In a move designed to bolster the Red Sox bullpen for 2026, Boston has reportedly landed a veteran reliever via the Rule 5 Draft, aiming to replicate past success with at least one more productive addition. The team is said to have acquired right-hander Ryan Watson from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for infield prospect Justin Riemer, a deal that could shape spring training and the early-season bullpen battle.
Watson stands 6-foot-5 and weighs about 225 pounds. He spent the 2025 season with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento before being selected by Oakland with the eighth pick in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. The Auburn product went undrafted out of college, signed with the Orioles in 2020, and posted a 4.26 ERA with 64 strikeouts across 50 ⅔ innings at Sacramento last season. His career includes parts of four minor league seasons in Baltimore’s system before a mid-2024 trade to San Francisco.
In addition to his minor-league numbers, Watson has begun to show more with the Dominican Winter League, posting a 3.97 ERA across 11 ⅓ innings for Licey this year. He isn’t widely regarded as a top prospect, but his frame, solid strikeout-to-walk rate, and a fastball that can touch 97 mph make him an intriguing option for a middle-to-back end of the bullpen.
As with every Rule 5 selection, Watson must remain on Boston’s active roster (or on the injured list if he’s sidelined) for the entire 2026 season or be offered to the league for waivers. If he performs well in spring training, he could push for a spot on Opening Day as a right-handed bullpen option. If not, Boston could place him on waivers, with a chance he clears and is returned to his original club.
This move comes after Boston’s decision to give up a pitching prospect early in the Rule 5 process, as Jedixson Paez was claimed by the White Sox with the second overall pick. To accommodate the addition of Watson, the Red Sox traded infielder Vaughn Grissom to the Angels for an outfield prospect, freeing a 40-man roster spot.
Watson joins fellow early-winter bullpen acquisitions, lefty Tyler Sanamiego (acquired in the deal that brought Johan Oviedo from the Pirates), as Boston reshapes its middle-relief corps for 2026. The club has also shifted its depth by designating Josh Winckowski for assignment and letting Steven Matz and Justin Wilson hit free agency, with Wilson still unsigned.
If you’re following Red Sox bullpen hopes, keep an eye on how Watson’s spring performance translates to a potential Opening Day role and whether Boston can optimize its 2026 bullpen by pairing him with Sanamiego and the rest of the revamped group. How aggressive should Boston be with Rule 5 picks, and does this latest addition meaningfully address the team’s late-inning needs? Share your thoughts in the comments: do you see Watson as a legitimate difference-maker, or would you have preferred a different path to fortify the bullpen?"}
