The Red Sox have claimed righty Roman Mendez off waivers from the Rangers, Boston announced (h/t to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, on Twitter). A 40-man spot was cleared by placing Koji Uehara on the 60-day DL.
Mendez, 25, was designated by Texas earlier this month as part of the team’s September call-up plan. While he was able to put up 33 innings of 2.18 ERA pitching in his MLB debut last year, that success was not supported by the peripherals and he was knocked around in his brief big league action in 2015.
Now, Mendez will head back to Boston, which originally shipped him to Texas as part of the return for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Mendez has put up better strikeout-to-walk numbers in the minors , including 8.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 over 67 Triple-A innings, and the Red Sox will hope that he can make the final step in his development and become a big league contributor.
Looking over that deal for Salty again, saw Michael Thomas’ name. Reminded of him and always wondered why Boston ever drafted him in the 1st place. Never, ever hit in college. Not THAT great on defense and as remember? The kid had a broken throwing wrist when he was drafted.
Just one of those peculiarities, where teams must see something really bright, or in this case both Boston and Texas to trade for him, since he didn’t hit in pro ball either a couple years before getting released.
Huh? I’m reading the name now and it says Michael Thomas is a Pitcher in the Dodgers system who was drafted in 2011 by the Dodgers. I assume there is more than 1 Michael Thomas, but Wiki only has this one,and another one who was drafted back in 89 (yes Eighty Nine) by the Mets, also a pitcher.
Hi MB,
Look up Mendez on B/Reference, then the trade that sent him to Texas. Can see that Thomas was the player to be named later in the deal.
He was actually drafted 2 times. 2nd time was by Boston in the 12th round of of 2009. Looked on Soxprospects to see if they still had anything regarding him and they had this left:
“Athletic and sturdy frame. Very strong arm. Nice catch and release action. Displays gap power to all fields. Smart. ”
Nothing with regards to what his signing bonus.
This sounds like another, less established, Ryan Cook move. Ugh