Podcast Ep. #426: Breaking Down The Adley Rutschman Trade

Ian Cundall and Mike Andrews are back to talk about all the moves the Red Sox made at the Trade Deadline. They start off with their general thoughts before diving into each specific move and then talk about the injury news and whether or not we could see Franklin Arias this season. Then, to end the show, they go through the latest minor league transactions.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Hull hits first home run for Drive; Arias collects three hits

8/5 Cup of Coffee: It was a memorable night for 2026 second-rounder Owen Hull, as he hit the first home run of his professional career in a slugfest win for the Drive. Franklin Arias and Allan Castro each recorded three-hit games in a loss for the WooSox, while Miguel Bleis had a big game in a loss for the Sea Dogs. Salem put up ten runs in their series opener, with Kleyver Salazar continuing his recent hot streak. Miguel Welch led the DSL Blue team to a win while the DSL Red team was shut out.  

 

-----

 

Lehigh Valley IronPigs (PHI) 10, Worcester Red Sox 5

Franklin Arias can breathe a sigh of relief as the trade deadline has passed and he remains a part of the Red Sox organization. In Tuesday night's game, Arias continued his strong start since being promoted to Worcester as he went 3 for 5 to bump his batting average to .286 through eight games. Allan Castro also put together a big game for the WooSox, going 3 for 4 with a walk and an RBI single in the fifth. Kristian Campbell was 1 for 3 with a walk and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Andrew Knizner went 2 for 5, driving in a run and scoring a run. 

Read full post ...

Minor Notes: Red Sox trade three top prospects for Rutschman

Coming off their best month in franchise history, the Red Sox have surged into a wild card spot and the third-best record in the American League. Boston's remarkable turnaround positioned the team as solid buyers entering Monday's trade deadline and the Red Sox delivered with their most active deadline in the Craig Breslow era. In non-deadline news over the past week, Boston's first two picks in the 2026 draft made their professional debuts and Yoeilin Cespedes was promoted to Portland. 

 

-----

 

Red Sox add Rutschman in busy trade deadline 

The Red Sox made one of the biggest splashes in the league at the trade deadline, solidifying their catching room with three-time All-Star Adley Rutschman and veteran Jake Rogers. The Red Sox sent a haul to Baltimore in return, shipping out three top-ten prospects in Anthony Eyanson (No. 2), Kyson Witherspoon (No. 3), and Enddy Azocar (No. 6), along with catcher Carlos Narvaez and a player to be named later. Eyanson and Witherspoon, the crown jewels of Boston's 2025 draft class, were the top two pitching prospects in the Red Sox system. Eyanson has been phenomenal in his first professional season, posting a 1.32 ERA with 94 strikeouts through 68 1/3 innings in Greenville and Portland. Witherspoon, Boston's first-round selection a year ago, has had mixed results with a 4.78 ERA through 75 1/3 frames in Greenville but he has improved recently after a shaky start to the season. Azocar was in the midst of a breakout season between Salem and Greenville, slashing .286/.341/.540 with 18 home runs and 11 stolen bases. Azocar has five-tool potential and is likely to stick in center field long-term. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Griman, Perez combine to throw no-hitter in DSL

8/4 Cup of Coffee: On an otherwise busy trade deadline day, Boston's Dominican Summer League affiliates went 1-1 on Monday. Most notably, Allan Griman and Leosmar Perez combined to throw a seven-inning no-hitter for the Blue squad.

-----

DSL Red Sox Blue 1, DSL Braves 0

Allan Griman picked up his first win of the season in the best start of his professional career to date. Over five scoreless, no-hit innings, he scattered three walks and struck out eight of the 16 batters he faced. Leosmar Perez followed with three strikeouts across two scoreless, no-hit frames of his own to secure his first save as a pro. Offensively, Enmanuel Figuereo accounted for the Blue squad's only hit, going 1 for 3 with a single. Esterlin Casanova drove in the game's lone run when he grounded into a force out that scored Garielvin Silverio from third in the sixth inning.

