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Jose De Leon

Tomas Nido, Jose De Leon Elect Free Agency

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Catcher Tomas Nido and right-hander Jose De Leon both recently elected to become free agents, as per the MILB.com transactions log.  The Red Sox outrighted De Leon off their 40-man roster last week, while Nido was outrighted off the Tigers’ 40-man roster back in May and was never added back.  These outrights and the fact that both players have over three years of MLB service time allowed the duo to test the open market.

A veteran of nine Major League seasons, Nido appeared in 10 games with the Tigers after inking a minor league pact last offseason, and hit .343/.361/.343 over 37 plate appearances on the active roster.  Jake Rogers suffered an oblique strain in April that opened the door for Detroit to select Nido’s contract, and the Tigers then designated Nido for assignment and outrighted him once Rogers was healthy.  Nido could’ve declined the outright assignment and become a free agent then, but instead chose to stay at Triple-A Toledo in a depth role, suiting up in 48 games for the Mud Hens and hitting .209/.267/.331 over 189 PA.

Nido is a classic glove-first backstop, with only a .215/.249/.310 slash line to show for his 982 PA in the majors (895 of them with the Mets).  The 31-year-old will surely land another minor league deal this winter with another team looking for experienced catching depth, though it’ll likely require another injury further up the depth chart for Nido to get any significant MLB playing time in 2026.

The Red Sox signed De Leon to a minor league contract last winter, and selected him to the active roster to make a start in Boston’s very last game of the regular season, as the Sox were saving their regular starters for the playoffs.  De Leon tossed a quality start (6 2/3 IP, three ER on eight hits and three walks, with eight strikeouts) to earn his first big league win since the 2019 season, when De Leon was still a member of the Rays.

De Leon was one of baseball’s more highly-touted pitching prospects during his minor league days, but he has amassed only 72 MLB innings over parts of seven seasons since making his debut in the Show in September 2016.  A pair of Tommy John surgeries and several other injuries were roadblocks in De Leon’s career, and the second of those TJ procedures (in June 2023) cost the righty the entire 2024 season.  De Leon has a 7.13 ERA over his 72 innings in the bigs, and some major control problems contributed to his 6.93 ERA in 75 1/3 frames with Triple-A Worcester in 2025.

Red Sox Outright Isaiah Campbell, José De León

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The Red Sox have outrighted right-handers Isaiah Campbell and José De León to Triple-A Worcester, according to their transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates both players cleared waivers in recent days.

There was no previous indication that either player had been designated for assignment but these kinds of moves are common at this time of year, as most clubs are facing upcoming roster crunches. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series, meaning several players need to retake 40-man spots. Some will also become free agents but many clubs often end up with more than 40 players in the mix. RosterResource estimates the Sox at 43 players, even with the assumption that Alex Bregman will opt out while Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks will have their mutual options declined. These two outrights drop them to 41, meaning another move will still be required at some point in the coming weeks, unless Trevor Story also opts out.

De Leon’s removal isn’t surprising. He spent 2025 with the Sox on a minor league deal. He was added to the 40-man roster on the last day of the regular season. The Sox had already clinched a playoff spot and had nothing on the line. De León was given the ball to soak up some innings, allowing Boston to save some of their other arms for the playoffs. He tossed 6 2/3, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out eight.

A former top prospect, his career has been severely sidelined by injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries. He debuted way back in 2016 but has just 72 big league innings under his belt. He logged 75 1/3 innings for Worcester in 2025 with a 6.93 earned run average, 24.6% strikeout rate and 14.4% walk rate. Players can reject an outright assignment and elect free agency if they have three years of big league service or a previous outright. De Leon qualifies on both accounts and should hit the open market soon.

This is Campbell’s first career outright and he doesn’t have three years of big league service. However, he was non-tendered after 2024, which should make him eligible for minor league free agency. The righty has 43 innings of big league experience. Most of that came with the 2023 Mariners. He was traded to the Red Sox going into 2024 for Luis Urías. The Sox have used him sparingly in the two seasons since, with fewer than ten appearances in each campaign. As mentioned, he was non-tendered after 2024 but then was re-signed via a minor league deal. He was added back to the 40-man in July.

His minor league track record is good but his results backed up this year. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 105 2/3 innings on the farm with a 2.04 ERA, 29.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate. This year, it was 57 2/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA, 18.1% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate.

Photo courtesy of Bob DeChiara, Imagn Images

Red Sox Select José De León

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The Red Sox have selected the contract of right-hander José De León. They had a 40-man vacancy due to Ali Sánchez being outrighted last week. Left-hander Chris Murphy has been optioned to open an active roster spot.

