Red Sox sign right-handed pitcher Elih Villanueva to minor league deal

The Boston Red Sox organization is just like every other MLB organization in the fact they sign minor league roster filler. The latest is Elih Christopher Villanueva.

Elih Christopher Villanueva is a name I never heard of in baseball and probably very few in baseball operations have heard of. My first exposure is a portion of the sports page I am addicted to – it is my special baseball fix – the transaction wire. Every morning the journey begins by looking at the transaction wire and up popped Villanueva the other morning.

Normally I would bypass the name, but this time it was listed under Red Sox and they had signed Villanueva to a minor league contract. My the second path of discovery is to go immediately to Baseball-Reference and do a search to see the vitals on the latest member of the organization.

Villanueva has some major league service time in 2011 with the Miami Marlins, who had signed him in 2008 after selecting the right-hander in the 27th round. Lower round draft picks are generally an afterthought, but he did make it to “The Show.” Villanueva started in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 15th and lasted three innings. Impressive he was not allowing eight earned runs and issuing five walks. An MLB record of 0-1.

This was strictly a call-up situation and Villanueva was returned to the New Orleans team in the Pacific Coast League after the game. That season was nothing remarkable as Villanueva finished 7-11 – no lucky dice toss – and stayed sequestered in the minors through 2015. Then he quit. Enough of the minor league routine and the dream was done at age 28.

Villanueva had his moments and his baseball sheet does have mention of All-Star appearances and minor league championships sprinkled among the plethora of teams that he pitched for, but sometimes an itch has to be scratched and Villanueva came back this season and started in the baseball basement pitching for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Independent Atlantic League.

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Now 30-years-old the 5-1 record and the relatively low 2.72 ERA must have caught the Red Sox attention. Maybe a former coach, player, or manager dropped a dime? Maybe a scout taking in the game saw something. Maybe Villanueva still has an agent who made a few calls?

I have no idea where he will end up in the organization, but one can make assumptions. The lower level in usually reserved for prospects of note and even having a 27-year-old at Double-A is unusual, so he may end up with Pawtucket. I will keep the name in my head as I check the box scores from Pawtucket and Portland the next few weeks.

Next: Red Sox and Yankees rivalry is back

Now to some readers, I have been criticized in the past for writing about the Villanueva’s of the baseball world. They are not relevant to the Red Sox since they have about as much chance of being on the MLB roster as I have of Heather Locklear requesting my company. That said, I have read many a book on the minors and am fascinated with players like Villanueva, who still love the game knowing that one game in 2011 was in all probability it.