Read full post ...

July Players of the Month: Kleyver Salazar and Anthony Eyanson

The fourth full month of the minor league season is complete. With that, it is time to present the SoxProspects.com Players of the Month for July to catcher Kleyver Salazar (pictured, left) and right-hander Anthony Eyanson (pictured, bottom right). While Salazar is unranked, Eyanson is currently ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the organization behind only Franklin Arias.

Salazar is a SoxProspects.com Player of the Month honoree for the first time after an exceptional July with Salem. In 17 games for the RidgeYaks, the right-handed hitting 20-year-old batted .386/.507/.632 with five doubles, three home runs, 17 RBI, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, 14 walks, and 13 strikeouts over 71 plate appearances. His best stretch came from July 11-23, when he notched three three-hit games during a six-game hitting streak.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Cespedes debuts for Portland; Azocar and Primera go deep

8/3 Cup of Coffee: Worcester, Portland, and Greenville were all victorious, with both Portland and Greenville scoring double-digit runs. Yoeilin Cespedes helped the Sea Dogs in his debut, Enddy Azocar (pictured) and Jake Schaffner led the Drive, while Franklin Primera went deep for Salem. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 4, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 1

The WooSox pushed their winning streak to five games as they three-hit the Tides. Raymond Burgos got the win with five innings of one-run ball. He has an ERA of just 1.84 over his last three starts. Eduardo Rivera struck out two over two hitless frames, and Tyler Uberstine picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. Leadoff man Braiden Ward reached an impressive milestone as he swiped three bags to give him 50 on the season. Nobody else in the International League has reached 40 steals. He also went 1 for 3 with a walk and an RBI. Mikey Romero opened the scoring with an RBI single, and he finished 1 for 3 with two walks. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Zanetello knocks four hits, Eaton drills late homer

8/2 Cup of Coffee: The system nearly went undefeated on Saturday, but Salem's late comeback bid fell short. Each of the three affiliates that did come out on top did so in different ways, as Nate Eaton hit a home run in extra innings to power Worcester to victory, while Portland came back from 4-0 down despite registering just eight hits. Greenville hit enough for all three, registering 19. That included four from Nazzan Zanetello (pictured), as well as a pair each by Owen Hull and Jake Schaffner, who made their professional debuts for the Drive.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 4, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 3 (10 innings)

There was some extra-inning drama in Virginia, as the teams headed to extras tied 2-2 after the host Tide knotted the contest with a run in the seventh. Nate Eaton provided the fireworks to give the WooSox the lead for good, drilling a two-run home run that helped withstand a run in the bottom half of the 10th. Franklin Arias was 1 for 5 in the leadoff spot and continued getting reps at second base, while his middle infield partner, Vinny Capra, delivered two hits. Alec Gamboa had the start, throwing 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked one and allowed one run on four hits. The other two runs were charged to Devin Sweet and Hobie Harris, who each contributed two frames.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Arias powers WooSox win; Eyanson fans ten for Portland

8/1 Cup of Coffee: The organization earned a split decision to close out the July calendar. Franklin Arias (pictured) led the way in his best game since his promotion to Triple-A to power red-hot Worcester. Devin Futrell cruised to push Greenville's winning streak to five games. Portland and Salem fell despite strong starts from Anthony Eyanson and Sadbiel Delzine. The head-to-head contest between Boston's two DSL squads was paused in the second inning. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 9, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 6

Nine of the game's 15 runs were scored in the 10th inning as Worcester won for the ninth time in 10 games. Franklin Arias led the way in his best game since last week's promotion from Portland. Arias, who entered the contest 3 for 20 since the promotion, led off the game with a homer, ripped an RBI double in the seventh, and delivered a two-run single to cap the 10th-inning rally. He also drew a walk, his fourth in six games. Andrew Knizner joined Arias with a three-hit effort that included a double and a walk. Kristian Campbell was 2 for 4 in his third straight multi-hit game and sixth in his last seven starts. Campbell is hitting .404/.541/.576 during a 16-game on-base streak. Jason Delay and Tsung-Che Cheng had matching lines, both going 2 for 5 with a double. 

