🧨 BREAKING: RED SOX LIKELY TO LET 101 MPH RHP WALK IN FREE AGENCY

At the big league level, the Boston Red Sox are already figuring out how to cope with the loss of third baseman Alex Bregman to free agency when he opts out of his contract after a single season. Shortstop Trevor Story is also eligible to opt out and hit free agency, posing another problem for the Red Sox.But the Red Sox are already losing players to free agency at the minor league level, with players who have been dropped from MLB 40-man rosters able to enter free agency at any time. The Red Sox have already lost infielder Abraham Toro, who played a significant role in helping Boston turn its season around after a slow start, and pitcher Nick Burdi, who both elected free agency in the past week.

Now, according to a report by Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Red Sox are expected to say goodbye to a pitcher whose fastball tops out at 101 mph, and who as recently as 2023 was rated the top mound prospect in the Boston farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.

Bryan Mata signed with Boston in 2016, out of Venezuela and was not a highly regarded prospect at the time. He was coming off a groin injury that torpedoed his deal to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox obtained him for a token signing bonus of $25,000.

Mata made an immediate impression in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, with a 2.80 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 61 innings. Red Sox brass were impressed enough to promote him to Single-A ball at age 18.

Just one year later, he was invited to pitch for the World team in the 2018 Futures Game — a team that also included such future MLB luminaries as Fernando Tatis Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Randy Arozarena and Jesus Luzardo.

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But the shutdown of minor league baseball during the COVID pandemic, and then Tommy John surgery, wiped out his 2020 and 2021 seasons — dealing a serious blow to Mata’s development.

He got back on the mound for the Red Sox Single-A affiliate in Greenville of the South Atlantic League in 2022, and by the end of the season Boston promoted Mata all the way to Triple-A Worcester, where he started five games with a 3.47 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.

Heading into the 2023 season Mata was the No. 7 prospect in the Red Sox system and top-rated pitcher.

Sadly for him, shoulder injuries and, perhaps as a result, issues with throwing strikes held Mata back from advancing all the way to Fenway Park.

After the 2024 season, the Red Sox did not offer Mata a new contract, making him a free agent for the first time. But the team quickly signed him back and he looked impressive for the Red Sox in spring training this season, even earning praise from manager Alex Cora who described Mata as “throwing the (expletive) out of the ball.”

But even though he made it through the 2025 season without further health setbacks, his performance never came together. The Red Sox converted Mata to a reliever, but in 42 appearances out of the Worcester bullpen, he finished with a 5.08 ERA, though he struck out 93 in 67 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox never called him up to the big leagues, and with the season over and Mata not included on the 40 man roster, he appears likely to elect free agency this time, according to Cotillo. The Red Sox have shown no indication that they would bring him back for next season.

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