Red Sox Surprisingly Signed a $400 million Contract with a Young Phenom According To….
In an effort to assemble the ideal roster for next season’s competition, the Boston Red Sox are engaged in a few position battles around the diamond.
There are some openings in the rotation and bullpen, but the biggest battles in camp are happening on the mound. After suffering an injury that might keep him off the Red Sox roster, one of the guys trying to get into the team was mentioned on Opening Day.
“Per (manager Alex Cora), Bryan Mata pulled his right hamstring and has been shut down, which is significant because he’s out of options and was in the mix for a bullpen spot,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo wrote on Sunday. “Unclear how long it’ll take.”
Mata had a genuine opportunity to earn a spot near the bottom of the roster, most likely as a middle-inning reliever, going into training. MLB Pipeline presently has the 24-year-old as the No. 24 prospect in the Red Sox farm system.
Due to his dominant stuff, which includes a triple-digit fastball, Mata was considered one of the organization’s best pitching prospects before sustaining arm ailments, one of which required Tommy John surgery.
After a difficult and injury-plagued season the previous year, Mata only pitched 27 innings for Triple-A Worcester, compiling a 6.33 ERA. But his most recent stretch of good health was even more promising.
