After a demoralizing June 4 loss at the hands of the division rival Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox bolstered their bullpen through an out-of-nowhere trade with a familiar partner.
The Red Sox have traded for former Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Joe La Sorsa, according to Ari Alexander of 7News Boston WHDH. The Pirates will get cash in return, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. He will be active for Boston's upcoming series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, says Alexander.
The Red Sox will have to open both a 40- and 26-man roster spot for La Sorsa after going through a similar process for Tommy Kahnle earlier in the day. Just as Kahnle had an opt out clause in his minor league deal with the Red Sox that would've allowed him to test free agency had he not been promoted on June 4, La Sorsa exercised an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Pirates. Instead of giving him a roster spot, Pittsburgh opted for a trade.
La Sorsa's professional career began in 2019 when the Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the 19th round of that year's MLB Draft. The 28-year-old has appeared in the major leagues for the Rays, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds, but never with the Pirates. He was part of Team Italy alongside Greg Weissert in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Any appearance he makes with the Red Sox will be his season debut.
Red Sox trade for reliever Joe La Sorsa, who exercised upward mobility clause in minor league deal with Pirates
La Sorsa has posted a 5.21 ERA.1.37 WHIP, 44 strikeouts and 16 walks over 57 across the parts of three seasons he's pitched in the majors. He logged a 3.46 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over 26 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis this season, including two starts.
There are already a fair few other lefties in the Sox's bullpen and La Sorsa's fit isn't the clearest. Boston optioned southpaw Tyler Samaniego to make room for Kahnle on June 4, but it still has lefties Jovani Morán, Danny Coulombe and Aroldis Chapman in the 'pen. The Red Sox could move on from Coulombe, who's already been injured this season and has a 6.55 ERA, eight strikeouts and six walks over 11 frames across 16 outings. Boston could also swap La Sorsa for Ryan Watson or Tyron Guerrero, who have struggled so far this season.
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