Right-hander José De León was once a top prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, but injuries derailed his career and left him without a job last season. Now, at age 32, he will get another chance to revive his career with the Boston Red Sox.
The news was first broken by De León himself, who posted a video to his Instagram account Tuesday captioned "Where to?" that showed him donning a Red Sox cap. Francys Romero later confirmed the news on X, adding that De León's agreement with the Red Sox was on a minor league deal.
Originally selected by the Dodgers in the 24th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, De León made his big league debut with Los Angeles three years later. He has pitched in parts of six major league seasons but failed to reach 20 frames in any of them. He has an ERA of 7.44 over 65 1/3 innings to show for his MLB career.
Red Sox sign former Dodgers top prospect José De León to minor league contract
In addition to the Dodgers, De León has also made major league appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds and, most recently, the Minnesota Twins. After he gave up nine earned runs in 17 1/3 innings for Minnesota in 2023, De León's season was cut short when he underwent his second Tommy John surgery in a span of five years.
De León remained a free agent for the entirety of the 2024 season while recovering from the procedure but made his comeback in November, pitching for Criollos de Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Given that he hasn't set foot on a major league mound in nearly two years, De León will likely begin the 2025 season with Triple-A Worcester. Despite his struggles at the big league level, his career minor league numbers are solid; he has a 3.44 ERA across 199 Triple-A innings over a span of six seasons.
Ultimately, De León is a low-risk depth piece for the Red Sox. His recovery is still untested in affiliated ball, but at best, he can provide some stability for the Worcester bullpen.
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