The Red Sox claimed the left-hander Stephen Gonsalves outside the Mets’ waivers, according to a team press release. Gonsalves has been selected for the Boston minor league training site.
The Mets appointed Gonsalves for assignment earlier this week, ending the 26-year-old’s tenure in New York without even a major league pitch after Gonsalves was claimed from the Twins’ exemptions last November. Gonsalves’ only taste of MLB action came with Minnesota in 2018, as he posted a 6.57 ERA in 24 2/3 innings (starting four of seven games).
Originally drafted by the Twins as a fourth-round pick in 2013, Gonsalves has an impressive 2.50 ERA, a 2.67 K / BB rate and 9.6 K / 9 over 612 minor league career IPs, though much of that success came at the lowest levels. The hikes were a bit more of a problem for Gonsalves at the Triple-A level, with a 4.9 BB / 9 over his 125 frames on the top rung on the minor league ladder, though he still had a 3.46 ERA in Rochester Triple -TO.
Gonsalves will now join a Red Sox club that needs some help to pitch, so another major league call might not be far behind. However, Darwinzon Hernández and Josh Taylor are recovering from positive COVID-19 tests, so the Red Sox will receive reinforcements in the left-handed bullpen in the near term. With the addition of Gonsalves, Boston has now maximized its player pool with 60 men, and has 38 filled positions on its 40-man roster.
