Red Sox, Frank German Agree To Minor League Deal

The Red Sox are in agreement with reliever Frank German on a minor league contract, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive (Twitter link). He’d been released by the Reds two weeks ago.

German has bounced between a few organizations in 2023, now returning to the only one with which he’s appeared at the big league level. The right-hander pitched in five games for Boston last season. The Red Sox designated him for assignment during the offseason, spurring a trade to the White Sox. He landed with Cincinnati via waiver claim a couple months later before being cut loose.

The hard-throwing hurler has had a tough go in Triple-A this year. German carries an 8.55 ERA in 20 minor league frames on the season. He’s walked 15.1% of batters faced and surrendered six home runs. Cotillo notes that the Sox will send him to their complex in Florida before assigning him to a minor league affiliate.

Tough 2023 aside, there’s little harm for Boston in rolling the dice yet again. German’s fastball sat just under 98 MPH during his big league stint last year. He’s never had issues missing bats in the minors but has yet to consistently find the strike zone.