Red Sox Swing Trade With Royals To Acquire More Pitching Depth

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has used the last week to try to bolster the organization's pitching depth with minor moves.

Bloom and the Red Sox made another one Monday, acquiring reliever Andrés Núñez from the Kanas City Royals for cash considerations, per the MLB.com's transaction log. Núñez was assigned to Triple-A Worcester.

The right-handed reliever has never pitched in the majors and spent two-plus seasons with the Omaha Storm Chasers -- the Triple-A affiliate of the Royals. Núñez struggled through 21 appearances this season, posting a 3-2 record to go along with a bloated 6.66 ERA. The 27-year-old, who was drafted by the Royals in 2018, performed better at that level in 2021, going 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 54 appearances.

Bloom has been busy so far this season trying to add to Boston's pitching staff. It started in April with the Red Sox claiming Brennan Bernardino off waivers from the Seattle Mariners followed by also claiming Justin Garza off waivers -- this from the Los Angeles Angels -- 12 days later. Bernardino and Garza have combined to make 34 appearances for the Red Sox this season.

This month, the Red Sox already signed veteran reliever Kyle Barraclough to a minor league deal as they look to transition the right-hander into a starting pitcher. Boston also made a trade last week with the Los Angeles Dodgers to land reliever Taylor Scott.

Núñez will now be in that pitching mix as a potential option to get called up if needed for the Red Sox.