Tigers and Red Sox kick off the trade season with a swap of right-handed pitchers

So it began not with a bang but with a whimper: The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox turned the dials on their hot stove up to about a 2 on Saturday with an exchange of minor league pitching talent.

To the Red Sox: right-handed pitcher Trey Wingenter. To the Tigers: right-handed pitcher CJ Weins. Aside from potential puns about winning, what do the players bring to their new teams?

Tigers and Red Sox swap minor-league pitchers

The 30-year-old Wingenter pitched in 17 innings across 17 games for the Tigers, putting up a 5.82 ERA during that time. That was his first season in the majors since making appearances for the Padres in 2018 and 2019.

He was having a slightly better season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens this year, posting a 3.31 ERA with 1.47 WHIP in 32-2/3 innings across 26 appearances. He had 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings and 4.7 walks.

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live reported that Winginter had an assignment clause in his contract so the Red Sox will now need to add him to their 40-man roster. That's likely what prompted the Tigers to make a move. He didn't seem to have any real future in Detroit.

On the other end, the Tigers are getting a pitcher in just his first full season of professional ball. He was taken in the sixth round of the amateur draft last season and made a single appearance in rookie ball.

This year in the Single-A Carolina league with Salem, the 23-year-old Weins carries a 4.81 ERA across 24 innings (19 games). He's finished 12 games. He has 10.7 strikeouts and 5.9 walks per nine innings.

The scouting report from Sox Prospects (via Rogelio Castillo's tweet) says that Weins has a fastball that sits 94 and tops out at 95, but it's a work in progress. His slider is his primary pitch, they say and is at best average.

They conclude: "Pure relief prospect with intriguing fastball characteristics. Showed strike-throwing and bat-missing ability in college, but strike-throwing has been inconsistent in pro ball. Needs to find more consistency with his secondary offerings to reach his potential."

So, maybe not the most exciting of moves, but Scott Harris got at least a young lottery ticket for a player that would probably be on the move anyway.