Another day, another move to add pitching depth for the Boston Red Sox. This time, however, they acquired a pitcher who once displayed ace upside.
The Red Sox signed veteran right-hander Dinelson Lamet to a minors deal on Wednesday, per MLB.com's transaction wire. Lamet was released by the Colorado Rockies last week.
If the name rings a bell, that's because Lamet broke out during the abbreviated 2020 MLB season and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting with the San Diego Padres. That year, the 30-year-old posted a 2.09 ERA and 0.86 WHIP while striking out 93 hitters in 69 innings (12 starts).
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It's been a struggle for Lamet ever since. From 2021-23, he has amassed a 6.69 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 105 innings (70 appearances). In 16 appearances (four starts) with the Rockies this season, his ERA ballooned to 11.57 and his WHIP to 2.34.
Those numbers won't inspire much optimism about Lamet's potential with Boston. Still, adding him on a minors deal is a risk-free move that could pay dividends if he shows flashes of his Padres days.
With injuries taking a toll on the big-league pitching staff, the Red Sox have focused on bolstering their pitching depth this month. They also recently acquired righty Andres Nunez from the Kansas City Royals, signed veteran reliever Kyle Barraclough to a minor-league deal, and acquired reliever Tayler Scott from the Los Angeles Dodgers.