The Red Sox signed righty Sean O’Sullivan to a minor league deal earlier this week, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.
O’Sullivan posted a 6.08 ERA, 4.4 K/9 and 1.75 K/BB rate over 71 innings for the Phillies last season, all of them as a starting pitcher. O’Sullivan was one of 14 pitchers who made starts for Philadelphia in 2015 as the Phils tried to both sort out their future rotation options and find some veterans (like O’Sullivan) to eat some innings. It’s likely that Boston will use O’Sullivan as minor league rotation depth.
A third-round pick for the Angels in the 2005 draft, O’Sullivan has a 5.95 ERA and 4.3 K/9 over 302 1/3 career Major League innings with the Angels, Royals, Padres and Phillies.
Hope the Sox never need him to pitch MLB innings.
You’d have to figure at least 5 guys would have to get hurt before O’Sullivan’s name was called.
The Phillies chose to prematurely call up their best pitching prospect (Nola) since Cole Hamels rather than let O’sullivan continue to start games.
Every team has a handful of these signings every year. He’ll spend the year in Pawtucket possibly making the big league team in a) September to have a spare arm in the pen, b) A massive number of injuries strike the Sox, c) the incredibly unlikely possibility that he turns things around because some coach corrects a flaw.
I’m always a little shocked at how many of these bottom end starters with apparently nothing going for them end up as excellent relievers. Maybe?
honestly, how could the Sox pass up on someone named O’Sullivan?
If you’re going to be in AAA ball, what better place is there than Pawtucket?