The Boston Red Sox announced on Saturday that they have claimed right-hander Alex Speas off waivers from the Houston Astros. Speas was designated for assignment by Houston last week to create a 40-man roster spot for left-hander Bryan King.
The #RedSox today claimed RHP Alex Speas off waivers from the Houston Astros and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 29, 2024
Red Sox Claim Right-Hander Alex Speas from Astros
The second-round pick in the 2016 MLB draft, Speas made three appearances for the Rangers last season. He gave up three earned runs over two innings of work before the 26-year-old was designated for assignment.
He was selected off of waivers by the Chicago White Sox in October before being traded to the Oakland Athletics. Speas was claimed by the Houston Astros last month and made one appearance before being designated for assignment yet again.
Between Double-A and Triple-A last season, Speas had a 2.86 ERA with 85 strikeouts and 38 walks over 56 2⁄3 innings. Speas stepped away from baseball in 2022 after spending all of 2019-2020 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has made 21 appearances between the three Triple-A affiliates so far this season, and carries a 10.38 ERA. He owns a career 9.00 ERA over four innings at the major league level.
What Speas Brings to the Table
Before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018, Speas was clocked throwing as hard as 102 mph on his fastball. Now, he sits between 93-97 mph with some suggesting he may, post-injury, be better as a starter than a reliever. His velocity has led to a 32.73% strikeout rate across his 165 ⅓ career innings in the minors. But his 18.24% walk rate explains why the 26-year-old right-hander has yet to find a home.
Claiming Speas will give the Red Sox some extra bullpen depth in the minors after optioning him to Triple-A Worcester. This is especially true given the recent trade rumors surrounding Kenley Jansen. Boston’s pitching development has been improving under new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow who knows a few things about managing control issues.
Boston enters Saturday sitting 8 1/2 games back in the division and 1 1/2 games back for the Wild Card. The Red Sox relievers have combined for the ninth-best bullpen ERA in the majors with a 3.51 ERA.
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