New hard-throwing Red Sox reliever makes team debut
How did new Red Sox reliever Trey Wingenter do during his first outing with the club?
The Red Sox swung a trade on Saturday, acquiring right-handed reliever Trey Wingenter from the Tigers for minor league pitcher CJ Weins.
Wingenter made his Red Sox debut on Tuesday night against the Athletics. The righty was roughed up by Oakland in the top of the ninth inning; surrendering three earned runs off two hits while walking one and striking out one.
A’s second baseman, Zack Gelof hit a three-run blast off Wingenter to deep center field.
Wingenter threw 23 pitches, including 16 four-seam fastballs, which maxed out at 97.5 mph, per Baseball Savant. His heater sat around 95 mph during his outing in the ninth inning.
His outing was his 2024 season debut after spending the season with the Tigers Triple-A affiliate.
Wingenter is an imposing figure on the mound, standing in at 6-foot-7 and weighing 237 pounds. Prior to Tuesday night’s outing, he owned a career 5.28 ERA across 50 appearances, but a 3.82 FIP and 0.7 WAR in the big leagues.
Despite his rough debut, the Red Sox like his pitching arsenal, including his four-seam fastball, which can touch 96 mph. He also offers a slider that sits at 85 mph, per FanGraphs.
Wingenter has high-leverage stuff, which teams in the past have liked, including his former team, the Tigers. Injuries and command have caused issues for the right-handed hurler.
The Alabama native should benefit from working with pitching coach Andrew Bailey while with the Red Sox.
