Ahead of their August 11-13 series against the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox re-tooled their bullpen and swapped some players between Triple-A and the majors.
Reliever Chris Murphy and infielder David Hamilton were optioned to make room for reliever Jovani Morán and catcher Ali Sánchez on the active roster. After the Worcester Red Sox activated Murphy, they released pitcher Robert Stock.
The Red Sox signed Stock to a minor league deal before the 2025 season, beginning his second stint with the team. Stock pitched for the Sox in the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season and logged a 4.73 ERA over 13.1 innings. He let up seven runs on 16 hits and posted 14 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Boston hoped Stock might be able to stick it out in the major leagues in his second go with the team, but he didn't pan out in its bullpen. He surrendered three runs on four hits and four walks in 2.2 innings before the Red Sox designated him for assignment and outrighted him back to Worcester. Stock continued his season with the WooSox, where he clocked a 3.92 ERA, 96 strikeouts and 36 walks over 85 innings, including 15 starts.
Red Sox release offseason minor league signing Robert Stock
Robert Stock's Filthy Stuff.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) December 31, 2024
[Mexican Winter League Pitching Triple Crown Winner]
Nasty movement & he also switches sides of the rubber to change angles. @RobertStock6 pic.twitter.com/XHLpi1131o
Along with his 11 seasons in MLB (mostly in the minor leagues), Stock also appeared in the KBO, the Mexican Pacific and Mexican Pacific Winter League. He pitched for los Naranjeros de Hermosillo in 2024 and won the pitching Triple Crown with a 1.60 ERA, a 10-2 record and 78 strikeouts in 84.1 innings. In Mexico, he revamped his arsenal and delivery with a new cutter to accompany his sidearm throw, but his edits haven't helped in the big leagues.
The Red Sox released Stock to accommodate multiple new arms in Worcester's bullpen. They optioned Murphy after a rough series in San Diego, which included four consecutive walks in his August 8 outing. Top pitching prospect David Sandlin was also recently promoted to Worcester to prepare for a potential depth role in the big leagues in September.