The Red Sox are promoting right-hander Jack Anderson, according to Ari Alexander of 7News. Anderson is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the Red Sox will need to clear a spot for him before the move can be made official. The righty is now in line to make his MLB debut when he gets into a game with Boston.
Anderson, 26, was a 16th-round pick by the Tigers back in 2021. He was plucked from that organization by the Red Sox during the minor league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft and has been in his new organization for two years now. Anderson was utilized as a pure reliever during his time with the Tigers, but since joining the Red Sox he’s gotten some looks out of the rotation. After posting a 3.58 ERA in 75 1/3 innings at Double-A last year while being primarily used as a multi-inning reliever, Anderson finished the year with two start at Triple-A where he posted a lackluster 5.59 ERA but struck out an impressive 29.7% of his opponents.
This spring, Anderson appeared in the World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Great Britain. He struck out three and walked none in three innings of one-run ball in his lone start for them. That came against Team Mexico and a stacked lineup that featured the likes of Jarren Duran, Randy Arozarena, Jonathan Aranda and Alejandro Kirk. Anderson’s impressive showing wasn’t enough to win Great Britain the game or help them advance out of the pool stage, but he’s continued to look good since returning to Triple-A.
In his first two starts of the year at the level, he’s posted a 3.72 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work while punching out 22.5% of his opponents. Taken together, Anderson’s last five starts (between Triple-A and the WBC) have looked rather solid. He’s pitched to a 4.43 ERA while striking out 26.1% of his opponents. He’s topped out at 77 pitches in those outings (76 this year), so he seems better suited for a multi-inning relief role in the majors, but his ability to rack up strikeouts at a solid clip should make him an interesting addition to the big league pitching staff in Boston.
Anderson’s call-up comes on the heels of a disastrous start from ace Garrett Crochet where he lasted just 1 2/3 innings before departing the game. That left Jovani Moran, Tyler Samaniego, and Ryan Watson to each handle two-plus innings of work, depleting the bullpen of long relief talent. Barring a surprise injury for Crochet, it seems reasonable to expect that Anderson will be joining the roster in place of one of those long relief arms. Samaniego is the only one of that trio who can be optioned to the minors. Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert are the only other Red Sox relievers with options remaining, and while neither pitched yesterday both have struggled in the early going this year.
Crochet to IL imminent
Nah. But this is due to him pitching 1 inning yesterday.
More like kyjellysox
You enjoy eating sack for lunch bro?
Ruh roh spaghetti ohs if true
Timing is conspicuous, but they wouldn’t do this so soon after insisting he’s 100% healthy last night …. would they?
Anderson is a relief pitcher. If Crochet was going on IL they would bring up a starter
Mike – Please click on Anderson’s link above. He’s been a SP with Worcester.
Anderson was utilized as a pure reliever during his time with the Tigers, but since joining the Red Sox he’s gotten some looks out of the rotation.
Red Sox dont have a long reliever right now. They’re not going to promote a guy who hasnt pitched since last week, just to sit on the bench until Crochet’s next turn.If they wanted him to start, management wouldve waited until Crochet’s next start before promoting him.
If Crochet isnt going on his next turn, they’ll promote someone (Tolle?) to replace Anderson.
If they were after a starter, why wouldn’t they promote Tolle?
bass – He pitched just 2 days ago.
This move also wouldn’t need to be made until he’s ready if they wanted a starter
FPG
This is highly concerning.!!!! A pitcher going way past 200 innings last year for the 1st time and coming off a 107 pitch outing so early in the season. How he performs in his next start could be the most important game of this young season. We have all seen this type of situation play out before .. He is by far the most important player on this team. I don’t even like thinking about it .
cdc – hi!
I wouldn’t put a lot of weight into his next performance. Since March 21 he has been awful every other start. I think he’s fighting through some type of physical issue, we all know pitchers can pitch through certain physical issues … remember Lackey pitching hurt all year before getting surgery.
The fact he didn’t get angry or fall back on his 98MPH heater leads me to believe it’s health related.
Anderson is here as a placeholder and long relief. If Crochet (big if) cant go on his next turn, Tolle will be brought up and replace Anderson.
Sounds like Anderson will be doing the Worcester Shuffle this season. He’d better purchase an EZPass.
Assuming Crochet is injured and needs to be IL’d (which they haven’t given any indication is the case), they could call up Anderson to pitch some long relief innings over the next few days, then send him down and bring up Tolle when Crochet’s spot in the rotation comes back around.
This is possible, but considering that Anderson is viewed in scouting reports as an ‘org arm’ it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s DFAd in short time to re-open a 40 spot rather than being sent back down.
The Red Sox transaction when replacing him will give us a better idea of what they think of him.
Sure, depends on if the organization needs a 40-man spot when they’re ready to replace Anderson on the major league roster. If they don’t, they can option him back to Worcester and if they do, they can D him FA. There is value in a guy with options who can throw even vaguely passable big league innings. Whether Anderson can do that or not is yet to be determined.
ultra:
Spot on. Anderson will go back down.
SPs Tolle, Bennett, Uberstine, Sandoval (rehab), and Crawford (rehab) all better pitchers than Anderson, and are already on the 40-man.
Crochet’s start reminds of a Bob Gibson story. Gibby was getting rocked but everyone was afraid to go to the mound. Finally the manager came out and took the ball. Gibson looked up and said, “Where the hell have you been, I got nothing.”
Hopefully just a hiccup…. It’s happened to all the Red Sox greats.. Pedro, Roger, Lester, all except 70….
olm – No other pitcher in Sox history has given up 10 ER in less than 2 innings!
I give up …. 70?
18 more days!!!!!
I give up…, 18 more days?
Jack Anderson was a controversial columnist in the 1970s and 1980s.
Controversial? Only by today’s metrics.
His head would explode if he was alive today.
Beset by the nattering nabobs and other traitors, Nixon went so far as to create an enemies list, tallying up all the celebrities, politicians and journalists who had it in for him. The list included 56 television reporters, newspaper columnists, and others; the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC and CBS were all well represented. At the top was the syndicated columnist Jack Anderson. Nixon’s conspirators, among them former FBI and CIA agents, actually considered putting LSD on Anderson’s steering wheel or spiking one of his drinks with an undetectable poison.
Tarik Skubal left start against Twins in 5th inning last week. They are just hitting good against LH SP this month. Hope Crochet bounces back but lowering ERA will be a season long issue now. Probably barely a Top 5 or 10 CY Young vote placement this season, if he makes rest of his regular starts.
Yes, good point and Skenes got hammered too in his first start this year.
Happens to the best of em.
By the … Mets.
Also put up 8 runs against Framber Valdez.