While the Boston Red Sox did next to nothing this past offseason, one of their under the radar moves may be starting to pay off.
Rookie right-hander Justin Slaten bounced around this offseason. The New York Mets claimed him from the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 Draft, but he was subsequently traded to Boston for minor league Ryan Ammons and cash considerations. His MLB career began on a bit of a rough note, as he allowed a walk-off single in his debut. However, since then, he has been quite dominant.
Since that walk-off base-hit, opponents are 0-for-22 with one walk and seven strikeouts against him.
Red Sox insider J.P. Long took note of this improvement on Twitter.
Justin Slaten allowed a walk-off single in his Major League debut.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) April 12, 2024
Since then, opponents are 0-for-22 (.000) with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts against him.
New Red Sox pitcher Justin Slaten has been unhittable since debut
Slaten has been virtually unhittable since he allowed a game-winning hit in his Major-League debut.
While he has only appeared in five games thus far, which is a very small sample size, the 26-year-old has a WHIP of 0.26 and has yet to allow an earned run in 7.2 innings of work.
The only major move the Red Sox made this offseason was the signing of Lucas Giolito, and he is out for the season after undergoing a brace procedure on his right elbow. But Slaten has helped stabilize things in the bullpen for the Red Sox, who have performed better than expected so far at 7-6, three games back of the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Slaten himself performed quite well in the minor leagues last season after a rough first few years. He went 5-3 in 40 appearances with an ERA of 2.87 and made the jump from Double-A to Triple-A.
In the end, it looks like the Red Sox pulled off quite the steal when they acquired the young righty from the Rangers. He has been a force in their bullpen and may end up being a valuable weapon, especially in high-leverage spots.