltry 84 MPH off the bat with a 30% hard contact rate, and he put more than half his batted balls on the ground. He took a lot of walks and the results were good overall, yet the batted ball data wasn’t all that encouraging.

The track record is strong enough that Campbell remains a promising offensive player, albeit with less confidence that he’ll be an impact bat than they probably had a year ago. The biggest concern is on the other side of the ball.

Campbell’s second base defense was a disaster. Defensive Runs Saved graded him 16 runs below average in 471 2/3 innings. Only Luis García Jr. had a worse DRS mark at the position, and that came in twice as many innings. Campbell was tied for third from the bottom in Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric (again behind players who got more time at the position). He committed seven errors and had a .968 fielding percentage that was last among the 38 second basemen to play 400+ innings.

It was bad enough that it seems the Red Sox have essentially given up on Campbell as a viable second baseman. He only started 11 games there in the minors, none of which came after August 8. Campbell closed the season bouncing between left field, center field and first base.

The Red Sox have a question at second base but don’t appear to be seriously considering Campbell there. They’re reportedly focused on defense as they look outside the organization for help at the keystone. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged last week that the Sox are “going to give (Campbell) a look in the outfield” (link via Christopher Smith of MassLive). David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez and Nick Sogard lead an uninspiring internal group of second base options. They’ve traded for Willson Contreras and still have Triston Casas — who is ironically in a somewhat similar spot as Campbell — ahead of him on the first base depth chart.

Campbell is a good enough athlete that it’s not out of the question that he’ll be a solid outfielder. The Red Sox don’t have many at-bats to offer him there, though. They’re already loaded across the outfield with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Anthony. Breslow has consistently downplayed their desire to trade Duran or Abreu. That seems less likely now that they’ve addressed the rotation in other ways. They’re not going to move an established above-average regular merely to open playing time for Campbell.

The Sox did lose lefty masher Rob Refsnyder in free agency, but they’re planning to give Abreu more at-bats against southpaws. Relegating the righty-hitting Campbell to a short side platoon role isn’t ideal for his development. Breslow pointed to 29-year-old Nate Eaton as a possibility to pick up some of the at-bats that Refsnyder had taken.

It leaves Campbell without a clear role as Spring Training approaches. If the Red Sox don’t feel he’s a viable infielder, he’s not going to have much utility off the bench. He still has two minor league options and could go back to Triple-A. That’s the likeliest outcome to begin the season and would at least give him continued work in the outfield. They can bide their time that way, but it’s clearly not an ideal setup for a player who very recently looked like a franchise player.

There hasn’t been anything to suggest the Red Sox are considering trade possibilities this offseason. Although Campbell’s extension doesn’t preclude them from trading him, it’d be essentially without precedent for a team to sell low on a top prospect who is one season into an eight-year deal. The Sox could probably shed the entire contract if that were their only goal, but they’d need to accept pennies on the dollar in terms of the trade return.

Maybe the situation will sort itself out early in the season. An outfield injury or two could get Campbell into the lineup. No one is writing off his career before he turns 24. It’s nevertheless rare for opportunities to dry up as quickly as they have for a player who was held in this regard as a prospect. If Campbell spends the first half of the season in the minors and the Sox are contending, he may become a more realistic trade candidate around the deadline.

Image courtesy of John Jones, Imagn Images.

Red Sox Sign Tayron Guerrero To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox announced the signing of reliever Tayron Guerrero to a minor league deal with an invite to MLB camp. Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects first reported the agreement earlier this month.

Guerrero returns to affiliated ball after spending the 2025 season in Japan. The hulking 6’8″ righty signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines last offseason. It was his second stint with the club, as Guerrero also pitched for the Marines back in 2022. His first stint went better than last year’s, as he allowed a 6.41 ERA over 19 2/3 NPB innings. He spent the majority of the season with their minor league affiliate as a result.

The 35-year-old Guerrero last pitched in the majors in 2019. He has 106 innings of MLB experience, turning in a 5.77 earned run average. Guerrero has allowed an even seven earned runs per nine over 117 career Triple-A frames. Various teams have been intrigued enough to continue giving him looks as a depth reliever on the strength of his velocity. Guerrero averages 99 MPH on his fastball but has never had great feel for command.

Boston will give the Colombian-born hurler a look in camp. He’s unlikely to win an Opening Day job but will have an opportunity to put himself on the radar for a midseason call if he impresses during exhibition play and with Triple-A Worcester.

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