9:19PM: Wingenter has an task clause in his contract, in line with Chris Cotillo of MassLive, and as such will should be added to the membership’s 40-man roster within the coming days. No corresponding transfer has been introduced by the Crimson Sox up to now.
8:36PM: The Crimson Sox have acquired right-hander Trey Wingenter from the Tigers in alternate for minor league righty CJ Weins per an announcement from each golf equipment. Wingenter was within the Tigers group on a minor league deal and doesn’t should be instantly added to the membership’s 40-man roster.
Wingenter, 30, has pitched in elements of three MLB seasons and most just lately appeared within the majors as a member of the Tigers final 12 months. The suitable-hander was a Seventeenth-round choose by the Padres within the 2017 draft and made his debut with the membership in 2018. Over two seasons with San Diego, the righty posted a lackluster 5.14 ERA in 70 innings of labor, though his peripheral numbers recommended a stronger underlying efficiency that these run prevention numbers might have recommended. The righty struck out a whopping 33.1% of batters confronted throughout his time with the Padres, and that was sufficient to garner him a 3.79 FIP regardless of a 13% stroll price and a 12.7% residence run to fly ball ratio that each left one thing to be desired.
The righty wouldn’t resurface on the huge league degree till 2023, as a member of the Tigers. His time in Detroit went equally to his time in San Diego, as he posted a lackluster 5.82 ERA whereas a giant strikeout price (28.9% in 17 innings) outweighed his elevated stroll price (9.2%) and proclivity in the direction of residence runs sufficient to present him strong peripheral numbers. One noticeable change from his time with the Padres was his groundball price, nevertheless. Wingenter didn’t garner many grounders throughout his time with the Padres, inducing them at solely a 35.7% clip, however that price shot up 43.2% with the Tigers.
Wingenter ended up remaining with Detroit coming into the 2024 marketing campaign after re-signing with the membership on a recent minor league deal this previous winter. Whereas he hasn’t pitched for the membership within the majors this season, he’s posted typically spectacular numbers on the Triple-A degree with a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of labor this 12 months. He’s paired these robust outcomes along with his typical bat-missing stuff, as he’s struck out 32.9% of batters confronted on the degree this 12 months whereas strolling 11.6%. Notably, he’s continued to indicate enchancment by way of his batted ball profile, as he’s induced grounders at a robust 48% clip this season in Triple-A.
In heading to Boston, Wingenter joins a stockpile of attention-grabbing bullpen arms the membership has on non-roster offers as potential depth choices behind their present group. With that being mentioned, it’s value noting that a lot of that group (similar to Lucas Luetge and Joely Rodriguez) throw from the left facet, that means Wingenter could possibly be the membership’s high non-roster depth possibility from the precise facet. With Chris Martin and Liam Hendriks each presently on the injured checklist, it’s not less than believable that the lack of one in all Kenley Jansen, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, or Zack Kelly could lead on the Crimson Sox to show to Wingenter over both Alex Speas or Isaiah Campbell, each of whom are presently on the Triple-A degree however already occupy spots on the 40-man roster. It’s additionally doable that the membership could possibly be intrigued sufficient by Wingenter’s excessive strikeout charges to present him a extra fast look within the majors, although such a transfer would require choosing him to the membership’s 40-man roster.
In alternate for including Wingenter to their depth chart, the Crimson Sox are giving up Weins. The 23-year-old was Boston’s sixth-round choose within the 2023 draft and pitched only one inning in rookie ball final 12 months earlier than being promoted to Single-A to start out the 2024 marketing campaign. In 24 1/3 innings of labor with the membership’s affiliate in Salem this 12 months, Weins has posted a lackluster 4.81 ERA with a strong 26.6% strikeout price however a worrisome 14.7% stroll price. These strong strikeout numbers give good reason for hope that the righty could possibly be a useful piece of a giant league bullpen sometime if he can work out his management points, and the Tigers now determine to work in the direction of guiding Weins towards that objective going ahead.
