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. 

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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. 

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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. 

 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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Binghamton Rumble Ponies (NYM) 8, Portland Sea Dogs 4

The Sea Dogs were outhit 15-3 as Binghamton earned a series split. Portland made their hits count, as Jack Winnay launched a two-run home run and Mason White later added a solo shot. Winnay has not shown any signs of slowing down after his promotion, as he went from having an .891 OPS in High-A to an .884 OPS in Double-A. Gage Ziehl stumbled after a dominant start last outing, allowing three runs (two earned) over three innings with four strikeouts. The loss went to Caleb Bolden who allowed three runs over two innings. 

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Greenville Drive 7, Hub City Spartanburgers (TEX) 6

In his first game back from a suspension, Justin Gonzales hit a majestic walk-off two-run home run. The Drive needed the comeback as Hub City scored four runs in the eighth to take a one-run lead, with all of the runs coming off of Adam Bates. Gonzales was 0 for 3 entering the ninth, but he ended the game with one swing of the bat. A three-run home run from Yoeilin Cespedes and a solo shot from Isaiah Jackson staked Greenville to a lead, and Enddy Azocar went 2 for 4 with two doubles, a walk, and three runs scored. Azocar has now hit safely in nine straight games, with a line of .293/.341/.780 in that time. 

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Augusta GreenJackets (ATL) 13, Salem RidgeYaks 3

It was a rough Salem debut for Williams Montero as he only recorded one out while surrendering six runs to start the game. The 18-year-old had an ERA of 4.66 in the FCL. The GreenJackets also got to Leighton Finley for seven runs on 11 hits over 4 2/3 frames. A two-run home run from Andruw Musett and a solo home run from Justin Barry accounted for all three of Salem's runs. Andrews Opata finished the game 3 for 3 with two walks and two steals. 

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Player of the Day: Justin Gonzales's stat line does not jump off the page, but his walk-off home run was the biggest hit of the day. It was technically the second straight game with a home run for Gonzales, though he did miss three games in between with the suspension. The 19-year-old now has four home runs over his last eight games, and his triple slash is an impressive .294/.419/.549 in July. 

Photo Credit: Justin Gonzales by Kelly O'Connor

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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).

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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). 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Cup of Coffee: Gasper leads WooSox in sweep of twinbill

7/23 Cup of Coffee: The major league team was not the only one with doubleheader action on Wednesday. Worcester swept its twinbill thanks to a monster day from Mickey Gasper (pictured). Greenville and Salem had big days at the plate, with both teams blasting three homers in blowout victories. Greenville's win came with some fireworks, as a Justin Gonzales' home run trot initiated something of a brouhaha. Pitchers dominated in the Portland contest, with a standout afternoon from starter Hayden Mullins going for naught. The FCL Sox also had a rare Wednesday contest as they prepare for Thursday's regular-season finale.

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Worcester Red Sox 3, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) 2 (Game 1)

A rainy Tuesday pushed the series opener back to Wednesday as part of a doubleheader. Blake Wehunt got the starting nod for his Triple-A debut. The 6-foot-7 righty allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Wehunt did struggle some with efficiency, needing 72 pitches to record those 11 outs. The bullpen was outstanding, holding Jacksonville hitless for the final 3 1/3. Angel Bastardo struck out three of the four batters he faced in 1 1/3. He now has 14 strikeouts without issuing a walk in 10 July innings. Tyler Uberstine also continued his recent excellence, striking out the side sandwiched only by a walk in the sixth. In five July outings, he has allowed just one hit in nine innings, matching Bastardo's 14 strikeouts while walking two. Wyatt Olds pitched a perfect seventh for the save. 

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Cup of Coffee: Witherspoon records 14 swings and misses; Opata hits grand slam

7/22 Cup of Coffee: It was a rough day for the Red Sox affiliates, as the WooSox were rained out and the active affiliates went 1-5 on Tuesday. The Sea Dogs were the only victorious team in the system, as Brooks Brannon, Ronald Rosario, and Jack Winnay all hit solo home runs. Kyson Witherspoon delivered a strong start in Greenville and Andrews Opata (pictured) crushed a grand slam for Salem but neither team was able to pull away with a win. Jorge Rodriguez had a big game in the FCL but it was a slow day for both DSL teams, with the Blue squad failing to record a hit. 

