Yesterday was the deadline so as to add prospects to the 40-man roster to be able to shield them from the Rule 5 Draft, a weird mechanism whereby groups can swipe veteran minor leaguers from one another, underneath the situation that the choosing crew must then preserve that participant on the large league roster for the rest of the next season. The Crimson Sox added three minor leaguers to the roster: pitchers David Sandlin, Shane Drohan, and Tyler Uberstine, all of whom spent final season at AAA Worcester.
Sandlin was a lock to be added. He was one of many nice surprises of the 2025 minor league season, placing up a 3.61 ERA and placing out 86 hitters in 82.1 innings in Portland earlier than he was promoted to Worcester within the second half of the season. He was moved to the bullpen with Worcester, each to handle his workload and in anticipation of a potential late-season name as much as assist the large league membership. The transfer to the pen didn’t go so properly, however he stays a possible huge league starter and he’ll probably make his MLB debut as a depth call-up a while in 2026. He would have been one of many first picks within the Rule 5 draft had the Sox not protected him.
Shane Drohan has already been picked within the Rule 5 draft. He was swiped by the White Sox after the Sox left him unprotected following the 2023 season. However after struggling a spring coaching shoulder harm and struggling upon his return in 2024, the South Siders couldn’t afford to maintain him on their huge league roster and returned him to Boston. Drohan was a powerful performer in Worm City in 2025, placing up an ERA beneath three in 11 begins. However he as soon as once more struggled with accidents, lacking almost three months with a forearm situation. The truth that the Sox didn’t flip to him in September, when the remainder of the pitching employees was operating out of duct tape to carry collectively elbow and shoulder ligaments, signifies that Craig Breslow doesn’t presently see him as huge league caliber.
Tyler Uberstine suits an analogous profile as Drohan: a powerful AAA performer (he posted an ERA of three.56 in 15 begins) however somebody who will sit fairly far down on the staring pitcher depth chart subsequent season. In defending Drohan and Uberstine, I don’t suppose the Sox are signaling that both of these guys is of their quick roster plans. However I do suppose they see each guys as potential commerce items at finest and depth items at worst.
As for who made room for these three arms, say goodbye to Nathaniel Lowe, Brennan Bernardino, Chris Murphy, and Josh Winckowski, all of whom had been faraway from the roster in a technique or one other yesterday.
Lowe did his job for the Crimson Sox, who discovered themselves in determined want of a primary baseman for the second 12 months in a row and, for the second 12 months in a row, discovered somebody off the scrap heap who offered just a little stability. However given his projected arbitration wage of $13 million and the approaching return of Triston Casas, he was a simple DFA. The identical might be mentioned of Josh Winckowski, a fungible back-of-the-bullpen arm whom the Sox probably tried to commerce earlier than designating him for task as properly.
The Sox did handle to search out buying and selling companions for Bernardino and Murphy, bringing again Braiden Ward, a 26-year-old minor league outfielder from the Rockies, and Ronny Hernandez, a 21-year-old catcher who has spent the final two years with the White Sox single-A affiliate.
As for who wasn’t protected, the 2 names to now control as potential Rule 5 draft picks are Yordanny Monegro and Hayden Mullins. Monegro’s 2025 season ended early because of Tommy John surgical procedure. However, mockingly, that truly makes him extra more likely to be chosen, as he might be stashed on the 60-day IL for many if not all of 2026 as he returns from harm. Mullins is a 25-year-old lefty who posted an ERA of two.44 in 18 begins with AA Portland final season.
