Red Sox acquire righty reliever Andrés Núñez in minor trade with Royals

The Red Sox swung a minor trade on Monday, acquiring right-hander Andres Nunez from the Royals for cash considerations, per the club’s transactions log.

Nunez has spent the entire season with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, Neb. and is expected to report to the WooSox in the coming days, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Nunez, 27, was originally selected by the Royals in the 29th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Florida International University. The Southwest Ranches native signed with Kansas City for $75,000 and has appeared in 163 minor-league games (one start) since making his professional debut that June.

After earning Omaha Pitcher of the Year honors in 2022, Nunez received his first-ever invite to major-league spring training back in January. He returned to the Storm Chasers for the start of the 2023 campaign and pitched to a 6.66 ERA (4.53 FIP) with 20 strikeouts to 14 walks over 21 relief appearances spanning 24 1/3 innings of work.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Nunez operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-80s sweeping slider, a low-90s sinker, and a mid-80s changeup. For his career at the Triple-A level, he owns a lifetime 4.86 ERA in 92 outings (109 1/3 innings) dating back to the start of the 2021 season.

Nunez, who turns 28 in September, figures to provide the Red Sox with additional bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester moving forward. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. have made an effort to address this area throughout the season, most notably claiming journeymen Brennan Bernardino and Justin Garza off waivers in April. Boston also acquired righty Tayler Scott from the Dodgers for cash considerations last week and have since assigned him to the WooSox.