The Red Sox wasted no time getting busy once the MLB offseason opened, and the latest moves show Boston is already working the margins of its roster.
After dealing Nate Eaton to the Athletics and Tsung-Che Cheng to the Detroit Tigers, the Red Sox have also been active in the minors. Earlier in the week, Boston re-signed right-handed pitcher Angel Bastardo. On Friday, Tommy Cassell of the Worcester T&G Sports reported that the club added two more arms back into the fold: left-hander Michael Sansone and right-hander Patrick Halligan.
“The club has also re-signed left-handed pitcher Michael Sansone and right-handed pitcher Patrick Halligan to go along with RHP Angel Bastardo to minor league contracts,” Cassell wrote. “ The Red Sox have released catcher Juan Montero, who was a fan (and clubhouse) favorite.”
Sansone, 26, has been in Boston’s organization since 2024 after beginning his pro career with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022 and 2023 out of Fairfield University. In 2026, he worked across Double-A and Triple-A, appearing in 25 games total.
At Double-A Portland, he posted a 5.36 ERA with a 45-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 50 1/3 innings. In Triple-A, he finished with a 6.05 ERA and a 48-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61 innings.
He may not be a headline prospect, but Sansone looks like the kind of arm Boston wants available as Triple-A depth in Worcester.
Halligan brings a similar profile. The 27-year-old right-hander has spent time in the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros and Red Sox systems during his career. Drafted by Kansas City in 2021, he still hasn’t reached the majors.
In 2026, Halligan made 39 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. He logged 29 outings in Double-A, including two starts, and put up a 4.29 ERA in 56 2/3 innings. After moving up to Triple-A, he posted a 5.66 ERA in 10 relief appearances.
Like Sansone, Halligan appears set to serve as organizational depth near the top of the farm system, ready if Boston needs another option in Worcester. At the very least, he’s staying in the organization for now on a minor league deal.
In Other News...
Red Sox Have A Real Chance To Silence Doubts In 2027
The Red Sox have spent the early part of 2027 in a familiar spot for a team trying to turn promise into proof: near the top of the conversation, but still carrying the memory of a quick October exit. After ending their playoff drought in 2025 and reaching the postseason again last year, Boston still had to absorb a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in the Wild Card round, a result that left plenty of room for questions about how far this group could really go.
Early power rankings from ESPN and The Athletic have kept Boston in the mix, slotting the club fifth and pointing to a roster built around pitching and defense. The additions of Adley Rutschman and Curtis Mead only add to the sense that this is a younger team with room to grow, even after some underperformance a season ago, and the next step is proving that the talent translates when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Familiar Rotation Question To Answer
Nick Pivetta is back on the market after the Padres declined his $14 million contract option, putting the right-hander in free agency and reopening a question the Red Sox know well. Pivetta spent 2020 through 2024 in Boston before moving on to San Diego, and his availability arrives at a time when the Red Sox are trying to sort out an offseason rotation picture that leans heavily to the left side.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious. A familiar arm with recent history in the organization suddenly fits a need, and the Red Sox could view Pivetta as a right-handed answer depending on how they choose to build the staff. Whether they actually pursue a reunion will come down to the broader plan, but the fit is there in a way that should at least keep his name in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Just Locked In A Bullpen Arm With One Big Caveat
Garrett Whitlock is staying in Boston a little longer, with the Red Sox exercising their $8.25 million club option to keep the right-hander under team control through the 2027 season. It is a straightforward move on the surface, but an important one for a bullpen that has leaned on Whitlocks ability to miss bats and handle high-leverage work when healthy.
The caveat, of course, is the health history that has followed him through the last two seasons. Whitlock still turned in a strong 2026 campaign with a 1.72 ERA in 52 1/3 innings, even while pitching through a fractured tibia late in the year, and the expectation is that he will be fully healthy by Spring Training. For Boston, the bet is less about what he has already shown than whether he can keep giving them that kind of impact without the injuries becoming the story again. [Read more 🡒]