De León, 33, is going to start today’s game for the Red Sox. Lucas Giolito was lined up to potentially take the ball today. He probably would have done so if they still needed to clinch a playoff spot. However, now that the Sox have a spot secured, it appears they will hold Giolito back so that he’s available for the Wild Card series.

Instead, they will give the ball to De León. Despite his age and former status as a top prospect, his major league track record is still limited. He debuted back in 2016 and has appeared in six different big league seasons but has thrown just 65 1/3 innings with a 7.44 earned run average. Injuries have been a major storyline in his career. His 2023 season was cut short by Tommy John surgery, the second of his career.

Due to that surgery, he missed the entire 2024 season, at least in terms of affiliated ball. He played some winter ball in Puerto Rico in 2024-25, demonstrating enough health for the Sox to give him a minor league deal heading into 2025. He made 22 appearances for the WooSox this year, 13 of them being starts, logging 75 1/3 innings overall with a 6.93 ERA. His 14.4% walk rate was quite poor but he struck out 24.6% of batters faced.

His last appearance was September 20th, just over a week ago, when he logged 4 1/3 innings, walking four but striking out eight. Presumably, the Sox will throw him out there to soak up as many innings as he can, so that they can save Giolito and some of their relievers for the Wild Card round. There is an off-day tomorrow, so the relievers don’t need to be sealed in bubble wrap, but it makes sense for the club to focus on their workloads and make sure they’re all fresh for Tuesday.

De León is out of options and may end up getting bumped off the roster shortly. It’s been suggested by some members of the Boston media that the club may want to have Sánchez on the postseason roster as a third catcher, which would free up manager Alex Cora to be more aggressive in removing his catchers for pinch-hitters or pinch-runners. Since De León is likely up for a one-day mop-up assignment, he may end up the sacrificial lamb for that move.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images

Red Sox, Jose De Leon Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have a minor league deal with José De León, according to Francys Romero. The righty first implied that he’d reached an agreement with Boston on social media.

De León, now 32, was once a top prospect while he was coming up through the Dodgers’ system. Injuries have largely prevented him from carving out a consistent role. De León has pitched in parts of six seasons but didn’t reach 20 major league frames in any. That has been divided among four teams. His most recent action came with the Twins two years ago. De León gave up 10 runs (nine earned) in 17 1/3 innings. He recorded 17 strikeouts while issuing five walks.

That season was cut short in June. De León underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, five years removed from his first such procedure. That ill-timed operation cost him the entire ’24 campaign. De León was outrighted off Minnesota’s 40-man roster during the 2023-24 offseason. He remained a free agent last year but made his comeback in winter ball in his native Puerto Rico.

De León impressed Boston evaluators enough to get another affiliated opportunity. He’ll likely begin the season with Triple-A Worcester. De León has solid numbers at the top minor league level. He carries a 3.44 ERA over 199 Triple-A innings divided between six seasons. De León hasn’t found much success in his scattered MLB opportunities. He has allowed 7.44 earned runs per nine over 65 1/3 big league frames despite a near-27% strikeout rate.

Twins Outright Jordan Luplow

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The Twins announced to reporters, including Dan Hayes of The Athletic, that outfielder Jordan Luplow elected free agency after being outrighted off the 40-man roster. Outfielder Andrew Stevenson and right-hander José De León, who were outrighted last week, also elected free agency. The removal of Luplow opens up another spot on Minnesota’s 40-man roster in advance of the offseason.

Luplow, 30, has bounced around the league quite a bit in his career, with teams often trying to deploy him as a lefty-mashing right-handed role player. He has shown enough flashes of promise in this role that he has been employed in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Tampa and Arizona in previous seasons. His best stretch was with Cleveland in 2019 when he hit .276/.372/.551 in 261 plate appearances for a wRC+ of 141, most of that damage being done against southpaws.

He was cut by the Diamondbacks at the end of 2022 and then signed with Atlanta on a one-year deal with a $1.4MM guarantee. But he was optioned to the minors to start the year and was designated for assignment in early April, never suiting up for Atlanta at the big league level. Waivers claims would take him to the Blue Jays and Twins as the season progressed and he eventually got into 39 games in the most recent season. He hit a paltry .154/.267/.154 against righties but his .235/.350/.412 line with the platoon advantage amounted to a wRC+ of 110.

