Yellow City Connect uniforms will return
Not that there was much doubt, but this week the Red Sox confirmed their yellow City Connect uniforms will return in 2024 and that there won’t be any changes to the club’s uniform designs in general.
“Yellows will definitely be back this year and there’s no change for this season,” said Red Sox chief marketing officer Adam Grossman in an interview with the Herald earlier this week.
The Red Sox were the first club to debut a City Connect uniform when the program launched in 2021 and the Boston Marathon-themed design has become widely popular within the organization and across the fanbase. The Red Sox are 26-7 alltime wearing yellow, and earlier this offseason manager Alex Cora indicated the club plans to wear the City Connects on Saturdays at home rather than whenever they want to try and break out of a slump.
“We cannot rely on yellow whenever we suck,” Cora told “The Name Redacted Podcast” in November.
So far 20 MLB teams have debuted City Connect uniforms and it’s expected that the remaining clubs who plan to participate will introduce theirs this season. Some clubs have made tweaks to their jerseys and theoretically any club could either abandon or replace their City Connects, but for now it appears Boston’s yellows are here to stay.
Former All-star signs
The Red Sox quietly signed a former All- Star and Rookie of the Year winner earlier this week, but don’t plan on him making an impact on the pitching staff any time soon.
According to the Red Sox transaction log, Boston signed right- hander Michael Fulmer to a minor league deal last Friday. Fulmer, who underwent UCL revision surgery on his right elbow in October, is expected to miss the upcoming season but according to Masslive’s Chris Cotillo the deal is for two years and could pay Fulmer $1.5 million if he makes the big league roster.
A former first- round pick, Fulmer won AL Rookie of the Year and finished 10th in the Cy Young Award vote in 2016 after a strong debut that saw him post a 3.06 ERA over 159 innings for the Detroit Tigers. He was named an All-star in 2017 and posted a 3.83 ERA over a career-high 164 innings, but he missed all of 2019 with Tommy John surgery and endured a poor showing upon his return in 2020.
He has since moved to the bullpen and last season posted a 4.42 ERA in 57 innings (58 games) with the Chicago Cubs. The soon- to- be 31-yearold is now the second injured pitcher the Red Sox have signed to a minor league deal this offseason, joining right-hander Wyatt Mills, who didn’t pitch last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but who could potentially return sometime in the second half this year.
Sox sign Guthrie
The Red Sox made an intriguing depth addition this week, signing infielder- turned- outfielder Dalton Guthrie to a minor-league deal.
The surname may ring a bell. He’s the son of former Red Sox reliever (and Cape Cod Baseball League veteran) Mark Guthrie. The elder Guthrie’s 15year MLB career included a World Series championship with the ’91 Minnesota Twins and 46 appearances for the ’99 Red Sox before they traded him to the Chicago Cubs for closer Rod Beck. Guthrie also faced off against
future Boston heroes Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell when the Cubs and Florida Marlins faced off the ’03 NLCS, giving up an 11th-inning homer to Lowell in Game 1.
He was the Philadelphia Phillies’ sixth-round pick in 2017, and reached the Majors with the club in 2022. As a September call- up, Guthrie helped the Phillies return to the postseason for the first time since their Golden Era ended in ’ 11. He hit well in 14 games that fall, going 7-for-21 (. 333) with a homer, three runs, five batted in, six walks, and seven strikeouts, helping the Phillies return to the
postseason for the first time since 2011.
Guthrie struggled in ’23, only managing to go 4-for24 (.167) over 23 games. He spent most of last year in Triple-a, first with the Phillies, before the San Francisco Giants purchased his contract, and finally, the Atlanta Braves, who claimed him off waivers in July. He’s hit .289/.357/.434 throughout his three years of Triple-a baseball.
Though he’s likely to begin the season in Triple-a Worcester, Guthrie offers depth to a Red Sox outfield currently projected to include either Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, or both — they have just 28 games of Major League experience apiece — and additional infield depth. He’s logged at least 582 minor-league innings at center field, shortstop, second, and third base, as well as 398 in right and 290 in left.
Depth arms claimed
The Red Sox lost a pair of depth arms on Wednesday, with right-handers Max Castillo and Zack Weiss being claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins, respectively.
Both had been designated for assignment last week; Weiss’ spot went to infielder Romy Gonzalez, claimed off waivers from the other Sox in Chicago.
Weiss, 31, came to the Red Sox by way of the Angels last September. Other than the two earned runs he allowed in his Boston debut, the righty had a brief, but scoreless run with club. He only allowed one hit and one unearned run over his remaining five appearances.
Castillo’s time with the Red Sox was brief. They claimed him off waivers from the Royals on Jan. 2, and now the Phillies have done the same. His spot on the Red Sox roster went to catcher Tyler Heineman, whom Boston acquired from the New York Mets on Feb. 2.