Red Sox add Chris Resop on minor league deal
May 10, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher
Chris Resop(44) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the 6th inning at Safeco FIeld. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
The season of minor league signings continue as the Red Sox have acquired relief pitcher Chris Resop on a minor league contract. Resop had been an effective arm out of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen in 2011 and 2012, pitching 76 and 61 games respectively. However, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics after the 2012 season and never really got a chance to prove himself in the A’s bullpen. He pitched in just 18 games before being designated for assignment in May.
In those 18 games, Resop was not strong as he posted a 6.00 ERA fueled by weak peripheral stats such as a 5.00 BB/9 rate and 1.30 K/BB rate– a far cry from the pitcher who posted K/9’s of 11.1 and 10.2 in 2010 and 2011, respectively. However, Resop is just 31 years old and has plenty of opportunity to turn his career around.
It likely will not be with the Red Sox, though. Resop will likely begin the season in Triple-A Pawtucket, and barring a stellar performance with the PawSox would probably not even be one of the top five pitchers promoted to Boston. However, depth never hurts and there’s always the chance that Resop could go back to being a solid middle-relief arm. If he shows anything of worth, then the Red Sox could always trade him for a greater need and get some value out of this signing.