Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Cut Ties With Former Top Prospect Before Deadline, Per Insider

Boston made a tough decision on Tuesday

Patrick McAvoy

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Boston Red Sox had to make some tough decisions on Tuesday.

It was a big day across Major League Baseball. On Tuesday, players offered the qualifying offer had to decide whether or not to accept the one-year deal worth just over $21 million. Boston didn't have to do anything about this, but had to wait and see what Nick Pivetta's decision was going to be.

He ultimately decided to decline the offer with the hopes of landing a multi-year offer this winter. If that becomes a reality, the Red Sox will get draft compensation in response.

On Tuesday, Major League Baseball clubs also had to update their 40-man rosters and add prospects they wanted to protect from the Rule-5 Draft. Boston selected pitcher Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia to their 40-man roster to protect them from selection.

In response, the Red Sox designated former top pitching prospect Bryan Mata and fellow pitcher Isaiah Campbell for assignment, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

"Bryan Mata and Isaiah Campbell DFA’d," Cotillo announced.

Mata is the biggest surprise of the two. There was a time when he was the Red Sox's top pitching prospect and one of the team's top overall prospects. He was the team's No. 4 overall prospect in 2020 just behind Jeter Downs, Triston Casas, and Bobby Dalbec.

He's just 25 years old and showed some flashes, but injuries completely derailed his career. He only appeared in 11 games in 2024 but did see some time with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. It wouldn't be too shocking to see another team take a chance on him quickly. If he goes unclaimed there's always a chance he could be outrighted to the minor leagues, but that doesn't seem likely.

More MLB: Beloved Ex-Red Sox $764K Spark Plug Lands With Yankees, Per Insider

Published
Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Home/Boston Red Sox News