Justin Slaten
#63 RP · Red Sox
Height
6'4"
Weight
222 lbs
Age
28
College
New Mexico
Draft
2019, Rd 3, #86
Experience
2 yrs
Bats/Throws
R/R
B
C+
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Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsB
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 84 | 3.3021584 | 8-7 | 88 | 1.0467626 | 0.0 | 5 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
AAV
$780K/yr
Performance Analysis
B
FCA+
Justin Slaten grades as a near-elite performer among MLB relief pitchers, earning a A- Performance grade. He carries a 3.43 ERA (below the league average of 4.20, a strong mark) and a 1.04 WHIP across 89.1 innings pitched with a 8.4 K/9 rate. His 8-6 record with 5 saves provides context on team support and run prevention. As a sophomore at 28, Justin is a key contributor for the Red Sox.
Fan & Media Sentiment
C+
Mixed
NegativeNeutralPositive
Justin Slaten's public narrative sits at a modest C+, reflecting the profile of a reliever who registers as a useful piece rather than a focal point of the conversation around Boston's bullpen. The sentiment is driven less by dominance and more by goodwill — his East Texas roots and the jersey-hanging ceremony at Hallsville High School have generated the kind of warm, community-driven coverage that rarely translates into outsized national buzz but keeps his local perception firmly positive. That on-the-ground affection, however, doesn't fully close the gap with his on-field performance grade, which reads as a genuine solid-starter-tier contributor — a distinction that suggests the public is slightly underselling what he brings when healthy. His recent roster move back to the active roster after a successful rehab stretch is the single biggest driver of current narrative momentum, with team confidence quotes circulating and framing him as a meaningful bullpen add for a Red Sox club that is 15-21 and in desperate need of reliable late-game arms. Boston has been active on the roster front recently — adding Patrick Sandoval, Jake Bennett, and absorbing the Garrett Crochet IL situation in quick succession — which means Slaten's return is viewed as one stabilizing thread in a broader bullpen reshuffling effort, not an isolated story. The overall narrative read: a second-year arm returning from a rehab stint with quiet organizational backing and local-hero momentum, but not yet generating the headline volume that would push his perception higher. Until he strings together a sustained run of MLB appearances, the C+ sentiment ceiling holds — appreciated, not celebrated.
Transaction History
Red Sox sign RHP Justin Slaten
roster move · 5/6/2026
C
Red Sox sign RHP Justin Slaten
roster move · 5/3/2026
C
Red Sox sign RHP Justin Slaten on the
il move · 4/8/2026
A+
Acquired RHP Justin Slaten from the New York Mets in exchange for minor league LHP Ryan Ammons and cash considerations.
trade · 12/6/2023
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About this player
Justin Slaten is a player in his 2nd MLB season listed at RP for the Red Sox. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for Justin Slaten: Contract Value Index pending, Performance B, Sentiment C+, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
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