This is the Boston Red Sox story of three former players attempting to work their way back to The Show.
Why do they keep on playing? For some, it is all about service time and accumulating retirement benefits. The love of the game and the competition are motivators, especially for players whose only entrance to the HOF is buying a ticket.
The three all had their moments and opportunities with Boston. A former first-round pick (Giants) could be the second baseman under more favorable circumstances. A power hitter deluxe that never got untracked in Boston and elsewhere. Finally, a catcher got a ring and had a career year with the Red Sox. All three continue to grind away in the minors, and with injuries always making roster dents, they are a call away.
3 familiar former Red Sox in the minor leagues working to return to MLB
Franchy Cordero
A career obituary that can best be stated as a "promise never fulfilled" applies to former Red Sox first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero. Cordero signed with the Padres as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic and rose through the ranks with scouting questions regarding defense, but potential power made Cordero a risk worth taking.
The lefty Cordero arrived in Boston via a trade with Kansas City and did nothing for two seasons (2021-22) over 132 games. The strikeouts accumulated, and the walks were as rare as a Death Valley blizzard. A .209 BA and .629 OPS will get the welcome mat yanked away, and the Red Sox did just that.
Why keep him? The reasoning is a simple view of exit velocity. When Cordero connected in Beantown, he was in the top 1%, but the rest was baseball roadkill. Athleticism and power mean little when it is not pieced together.
Cordero is making the rounds, hoping to get another shot, and Codero's transaction wire shows a baseball wanderer. The Nationals have Cordero in Triple-A, and you never know when he may get the call.
Christian Arroyo
Being drafted in the first round is usually a lock for a productive MLB career. The optimum word is usually. Christian Arroyo was a first-round pick by the Giants (2013) and ascended the big leagues in 2017, hitting just .192. The Giants traded the Tampa native to his hometown, the Rays, who eventually shipped him off to Cleveland. The Red Sox eventually claimed Arroyo on waivers during the COVID-19-shortened season.
In 2021-22, some fans thought Arroyo would be a keeper at second base for 10 years, but the 2020 season and a remarkable ability to get injured slowed Arroyo down. Despite that, Arroyo posted a 103 OPS+ and was positive in fielding metrics. He was trending up, but Arroyo was on soft roster ground with a career plagued by doubts.
In 2023, the righty's career fell apart. His average dipped to .241 from .286, and his 70 OPS+ coupled with a -0.2 bWAR made Arroyo expendable. Arroyo has now signed with Dave Dombrowski's Phillies and is in Triple-A, and it will not be surprising to see the versatile Arroyo back in MLB.
Sandy León
The transaction page for former Red Sox catcher Sandy León remarkably depicts the gritty switch-hitter's career journey, which is still in progress.
The burly Venzulean León looks like a catcher and runs like a catcher, but for the 2016 season, he had his moment in the spotlight, slashing .310/.369/.476 when injuries swamped the catching corps. León was also part of the 2018 championship team, hitting .500 in the World Series against the Dodgers.
Boston was no different than any other MLB stop for León as he walks a roster tightrope, but seems to surface despite being 36 years old. With Connor Wong on the sidelines, León could be worth a look despite a career slash of .223/.283/.339. A fun fact for León is that he has made eight mound appearances in his MLB career, but none with the Red Sox.
León's last visit to The Show was with the Rangers in 2023 when he hit .146. In 2024, the Braves picked up León for roster protection, and he batted just .176` with Triple-A Gwinnett.
León is a long shot as a player, but his baseball career will not stop there. He will eventually join the coaching and managerial ranks, working his way up the baseball food chain like he did as a player.