Sweet, 29, has a limited track record in the big league. He threw 8 2/3 innings in 2023, split between the Mariners and the Athletics. He allowed ten earned runs, giving him an ugly 10.38 earned run average in that small sample size.
The M’s called him up in July 2023, but he was designated for assignment the following month and went to the A’s via waivers. He went to the Giants and Tigers via waiver claims in the 2023-2024 offseason. Detroit later waived him off waivers in February 2024. In November 2024, the Phillies acquired him and added him to their 40-man roster, keeping him from becoming a minor league free agent. He went outright in August 2025 and became a minor league free agent at the end of the season.
Despite his limited track record, the interest from all those clubs proves his appeal. From 2021 to 2024, he pitched 257 2/3 innings at the farm, with a 4.19 ERA. His walk rate of 9.2% was a bit high, but he struck out 30% of the batters he faced. Unfortunately, he experienced a setback in results in 2025. He logged 51 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 5.08 ERA, a 21.2% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate. That’s why the Phillies cut him from the roster last summer and no one claimed him.
For Boston, it wouldn’t hurt to make a non-roster deal for some additional bullpen depth as they see if Sweet can bounce back. If he ultimately earns his roster spot, he still has an option year left and less than a year of service time, meaning he could provide roster flexibility and is still years away from qualifying for arbitration.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
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