As Boston Red Sox players begin making their way back to Fort Myers from the World Baseball Classic, real roster competition and cuts have started. Boston made its second round of cuts on March 17 — it's still early so there are no surprise reassignments here.
The Red Sox have sent lefty pitcher T.J. Sikkema and righty pitchers Seth Martinez, Wyatt Olds and Noah Song to minor league camp. Fifty four pitchers remain in major league camp, including 13 non-roster invitees. Only 26 players will make the Opening Day roster, and most of them were quite clear when camp opened.
Sikkema, Martinez, Olds and Song are upper-level minor leaguers who could become major league bullpen depth options with good seasons in Triple-A. Martinez could be the likeliest to be called up this season, since he has major league experience, having appeared in the big leagues in parts of the last five seasons.
Martinez has posted a 4.00 ERA over 144 major league innings between the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins. He's looked a bit rusty this spring with a 7.27 ERA (11 hits, seven runs), five strikeouts and four walks over 8.2 innings.
Red Sox reassign relievers T.J. Sikkema, Noah Song, Wyatt Olds and Seth Martinez to minor league camp
Song is arguably the most intriguing player sent down in this group — he returned from Tommy John surgery and appeared in every level of Boston's minor league system. He pitched 43 of his 55 innings with Double-A Portland and posted a 4.19 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 22 walks. Song largely pitched a clean spring training having surrendered just one run on three hits over eight innings. He struck out nine batters and walked five.
The Red Sox signed Sikkema after he departed the Cincinnati Reds organization over the winter. He's also a former New York Yankees prospect who was traded to the Kansas City Royals as part of the Andrew Benintendi deal. Sikkema could also use a ramp-up in the minor leagues after letting up five runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts and a walk over five innings.
Olds, who's been a Red Sox prospect since he was drafted in 2021, could also stand to refine his command in the minors. He let up five runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and five walks over five innings.
This may not be the last the Red Sox see of these four players this season as they'll inevitably need bullpen depth at some point. They join Jake Bennett, Nate Baez, Ronald Rosario, Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, Vinny Nittoli, Devin Sweet and Jeremy Wu-Yelland in minor league camp after the first round of roster cuts on March 9.