DETROIT — Right-handed pitcher Devin Sweet, once part of the Detroit Tigers organization, is continuing his professional baseball journey after agreeing to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. The move represents the latest chapter in a career that has already taken Sweet through several organizations, leagues, and levels, highlighting both the challenges and persistence required to remain in professional baseball.
At 29 years old, Sweet has accumulated a wide range of experiences since first entering the professional ranks. His path to this point has not followed the traditional route of a high draft selection fast-tracked to the majors. Instead, Sweet’s career has been defined by steady development, strong strikeout ability, and frequent organizational transitions that reflect the reality for many pitchers working to carve out a lasting role.
Sweet originally entered professional baseball in 2018, when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Mariners. For players who go undrafted, the road to the majors is often longer and more uncertain, requiring consistent performance and adaptability. Sweet embraced that challenge, spending several seasons refining his craft in the minor leagues while working his way up through different levels of the Mariners’ system.
After years of development, Sweet reached a significant milestone in 2023, when he made his Major League Baseball debut. That moment marked the culmination of years of work and persistence, validating his efforts as an undrafted player who managed to break through to the sport’s highest level. Although his time in the majors was brief, simply reaching that stage is an achievement that relatively few professional players ever attain.
Following his debut season, Sweet’s career took another turn. After the conclusion of the 2024 campaign, the Tigers traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations. Such transactions are common for relief pitchers and depth arms, particularly those with minor league options remaining. For Sweet, the trade represented both a change of scenery and a fresh opportunity to impress a new organization.
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The 2024 season itself was notable for Sweet, particularly during his time with Toledo, Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate. Over the course of that season, Sweet demonstrated impressive strikeout ability, punching out 111 batters in just 76 innings of work. That rate underscored the effectiveness of his arsenal and his ability to miss bats, a highly valued trait for pitchers at any level of professional baseball.
Despite those strong numbers, Sweet did not receive a call-up to Detroit during the 2024 season. Decisions about promotions often depend on a combination of factors beyond raw statistics, including roster needs, bullpen composition, contract status, and organizational priorities. While the lack of a call-up may have been disappointing, Sweet’s performance still reinforced his reputation as a pitcher capable of generating strikeouts and handling high-leverage innings at the Triple-A level.
In 2025, Sweet spent the entire season with Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley. The year presented new challenges, as his overall results were more uneven compared to his dominant stretch in Toledo the previous season. Across 51 1/3 innings pitched, Sweet recorded a 5.08 earned run average. While ERA can be influenced by a variety of factors, the figure suggests that consistency proved elusive over the course of the year.
Even so, Sweet continued to show flashes of his underlying ability. He struck out 49 batters during those innings, maintaining a solid strikeout rate that hinted at his continued potential as a bullpen arm. At the same time, control issues emerged as a concern, as he issued 27 walks. For pitchers competing for opportunities in crowded systems, command and efficiency are often the difference between earning a promotion and remaining in Triple-A.
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As the 2025 season came to an end, Sweet once again found himself at a crossroads. Without a spot on Philadelphia’s major league roster and facing stiff competition within the organization, he entered the offseason looking for a chance to reset and reestablish himself. That opportunity arrived in the form of a minor league deal with Boston, an organization known for providing opportunities to pitchers who demonstrate the ability to adapt and improve.
For the Red Sox, signing Sweet represents a low-risk move aimed at bolstering organizational pitching depth. Minor league contracts allow teams to evaluate players without committing a 40-man roster spot, while giving pitchers like Sweet a platform to compete for a role. If he can rediscover the form that produced elite strikeout numbers in 2024, Sweet could quickly emerge as a viable bullpen option.
From Sweet’s perspective, the deal offers a fresh environment and a chance to work with new coaches, analysts, and development staff. Changes in mechanics, pitch usage, or approach can sometimes unlock improvements that were difficult to achieve in previous stops. For a pitcher with proven strikeout ability, even modest gains in command could significantly enhance his effectiveness.
Sweet’s career trajectory also highlights the volatility of relief pitching roles. Unlike starting pitchers, relievers often move frequently between organizations, with performance windows that can be relatively short. A strong half-season or even a few dominant weeks can be enough to earn a call-up, while a brief stretch of inconsistency can send a pitcher back down. Navigating that reality requires mental resilience as much as physical skill.
At 29, Sweet is still within an age range where a resurgence is entirely possible. Many relievers do not fully establish themselves until their late twenties or early thirties, after refining their pitch mix and learning how to attack hitters more efficiently. Sweet’s experience across multiple systems may ultimately prove beneficial, exposing him to different philosophies and strategies that can be incorporated into his own approach.
Looking ahead, Sweet’s immediate focus will likely be on making a strong impression during spring training and the early portion of the minor league season. Strong outings, improved command, and continued strikeout production could quickly put him on Boston’s radar as an injury replacement or midseason bullpen addition. Conversely, even if a major league opportunity does not materialize immediately, consistent performance could keep him in the mix throughout the season.
For fans and observers, Sweet’s signing serves as a reminder of the countless players working behind the scenes in professional baseball, striving for another chance at the highest level. While headlines often focus on star free agents and blockbuster trades, minor league signings like this one form the backbone of organizational depth and can sometimes yield unexpected contributors.
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In many ways, Sweet’s journey reflects the broader story of perseverance in baseball. From signing as an undrafted free agent to making a major league debut, posting eye-catching strikeout numbers in Triple-A, and continuing to pursue opportunities with new teams, his career embodies the grind faced by many professionals chasing longevity in the sport.
As the upcoming season approaches, all eyes will be on how Sweet adapts to his new surroundings. Whether he ultimately returns to the majors or continues to serve as valuable depth in the minors, his signing with the Red Sox marks another meaningful step in a career defined by resilience, adaptability, and the ongoing pursuit of opportunity.
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