Red Sox sign former SF Giants flamethrowing prospect to milb contract

The Boston Red Sox have signed longtime SF Giants hard-throwing pitching prospect Melvin Adón to a minor-league contract.

The Boston Red Sox have signed longtime SF Giants hard-throwing pitching prospect Melvin Adón to a minor-league contract, per the league's transaction page. Adón has spent his entire professional career in the Giants organization and has seemed on the cusp of a breakout for several years. However, a combination of inconsistent control and injuries have led him to plateau in the upper minors. He now follows former Giants pitching coach Andrew Bailey to Boston, where he will hope to make his MLB debut.

SF Giants pitcher Melvin Adón throws a weighted ball during Spring Training. (2023) / Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Adón made 43 appearances in the minor leagues this past season, mostly at Triple-A. The righty was among many pitchers who seemed to struggle with the effects of the automated strike zone in Sacramento. Granted, he had struggled mightily in previous Triple-A stints as well. Nevertheless, he finished the year with 69 strikeouts, 41 walks, and a 5.19 ERA in 59 innings pitched.

Adón has long been one of the most tantalizing pitching prospects in the Giants organization. With a fastball that consistently reached the high-90s as a starter alongside a promising slider, Adón quickly found himself among the organization's top prospects after debuting in 2015.

At his best, Adón has flashed elite velocity, reaching 102 mph. However, it has tended to play below the radar gun readings, leading him to lean more heavily on a high-90s sinker that can still hit triple-digits on occasion, to try and generate more soft contact. His slider has long been his best pitch at generating swings-and-misses, but he has never been able to develop a consistent enough command of the pitch to be effective at the highest level of the minors.

In 2019, Adón's first full season as a reliever, it looked like he was on a fast track to Oracle Park. He made 36 appearances at Double-A, striking out 59 batters in 49 innings with a 2.60 ERA. However, he was still walking more than five batters per nine innings. After a late-season promotion to Triple-A, he walked 8 batters in 10.1 innings and was tagged for 16 earned runs.

Without a minor-league season in 2020, Adón was away from the Giants for much of the season. He joined the team at the alternate site in Sacramento. That offseason, looking to make up for the lost season of reps at the Dominican Winter League, he tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder during his first appearance and was sidelined for the entire 2021 campaign.

When Adón finally returned to the field halfway through the 2022 season, he was clearly trying to regain a feel for his arsenal. His stuff was still solid, but his control had taken another step back. Still, it was enough for him to overpower hitters in the lower minors.

While he struggled once the 2023 season got underway, Adón was quite effective during a short stint in big-league spring training. He made six appearances and allowed just two runs on four hits and a pair of walks with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched. If Bailey thinks he can coax more of that production out of him, the Red Sox could have just made a great addition.

Heading into 2024, the Boston Red Sox will hope another year removed from surgery will give Melvin Adón the opportunity to take another step forward in his development. The 29-year old righty has the tools to become an effective big-league reliever, if he can just iron out a bit more consistency.