The future on the mound looks bright for the Boston Red Sox. Top prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early already made their major league debuts this year, even getting innings in the postseason.
The organization’s 2025 first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon, 100 mph-throwing 22-year-old Luis Perales, former Kansas City Royals prospect David Sandlin, and another 2025 first-rounder, Marcus Phillips — who also reaches 100 mph — are waiting in the wings for their turns, as are a number of other mound prospects at every level.
But as recently as two years ago, the Boston pitching cupboard was almost bare. But there was one bright hope, a right-handed fireballer whose fastball reached 101 mph, and who was rated as high as No. 7 in the Red Sox system by MLB Pipeline in 2023 — the highest-rated pitcher in Boston’s minor leagues.
Bryan Mata, at that time, appeared fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, as well as the setback caused by the pandemic-related cancellation of the 2020 minor league season. But the 2015 international signing out of Venezuela never got his chance to reach the Fenway Park mound, despite emphatic praise from manager Alex Cora for Mata’s performance in spring training this year.
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In fact, Mata was never placed on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster, meaning that after this season, he became eligible for free agency and was expected to take it.
On Thursday, that is exactly what Mata did. The 26-year-old, who is currently pitching for Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Winter League, has elected to become a free agent, leaving the Red Sox organization after eight seasons, according to his MLB.com transactions page.
In addition to the 2020 shutdown, Mata also missed 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.
Despite the optimism and expectations that once surrounded Mata, the prospect never threw a pitch in the major leagues. Of course, he may still have a chance. As a free agent, he may now sign a minor league contract with any organization and hope to get his chance in the big leagues that way.
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