Of the five non-roster pitchers the Red Sox invited to major-league spring training on Friday, only one holds the distinction of not being drafted by the club.

Unlike Luis Guerrero, Alex Hoppe, A.J. Politi, and Chase Shugart, Justin Hagenman was not drafted by the Red Sox and instead joined the organization as part of a three-player trade that sent veteran utility man Enrique Hernandez back to the Dodgers last July.

Hagenman, 27, was originally selected by Los Angeles in the 23rd round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Penn State. The New Jersey native signed with the club for just $75,000 and made his professional debut in the Pioneer League that summer.

Though he was used strictly as a starter in his three seasons at State College, Hagenman transitioned to more of a relief role upon entering the pro ranks. The right-hander gradually worked his way up through the Dodgers’ system before closing out 2022 with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he returned for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Before being traded to the Red Sox alongside fellow righty Nick Robertson on July 25, Hagenman had pitched to a 2.78 ERA and 4.79 FIP with 60 strikeouts to 11 walks in 25 appearances (five starts) spanning 55 innings of work for the Oklahoma City Dodgers in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Unlike Robertson, who debuted for Los Angeles earlier in the year and got into nine games with Boston down the stretch before being dealt to the Cardinals in December, Hagenman spent the rest of 2023 with Triple-A Worcester. In 16 appearances for the WooSox, he posted a 3.26 ERA and 5.25 FIP with 28 strikeouts to 14 walks over 30 1/3 innings of relief. He held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average against in that stretch thanks in part to a strong month of September in which he allowed just one run in his final 12 2/3 frames of the season.

So, between the Dodgers’ and Red Sox’ top affiliates last year, Hagenman went 6-0 with a 2.95 ERA (4.95 FIP) and 88 strikeouts to 25 walks across 41 total outings (five starts) and 85 1/3 innings pitched. He went 2-for-2 in save opportunities (one at each stop) and unsurprisingly fared better against right-handed hitters (.619 OPS against) than left-handed hitters (.807 OPS against).

Among the 91 pitchers who tossed 80 or more innings at the Triple-A level in 2023, Hagenman ranked 22nd in strikeouts per nine innings (9.28), 10th in walks per nine innings (2.64), 11th in strikeout rate (25.4 percent), 17th in walk rate (7.2 percent), seventh in batting average against (.228), third in WHIP (1.15), first in left on base percentage (91 percent), second in ERA, 33rd in FIP, and 20th in xFIP (4.70), per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Hagenman throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball with arm-side run, a low-80s whiff-inducing slider, a mid-80s changeup, and an occasional cutter.

As noted by Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser, “all of Hagenman’s pitches are fringy to below-average, but he fills up the strike zone with above-average control and executes well.”

Hagenman, who does not turn 28 until October, is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Worcester’s bullpen for the start of the upcoming 2024 season. He can become eligible for both the Rule 5 Draft and minor-league free agency next winter, so he could leverage his performance this year into a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster in the not-so-distant future.

In addition to Hagenman, Guerrero, Hoppe, Politi, and Shugart, the Red Sox added eight other non-roster invitees to their spring training roster on Friday in catchers Nathan Hickey, Mark Kolozsvary, Roberto Perez, and Stephen Scott, infielders Chase Meidroth, Nick Sogard, and Nick Yorke, and outfielder Corey Rosier.

(Picture of Justin Hagenman: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)