The battle for the postseason rages on, but the Boston Red Sox are already getting a jumpstart on filling out their spring training roster for next March.
Hobie Harris is a 32-year-old minor-league journeyman who the Red Sox purchased in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft last November from the New York Mets. He participated in the major leauge spring training camp, but spent the entire season in Triple-A Worcester.
Once a 31st-round draft pick of the New York Yankees, Harris has long struggled to break through for major league opportunities. The 2025 season was more of the same, but he did enough in Worcester to earn an invite back to the Red Sox in 2026 well ahead of any sort of deadline.
Washington Nationals pitcher Hobie Harris throws in the bullpen at spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 4, 2023. / GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK
On Monday, the Red Sox and Harris agreed to a minor-league deal for next season that includes another invite to major league camp in February, according to a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 in Houston.
Harris began the season on the injured list, so he didn’t make his Worcester debut until June. In 31 Triple-A games, he pitched to a 4.15 ERA in 39 innings, striking out 43 batters, walking 21, and allowing a .262 opponent batting average.
Though he has pitched in five seasons at the Triple-A level, Harris has only seen one brief stint in the big leagues, which came with the Washington Nationals back in 2023. He allowed 11 earned runs in 19 2/3 innings and struck out just nine batters to 13 walks.
In his 10 minor-league seasons, Harris has compiled a 3.83 ERA across 449 1/3 innings, striking out 501 and walking 221. In addition to the teams already listed, he’s had MiLB stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins.
Is it particularly likely Harris will become an important piece of the major league bullpen next season? Perhaps not, but the reason teams stack depth arms is to prepare for unexpected scenarios, and although it doesn’t happen for most, a few minor-league journeymen break through at long last each and every season.
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