A Friday trade deal between the Cardinals and Red Sox sent two-time Gold Glove outfielder Tyler O’Neill to Boston and netted ºüÀêÊÓƵ two right-handed pitchers in Nick Robertson and Victor Santos.
Robertson, 25, has 22 1/3 innings of major league experience since getting selected in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB draft while Santos, 23, has reached as high as Class AAA within Boston’s farm system after making his professional debut in 2017 after signing as an undrafted free agent from the Dominican Republic.
Here are five things to know about the two right-handed pitchers:
Robertson’s MLB debut and first trade
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After getting drafted by the Dodgers in 2019 following two seasons as a reliever at James Madison University, Robertson made his MLB debut this past summer with the Dodgers. The 6-foot-6 righty posted a 6.10 ERA in his first nine MLB appearances and struck out 13 batters. But his time as a Dodger was short. Robertson was one of two righties sent to Boston in a trade deal that brought outfielder Enrique Hernandez back to Los Angeles days before this past summer’s trade deadline, the first of two deals he’d be part of in 2023, Robertson split time between Class AAA Worcester and in the big leagues with Boston. He combined to pitch 26 1/3 innings between the two levels — 12 of which came in the majors. Robertson held a 6.00 ERA, notched 13 strikeouts, and kept hitters to a .265 batting average against him during nine MLB appearances for the Red Sox before the regular season wrapped up.
Robertson’s three-pitch mix
While briefly in the majors this year, Robertson displayed his three-pitch mix of a fastball that averages 95 mph, a changeup that regularly clocks in around 88 mph, and a slider that hovers around the mid-80s, per Statcast. Of the three pitches in his arsenal, Robertson’s changeup was his second-most used pitch last season. The off-speed pitch led to a 36.9% whiff rate and a 28.9% strikeout rate for Roberston. Both of those figures were the highest among his three pitches this past season. When it came to facing right-handed hitters, the changeup generated a 40% swing-and-miss rate, a .154 average, and a .231 slugging percentage, according to Statcast.
Santos is coming off injury
The 23-year-old native of Villa Tapia, Dominican Republic, came into last spring as a non-roster invitee to Red Sox camp but was forced to sit out the entire 2023 season because of arm discomfort. Before the injury, Santos came off a 2022 season during which he went 10-12 with a 4.97 ERA over 145 innings between Class AA Portland and Class AAA Worcester. Just over 100 of his innings in 2022 came with Portland. He fanned 79 batters and allowed 56 runs in 19 Class AA outings. He logged 43 2/3 innings of experience in Class AAA and saw a jump in his strikeout rate from 18.6% with Portland to 25.3% in Worcester but had a similar struggle at the new level as he held a 4.95 ERA and allowed a .276 batting average to opposing hitters.
Santos' Dominican Winter League success
While in his native county this winter, Santos is making up for the time he lost in 2023 due to injury by pitching for the Leones Del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. Santos owns a 2.96 ERA for the Leones and is 3-0 in seven outings (five starts). He’s logged 27 1/3 innings and struck out 23 batters while keeping opposing hitters to five walks and one home run. He’s allowed 29 hits and maintained a 1.28 WHIP in the Dominican Winter League. Santos’ innings pitched gives him the 10th-most among Dominican Winter League pitchers and is third for the Leones, who are led by Rays right-hander Tyler Alexander’s 36 frames.
Santos is a former Phillies farmhand
Like Robertson, this deal isn’t the first time Santos is on the move. After he signed as an international free-agent deal with the Phillies as a 16-year-old in 2016 and remained in the Phillies’ system until 2021, Santos was sent to Boston shortly after he made his Class AA debut that June. The then-21-year-old was the “Player To Be Named Later†for a deal completed in early 2021 between the Phillies and the Red Sox that sent minor league infielder C.J. Chatham to Philadelphia’s system.
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