Lucas Giolito's five-day journey to being good again
Trades in June are difficult to make. Too many teams believe they are still in the hunt, and there is always hope that a struggling player has time to turn things around.
Wednesday night, the Red Sox found a sweet spot when it came to making a deal.
The Sox traded minor leaguer Andy Lugo to the Twins for hard-throwing reliever Jorge Alcala. To make room on the 40-man roster the team designated pitcher Brian Van Belle for assignment.
After a solid 2024 season, the 29-year-old Alcala has had a rough go of it in 2025, currently possessing a .302 batting average and .926 OPS against along with an 8.88 ERA.
The Twins' patience with the righty reliever had waned significantly recently, with Alcala allowing a total of nine runs over two innings combined in his previous two outings.
His fastball - which averages 97.1 mph - is an offering he throws the majority of time (44 percent), with the pitch holding opponents to a .205 batting average this season. It has been Alcala's secondary pitch, a slider, that has gotten him in trouble, as a .389 batting average against would suggest.
Lugo, who plays both infield and outfield had been playing in Single-A Greenville, was originally signed by the Red Sox in 2021 for a $10,000. After being named the 2022 Red Sox Latin Program Position Player of the Year, he missed all of 2023 with a quad injury before rebounding to .271 with Single-A Salem last season. He is currently hitting .265 with a .757 OPS.