Despite that solid work in his specific role, Luplow didn’t crack the club’s playoff roster. He could have been retained for 2024 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a salary of $1.6MM, but it seems the Twins weren’t willing to keep him around at that price point. Since Luplow was outrighted, that means he passed through waivers unclaimed.

Players with more than three years of service time or a previous career outright can reject a further outright assignment in favor of free agency. Luplow qualifies on both accounts and will now head to the open market. He will likely garner interest from clubs this winter, likely for a similar depth role to the one he filled this year.

Twins Outright Andrew Stevenson, José De León

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The Twins have outrighted right-hander José De León and outfielder Andrew Stevenson, per the transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates both players were removed from the 40-man roster after passing through waivers unclaimed.

Stevenson, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Twins in March and was selected to the roster in September. He had a strong performance in Triple-A, hitting .317/.394/.522 while stealing 44 bases. He got into 25 games at the big league level down the stretch but hit just .189/.250/.216 in those, though he did add another four steals.

Any of the 30 other clubs could have added Stevenson via a waiver claim but he’s out of options, meaning he would need an active roster spot going forward as well. It seems none of them were willing to do so and he passed through waivers unclaimed. Since he has been previously outrighted in his career, he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency. His strong season at the Triple-A level will surely be enough to get him another minor league deal this winter.

De León, 31, was once considered one of the best prospects in the league but has been repeatedly setback by injuries. He tossed 17 1/3 innings for the Twins this year but required Tommy John surgery in June. It was the second such procedure of his career, the first coming back in 2018. He spent the latter months of the 2023 campaign on the 60-day injured list and will likely miss most of the 2024 season as well.

The righty would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter but the Twins have removed him from the roster instead and the 29 other clubs passed on the chance to grab him, which is understandable given that he won’t be able to provide much in the upcoming season. Since he has over three years of major league service time, he has the right to elect free agency. Based on his prospect pedigree, he should be able to land a minor league somewhere, perhaps of the two-year variety since his 2024 is up in the air right now.

Twins Select Dallas Keuchel, Place Joe Ryan On IL

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The Twins announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who triggered an opt-out in his minor league deal two days ago. In order open space for him on their roster, right-hander Joe Ryan has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left groin strain while righty José De León will be transferred to the 60-day IL.

Keuchel, 35, is looking to bounce back from a rough stretch in the big leagues in the previous two years. After close to a decade of effective pitching, including a Cy Young-winning season in 2015, the lefty allowed 6.35 earned runs per nine innings over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He started that time period with the White Sox but bounced to the Diamondbacks and Rangers last year, with each club trying unsuccessfully to get him back to his previous form.

The Twins signed him to a minor league in June of this year, at which time it was reported that he had done some work with Driveline Baseball to restore some velocity and movement to his pitches. The early results of that have been encouraging, as he made six Triple-A starts lately with a 1.13 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and 61.5% ground ball rate.

He had a couple of opt-outs on that minor league deal, the first of which was about two weeks ago. He skipped that first chance, likely due to the fact that his second chance would be on trade deadline day, when new opportunities might emerge. He triggered that second opt-out on Tuesday, giving the Twins 48 hours to either select his contract or release him back to free agency.

There were arguments to both sides of the choice. On the one hand, Keuchel had previously shown literal Cy Young upside and was again posting encouraging results. On the other hand, his recent improved form was a small sample in the minors and it’s been quite a while since he was effective at the major league level. Plus, the Twins had a strong group of five starters in Ryan, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Pablo López and Bailey Ober. But it now seems Keuchel will get his shot after all, with Ryan now going on the IL.

It’s unclear exactly when Ryan suffered his injury but his results have been getting worse as the season has gone along. His ERA was sitting at 2.98 after a complete game shutout against the Red Sox on June 22. Since then, however, he’s allowed 31 earned runs in 32 1/3 innings, bringing his season ERA to 4.43.

It hasn’t been reported how long Ryan is expected to be out, but it seems Keuchel will take his spot in the rotation for at least a couple of turns. The southpaw will try to revive his reputation as a viable major league starter while the Twins try to hold onto the lead in the American League Central. They just barely have a winning record at 55-54 but that’s still good enough for a two-game cushion in the division.

De León required Tommy John surgery in June, so this transfer was an inevitable formality. He’ll be out for the rest of this year and at least the first half of next year as well.

José De León To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Twins right-hander José De León has a torn ligament in his elbow and will require Tommy John surgery, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune. As Nightengale points out, this will be the second Tommy John for De León, who also underwent the procedure in 2018.

