Red Sox Lose 3-Year Veteran Righty To Diamondbacks In Free Agency

Not a loss on the stat sheet, from what we've seen

Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat at the game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox used 33 pitchers this season, not counting a pair of position players, and right-hander Isaiah Campbell will likely become one of the most forgotten names of the bunch.

Campbell, 28, was a second-year Red Sox after arriving in a trade from the Seattle Mariners. On paper, he looked like a decent pickup for the bullpen before the 2024 season, but every time he touched a major league mound, he seemed to get his teeth kicked in.

In 14 1/3 innings spread across two seasons, Campbell allowed 18 earned runs on 19 hits, including four home runs. He spent most of his time with Triple-A Worcester, and this summer, he was designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster, enabling him to elect free agency.

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Isaiah Campbell joins pitching-needy Diamondbacks

Recently, Campbell found the opportunity he was looking for to try for a spot in the big leagues again next season, and unsurprisingly, it won't be with the Red Sox.

According to the official transactions log on his MLB.com roster page, Campbell recently signed a minor-league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal was signed on Friday, but did not appear on the log until Tuesday.

Arizona has been active on the minor-league free agency market thus far, having signed fellow pitchers Tommy Henry, Taylor Rashi, and Gerardo Carrillo to identical deals in December.

Campbell has above-average velocity and generates a fair amount of chase outside the zone, but his five-pitch mix doesn't generate swings and misses. Arizona will have to unlock something in his arsenal that tunnels his pitches better so he's not striking out less than 10% of the batters he faces at the major league level.

The Red Sox signed a pitcher of their own on Tuesday, inking left-handed pitcher Alec Gamboa to a split contract worth $925,000 if he makes the major league roster.

While there have been and will continue to be much bigger signings at the winter meetings, it will be interesting to see how this former Red Sox progresses.

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