Read full post ...

Jack Winnay making strides with increased bat speed

The resurgence in the Sox farm system this season has been fueled by a number of breakout performances. Much of the attention has gone to prospects in the system's top 10, including Anthony Eyanson, Franklin Primera, and Sadbiel Delzine. Some other notable improvements and breakouts have flown under the radar, and among the most notable has been Jack Winnay (pictured).

Winnay was selected in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft by Boston out of Wake Forest. A native of Newton and former graduate of Belmont Hill High School, the 23-year-old has noted it has been "a dream come true" playing for his hometown team.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Rodriguez has seven hits in doubleheader; Holobetz makes Triple-A debut

7/31 Cup of Coffee: Boston's affiliates went 6-1 on a busy Thursday. John Holobetz struck out six over 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his Triple-A debut for Worcester. Ahbram Liendo came through with a home run and a walk-off single for Portland. Yophery Rodriguez (pictured) tallied seven hits as Greenville poured on 22 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Asheville. Brady Tygart had a solid night on the mound for Salem.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 3, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 1

John Holobetz impressed and picked up the win in his Triple-A debut. The righty went 5 2/3 innings in his first start for Worcester, allowing only one earned run on four hits (including one home run), no walks, and six strikeouts. He threw 71 pitches (55 strikes) and generated 12 whiffs. Eduardo Rivera, Hobie Harris, and Tommy Kahnle combined for six additional strikeouts across 3 1/3 scoreless frames of relief. At the plate, Kristian Campbell stayed hot, going 2 for 3 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Nate Eaton and Vinny Capra each drove in a run as well. Andrew Knizner doubled, scored once, and drew one walk. Braiden Ward scored one run and stole his 47th base of the season. Franklin Arias singled and drew two walks.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Azocar, Gonzles support Witherspoon in Greenville rout

7/30 Cup of Coffee: The tag team of Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar (pictured) continues to wreak havoc at the top of the Greenville lineup. On Wednesday, both homered in a blowout victory in support of Kyson Witherspoon. Blake Wehunt turned in a strong effort to lead Worcester to victory. Salem earned a split of its doubleheader as Franklin Primera returned to action, while Portland dropped its fourth straight. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 6, Norfolk Tides (BAL) 2

A solid start by Blake Wehunt was backed by an 11-hit offensive attack. Wehunt earned his first Triple-A victory in his second Worcester start allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits across five innings. He struck out four, walked two and threw 46 of his 70 pitches for strikes. Tyler Samaniego allowed just one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless, followed by 1 2/3 perfect frames by Angel Bastardo. Bastardo struck out three, and now how fanned 20 without walking a batter in eight July outings. Wyatt Olds pitched a hitless ninth, walking and striking out two apiece. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Arias blasts first Triple-A homer; Taylor reaches base four times

7/29 Cup of Coffee: It was a light slate of games for the Red Sox affiliates as both Greenville and Salem were rained out on Tuesday night. Franklin Arias homered in a loss for the WooSox, recording his first hit at the Triple-A level. As the Sea Dogs lineup adjusts to life without Arias, Tyler McDonough and Nelly Taylor (pictured) had big games in a loss for Portland. Both DSL teams won 8-7, with Joskairo Ramirez and Enmanuel Figuereo delivering standout performances. 

 

-----

 

Norfolk Tides (BAL) 4, Worcester Red Sox 3

After a pair of hitless games in his first two starts with the WooSox, Franklin Arias opened the game with a moonshot to left field off rehabbing Orioles starter Chris Bassitt. Arias went 1 for 4 with a walk on the day. The WooSox did not score again until the ninth inning, when Allan Castro scored on a wild pitch and Vinny Capra drove in a run with a single. Castro was 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. Brett Harris was 1 for 3 with a walk and scored a run. 

