Red Sox option Brandon Walter to Triple-A Worcester, team begins roster cuts
The Red Sox have made their first roster cuts this spring, sending seven players out of big league camp.
Left-hander pitcher Brandon Walter was optioned to Triple-A Worcester while the club reassign six others to minor league camp. Right-handed pitchers Melvin Adón, Franklin German and Alex Hoppe; left-handed pitcher Helcris Olivarez and catchers Nathan Hickey and Stephen Scott were part of the first round of cuts.
Walter was a candidate to make the Red Sox Opening Day roster but instead the club will continue to look at other left-handed options for the bullpen. With the WooSox, Walter should lead the staff for skipper Chad Tracy while serving as depth for the Red Sox once the season begins.
Hoppe earned his first non-roster invite of his career but did not see any spring action. The righty is currently dealing with a lat injury and will be out of action for a bit.
The right reliever possess an electric fastball that has reached 100 mph. Last season he posted a 4.10 ERA and 1.43 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. The 25-year-old is expected to be a part of the Sea Dogs bullpen, it’s not known yet how much time he will miss with the injury.
Boston signed Adón to a minor league contract at the end of January and invited him to spring training. The hard-throwing righty has spent his entire career in the Giants organization and was once considered a top prospect, ranking as high as No.15 overall on MLB Pipeline (2019).
Adón made 43 appearances in the minors this past season, mostly at Triple-A. He struggled on the mound, particularly with the new automated strike zone while with Sacramento. His struggles are not just exclusive to last season, the righty has had inconsistencies throughout his career. He should be bullpen depth for the WooSox this season.
German re-signed with the Red Sox last season after bouncing around a couple of organizations. The reliever is another option for the WooSox bullpen this season.
Olivarez made two appearances for the Red Sox this spring and posted a 10.80 ERA with two strikeos over 1 2/3 innings. He also pitched against Northeastern before the Grapefruit League schedule kicked off.
Olivarez’s first Red Sox appearance didn’t go the way he’d like, struggling in the first inning against the Huskies. He was unable to get out of the inning, throwing 29 pitches and allowing one run on one hit with a walk. The hard throwing lefty didn’t help his cause in the inning when he threw away the ball trying to pick off a runner and hitting a batter.
Hickey saw six at-bats this spring going 3-for-6 with one RBI and one stolen base. SoxProspects projects the former fifth round pick to start with the Sea Dogs. Scott should begin the year with the WooSox offering depth behind the plate and at first base. He got a taste of Triple-A following Jorge Alfaro opting out of his contract.
