Red Sox

Red Sox trade for White Sox minor leaguer Theo Denlinger

The 26-year-old Denlinger has a 4.15 ERA in two minor league seasons.

Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom. Barry Chin / The Boston Globe

February 6, 2023

The Red Sox completed a deal Friday that sends right-handed pitcher Franklin German to the White Sox in exchange for another right-hander, Theo Denlinger.

Denlinger, a seventh-round draft pick by Chicago in 2021, is already 26 years old despite having just two minor league seasons under his belt. In his career, he’s exclusively been used out of the bullpen and features a mid-90s fastball.

Over his two years between Rookie ball, low A, high A, and AA, Denlinger has a 4.15 ERA. In his 32 games last year at the highest level he reached, AA, he posted a 4.70 ERA.

On the other side, Boston is sending away the 25-year-old German who they designated for assignment on Jan. 30.

German was acquired by the Red Sox before the 2021 season in the same trade that landed Adam Ottavino in Boston. German spent the majority of his two seasons with the Red Sox in the minors.

His first year the team attempted to keep him as a starter, but he struggled, putting up a 5.18 ERA in 24 AA appearances that included 18 starts. Last season, he made the move full time to the bullpen and thrived with a 2.72 ERA in 43 appearances between AA and AAA.

German got some major league action for the team last year but didn’t make much of a difference for Boston. In his five games, he pitched four innings and gave up eight runs.