Read full post ...

Minor Notes: Arias headlines promotions; Early traded to Washington

With the August 3 trade deadline fast approaching, the Red Sox have gotten a head start in reinforcing the major league roster for the stretch run. They did so by linking up with the Nationals on a one-for-one swap for the second time since Paul Toboni took over as Washington's president of baseball operations last September. This week's notes will cover that deal, the arrivals of Franklin Arias (pictured, left), Blake Wehunt, and John Holobetz (pictured, bottom right) in Worcester, and much more.

-----

Early traded to Nationals

In somewhat of a stunner, the Red Sox traded rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead on Sunday. It marked the second time these two clubs have consummated a one-for-one swap since last December, when Boston acquired lefty Jake Bennett from Washington for hard-throwing righty Luis Perales.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Garcia, Osta lead Red squad over Blue squad in DSL

7/28 Cup of Coffee: Boston's two Dominican Summer League affiliates squared off against one another on Monday. Behind three scoreless innings from Steven Garcia and three hits from Jhonny Osta, the Red squad routed the Blue squad, 11-2.

-----

DSL Red Sox Red 11, DSL Red Sox Blue 2

Both starters put up similar lines in this one. For the victorious Red squad, Steven Garcia scattered one hit and four walks while striking out four over three scoreless innings. Allan Griman, likewise, struck out four and allowed only one hit across three scoreless frames for the Blue squad. Ranci Castillo pitched well out of the bullpen for the Red squad, as he struck out a pair across 1 1/3 shutout innings to end it.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Gonzales returns with a walk-off home run, Campbell doubles twice

7/27 Cup of Coffee: A walk-off home run from Justin Gonzales (pictured) was the highlight of the day on the farm. Kristian Campbell stayed hot in Worcester, Jack Winnay went deep for the Sea Dogs, and Yoeilin Cespedes and Enddy Azocar continued to show off their power in Greenville. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 4, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 3

Braiden Ward and Kristian Campbell carried the WooSox to a six-game sweep of the Jumbo Shrimp. Ward finished 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI, and he tied the game up in the eighth with a single. He scored the go-ahead run later in the inning on a fielding error. Campbell laced two doubles as part of a 2-for-3 day that included a run scored and an RBI. He is up to a .364/.509/.591 line in July. Starter Michael Sansone allowed one run and struck out three over 3 2/3 frames, and Tommy Kahnle earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings to end the game. 

Read full post ...

Podcast Ep. #425: Mead/Early Trade Reaction (Plus Worcester Notes and more)

The emergency podcast horn beckoned Ian and Chris (at the usual recording time) to the mic to discuss the first big move of the trade deadline, with the Red Sox acquiring infielder Curtis Mead from Washington in exchange for Connelly Early. The guys broke the deal down from all angles, as well as what this may mean for the rest of trade deadline week. Plus, Ian reported back some thoughts from Worcester, including Franklin Arias and Blake Wehunt's AAA debuts and why Angel Bastardo is a name to remember in the near future. Final thoughts touched on John Holobetz's promotion to Worcester and Justin Gonzales' interesting week (and its wider implications).

