Justin Hagenman expected to make spring debut on Saturday
The Red Sox play their first Grapefruit League game of the spring against the Orioles on Saturday. Boston is expected to start Garrett Whitlock and he’ll be followed by Cooper Criswell, Isaiah Campbell, Justin Slaten, Jorge Benitez and Justin Hagenman, in no particular order.
Hagenman enters his first spring training with the Red Sox, after coming over in Kiké Hernández trade with the Dodgers last summer.
The 27-year-old is projected to start in the WooSox bullpen once camp breaks. Hagenman could also provide the organization key innings as a swingman.
While playing collegiate ball, Hagenman was primarily a starter but quickly transitioned into a reliever upon landing in the Dodgers organization.
Upon coming to the Red Sox there was discussions that Hagenman could be stretched out into a bulk innings type pitcher.
Towards the end of the Triple-A season, there was conversations internally to have Hagenman start for the WooSox. Chad Tracy extended his innings in a game against Gwinnett in September and a few more times before the regular season came to a close.
“When we acquired him, the interest level was being in a bulk bullpen role,” Tracy said of Hagenman. “It is more like a multiple inning reliever somewhere in the middle part of the game to carry it to the back end and we have used him primarily that way.”
In 16 appearances for the WooSox, Hagenman posted a 3.26 ERA with 28 strikeouts, 14 walks over 30 1/3 innings of relief. He held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average against and posted a strong month of September in which he allowed just one run in his final 12 2/3 frames of the Triple-A season.
Following the trade from the Dodgers, Hagenman was open-minded as to how the Red Sox would use him in Triple-A.
“After I had gotten there, they (Red Sox) said, we're going to stretch out into multiple innings,” said Hagenman while on the To the Show We Go podcast in November. “I did have more of a defined role than it wasn't just blind, you know, you're just going to start throwing three innings.
“They told me that I was going to relieve and then I think, to get my feet wet a little bit, I think I threw one inning the first couple times. And then from there on out, it was pretty much multi-inning appearances. So yeah, I knew what I was, I knew the role,” added Hagenman.
With games officially underway Hagenman will look to impress the front office and skipper Alex Cora. Good quality innings and attacking the zone could elevate him on the internal depth chart for the Red Sox.
SoxProspects currently lists Hagenman in the WooSox bullpen for 2024. Heading into the new season, Worcester has six potential starters with Josh Winckowski projected to serve as a starter with the club, stretching out his innings in an effort for him to start in the majors.
With the Red Sox hyper focused on the developing pitching, Hagenman could work his way into the conversation as someone that could be called up early on in the year if he gets off to a strong start in the spring.