It’s a very unfortunate blow for De León, 30, who has been repeatedly beset by injuries throughout his career. He was once considered one of the top prospects in the league, with Baseball America putting him in the top 30 of their top 100 list in 2016 and 2017. His first TJS wiped out his 2018 and part of his 2019, then he struggled to get on track in 2020 and 2021. He signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays last year but was injured in the spring and didn’t pitch in an official game until August.

This year, De León seemed to be on a good track. He joined Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, racking up 10 strikeouts in that time. He then joined Triple-A St. Paul and posted a 3.62 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. That got him back to the big leagues and he had a 4.67 ERA through 17 1/3 innings for the Twins before landing on the injured list yesterday with a strain in his right flexor muscle.

Sadly, his most encouraging performance in years will now be ended prematurely. He will miss the remainder of the 2023 campaign and likely much of the 2024 season as well, given then 14 to 18 months of recovery that are generally needed after TJS.

He will surely be transferred to the 60-day injured list as soon as the Twins require his roster spot and will stay there for the rest of the season, collecting major league pay for the next few months. He will cross three years of service time in the process and be eligible for arbitration this winter, though the club will likely opt for a non-tender with his upcoming absence and uncertain health status.

Twins Place Jose De Leon On 15-Day Injured List

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The Twins placed right-hander Jose De Leon on the 15-day injured list due to a strain in his right flexor muscle.  Righty Josh Winder was called up from Triple-A to take De Leon’s spot on the active roster.

De Leon suffered the injury as he was preparing to enter yesterday’s game, a 3-2 Twins loss to the Tigers.  The righty was on the mound and throwing warmup pitches when he suddenly grabbed his arm in obvious pain after tossing his final pitch.  Speaking with MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other reporters afterwards, De Leon said his elbow had swollen and the sharp pain in his right arm felt like an “electric shock.”

There wasn’t any doubt that De Leon would be headed to the 15-day IL, though the full extent of the injury won’t be known until he undergoes an MRI.  Flexor strains can vary greatly based on the severity — some pitchers are able to return to action within a few weeks’ time, while others face the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery.  De Leon is unfortunately no stranger to such a procedure, as a TJ surgery cost him the entire 2018 season.

That 2018 surgery and some other injuries quite possibly changed the course of De Leon’s entire career, as he had been a top-100 prospect over the previous two seasons while pitching in the Dodgers and Rays farm systems.  De Leon has since become a journeyman, pitching for six different organizations over the course of his career.  He has tossed 65 1/3 innings over parts of six MLB seasons, and his 17 1/3 frames for the Twins in 2023 marks the second-highest inning total of his big league career.

Minnesota signed De Leon to a minor league deal over the offseason and selected his contract to the active roster in May.  He has a 4.67 ERA with respectable strikeout (24.3%) and walk (7.1%) rates, and his 3.67 SIERA is a full run lower than his ERA, indicating that De Leon has been a bit unlucky with his bottom-line results.  For now, however, the hope is that De Leon can get some good fortune and avoid another long-term injury setback.

Twins Select José De León

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The Twins are going to select right-hander José De León to their roster, reports Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. He will take the active roster spot of fellow righty Jorge Alcalá, who is going on the 15-day injured list. The club already had an opening on their 40-man roster after losing righty Dereck Rodríguez off waivers to the Braves yesterday. The club has subsequently announced the moves, listing Alcalá’s ailment as a right forearm extensor muscle strain. His IL placement is retroactive to May 15.

De León, 30, was once one of the top prospects in the league. Originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2013, he impressed prospect evaluators enough to land on Baseball America’s top 100 list in both 2016 and 2017, placing in the top 30 both of those years. Unfortunately, he’s battled significant injuries since then and still hasn’t been able to carve out a lengthy stay in the big leagues.

He was traded to the Rays prior to 2017 but then required Tommy John surgery going into 2018. He returned in 2019 and was traded to the Reds after that season. He struggled in his time with that club and was released after 2021. He was with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal last year but got hurt in Spring Training and didn’t debut until August.

Through all of that, he has an 8.44 ERA in the big leagues through 48 innings that have been scattered across five different seasons with three different clubs. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins this offseason and is off to a good start. He’s tossed 27 1/3 innings across nine Triple-A appearances, four of them starts. He has a 3.62 ERA, 22.2% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 41.6% ground ball rate.

That showing has impressed the Minnesota brass enough that the righty will get back to the majors. He is out of options and can’t be easily sent back to the minors later in the year, but he does have just two years and 95 days of major league service time. That means that he could be cheaply retained for future seasons via arbitration if he manages to hang onto his roster spot all year long.

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