 

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Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (MIA) @ Worcester Red Sox (postponed) 

The WooSox were rained out in the opening game of their series against Jacksonville and they will make up the game as part of a doubleheader today.  

 

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Minor Notes: Draft signings announced; Delzine highlights promotions

The game schedule indicated a quieter week as the major league squad and all four full-season affiliates were on hiatus from Monday through Thursday for All-Star festivities, but there was no break in the news coming from the system. The team signed its cadre of 2026 draft picks in the middle of the week, and the usual midsummer string of promotions has begun, highlighted by top-30 prospects Sadbiel Delzine (pictured), Blake Wehunt, and Mason White.

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Red Sox sign 17 2026 draft picks

The olden days of the long, drawn-out signing period have passed, as the Red Sox came to terms with 17 of their 19 selections about a week and a half after the draft date. Much of the bonus pool was spread around to five selections. First-round pick Jake Schaffner and third-round selection Jace Matacynski received $2 million apiece; ninth-rounder Matin Shelar was signed to a $1.5 million deal; Competitive Balance-B pick Owen Hull got $1.2 million; and 10th-round pick Kaleb LaFavor received $847,500). Schaffner's bonus came in at $2.37 million below the 20th slot value, a clear illustration of the "trade-down" strategy the Red Sox took in a draft that does not allow the trading of most picks. 

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Cup of Coffee: Ramirez finishes double shy of cycle in DSL

7/21 Cup of Coffee: As Wilyer Abreu (pictured) took home American League Player of the Week honors and the Red Sox extended their winning streak to 14 games, Boston's rookie-level affiliates went 0-2 on Monday. The FCL squad was rained out, while both DSL squads fell to their counterparts from the Rays organization.

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FCL Braves @ FCL Red Sox (Cancelled)

This game was cancelled due to rain and will not be made up.

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Cup of Coffee: Ziehl strikes out eight over five shutout frames; Salazar powers Salem

7/20 Cup of Coffee: Portland and Salem were the two winning affiliates on Sunday, with Portland being led by Gage Ziehl and Salem being powered by Kleyver Salazar (pictured). Worcester lost a tough game in walk-off fashion, while Greenville's bullpen collapsed against Frederick. 

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 5, Worcester Red Sox 4

Worcester mounted a strong rally to tie the game with three runs in the eighth, but the RailRiders launched a walk-off home run to win it. RBI singles from Nate Eaton and Mickey Gasper brought the WooSox closer, and then Brett Harris knotted it up with an RBI double. A two-out triple from Braiden Ward in the ninth got wasted as Nick Sogard struck out to strand him. It was a bullpen game for Worcester with Osvaldo Berrios allowing one run over the first two innings. Noah Song threw a scoreless inning in his first appearance in over a week, and Sam McWilliams took the loss after allowing the walk-off home run. 

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Podcast Ep. #423: Red-Hot Sox, Draftees Sign, Rankings Update

Ian, Mike, and Chris had a ton to discuss this episode: The Red Sox' epic winning streak and what it means for the trade deadline, the signing of most of the club's 2026 draft class and how it revealed the club's spread-the-wealth strategy, and a fresh rankings update. And as if that wasn't enough, the guys even cleaned out the email inbox.

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Cup of Coffee: Eyanson, Arias lead Sea Dogs shutout

7/19 Cup of Coffee: Sometimes it is who you least expect. Saturday was not one of those times. Franklin Arias and Anthony Eyanson (pictured), Boston's top two prospects and two representatives in last Sunday's Futures Game, starred in Portland's blowout victory, with the former getting on base five times and the latter firing five shutout innings. Salem pounded out 12 hits in its victory, led by Louis Andjuar, while Greenville suffered the system's only defeat. Worcester and the FCL Sox were both rained out, and the DSL clubs were out of action as they prepare for Sunday's All-Star Game. 

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Worcester Red Sox @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY), postponed

Saturday's game in Scranton was postponed due to heavy rain. A makeup date has not yet been announced, only that it will take place later in the season. 

