Sleeper MLB

The deal is now official. Alcala ships up to Boston as a bit of a reclamation project after posting a disastrous 8.88 ERA across 24 1/3 innings (22 appearances) to open the year. The Red Sox are dealing with several injuries to key relievers, so the move represents a relatively low-cost gamble that could pay off, especially if Alcala re-discovers the form that enabled him to register a solid 3.24 ERA over 58 1/3 innings (53 appearances) last season for Minnesota. The 29-year-old righty was due for a change of scenery. He figures to pitch in middle relief out of Boston’s bullpen.

The definition of a lottery ticket, Lugo heads to Minnesota after posting a .265/.327/.430 triple-slash line with four homers and four steals over 44 games this season for High-A Greenville. He’s an intriguing talent, but isn’t one of the more highly-regarded prospects in Boston’s absolutely loaded minor league system.

Van Belle loses his spot on Boston’s 40-man roster with righty reliever Jorge Alcala coming over from the Twins in a small trade. The 28-year-old righty was called up earlier this week from Triple-A Worcester and didn’t end up getting into a game for the Red Sox. There’s a decent chance he’s scooped up off waivers by another organization in need of relief help.

Buxton did it all from the lead-off spot in this game. His homer – which was scalded at 111.6 mph and traveled and outrageous 479 feet – quickly vaulted the Twins ahead after they’d fallen behind 2-0 early. He never gave the Rangers’ pitchers a moment of peace by reaching base in each of his ensuing plate appearances too. This is some of the most consistent baseball Buxton has played in a long time. Just please stay healthy.