As the Red Sox continue to struggle, it seems increasingly likely that the team will be selling in some capacity at the trade deadline, even if the likes of Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers aren’t going anywhere. Reports from earlier this week suggested that the Sox were already open to offers for J.D. Martinez, and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (Twitter links) hears from a National League evaluator that catcher Christian Vazquez could also be available. The Sox seem to be “listening on veterans” in general, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweets.
Both Martinez and Vazquez are free agents after the year, so it would seem natural that the Red Sox would first look to move these shorter-term players with the deadline looming. Other pending free agents include Jackie Bradley Jr. (whose mutual option for 2023 is likely to be declined), several injured players like Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, Enrique Hernandez, and Matt Strahm, plus the potential biggest trade chip of starter Nathan Eovaldi.
However, Speier writes that Boston “doesn’t seem motivated to deal Eovaldi, seeing him as part of any push to contend” into August, if the Red Sox can shake out of their slump. That said, if the Luis Castillo trade now becomes “an accelerant to the rest of the pitching market,” it is worth wondering if the Sox might see an opportunity to move Eovaldi for a big return.
Of note, the Mets had a scout at last night’s Red Sox game, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. The Mets are known to be looking at catching and lineup upgrades, so Vazquez and Martinez would each make sense — Martinez in particular could help the Mets solve their season-long lack of production at the DH spot. As to what New York could offer in return, Rosenthal notes that the Sox had a past interest in Dominic Smith, who would fit the team’s desire to land big leaguers back in trades (adding to the idea that Boston is still hoping to make a late playoff run).
A player on the cusp of the majors could also fit Boston’s model, with SNY’s Andy Martino suggesting that Mets infield prospect Mark Vientos could be of interest in trade talks. In fact, Martino reports that the Mets and Red Sox once “seriously discussed” a deal that would’ve sent Vazquez to Queens in exchange for a prospect package that included Vientos. The exact timing of these specific talks involving Vientos isn’t known, but the Mets reportedly looked into Vazquez prior to the 2020 trade deadline.
Vientos was a second-round pick for the Mets in the 2017 draft, and the 22-year-old has an impressive 21 home runs and a .263/.351/.516 slash line over 348 plate appearances at Triple-A Syracuse. Baseball America ranks Vientos as the fourth-best prospect in New York’s farm system, praising his 60-grade power and throwing arm and noting that he has a chance to stick at third base, even if some evaluators think a move to first base will eventually be necessary.
For all of Vientos’ potential, he is generally seen as a step below the true upper tier of Mets prospects, so New York could perhaps be more apt to move him for immediate help (even for a rental like Martinez or Vazquez) given how aggressively the Mets are chasing a World Series title this year. It can’t be ruled out that some kind of multi-player agreement could be struck, with both Martinez and Vazquez heading to Queens in exchange for a better prospect return.
Vientos will hit thirty homers a season. Mets need to call him up and not trade him.
Yes but been blocked at 3B Escobar/1B Alonso.
Bogaerts might walk and just get a Pick in return. Vasquez to Rays but in division Trade..
Hot take: NYM should deal Alonso after the season
Terrible take
That would be quite a haul
Schmuck
Explain. Becoming a very good hitter along with the power. Absolutely makes no sense.
Go back to philidelphia
That’s the value of the DH. Nobody is blocked. Just rotate them in the DH spot for days off.
Exactly. Vientos’s fielding percentage at AAA is 7% worse than JD’s 2021 percentage at 3rd. He also has 5 more errors. Mind you he has roughly 50 less innings at third than JD had in 21. Yup. He’s a pure DH. Trading JD for the above would be a huge mistake. One I hope we do not make.
This. I would not trade a prototypical lefty-mashing DH for an injured JD. I would love to trade Dom straight up for him.
Fielding percentage might be the worst way to judge a fielder.
Third basemen historically make a ton of errors. It wasn’t until recently league average 3B fielding % reached .960. On average, both Mike Schmidt and George Brett averaged over a dozen errors a season.