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Cup of Coffee: Primera unstoppable in slugfest; Azocar delivers walkoff for Drive

7/18 Cup of Coffee: While the minor league All-Star games have gone the way of the Great Auk, the full-season leagues still take a much-needed mid-July break, aligning with the major league festivities. The rest already seems to have benefitted Franklin Primera (pictured), who had a monster four-hit, four-run, two-double effort for Salem, though it was not enough to get the RidgeYaks to the win in a Friday night slugfest. Greenville walked off with the system's only stateside victory. Worcester and Portland both fell to Yankee affiliates, while the FCL Sox were limited to one hit. The DSL squads pulled off the sweep, with team Blue pounding out 15 runs in a slugfest while the Red squad hurlers combined on a four-hitter in a more crisply-played affair.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY) 7, Worcester Red Sox 6

The WooSox faced a strong test, as Yankee left-hander Max Fried began his rehab assignment on Friday evening. Worcester reached Fried for a pair of runs over three innings, including a Nate Eaton solo homer in the third, but were done in by a four-run rally in the second. Starter Raymond Burgos took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits across four innings. Hobie Harris was activated from the injured list earlier in the day and made his first 2026 appearance for the WooSox, surrendering two runs in his inning of work. Angel Bastardo was perfect for two innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced, followed by another one-two-three inning by a returning Tommy Kahnle in the eighth. 

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Cup of Coffee: Marin, Zanetello shine in FCL slugfest; Brito, Silverio stand out in DSL

7/17 Cup of Coffee: Thursday's slate featured three close games for Boston's rookie-level affiliates. Liosward Marin (pictured) and the rehabbing Nazzan Zanetello combined for five hits in Florida Complex League action. In the Dominican Summer League, Garielvin Silverio and Dawvris Brito put together multi-hit performances.

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FCL Braves 14, FCL Red Sox 13

The FCL squad was on the wrong side of this high-scoring affair. Liosward Marin led the way offensively, going 3 for 5 with two doubles, three RBI, one run scored, and one stolen base. Nazzan Zanetello, continuing his rehab assignment, went 2 for 3 with one double, two RBI, one run scored, and one stolen base. Tavano Baker, who pinch-hit for Zanetello in the sixth inning, also doubled and scored one run. Jostin Ogando went 2 for 3 with one RBI, two runs scored, one stolen base, and two walks. Edwin Darville drove in two runs, scored twice, stole three bases, and drew one walk. Josue Brito drew three walks and scored one run. Fabian Bonilla drove in one run, scored twice, and drew two walks. Harold Rivas drove in two runs, scored another, and stole one base.

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Cup of Coffee: Ogando triples twice, Martin reaches base six times in FCL slugfest

7/15 Cup of Coffee: It was another quiet day in the Red Sox organization, as the big league team and full-season affiliates are in the midst of their All-Star break, leaving the FCL and DSL teams as the only active teams on Tuesday. Jostin Ogando (pictured) tripled twice and Maximus Martin reached base six times in a high-scoring win for the FCL Sox. Anderson Gonzalez and Santiago Yanes had strong games for the Red Sox Blue but their day ended in disappointing fashion as they were walked off in the bottom of the ninth. The Red Sox Red recorded only three hits in a quiet offensive performance. 

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FCL Red Sox 18, FCL Orioles 12 (10 innings)

The FCL Sox rode a pair of monster innings to a comeback win in extra innings. Down 10-2 entering the seventh inning, the Sox put nine runs on the board with a huge rally. Fabian Bonilla delivered a two-run single to start the scoring in the seventh and Jostin Ogando came through with a two-run triple to bring the team within a run. Nazzan Zanetello drove in the go-ahead run with a double but the Orioles were able to score the tying run in the ninth and send the game to extras. The Red Sox bats came alive again in the top of the tenth, however, scoring seven more runs to turn the extra-inning affair into a blowout. Ogando drilled his second triple of the game to score two runs and put the Sox in the lead, going 3 for 6 with four RBI overall. Catcher Jorge Rodriguez went 3 for 6 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBI. Maximus Martin was 2 for 3 with a double, four walks, and four runs scored. 

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