The Boston Red Sox needed to open a 40-man roster spot for the recently acquired Patrick Sandoval. On Dec. 21, they moved an unexpected bullpen arm to do it.
The Red Sox and Chicago White Sox made yet another trade on Saturday, exchanging lefty reliever Cam Booser and 18-year-old righty pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo. The 32-year-old Booser will change his Sox after being one of Boston's most memorable stories of the 2024 campaign.
Red Sox trade Cam Booser to White Sox for 18-year-old righty pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo
Of all the relievers the Red Sox could've moved to open a roster spot for Sandoval, Booser is a strange choice. He clocked a 3.38 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 16 walks in 42.2 innings with an excellent chase rate. Chase Shugart, Mickey Gasper and Zach Penrod, among a few other options, could have been moved to account for Sandoval, but the Red Sox opted to trade for a young pitching prospect in return for Booser.
Fajardo signed with the White Sox out of Venezuela earlier in 2024 and has only posted one season in the Dominican Summer League. He posted a 3.91 ERA over 50.2 innings with 64 strikeouts and just eight walks. The young righty just missed out on the White Sox's top 30 prospects list for 2024 and his fastball already touches 95 miles per hour on the radar gun.
The #RedSox today acquired minor league RHP Yhoiker Fajardo from the Chicago White Sox, in exchange for LHP Cam Booser.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) December 22, 2024
Red Sox sign veteran righty reliever Austin Adams
After the Booser trade, the Red Sox also brought in a more experienced reliever to shore up their bullpen depth. Boston on Dec. 22 signed former A's reliever Austin Adams to a minor-league contract. The deal includes an invitation to big league spring training and $1.5 million in performance bonuses.
Adams, 32, owns a 4.10 career ERA over eight seasons. He played with the Nationals, Mariners, Padres and Diamondbacks before he was traded to the A's in 2024. He clocked a 3.92 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 23 walks over 41.1 innings.
Adams isn't guaranteed a 40-man roster spot, but he'll have the chance to compete for a depth role in spring training. His 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings from the 2024 campaign could give him an edge over some of the existing competition in Boston's bullpen.