Former Angels Top Prospect Involved in Blockbuster Trade Signs With AL Contender

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 20, 2025

Jun 10, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Sean Newcomb (16) tosses the ball to first base during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox announced five non-roster invitees to spring training and one of them started his career in the Los Angeles Angels farm system before being involved in a blockbuster trade.

Sean Newcomb agreed to a minor league with the Red Sox, the club announced Friday.

Signing with Boston is a type of coming-home celebration for the Massachussetts native. Born and raised in Brockton, Newcomb graduated from Middleborough High and played collegiate at the University of Hartford.

The Red Sox have signed LHP Sean Newcomb to a minor league deal.

Newcomb is a native of Brockton, MA and is best known for his 2018 season, when he posted a 3.90 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) for the Braves. pic.twitter.com/T2WuT25fhT

— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) January 17, 2025

The left-hander was a first-round pick of the Angels in the 2014 draft and was considered the club's second-ranked prospect before he was dealt to the Atlanta Braves as part of their trade to acquire infielder Andrelton Simmons ahead of the 2016 season.

Newcomb showed potential while he was a part of Atlanta’s rotation for a couple of seasons despite struggles with command. Over 49 starts in 2017-18, he posted a respectable 4.06 ERA with a 23.3 percent strikeout rate, though his 12 percent walk rate was a concern.

In 2019, Atlanta shifted him to the bullpen, where he delivered even better results, logging 68.1 innings with a 3.16 ERA, a 22.2 percent strikeout rate, and a reduced 9.9 percent walk rate.

Newcomb then completely fell apart over the next three seasons.

He managed just 73.2 innings in the majors, posting a dreadful 7.45 ERA. While his strikeout rate stayed steady at 22.9 percent, his walk rate jumped to an alarming 14.7 percent.

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Control issues went beyond walks. Newcomb only hit 10 batters and threw 11 wild pitches over the first 332.1 innings from 2017 to 2019. Then, those numbers skyrocketed to five hit batters and eight wild pitches in just 73.2 innings from 2020 to 2022.

On top of that, his command within the strike zone worsened, leading to a spike in home runs allowed. After giving up 0.97 homers per nine innings from 2017 to 2019, that number ballooned to 1.59 per nine from 2020 to 2022.

Newcomb spent part of the 2022 season with the Chicago Cubs before joining the Oakland Athletics for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He pitched well his first season with the A's before undergoing season-ending knee surgery and struggling in 2024.

Across 175 career Major League games, including 60 starts, he has compiled a 4.51 ERA (216 earned runs over 431 innings) with 438 strikeouts while playing for the Braves (2017-22), Cubs (2022), and Athletics (2023-2024).

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