Richard Fitts Buys Into Red Sox Development Plan
The moment that he joined the Red Sox, Richard Fitts occupied an unusual place in franchise history.
The 24-year-old righthander joined a short list of players in recent decades to be traded from the Yankees to their longtime rivals. That fact wasn’t lost on Fitts, the Yankees’ sixth-round pick in 2021 out of Auburn.
“I could barely fall asleep the night that I got traded,” Fitts said. “I took a step back and was like, ‘Man, there’s only been (a few) trades between the Yankees and the Red Sox.’ It’s a cool list to be on.
“But ultimately, it means absolutely nothing if I can’t produce and have an impact here in Boston.”
The Red Sox acquired Fitts as one of three prospects in the deal that sent Alex Verdugo to New York. He has a chance to emerge as a back-end starter option or middle reliever.
Fitts had a chance to be a Day One draft pick out of college, but injuries and diminished stuff left him on the board at pick No. 183.
His stuff has bounced back in pro ball. Last season he logged a 3.48 ERA with a 26% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate for Double-A Somerset. He leans heavily on a low-to-mid-90s four-seam fastball with ride and complements it with a still-developing slider and changeup.
“He’s really good strike-thrower,” Red Sox farm director Brian Abraham said. “More swing-and-miss in the zone is something we’re going to work on—working with his secondaries.
“I think there’s some stuff that (Red Sox coaches) are going to work with him to get better at.”
Fitts is open to adapting in conjunction with his new organization.
“One thing that I love about this new staff is just being able to keep the things that have made me really good, but also—I’m not a big leaguer yet,” Fitts said. “If I go out there right now (in MLB) and face the best hitters in baseball, I don’t know how successful I’m gonna be.
“But they’re putting me in the best possible situation for me to be the best pitcher (possible).”
SOX YARNS
— Shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who missed the final seven weeks of the 2023 season because of a left shoulder impingement, said in mid January that he had started his hitting progression and that the injury was behind him.
