In the middle of their roster shuffling to accommodate new trade acquisitions and Rule 5 Draft-eligible prospects, the Boston Red Sox sneakily signed a young pitcher.
Boston on November 18 signed 25-year-old Puerto Rican pitcher Osvaldo Berrios to a minor league contract, according to Francys Romero. Berrios was selected by the Athletics in the 2017 MLB Draft and spent over five seasons in the organization before the St. Louis Cardinals acquired him in June 2024. Berrios also suited up for the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League before he arrived in St. Louis.
Former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom had taken up his position in the Cardinals' front office at the time of Berrios' signing. He's since taken over as the full-time president of baseball operations in St. Louis after longtime leader John Mozeliak's retirement.
Bloom's eye for young talent served Boston well during his time as CBO. He drafted quite a few notable names in the Red Sox's farm system and big-league roster, including Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, Kyle Teel, Roman Anthony and others. The Red Sox are still putting Bloom's talent selection skills to good use.
Red Sox sign former Cardinals pitcher Osvaldo Berrios to a minor league deal
Berrios has played in parts of seven minor league seasons, and he reached Triple-A for the first time with the Cardinals organization in 2025. He clocked a 5.12 ERA between St. Louis' Double-A and Triple-A teams last season.
Berrios' ERA was driven up by his short tenure with Triple-A Memphis. He let up 15 runs on 23 hits with 14 strikeouts and nine walks over 14.2 innings with the Redbirds. By comparison, he had great success in Double-A, where he posted a 3.74 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 15 walks over 43.1 frames.
Berrios logged 9.62 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.72 walks per nine innings last season. The Red Sox's pitching coaching staff has become known for helping players refine their arsenals and only throw their best stuff in recent years, and there's no reason it can't do the same with Berrios.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old still has work to do in the minor leagues, but he could make his major league debut with the Red Sox this coming season if he takes well to their pitching system. Boston traded away or designated for assignment four veteran relievers on November 18, and it would be nice if Berrios could help replace some of that talent on the big league roster.