Mets69 – That is exactly what should be done, use the DH spot as a way to give position players a breather from playing the field.
But then you’ve got a manager like Cora who refuses to allow a player to swing the bat even once when they are given a day off.
He is definitely not blocked by Escobar. Escobar has an 89 OPS+ and a 0.0 WAR. Vientos is still young and needs some seasoning. However, if he’s not dealt soon, I would imagine they’d call him up and move Baty to AAA.
Came here looking for this comment. Vientos is young, just like Alvarez is. Give them time to get their feet under them in the minors before you start calling them up to the big time in the Big Apple – a huge market where many major leaguers stumble.
@rct. Escobar has played a magnificent third base this year.
Escobar’s not gonna block out anyone at third if that someone can hit 30 homers. Vientos is not terrible at third and can play first and even short, but either way with the dh nobody is truly blocked from getting called up. They said Alonso was terrible with the glove and that didn’t happen. Vientos has 43 hrs in less than 600 AA/AAA abs, a BA of 281 with 927 ops in AA and .263 with a .867 ops in AAA. And he’s 22, unlikely you’re getting Vientos for a rental who’s 34 and has a history of injuries.
Alonso is still bad with the glove. May not be as bad as folks made him sound like he’d be when coming up, but he’s certainly nowhere good, either. Lost a game this year on his own due to errors and bad decisions.
Alonso has learned to pick a ball in the dirt and to truly stretch when needed to grab an out call. Compared to 2 years ago, he is much improved. Watch him 2-3 times a week and you will see that. He is no Keith Hernandez nor Tino Martinez but he is a heck of a lot better than most 1st basemen. Even those two firstbasemen I mentioned lost a game or two because of their errors. Give me a break, padam.
.992 fielding this year. Top 10 in dives. Do you watch baseball? He is top 7 all around and top 2 1B in majors.
Bogaerts can block any/every trade with his full no trade clause, so it would be counterproductive for Boston to say they will trade him when it is not in their hands.
Escobar has one year left. Baty to third Vientos to second
McNeil ain’t going no where.
You Mets fans are crackheads. Hanging on to Vientos… I mean the guy is a career minor league hitter at .268 and striking out at 33%. If I’m a team looking to trade, I wouldn’t even want him. Imagine what that translates into at the MLB level. To be fair it seems like EVERY team’s fans crazily overvalue their prospects. It’s to the point that it’s comical.
Shocktop: Seems to me Vientos profiles a lot like Austin Riley in his upper minor league career. I’d take that from a prospect.
Us crackheads are rooting for a club that will win plus 100 games.
Vientos has a 31.1% K rate in AAA this year. It was 30.2% last year. It’s actually gotten worse each of the last four years as he’s been promoted through the minors. This guy is gonna be Joey Gallo with less power in the majors and he doesn’t have a position.
They need to flip him while they can.
Agreed. Polishcuk needs to take the needle out of his arm. We don’t need another 32+ year old catcher for our top infield prospect. Smith and Davis for Vasquez.
Vazquez stinks
Eovaldi isn’t getting “a big return”
Who said he was? Who are you quoting?
He’s citing what was posted above:
That said, if the Luis Castillo trade now becomes “an accelerant to the rest of the pitching market,” it is worth wondering if the Sox might see an opportunity to move Eovaldi for a big return.
He’s not pitching well enough to get a big return…
“An accelerant to the rest of the pitching market”
Acceelerant – ‘That which moves quicker’ The author clearly means the market will move faster, not produce bigger returns.
Some are just dense. Others, and at times the same, cannot simply say, “oh, I missed that.”
Mariners need JD. PLEASE
We have so many DH types already. I’m not giving up anything of value for him. If it’s a straight salary dump maybe I’d be ok with that. maybe
Kyle Lewis ain’t it. We need a bat. Bad.
Be nice if they can get c.j.cron he has 22 hrs so far on a bad team plus he is right handed.Then go get dave robertson then we are in good shape for october.
