Red Sox Sign Hurler With 102 MPH Sinker To Bolster Bullpen Depth

Boston is taking a shot at a power arm

Scott Neville | Jan 31, 2024

Red Sox Sign Hurler With 102 MPH Sinker To Bolster Bullpen Depth /

In this story:

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have yet to make the splash fans have been yearning for with just a few weeks until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

The market for some of the top free agents remaining has moved at a snail's pace and could take some time to be resolved.

Meanwhile, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made some depth moves, including taking a lottery ticket on a low-risk, high-reward power arm.

The Red Sox signed former San Francisco Giants pitching prospect Melvin Adón to a minor-league deal last Wednesday, per the club’s transactions log.

Adón posted a 7.43 ERA with a 50-to-37 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .297 batting average against and a 2.10 WHIP in 40 innings last season across 32 relief appearances.

The 29-year-old did little to prove himself in 2023 but he does have a 100+ mph sinker and an above-average power slider that could be the key to his turnaround.

The new pitching development regime appears to be looking for high-end arms they can mold, with the idea that it's hard to develop elite arm talent but they'll be able to improve pitchers' control and pitch usage.

Adón is a great player to take a shot on at this point in the winter. The fact that he does not take up a 40-man roster spot makes this a fantastic move. He'll either become something special or be released down the line for little cost.

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Could Land All-Star Slugger To Bolster Lineup

Published Jan 31, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu