Red Sox release minor league left-hander from Triple-A Worcester
The Red Sox made a minor move on Monday, releasing left-hander Jorge Benitez from Triple-A Worcester, according to SoxProspects editor Chris Hatfield.
Boston signed Benitez back in late November as organization depth for the upper-levels of the system. The 25-year-old posted an 8.07 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 35 walks over 35 2/3 innings (26 games).
Benitez started the season with a 3.75 ERA over his first seven outings, but then the wheels fell off quickly. In 8 1/3 innings in May, he owned a 15.12 ERA (14 earned runs) in seven games while striking out and walking 11 batters. He consistently pitched to an ERA over 6.00 or higher the remainder of the season and saw time on the development list.
The only active lefties out of the WooSox bullpen are Bailey Horn and Joely Rodriguez. Fellow southpaw Lucas Luetge was recently released following an opt-out in his contract with the Red Sox.
Heading into camp, the Red Sox showed excitement over Benitez's live arm and stuff on the mound. Baseball America wrote that the lefty “annihilates left-handed batters,” which put him in the mix for a spot in the Red Sox bullpen.
The Red Sox have preached to their pitchers about throwing strikes in the zone, but Benitez failed to do that consistently with the WooSox. Benitez posted a 10.85 K/9 and 8.83 BB/9, according to FanGraphs and an ugly 6.21 FIP.
Prior to joining the Red Sox organization, Benitez pitched in the Mariners system and with their Double-A affiliate. The left-hander pitched in 45 games, posting a 2-5 record with a 1.95 ERA, 82 strikeouts, and a 1.33 WHIP over 64 2/3 innings. Benitez had seven holds while covering one save in five opportunities in 2023.
Benitez was originally a ninth-round draft pick in 2017 by Seattle out of Leadership Christian Academy. He signed with the Mariners for $150,000 and began his professional career.
