The Angels made room for another familiar face from Boston’s bullpen shuffle, and this one comes with some real intrigue.
Ryan Watson landed in Anaheim after the Red Sox were forced to clear space for Erik Miller, a move that sent both Greg Weissert and Romy Gonzalez to the minors and designated Watson for assignment. The Angels, fresh off trading away three bullpen arms at the deadline, grabbed the 28-year-old reliever off waivers and plugged him into a vacant 40-man roster spot.
That part is straightforward. The interesting part is the pattern.
Los Angeles already dealt another former Red Sox reliever, Ryan Zeferjahn, to the Cubs at the deadline for a prospect package headlined by Moises Ballesteros. Now the Angels have another ex-Boston arm in the building, and Watson arrives with five years of team control still ahead of him. That gives Anaheim time to see whether there’s more here than the Red Sox had room to explore.
Watson’s Boston stint was never a disaster, but it also didn’t rise above replacement level. He posted a 4.53 ERA and 4.60 FIP across 55.2 innings, which is why the move to DFA him wasn’t exactly shocking once the roster started tightening up.
The early months were rough, too. He opened with a 6.62 ERA in March and April and was staring down DFA pressure right away.
After that, though, he settled in. From May 1 on, Watson worked to a 3.55 ERA, which is a much better snapshot of the pitcher the Red Sox hoped they were getting. The catch was simple: because he’s a Rule 5 pick, he couldn’t be sent to the minors, and once Miller arrived, the squeeze got him.
There’s also plenty in Watson’s profile that should interest the Angels. He gets big extension off the mound, checking in at 7.1 feet, which ranks in the 94th percentile.
He also has a solid chase rate at 31.7%, good for the 62nd percentile. Those are the kinds of traits that teams can build around, especially if they want to shape a reliever’s approach.
And that’s where the Zeferjahn comparison starts to matter. Los Angeles had success simplifying Zeferjahn’s mix, trimming him down into a sweeper-fastball weapon before flipping him to Chicago. Watson brings a deep five-pitch arsenal, which gives him the chance to work through lineups as a bulk reliever, but it also gives the Angels another arm they can try to streamline.
His sweeper already stands out as one of the better breaking balls in the game, so there’s a clear starting point if the Angels want to take the same route they took with Zeferjahn.
The Red Sox clearly wanted to keep working with Watson after finding success with other Rule 5 picks like Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten. They just ran out of room before they could keep the project going. Now the Angels get the next crack at him, and given the tools he’s already shown, it’s not hard to see why they pounced.
In Other News...
Red Sox Trade Is Already Creating A Debate Boston Fans Dread
The Adley Rutschman trade is already under the microscope in Boston, and one of the young arms coming back to Baltimore wasted little time giving the deal some early shape. Anthony Eyanson, now in the Orioles system, made his debut for the Chesapeake Baysox and worked five innings while giving up two runs on four hits and a walk, with nine strikeouts. For Red Sox fans still sorting through what it means to part with a star catcher, every first appearance from the other side of the deal feels like part of the same running evaluation.
Kyson Witherspoon was also on the mound for his first start in the Orioles organization the same day, adding another layer to a trade that will be judged for years rather than weeks. Boston moved Rutschman because it believed the long-term return could help reshape the roster, but early outings from the prospects are only fueling the uneasy debate that comes with any big deadline deal. The real answer is still far off, and that is exactly what makes these first impressions matter so much. [Read more 🡒]
Triston Casas Just Raised A Bigger Red Sox Problem At First Base
Triston Casas frustrating run of health issues has taken another turn, and it only deepens the uncertainty around first base for Boston. Since May 2025, Casas has been trying to work through a patellar tendon rupture and an abdominal injury, setbacks that have already slowed his playing time and development and made it hard for the Red Sox to get any real momentum with him at the position.
Now the broader question is no longer just when Casas comes back, but what Boston does next. The club has other names in the mix for first base, including Willson Contreras and prospects Kristian Campbell and Jack Winnay, which leaves the Red Sox looking at a spot that once seemed like it might be settled and instead feels very much up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]