4 things to know about the pitchers Boston acquired for Kiké Hernández
The Dodgers sent pitchers Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman to Boston for Hernández. Here's what you need to know.
Kiké Hernández has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In return, the Red Sox got back some promising pieces.
The Dodgers sent right-handed relief pitchers Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman to Boston in exchange for Hernández. The Red Sox could use some right-handed bullpen depth, making these strike-throwing Dodgers potential perfect fits.
Red Sox
“We matched up with the Dodgers really well,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said about the trade, per The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. “We were able to get some pitchers that we like, that we think have a chance to help us.”
Both pitchers played most of this season in Oklahoma City, the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, and both will start their Red Sox career in Worcester. But given how much the Red Sox’ bullpen has been asked to do over the past few weeks, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see at least one in the major leagues soon.
But who exactly are these two pitchers? What intrigued Bloom so much that he chose them over other players in the Dodgers’ auspicious farm system? As it turns out, there are quite a few things that made Robertson and Hagenman stand out to the Red Sox.
Nick Robertson is massive.
At 6-feet-6-inches, Robertson is the tallest player on Worcester’s roster and ties Chris Sale as the second-tallest player on the Red Sox 40-man, trailing only Chris Martin (6-feet-8-inches). In addition, his 265 pounds ties him with Kenley Jansen as the heaviest player on the roster. Robertson puts his size to good use, as Baseball Savant places his extension (where he releases the ball in relation to the plate) at the 96th percentile in the MLB.
Baseball Savant believes Robertson has the 28th-best extension in the major leagues, ahead of some elite pitchers such as Shane McClanahan and Spencer Strider. They also like his favorite pitch, his fastball, putting that pitch in the 68th percentile among hitters.
Robertson is highly touted and has already made his major league debut.
Prior to the trade, Baseball America ranked Robertson as the Dodgers’ 25th best prospect in their farm system. The stats show it too: he has 7 saves on a 2.54 ERA in 27 games for Oklahoma City this year. Opponents have only been able to register a .184 batting average while Robertson is on the mound.
He has been so good in Triple-A this season that the Dodgers called him up to the major leagues on June 6, 2023, and he made his MLB debut a day later. His first stint as a major leaguer was rocky, however, allowing seven runs in 10.1 innings pitched over nine games, good enough for a 6.10 ERA.
Despite his less than stellar start to his MLB career, Robertson’s 13 strikeouts as a major leaguer and his Triple-A dominance give Bloom reason for optimism.
“This is a guy, you can just look at what he’s accomplished in Triple A, he has really had a good run at that level,” Bloom said. “He has yet to prove it up here but very capable of doing so.”
In addition to his size and Triple-A resume, Robertson’s pitch variety excites Bloom. Robertson primarily relies on his four-seam fastball and changeup, and he sometimes throws in a slider that shows promise, especially against right-handers.
“Big, tall guy, power pitcher, good fastball,” Bloom said of Robertson. His changeup has really come on. It’s become a weapon against both sides. He has a breaking ball that he uses effectively to righties. Definitely a guy who you can envision helping us here in the very near future.”
Justin Hagenman has also been formidable in Triple-A.
While with Oklahoma City this season, Hagenman has accrued a 4-0 record in 55 IP, with an ERA of 2.78 and 60 strikeouts. He is a really good strike-thrower and commands the strike zone well. Like Robertson, Hagenman has a slider and a changeup. His fastball is a two-seamer that hits in the low 90s.
Hagenman has yet to make his MLB debut. But his progression as a pitcher and talent at throwing strikes made Bloom want Hagenman’s first big-league game to be in a Red Sox uniform.
“Hagenman has come along over the course of time,” Bloom said. “Always a guy who could pitch. Good feel to pitch. Complete repertoire. He’s come into a little more velocity as his career has gone on. He’s been used as a swingman but a guy managers have always been able to count on to come in, throw strikes with a deep repertoire.”
Hagenman has potential as a multi-inning reliever.
A noticeable line on Hagenman’s MLB statistics page shows that he made five starts this season. That, along with his 55 IP being more than twice as much as his 25 GP, shows that Hagenman can handle multiple innings at a time. Multi-inning relievers have become very valuable across the league in recent years. It’s possible the Red Sox could turn him into one.
Bloom doesn’t know what Hagenman’s role with Boston will be just yet. But he hopes to figure that out by discerning what kind of pitcher his newest reliever is and can become.
“I think we’ve got to get our arms around him and get to know him a little better,” Bloom said. “He’s shown more multi-inning capacity recently. Obviously, at times we’ve had a lot of bulk or starting opportunities there in Triple-A, so it’ll give us an opportunity to get to know him. I’m not really ready to say [what his role will be] yet, but it’s nice that he’s had that versatility.”
It’s very likely that Boston will make more moves ahead of Aug. 1’s trade deadline. But by acquiring Robertson and Hagenman, Bloom and the Red Sox have started their deadline off on the right path.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com