July 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Minor Notes: Draft signings announced; Delzine highlights promotions
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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.
Thinking of those signing bonuses in terms of slot value, the Red Sox signings were roughly the equivalent of picks 49, 50, 61, 71, and 93. Having started with picks 20, 67, and 96, the strategy was the practical equivalent of trading a mid first-round pick for three second rounders (shout out to SoxProspects.com forum poster incandenza for pointing out the math here).
Only two players from the draft class have not signed, and neither are likely to do so: 15th-round pick Chase Frey, a left-handed pitcher of out Grand Canyon University, appears headed to the University of Oregon as a transfer; 18th-round pick Ethan Offing, a high school outfielder from South Carolina ranked #377 on the Baseball America draft board, will fulfill his commitment to Clemon. Offing was always seen a a long-shot to sign.
For detailed information of the full draft class, including signing bonus information, check out the SoxProspects.com Draft History page.
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Two undrafted free agents signed
In addition to the 17 draft picks, the Red Sox also brought two undrafted players into the fold. Left-handed pitcher Cason Revay, a left-handed pitcher from Pacific University, posted a 4.01 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings this spring. The signing of Jorhan Castro, an 18-year-old catcher out of San Angel David High School in Puerto Rico, was also announced but has not been made official.
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Promotions and other transactions
It was a busy week on the transaction front. highlighted by the aforementioned promotions of three current top-30 prospects.
- Right-handed pitcher Sadbiel Delzine makes the jump to full-season ball, going from the FCL Sox to Low-A Salem. The-18-year-old is in the midst of a strong first season stateside, with a 2.72 ERA, 43 strikeouts, 18 walks, and only 24 hits allowed in 39 2/3 innings across 11 appearances in the complex. With the FCL season ending on Thursday, Delzine had likely already made his final appearance for the team this year.
- Blake Wehunt moves up to Triple-A Worcester after a solid campaign in Portland. The system's most famous 6-foot-7 chicken farmer made 13 starts for the Sea Dogs, posting a 3.52 ERA, striking out 72, and walking 16 in 53 2/3 innings. The results were a marked improvement from his 2025 line in Double-A, particularly in the control department, when he walked 29 in 63 1/3.
- Mason White joins fellow 2025 draft alumni Anthony Eyanson and Jack Winnay in making the jump to Double-A in his first full professional season. The University of Arizona product hit .270/.362/.525 for Greenville in 68 games, blasting 14 homers. White made his Sea Dogs debut on Sunday, getting the start at shortstop and going 1 for 3. He split his time between shortstop and second base for the Drive.
- Big right-hander Trennor O'Donnell will move up to Greenville. The 2023 eight-round pick missed the second half of 2025 and the early part of this season after internal brace surgery in his right elbow. O'Donnell made three rehab appearances in the FCL before getting into three games with the RidgeYaks.
- Two veterans were released from the Worcester roster. Catcher Matt Thaiss appeared in 44 games for the WooSox, hitting .201/.314/.313. The former Angels' first-round pick has appearend in 305 major league games over parts of seven season. Matt Lloyd had signed as a minor league free agent last winter, having previously spent time in the Cincinnati and St. Louis organizations. He appeared in 30 games this year, mostly at first base.
- Veteran outfielder Jahmai Jones was acquired for a player to be named later from the Detroit Tigers and added to the major league roster. After a strong 2025 campaign, Jones struggled in 2026, but has already made an impact on the Sox' 14-game win streak. In three games, he is 2 for 5 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay.
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Double Podcast Dosage
The podcast machine was in overdrive this weeks, with two editions coming to wherever you get your podcasts. On Tuesday, Chris was joined by SoxProspects.com Features Writer Andrew Parker (Podcast Episode #422) to discuss the 2026 draft class and the strategy to spread out some savings from the top pick in order to get a deeper overall class. Then Ian and Mike were back in the fold on Sunday (Podcast Episode #423), joined by Chris to review the signings and how the Red Sox shocking winning streak has changed their trade deadline strategy.
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Rafaela appears in first All-Star Game
The long, steady rise of 2024 graduate Ceddanne Rafaela (pictured, right, from 2022) has continued, as the Red Sox centerfielder is having his best major league season, highlighted by his first career All-Star selection. Rafaela has continued to play his standard-level elite defense while raising his batting line to .281/.326/.433 on the year. Rafaela originally signed with the organization on July 2, 2017 to a $10,000 bonus. He broke out as a prospect in 2022 with the Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs, and has continued his improvement as he's climbed the ladder. By Baseball-Reference.com's WAR calculation, he has been the seventh-best position player in baseball in 2026.
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DSL All-Star Game
The Dominican Summer League is the only circuit that actually plays an All-Star Game among affiliated minor leagues, and three Red Sox prospects were represented:
- Shortstop Isaac Velasquez of the DSL Blue squad started as the AL contingent's second designated hitter, and went 0 for 2 with a strikeout. Still only 16, Velasquez was signed to a $370,000 bonus out of Columbia, and is hitting .218/.384/.513 in 28 games.
- Joskairo Ramirez has been a standout performer as the center fielder for the DSL Red Sox Red, hitting .300/.418/.545 with nine doubles, four homers, and 24 RBI. From Licey in the Dominican Republic, Ramirez got an $800,000 bonus this offseason, the third-largest given out by the Red Sox during the 2026 signing period. Ramirez entered the game in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement and had an RBI ground out in his only plate appearance.
- Anderber Urbina has also starred for the Red Sox Red, splitting most of his time between shortstops and second base, with some time at third base as well. Urbina, a 17-year-old out of Venezuela, is hitting .320/.440/.534 in 31 games. He did not see action in the All-Star Game.
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Players of the Week
Miguel Welch, 2B/CF, DSL Red Sox Blue
5 G, 8-20, 7 R, 2, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SB, .400/.458/.600
With the full season leagues taking a short break in alignment with the MLB All-Star festivities, it gives an opportunity to highlight a standout performance from the Dominican. Miguel Welch has been a consistently solid performer for the DSL Red Sox Blue squad, primarily as the starting second baseman while also getting some time in center field. Signed to a $10,000 bonus in January 2025 out of Venezuela, Welch is hitting .314/.455/.429 through 32 games on the year.
Anthony Eyanson, RHP, Portland Sea Dogs
1 GS, 1-0, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K, .063 OBA
Boston's top pitching prospect turned in the best performance of the week. Eyanson dominated the Somerset (NYY) squad on Saturday evening, only allowing two baserunners across five shutout innings while fanning eight. The effort lowered the LSU product's already-microscopic ERA to 1.19 across two levels, and 1.56 in 40 1/3 innings since joining the Sea Dogs. This was Eyanson's first appearance since earning the win in last Sunday's Futures Game. Eyanson has been one of the game's breakout pitching prospects in 2026, and is currently ranked second in the system.
Photo Credit: Sadbiel Delzine, Ceddanne Rafaela by Kelly O'Connor