Ex-Red Sox Reliever, Journeyman Looks Back At Brief Boston Stint

Left-handed relief pitcher Cam Booser achieved his lifelong dream last season with the Boston Red Sox, and the 32-year-old is eternally grateful.

Booser’s journey to the big leagues was a mountain climb unlike any most players go through. He suffered a broken femur and vertebra in high school, just before playing college baseball at Oregon State, where Booser underwent Tommy John Surgery as a freshman. Yet, despite that series of unfortunate circumstances, Booser still managed to sign with an MLB team after going undrafted in 2013.

If you were to tell Booser, now of the Chicago White Sox, that he’d be taking the mound for an MLB game eight years ago, he probably wouldn’t believe it.

“Last year they gave me an opportunity at 31 years old to make my dream come true,” Booser said before Chicago’s weekend series at Fenway Park, per Lamond Pope of the Chicago Tribune. “They did what they needed to do in the offseason. I have nothing but respect for (Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig) Breslow and that staff. And that organization. They gave me an opportunity to make my dream come true.”

The Minnesota Twins signed Booser, allowing him to pitch two seasons with the team’s Gulf Coast League and Single-A affiliate. But Booser’s string of bad luck hadn’t reached its end at Oregon State as in December 2015, he was hit by a car and suffered a broken sacrum before retiring from baseball entirely in 2017. Booser was done with baseball for good at that point and worked as a carpenter for four years.

Booser, while coaching youth baseball, began throwing from the mound again and felt his velocity was strong enough to give his dream one final trial run. This time, it worked. Booser joined the Chicago Dogs of the Independent League and caught the attention of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who signed him to a minor league contract in 2023.

He continued drawing eyes and the following season, the Red Sox were next up and signed Booser to a minor league deal. Boston assigned him to Triple-A Worcester, where he pitched 57 2/3 innings and recorded 66 strikeouts out of the bullpen. Booser’s time continued with the Red Sox in spring training the following year and he surrendered two runs across 10 innings of preseason work to leave an impression on the club.

Booser was again assigned to Triple-A, but called up to the big leagues on April 18.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora signaled toward the bullpen and called upon Booser to pitch the ninth inning the following night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Booser sealed the deal in an 8-1 Boston victory by allowing one run while recording his first-career strikeout — he fanned 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen.

Booser made 43 appearances with the Red Sox and notched a 3.38 ERA to wrap up his first big league campaign. In the offseason, Booser was traded to the White Sox in exchange for minor league pitcher Yhoiker Fajardo. It was an abrupt ending to an inspiring road from retirement to baseball’s highest level, and although Booser is no longer a member of the team that gave him his long-awaited chance, his feelings about those still in Boston will never change.

“I’ll always secretly root for my friends on that team,” Booser said, “I love those guys.”

The White Sox pitched Booser out of the bullpen Saturday afternoon, giving him his first chance to pitch at Fenway Park since the offseason trade.