Teenage Righty Ovis Portes Heads To Cincinnati In Sims Deal
The Red Sox turned to Cincinnati to help fortify their beleaguered bullpen depth, adding RHP Lucas Sims in exchange for 19-year-old RHP Ovis Portes, according to Joel Sherman. Sims, 30, owns a 3.57 ERA (and 4.79 XFIP) through 35.1 innings to go along with a 26% strikeout rate and 13% walk rate. He provides another late-inning option for Boston to bridge to Kenley Jansen, a role that has been thinned recently by injuries to Justin Slaten and Chris Martin. Portes, meanwhile, ranked No. 29 in Boston’s system and made his full-season debut this season. His stuff has jumped this season and his mid-90s fastball has touched 99 in games, although his secondaries and control need considerably more refinement.
