Ex-Pirates Prospect Reportedly Joins Red Sox

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox have already made a major trade this offseason. On Thursday, their paths crossed again.

According to a report from MILB Central’s Chase Ford, the Red Sox signed outfielder Matt Fraizer to a Minor League deal on New Year’s Day.

Fraizer, who turns 28 on Jan. 12, was a third-round pick by the Pirates from the University of Arizona in 2019. He worked his way up through their organization over the last few years, reaching Triple-A in each of the last two seasons but failing to make the Majors.

The Boston Red Sox have signed OF Matt Fraizer to a minor league deal.

Fraizer had a .305 batting average along with 22 extra-base hits this past season playing in the Pirates organization.#RedSox

— Chase Ford (@_chaseford) January 2, 2026

A late bloomer, Fraizer showed more promise during his second stint with the Indianapolis Indians, increasing his OPS from .730 to .813. In 62 games for the Indians last season, he slashed .305/.361/.452 with 22 extra-base hits and 14 steals in 16 attempts, showcasing solid power and speed.

It will be interesting to see if Fraizer ever reaches the Majors with Boston, which already has a crowded outfield. Accordingly, he’ll likely serve as organizational depth for the time being and will probably be assigned to Triple-A Worcester to start the season. Either way, he’ll probably need to wait for an opportunity.

While his development was a bit bumpy, Fraizer did show considerable improvement last season and could be poised for another leap this year, although he may end up as a Quad-A player given his advanced age for a prospect.

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