The Boston Red Sox signed six undrafted free agents.
With the 2020 MLB amateur draft shorted to a mere five rounds instead of the typical 40, plenty of talented players remained available. Those undrafted free agents could be signed by any club to a maximum bonus of $20K and the Boston Red Sox wasted little time in scooping up several players to improve the depth of their farm system.
The Red Sox have signed six undrafted players so far, according to Baseball America.
Right-handed pitcher Jacinto Arredondo appeared in 21 games as a junior for the University of Tampa after spending two years at Wallace-Dothan Community College. He has a unique hop-step delivery that can throw off a hitter’s timing – as long as umpires don’t confuse the action for a balk.
A couple of angles of Jacinto Arredondo's Carter Capp hop-step delivery. pic.twitter.com/f5nbYLe9L1
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) June 14, 2020
Jordan DiValerio is a right-hander from Saint Josephs where he led his team with five wins, 73 1/3 innings, 67 strikeouts and he held opposing hitters to a .241 batting average.
Right-handed pitcher Graham Hoffman was limited to one appearance with South Florida before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. He made only five appearances as a reliever this year, posting a 3.60 ERA on five hits, a walk and six strikeouts in five innings. The move to the bullpen could have been a way to ease him back in following surgery and doesn’t necessarily rule out Hoffman being used in the rotation at some point.
Shortstop Jake MacKenzie only played 20 games this year but he was hitting .356 with six extra-base hits and seven stolen bases. His collegiate career concluded with MacKenzie swiping the fifth-most steals in Fordham history.
Juan Montero is an athletic catcher with a strong throwing arm from behind the plate and the versatility to play second base. He drives the ball well with impressive bat speed and raw power. Montero comes from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and he was among the top prospects in the Sunshine East Showcase.
Jose Garcia is listed as a catcher/first baseman but spent most of this year as the designated hitter for Florida International. It was a short season but he was hitting .311 with a home run before the season was shut down. In a larger sample from 2019, Garcia hit .285 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI in 50 games.
Undrafted players generally don’t make it on our radar but this year is different since there were only five rounds in the draft. These six players signed by the Red Sox may very well have been drafted under the normal format. Boston only had four picks in this draft but they could end up with at least 10 new prospects to bolster their thin farm system.
These undrafted players are a source for the Red Sox to potentially find a diamond in the rough with minimal risk. The storied history of the franchise, winning culture and a weak farm system that a thriving prospect can skyrocket through are all factors that give the Red Sox an advantage in signing these undrafted players. They are off to a strong start with these signings but they shouldn’t stop seeking talent in this market.