The Pink Sox introduced Friday that they’ve signed veteran lefty Sean Newcomb to a minor league deal and invited him to main league spring coaching. Newcomb is represented by Klutch Sports activities. Boston additionally confirmed beforehand reported minor league offers/non-roster invitations for right-handers Austin Adams, Robert Inventory and Noah Davis. (We’ve beforehand written on their offers for Adams, Davis and Inventory.)
Newcomb, 31, is a former first-round choose (Angels, 2014) and prime prospect. The Halos shipped him to the Braves as a part of their commerce to amass Andrelton Simmons forward of the 2016 season, and for a pair years, Newcomb regarded as if he might be a fixture on Atlanta’s workers despite sub-par command. He began 49 video games for the Braves in 2017-18, registering a strong 4.06 ERA with a 23.3% strikeout charge however an unsightly 12% stroll charge. Atlanta bumped him to the ’pen in 2019, and the outcomes had been much more intriguing: 68 1/3 innings, 3.16 ERA, 22.2% strikeout charge, 9.9% stroll charge.
Over the subsequent three seasons, Newcomb’s outcomes tanked. He pitched simply 73 2/3 innings within the majors and logged a brutal 7.45 ERA. His strikeout charge held at 22.9%, however Newcomb’s stroll charge jumped to 14.7%. After plunking solely 10 hitters and tossing 11 wild pitches in 332 1/3 frames from 2017-19, Newcomb hit 5 batters and tossed eight wild pitches over these 73 2/3 frames from 2020-22. He not solely noticed his skill to throw strikes diminish — he noticed his precision throughout the zone erode as effectively; after yielding a median of 0.97 homers per 9 innings in ’17-’19, Newcomb averaged 1.59 lengthy balls per 9 frames in 2020-22.
Newcomb has spent the previous two seasons with the A’s, pitching effectively in 2023 earlier than present process season-ending knee surgical procedure and struggling in 2024 on the heels of that process. He’s pitched 25 MLB innings over the previous two seasons and allowed a dozen runs (4.32 ERA) on 17 hits, 17 walks, three hit batters and 24 strikeouts. He’s been much better within the minors, notching a 3.12 ERA in Triple-A between the Giants and A’s in 2023-24. He’s punched out 30.1% of opponents however once more proven poor command (14.2%) in these two Triple-A seasons (totaling 40 1/3 innings).
Boston already has Aroldis Chapman, Brennan Bernardino and Justin Wilson as left-handed choices locked into supervisor Alex Cora’s bullpen. Southpaw Zach Penrod can be on the 40-man roster. He labored extra as a starter within the minors final 12 months, however his path to the majors in 2025 would possible be within the bullpen, with Lucas Giolito returning and new acquisitions Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler within the rotation.
