Red Sox add nine non-roster invitees to 2021 Spring Training roster

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox have added nine non-roster invitees to the team’s 2021 Spring Training roster: pitchers Seth Blair, Raynel Espinal, Stephen Gonsalves, Kevin McCarthy, and Caleb Simpson; catchers Roldani Baldwin and Jhonny Pereda; first baseman Josh Ockimey; and outfielder César Puello.

Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

Roldani Baldwin, C – Baldwin, 24, will be attending his second consecutive Major League Spring Training with the Red Sox as a non-roster invitee. The right-handed hitter has thrown out 89 of 269 (33.1%) attempted base stealers during his career, including 24 of 53 (45.3%) with High-A Salem in 2018. Named a 2018 Carolina league mid-season All-Star and a 2017 South Atlantic League mid- and post-season All-Star, Baldwin has hit .268 (353-for-1,318) with 81 doubles, five triples, 33 home runs, and 201 RBI in 357 games in the Boston organization.

Seth Blair, RHP – Blair, 31, will be attending his first Major League Spring Training. The right-hander spent the majority of the 2020 season at the Red Sox Alternate Training Site after signing with the club as a minor league free agent in August. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the supplemental first round (46th overall) of the 2010 June Draft, Blair is 17-25 with a 5.21 ERA (200 ER/345.1 IP) in 101 minor league appearances (62 starts). In 2019, he recorded a career-best 12.09 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 17 appearances (two starts) for the San Diego Padres’ Triple-A Lake Elsinore.

Raynel Espinal, RHP – Espinal, 29, was selected by Boston in the minor league phase of the 2019 Rule 5 Draft after spending his first seven seasons in the New York Yankees organization. The right-hander is 12-9 with a 3.74 ERA (59 ER/142.0 IP) over 59 appearances (15 starts) at the Triple-A Level, all with Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 2012, Espinal is 24-24 with a 3.32 ERA (128 ER/347.1 IP) in 139 minor league appearances (30 starts). He is currently pitching for Cibao in the Dominican Winter League.

Stephen Gonsalves, LHP – Gonsalves, 26, spent the majority of the 2020 season at the Red Sox Alternate Training Site after being claimed off waivers from the New York Mets in July. Selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 2013 June Draft, the left-hander made his major league debut in 2018 with the Twins, going 2-2 with a 6.57 ERA (18 ER/24.2 IP) in seven appearances (four starts). Over 121 minor league appearances (114 starts), he is 53-22 with a 2.50 ERA (170 ER/612.0 IP), .199 opponent average, and 1.11 WHIP.

Kevin McCarthy, RHP – McCarthy, 28, is 11-6 with a 3.80 ERA (81 ER/191.2 IP) in 169 major league appearances (all in relief) since making his debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2016. After posting a 3.25 ERA (26 ER/72.0 IP) over a career-high 65 appearances in 2018, the right-hander made the Royals’ Opening Day roster in each of the last two seasons, pitching in 56 games in 2019. Selected by Kansas City in the 16th round of the 2013 June Draft, the Rockville Centre, NY native posted a 4.50 ERA (3 ER/6.0 IP) over five relief appearances for the Royals in 2020.

Josh Ockimey, 1B – Ockimey, 25, spent the entire 2020 season at the Red Sox’ Alternate Training Site. A left-handed hitter selected by Boston in the fifth round of the 2014 June Draft, he has hit .239 (466-for-1,951) with 81 home runs and 312 RBI in 579 minor league games. Since the beginning of 2018, he leads Red Sox minor leaguers in walks (152) and ranks second in home runs (45) and extra-base hits (87). Named a mid-season All-Star in four consecutive seasons from 2015-18, Ockimey has recorded an on-base percentage of at least .350 in each of his last four years.

Jhonny Pereda, C – Pereda, 24, spent the entire 2020 season at the Red Sox’ Alternate Training Site after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in March. The right-handed hitter played 98 games for Double-A Tennessee in 2019, batting .241 (83-for-344) and earning the Minor League Rawlings Gold Glove Award for catcher after throwing out more runners than any other player at the Double- or Triple-A level (44). Signed by Cubs as an international free agent in 2013, Pereda has hit .248 (413-for-1,668) with 15 home runs in seven minor league seasons. He is currently playing for Caracas in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.

César Puello, OF – Puello, 29, will be attending his second consecutive Major League Spring Training with the Red Sox as a non-roster invitee. He made his Red Sox debut last season, playing in five games and reaching base in five of his 11 plate appearances with two outfield assists. Originally signed by the New York Mets as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2007, Puello has played 66 major league games with the Los Angeles Angels (2017, ’19), Tampa Bay Rays (2017), Miami Marlins (2019), and Red Sox (2020), making 23 starts in left field, 20 in center field, and 15 in right field. He is currently playing for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.

Caleb Simpson, RHP – Simpson, 29, spent the entire 2020 season at the Red Sox’ Alternate Training Site after signing as a minor league free agent in July. Selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st round of the 2013 June Draft, the right-hander has made 121 appearances (all in relief) in the Giants organization (2013, ’16-19), posting a 3.41 ERA (55 ER/145.1 IP) with 11.77 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. In 52 career Double-A outings, Simpson has a 1.99 ERA (13 ER/58.2 IP), a .176 opponent batting average, and 11.97 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.

BOSTON RED SOX NON-ROSTER INVITEES (9)

PITCHERS (5): Seth Blair, Raynel Espinal, Stephen Gonsalves, Kevin McCarthy, Caleb Simpson

CATCHERS (2): Roldani Baldwin, Jhonny Pereda

INFIELDERS (1): Josh Ockimey

OUTFIELDERS (1): César Puello

BOSTON RED SOX 40-MAN ROSTER (40)

PITCHERS (21): Matt Barnes, Eduard Bazardo, Ryan Brasier, Colten Brewer, Austin Brice, Nathan Eovaldi, Jay Groome, Darwinzon Hernandez, Tanner Houck, Bryan Mata, Chris Mazza, Joel Payamps, Nick Pivetta, Eduardo Rodriguez, Chris Sale, Connor Seabold, Jeffrey Springs, Josh Taylor, Phillips Valdez, Marcus Walden, Garrett Whitlock

CATCHERS (4): Deivy Grullón, Kevin Plawecki, Christian Vázquez, Connor Wong

INFIELDERS (9): Jonathan Araúz, Christian Arroyo, Xander Bogaerts, C.J. Chatham, Michael Chavis, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, Dustin Pedroia, Hudson Potts

OUTFIELDERS (6): Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez, Hunter Renfroe, Jeisson Rosario, Alex Verdugo, Marcus Wilson