One of the puzzling aspects about the trade that sent Red Sox star Rafael Devers 3,000 miles west to San Francisco on Sunday was not so much that Boston moved him, it was that the team seemed to get such a paltry return on Devers. There were four players coming back in return and, while some were familiar with the ups-and-downs of pitcher Jordan Hicks, the rest of the return was mostly a mystery.
But one guy who has plenty of familiarity with the other pitcher in the deal–lefty Kyle Harrison–had a very encouraging scouting report on him.
That would be Blake Sabol, the Red Sox’s catcher at Triple-A Worcester, who spent the past two seasons toiling in the Giants’ system, at Triple-A Sacramento and with the big-league team. Harrison did much the same. He has not found his stride as a starter in the majors, and was demoted to the bullpen in San Francisco last month. He posted a 1-1 record and a 4.56 ERA this season.
But he is only 23, and according to Sabol, has massive upside.
Red Sox Catcher Has Connection
Speaking from Polar Park in Worcester, Sabol told the Boston Herald that he welcomed Harrison (who was optioned to Triple-A to start his tenure) with a hug. And he’s excited for what Harrison can still become on the mound.
“I’m really excited to get to work with him again and hopefully help him anyway I can, so that he can get back up where he belongs. I was there for his debut and everything,” Sabol said. “He’s, first and foremost, a great person. In the Giants organization and stuff, it was really exciting when he was coming through. I mean, he was (the) top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball for a reason.
“And he’s got electric stuff, but like I said before, it’s the off-the-field stuff, his work ethic, and just how he goes about his business. It’s ahead of its time or beyond his years, I would say. It was definitely a really big get for the Red Sox organization.”
Harrison’s fastball is his strength. One of the challenges has been finding the right pitches to complement it.
“He’s got an electric fastball,” Sabol said. “I mean, that was always his M.O. coming through the minor leagues… He uses his three pitches: he’s got the sweeper, the changeup, and then that electric heater and stuff, but he’s able to throw all three in the zone.”
Kyle Harrison Working on New Pitches
Indeed, the scouting report on Harrison from Baseball America–which rated him as the Giants’ top prospect last season–indicates that his future counts on finding new pitches. It’s a work in progress.
The site wrote: “In the minors, Harrison threw the changeup roughly 6% of the time, a figure that nearly doubled once he reached MLB. He still needs to show more consistency with the pitch overall, and he needs to prove he can throw it for a called strike instead of merely as a chase pitch. Harrison’s fastball and slider give him two potentially plus weapons.
“Now, it’s about cementing one or both of the changeup and cutter as reliable third and fourth options. He’ll also have to keep working to maintain his delivery, which gives him plenty of deception but also can negatively affect his control and command, which is unlikely to ever be better than fringy.”
Red Sox Catcher Touts ‘Electric’ LHP From Devers Trade