The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Jonathan Brand from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log. Brand, 24, has yet to allow an earned run in six appearances for Greenville this season. The right-hander has given up just one unearned run on eight hits and three walks to go along with 18 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average against. Look between J and L on your keyboard… Jonathan Brand makes Termarr Johnson look foolish on three straight pitches. pic.twitter.com/YRHOZPoYiF — Greenville Dr ..read more

The Red Sox have purchased the contract of right-hander Danny Kirwin from the Oakland Ballers of the independent Pioneer League, per an announcement from the club. Kirwin will take a physical in Fort Myers, Fla. on Wednesday and is expected to join Boston’s Low-A affiliate in Salem, Va. once his signing becomes official, according to The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard. He becomes the first member of the newly-launched Ballers to have his contract purchased by a major-league organization. Kirwin, 24, originally signed with the Ballers in December after spending five years at Rider University. Despi ..read more

Red Sox prospect Matthew Lugo has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of April 15-21, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday. Lugo appeared in five of Double-A Portland’s six games against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field this past week. The right-handed hitting 22-year-old went 7-for-16 (.438) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, 10 RBIs, three runs scored, five walks, and four strikeouts. Lugo played hero for the Sea Dogs on more than just one occasion during their latest series. He came through with a game-winning, three-run triple in the ..read more

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Max Carlson from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log. Carlson, 22, has made three appearances out of the Salem bullpen to begin his first full professional season. The right-hander has allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and four walks to go along with 14 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings of relief. That translates to a 5.40 ERA, though he owns a more favorable 3.60 FIP and 2.98 xFIP. A moment for Max Carlson's 8 Ks in 3.1 innings of work. pic.twitter.com/bs48VkA28B — Red Sox Player Development ..read more

After a winter full of skepticism, shortstop Marcelo Mayer is using the early stages of the minor-league season to show why he should still be considered the top prospect in the Red Sox organization. To begin the 2024 campaign, Mayer has strung together a seven-game hitting streak for Double-A Portland. Following Sunday’s 9-5 win over the Reading Fightin Phils, the left-handed hitter is now 10-for-28 (.357) with one double, one home run, five RBIs, seven runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks, and eight strikeouts for the Sea Dogs. On the other side of the ball, Mayer has seen all of his pla ..read more

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Zach Fogell from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MiLB.com’s transactions log. Fogell, 23, appeared in just two games for Salem to start the 2024 minor-league season. The left-hander allowed two hits and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .111 batting average against. A native of Rhode Island, Fogell was selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of last year’s amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He signed with Boston for $150,000 and made ..read more

The conditions were far from ideal, but Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo still impressed in his 2024 debut for Double-A Portland over the weekend. Due to a snowstorm hitting southern Maine and blanketing Hadlock Field with snow on Thursday, Portland was forced to postpone its first two games of the season against the Hartford Yard Goats on Friday and Saturday. Thanks to diligent work from the team’s grounds crew, though, the Sea Dogs were able to celebrate Opening Day in front of a crowd of 6,074 on Sunday afternoon. Bastardo, in turn, rose to the occasion. The 21-year-old right-hander ..read more

Over the weekend, Red Sox outfield prospect Caden Rose recorded the first hit and home run of his professional career on one swing of the bat. Rose, who has been assigned to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign, rode the bench in the Drive’s season opener against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Friday but got the start in left field at First National Bank Field on Saturday night. Batting out of the seven-hole, Rose struck out swinging in each of his first two plate appearances before stepping up again with two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth inning. Matched up against ..read more

After two years in rookie ball, Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Cohen has been assigned to Low-A Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. Cohen originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2022. The Tucacas native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter, pitching to a 2.89 ERA with 42 strikeouts to 14 walks over 13 appearances (12 starts) spanning 46 2/3 innings of work. Last summer, Cohen made the jump to the Florida Complex League. The 20-year-old right-hander made a stro ..read more

One of the Red Sox’ more unheralded relief prospects will be getting his first taste of competition in the upper-minors to begin the 2024 season. Felix Cepeda has been assigned to Double-A Portland, per his Instagram account. The Sea Dogs open their season with a three-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats at Hadlock Field beginning Friday night. Cepeda, 23, split the 2023 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville, so this serves as a promotion of sorts. The right-hander posted a 2.38 ERA and 3.45 FIP with 60 strikeouts to 29 walks over 33 total relief appearances (53 innings) i ..read more