BOSTON _ The Red Sox added another potential bullpen piece on Friday.
Boston announced a trade for Tigers left-hander Matt Hall. The 26-year-old appeared in 21 games over the last two seasons with Detroit, pitching to a 9.48 earned-run average. Minor league catcher Jhon Nunez is headed from the Red Sox to the Tigers.
Hall was primarily a fastball-curveball pitcher in 2019, striking out 10.41 batters per nine innings. His breaking pitch is one of the best in baseball _ his spin rate is in the game's 96th percentile per Baseball Savant. Opposing batters swung and missed at 20 of Hall's 51 curveballs thrown in 2019.
Hall's other offerings proved problematic last season. He allowed 28 hits and walked 15 in just 23 1/3 innings. Opponents cracked four home runs and eight hits for extra bases.
Hall is a Missouri native who was a sixth-round pick out of Missouri State in the 2015 draft. He was Detroit's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2018, posting a combined 2.13 earned-run average across 37 appearances at Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. Hall made his debut on Sept. 15 of that season against Cleveland.
Hall represents the latest in a series of smaller offseason moves made by Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. The Red Sox have added left-handed relievers Hall, Jeffrey Springs and Josh Osich and right-handed relievers Chris Mazza and Austin Brice. Boston has yet to announce a corresponding 40-man roster move to officially add Hall.
The 25-year-old Nunez was named a midseason Eastern League All-Star at Double-A Portland in 2019. The switch-hitter batted .260 with 10 home runs and threw out 33.4% of opposing baserunners attempting to steal during his time in the minors with Boston. Nunez was an international free agent signing from the Dominican Republic in 2012 for $32,000.
