Blue Jays Sign Ex-Red Sox Pitcher After 5-Year Boston Stint

Will we see Winck in 2027?

Aug 23, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Winckowski (25) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Did the Boston Red Sox meddle too much with Josh Winckowski?

That may become the question they ultimately ask themselves if the right-hander, who came up through the system, was shuffled around from the rotation to the bullpen, and ultimately fizzled out before hitting the injured list this year.

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Though Winckowski showed promise at times (especially in 2023), it ultimately made sense for the Red Sox to drop him, which they did when they non-tendered him in November. However, seeing the 27-year-old righty sign with a division rival wasn't necessarily part of the plan.

Winckowski lands with Blue Jays on unique deal

According to a report from Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, Winckowski agreed to a two-year minor-league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. That gives him time to recover from the internal brace procedure he underwent in December and still make an impact for the Blue Jays organization at some point.

It's something of a full-circle moment for Winckowski, who was drafted in the 15th round and signed with the Blue Jays in 2016 out of high school in Florida. He played nearly five years in the organization before he got traded twice in the span of a month -- both times for well-known big leaguers who Red Sox fans know well.

In January of 2021, he was traded to the New York Mets for Steven Matz, and that February, he was shipped to the Red Sox in the three-way trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals.

After debuting in the majors in 2022, Winckowski excelled as a setup man in 2023, posting a 2.88 ERA in 84 1/3 innings. But in 2024, he moved back and forth between the rotation and bullpen, and his ERA jumped to 4.14. This season, he pitched in the majors only six times and had a 3.86 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.

Winckowski undoubtedly has some arm talent, but his inconsistency reared its head too often for the Red Sox to keep giving him chances. It would surprise few, though, to see him hit his stride in Toronto in 2027.

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