Boston Red Sox Sign Former A's Pitcher

Jason Burke | Dec 24, 2024

Jul 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Austin Adams (29) reacts during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have added some depth to their bullpen, bringing in a useful piece of the A's 'pen in 2024 on a minor-league deal, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC2. That piece is right-hander Austin Adams.

The A's brought in Adams in a trade with the New York Mets right before the season began, with the righty arriving in Oakland just before the team's spring finale at the Coliseum against the San Francisco Giants. The Mets traded him because of a roster crunch, with the A's sending over some cash to make it work.

Adams made the Opening Day roster and finished the year with a 1-2 record to go along with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. While his ERA was a career best in any season that he's been used for more than five innings, a quick check under the hood suggests a little bit of luck.

Adams held a 4.47 FIP and walked 12% of the batters he faced. That said, he also struck out 27.1% of hitters and was part of the bridge to Mason Miller for a large portion of the season.

The Red Sox will be Adams' fifth team in four years after spending time with the Washington Nationals from 2017-19 before getting traded to the Seattle Mariners. He was traded to the San Diego Padres in August of 2020, then elected free agency in 2022 before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit the market again following the 2023 season and that is when he landed with the Mets for a few weeks before being shipped to Oakland.

The 33-year-old has done a great job of limiting hard contact in his career, posting an 85.1 mile per hour average exit velocity against last season (league average was 88.5). His 2024 figure is right in line with his career stats.

While his slider was still far and away his most-used pitch in '24, it wasn't featured quite as prominently as in previous seasons at a rate of 73.8%. In both 2021 and 2023, that usage was up in the high 80's. With the A's he mixed in a four-seamer 23.9% of the time, and in May he tinkered with adding a sinker to the mix, tossing 14 of his 19 on the year during the month.

Adams is likely most remembered more broadly for his "OMG" celebration in New York after a big out that ruffled some feathers. That appearance on August 13 was also Adams's final of the year with the reliever landing on the IL with right forearm tendinitis on August 18. When the season concluded he was outrighted from the 40-man and he elected free agency.

In the A's clubhouse, Adams had a locker right next to Miller, and he always came across as a quirky guy, which is not uncommon for relief pitchers.

Now he's a depth option for the Red Sox as they attempt to return to contention and finish with a record higher than .500 for the first time in four seasons.