Boston Red Sox Acquire Flamethrower Pitcher From Astros

The Boston Red Sox have bolstered their pitching arsenal by claiming flamethrower Alex Speas off waivers from the Houston Astros. 

Speas, a 26-year-old right-handed reliever, is known for his impressive fastball, which regularly sits in the high 90s and occasionally hits the 100 mph mark. 

Originally a second-round pick in the 2016 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers, Speas has shown potential with a high strikeout rate of 32.73% across 165.1 career minor league innings, despite his struggles with control.

Red Sox have claimed reliever Alex Speas off waivers from the Astros.

He’d already gone from the White Sox to the A’s in 2024 before landing with Houston.

At AAA, he has a 10.38 ERA/7.20 FIP in 21.2 IP. 12.9 K/9, 9.1 BB/9. Age-26 season. Optioned to AAA.pic.twitter.com/Hs9x0o72wj

— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) June 29, 2024

Speas' journey through the majors has been tumultuous. 

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018 and taking a brief hiatus from baseball in 2022, he made a comeback in 2023, posting a 2.86 ERA over 56.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. 

His brief major league stints with the Rangers and Astros have been marked by control issues, evidenced by his 18.24% walk rate in the minors. Despite his struggles, the Red Sox see potential in his raw talent and high-velocity pitching, hoping to refine his command under the guidance of their revamped pitching development system led by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

The Red Sox could really make something out of newly claimed RP, Alex Speas.

Hard-throwing supinator w whiff rates > 40% on FC/SW/SL in AAA.

17.6% BB% is troubling, could find a smaller/better target for FC/FB.

Adding a hard CU can be a separator to his FB + create IZ-whiffs. pic.twitter.com/0HqtfMHhWF

— Pat (@PatSullivan05) June 29, 2024

By claiming Speas and optioning him to Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox aim to address their bullpen depth amid trade rumors surrounding Kenley Jansen. 

With Boston's bullpen currently ranking ninth in the majors with a 3.51 ERA, Speas' ability to generate strikeouts could prove beneficial if he can manage his control issues. 

Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports