Jorge

Alcala

Alcala represents a low-risk lottery ticket for the Blue Jays entering next season after he was non-tendered last month by the Cardinals. The hard-throwing 30-year-old righty posted an uninspiring 6.22 ERA — 5.68 FIP — 1.75 WHIP and 61/30 K/BB ratio across 55 innings between the Twins, Red Sox and Cardinals this past season. The upper-90’s fastball ensures he’ll continue to get opportunities but lackluster control limits his effectiveness.

Alcala had already been DFA’d earlier this week. King had a 3.33 ERA in 128 innings out of the pen since being acquired from the Rangers in 2023, but he was up to 4.66 last season, mostly because he allowed eight homers in spite of his usual 60% groundball rate. Dropping him will save the Cardinals about $2 million, but he’d still seem to be worth at least that much with his double play ability.

Alcala loses his spot on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster after posting a bloated 5.02 ERA across 14 1/3 innings over 15 appearances this past season for St. Louis. He’s rapidly heading towards journeyman status after pitching for three different organizations last year.

Alcala was designated for assignment Tuesday, and it was unsurprising that someone put in a waiver claim. He should start as a middle-inning option with St. Louis, but it’s not out of the question that he could eventually work into a high-leverage role.

Alcala had a 3.31 ERA for the Red Sox, but he had allowed seven of his nine inherited runners to score in 16 1/3 innings and had to be bailed out a couple of times. It was unfortunate that he gave up four homers while allowing just three barrels, but the Red Sox just ran out of patience here. Someone should grab him; he’s throwing 96-99 mph, and is he finishes up well, he could be retained for $2 million-$3 million in arbitration.

The deal is now official. Alcala ships up to Boston as a bit of a reclamation project after posting a disastrous 8.88 ERA across 24 1/3 innings (22 appearances) to open the year. The Red Sox are dealing with several injuries to key relievers, so the move represents a relatively low-cost gamble that could pay off, especially if Alcala re-discovers the form that enabled him to register a solid 3.24 ERA over 58 1/3 innings (53 appearances) last season for Minnesota. The 29-year-old righty was due for a change of scenery. He figures to pitch in middle relief out of Boston’s bullpen.

MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports minor league infielder Andy Lugo is headed to Minnesota in the deal. Alcala has struggled to an inflated 8.88 ERA across 24 1/3 innings (22 appearances) this season for Minnesota and the club has decided to move on. The Red Sox are willing to roll the dice that they can get him back to the form he displayed last year when he compiled a strong 3.24 ERA with 58 punchouts over 58 1/3 innings (54 appearances). It’s a relatively low-risk deal for Boston as they’re currently without key relievers Justin Slaten and Liam Hendriks due to injuries.

This one comes as little surprise since Alcala was a dependable workhorse last season for Minnesota, compiling a solid 3.24 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 58/20 K/BB ratio across 58 1/3 innings (54 appearances). The hard-throwing 29-year-old has the stuff to pitch in high-leverage spots, but there’s almost zero path to fantasy relevance with the Twins at the moment. He’ll be a free agent next offseason, which might open some doors to save chances.

Alcala, sent down eight days ago to make room for Cole Irvin, ought to have been in the Twins pen all along. He has a 3.46 ERA in 54 2/3 innings for the club this season.

Alcala gets the boot to make room for Cole Irvin after the Twins claimed Irvin off waivers. Alcala has been a strong option for Minnesota this year, and there’s a good chance he’ll be back before the season ends, even if the team needs to do some finagling to get him back on the roster.