When the acquisition was announced, fans of both the Red Sox and Cubs probably gasped for just a brief moment.
"Red Sox acquire Bryant from Cubs."
Stand down. It's not Kris. It's Zach, a Single-A pitcher who is being sent to the Red Sox as the player to be named later in the August trade of Josh Osich.
I just put on one of Zach Bryant's games to see what he looked like and I gasped when he threw his breaking ball. He strikes out three in a row here. pic.twitter.com/fzGiHKtYZ9
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) February 27, 2021
Bryant is a 21-year-old who hasn't pitched above Single-A, but has dominated so far in his brief professional career.
A right-hander who was taken in the 15th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Jacksonville University, Bryant grew up a lifelong Red Sox fan despite growing up in Florida.
In 12 pro games, he allowed just three earned runs in 21 1/3 relief innings (1.27 ERA), striking out 24.
Osich is currently with the Reds after spending the one month in Chicago. With the Cubs, the lefty pitched in just four games, giving up six runs (3 earned).
