The Red Sox signed free-agent left-hander Sean Newcomb to a minor-league contract earlier this week and invited him to major-league spring training, the club announced on Friday.
Newcomb, 31, is a Brockton, Mass. native who attended Middleborough High School. He was originally selected by the Angels with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 draft out of the University of Hartford but was dealt to the Braves as part of the Andrelton Simmons trade the following November.
After emerging as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Newcomb debuted for Atlanta in June 2017. The lefty showed signs of promise early into his major-league career, most notably posting a 3.90 ERA with 160 strikeouts over 31 outings (30 starts) spanning 164 innings in 2018. He pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen in 2019 and impressed in a relief role, but he has not been able to replicate those same results since then.
Newcomb appeared in just four games for the Braves during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign before logging a 4.73 ERA over 32 1/3 innings of relief in 2021. He was designated for assignment in April 2022 and subsequently traded to the Cubs. He reached free agency that November and signed a minor-league deal with the Giants in February 2023 only to be traded to the Athletics six months later.
Newcomb produced a 3.00 ERA over 15 innings for the A’s in 2023 and was re-signed to a one-year deal for 2024. He underwent offseason surgeries on both knees and struggled to a 6.30 ERA in seven outings (10 innings) last year before being released by Oakland in early July. Altogether, he owns a lifetime 4.51 ERA (4.47 FIP) with 438 strikeouts to 236 walks in 175 career appearances (60 starts) and 431 innings between the Braves, Cubs, and Athletics at the big-league level.
Newcomb, who turns 32 in June, figures to vie for a spot as a left-handed option in the Red Sox’ Opening Day bullpen once camp gets underway in Fort Myers next month. The 6-foot-5 southpaw could also provide Boston with versatile pitching depth at Triple-A Worcester to open the 2025 season since he has experience as both a starter and reliever.