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Franklin Arias makes Triple-A debut

7/26 Cup of Coffee: It was a mixed bag in the minors, providing no silver linings as the big league club was one-hit. The newest Triple-A player in the system, top prospect Franklin Arias, got to make his debut not as a member of the Worcester Red Sox, but instead as a Pawtucket Hot Weiner. He was 0 for 4 but got his first RBI in a 5-0 victory. Meanwhile, Portland matched that scoreline, but not in the result, as the Sea Dogs had just two singles in a defeat. The DSL squads also earned a split, though Salem coughed up a three-run lead in the ninth and lost in extra innings, wasting a three-hit day from Franklin Primera (pictured). 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 5, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 0

The Pawtucket Hot Weiners, as the WooSox were known for the day, were definitely hot, as the pitching staff, in a true bullpen game, surrendered just three hits in a shutout, though they only notched six strikeouts. Tyler Samaniego handled the third and fourth, going six up, six down, and earned the win, while Noah Song also didn't surrender a hit across the fifth and sixth. Devin Sweet, who started, as well as Angel Bastardo, who finished the contest, scattered one hit across their two-inning outings.

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: White, Futrell help Greenville salvage twinbill split

7/25 Cup of Coffee: A full slate of games isn't what it used to be, but there was still plenty of action down on the farm on Friday. With the FCL season in the books, all six remaining teams were in action on Friday. Worcester welcomed Franklin Arias to the team, if not the lineup, with a victory, while Portland was also victorious to begin the post-Arias era. Sadbiel Delzine joined Salem to help the RidgeYaks to victory, while a big day at the plate from Hudson White (pictured) and a sterling start by Devin Futrell enabled Greenville to come back with a split in its doubleheader. The DSL squads also swept, giving the system six wins out of seven contests. 

-----

Worcester Red Sox 6, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 5

While awaiting the debut of recently promoted top prospect Franklin Arias, the WooSox took care of business in winning their third straight. The Worcester lineup handled old friend Bradley Blalock, who got the start for the Jumbo Shrimp, for nine hits and six walks in 5 2/3 innings. Kristian Campbell ran Blalock from the game in the sixth with a solo home run, his fourth of the season and second in three days. Campbell also singled and walked, and now is riding a six-game hitting streak. Mickey Gasper also extended his hitting streak, going 3 for 5 with two doubles. He is 13 for 25 during his seven-game run. Allan Castro was 3 for 4, while Vinny Capra had a pair of singles and a walk. 

Read full post ...

Cup of Coffee: Knizner, Salazar finish triple shy of cycle; FCL season ends

7/24 Cup of Coffee: Boston's affiliates went 3-3 on Thursday. Andrew Knizner (pictured) was one of four Worcester hitters to record three hits in a blowout win over Jacksonville. Franklin Arias homered, and John Holobetz struck out 10 across five scoreless innings in Portland's win over Binghamton. Greenville's game against Hub City was rained out. Kleyver Salazar stayed hot with another three-hit performance in Salem's win over Augusta. In rookie ball, Harold Rivas went deep in the FCL squad's series finale, while both DSL affiliates lost.

-----

Worcester Red Sox 15, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 1

Andrew Knizner led the charge offensively for Worcester in Thursday's matinee, going 3 for 3 with one double, one home run, six RBI, two runs scored, and three walks. Nate Eaton, Braiden Ward, and Nick Sogard enjoyed three-hit games as well. Eaton drove in two runs, scored twice, and stole one base. Ward and Sogard combined to score five runs. Jason Delay went 2 for 4 with one triple, one RBI, two runs scored, one stolen base, and one walk. Allan Castro doubled, homered, drove in three runs, and scored twice as part of a 2-for-5 afternoon. Mickey Gasper doubled, drove in one run, scored another, and drew one walk. Tyler McDonough drove in one run, scored twice, stole one base, and drew two walks.

Read full post ...

Podcast Ep. #424: MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis on the 2026 Draft Class and more

Making his 12th appearance on the podcast, our good friend Jim Callis from MLB Pipeline joined Chris for his annual post-draft appearance. He had some interesting thoughts on the Red Sox strategy this year, plus some more reports on the newest members of the system as we close out our draft coverage. Chris also got Jim's thoughts on the state of the farm overall, the newly promoted Franklin Arias, and just how legit the Red Sox reputation for developing arms is. And most importantly, Jim has now caught back up to Alex Speier for most appearances in podcast history!

Read full post ...