Red Sox get a draft pick if they tender him. So, you’re not getting him for free.
So the value would have to be more than a 2nd round pick
They are not going to tender him because he would accept it and they would be stuck paying him 20M next year when they are looking to shed salary.
I disagree rmullig2, they paid him that this year, he has a 124 OPS+ compared to 133 career, and is only 34 years old. If he accepts it wouldn’t be the end of the world for a team like Boston. I still think they move him if the offer is decent but it’s not a given
Either way there’s no chance they get the draft pick. Boras knows the market well enough to realize a 35 year old DH isn’t getting more than 20M guaranteed.
Maybe but the mariners gave 34 year old DH Nelson Cruz 4 years and $57 million with a career 118 OPS+ 7-8 years ago. 1 year $20 mil deal for JD would compare favorably to that considering the short length and inflation
mullig2 –
Red Sox only have 98M committed toward the Salary Threshold. They certainly can risk 20M for JD. If he accepted, I for one, would be estatic, because it would be a low risk, reasonable payout for his production.
Dom Smith straight up for JD Martinez since he’s a free agent at the end of the year and Boston will have Smith for more
Outside of 350 ABs between 2019 and 2020, Smith has been largely worthless. Maybe thats what the market determines an impact bat who is slowly declining nabs in a return, but I think Boston can do better if they’re moving JD.
Smith is a throw in at best. Red Sox could get more for JD from another team or just take the comp pick.
Hell yes! Trade for Vientos. Trade Devers as well and get a haul back like Soto would bring. Time to blow this team up and start over. This team has too many needs. They screwed up by not extending Betts. Had a chance at Freeman. Except for Bogaerts this team has no soul. They can also dump Bloom and Cora. Go ahead and bring Tek in as manager. Hell if Boone can write a lineup for the Yanks Tek can do the same for us. Without cheating!
So Devers will bring a Soto-like haul. Cool!!!
Annnnd, breathe….
Ms need JD
He has been clutch in the playoffs since the sox signed him and tuff on the Yankees…..I think he beat their ace last year….
JD can still hit, no doubt about that. He would definitely help Seattle and he would get to play on a team that may make the playoffs. That’s something he won’t have a chance at in Boston.
Price for rentals coming into focus next 48 hours. Should be exciting
Please trade anyone that isn’t nailed to the floor
Huh?
After last season, I looked forward to Vasquez leaving. Now, I’m hoping the Sox re-sign him for something like 9 or 10MM with a 10MM option for a second year, because he’s hitting again. Maybe that means he won’t hit next year–I don’t know–I’m sure somebody has the analytics that show why 2022 has been so much better than 2021. I hope it’s the Sox front office, because they might have a better sense of the repeatability of Vasquez’s success. Keep in mind Vasquez played spot 2B last year when they needed it, and he’s picked up 1B when they’ve needed it this year. Frankly, I could see Plawecki being moved before the deadline to a team that is desperate for a backup catcher above AAA level–Sox just move Wong up as the backup now.
Unrealistic offer. Vazquez isn’t signing for 9-10Million guaranteed. It will cost at least 40 Million. He will be in demand this year.
Vazquez 40 million? what, over 4 years, right? lol
Vazquez 10 Million w/team option for a second right? lol.
Realmuto: 5/110M
Grandal: 4/73M
Perez: 6/52
Why not?
Trade Eo and then trade for Soto.
Sox should keep Vazquez. The catcher market is so weak. The only player coming up soon from the minors could be Ronaldo Hernandez and he doesn’t possess the defense to be a quality backstop. Unless the Sox try to trade for someone like Sean Murphy, or a catching prospect who will be ready to make the jump soon, Vazquez is the next best option.
They don’t seem to value him for some reason. He can play the infield when needed and seems well regarded by his mates. I don’t get it. Who do they have in mind long term?
Jd Martinez has a bad back and has slugged well under .400 since June first easy pass.
Vientiane is the kind of guy that belongs on a 2nd tier team. He’s not going to be an all around good enough hitter to play on a championship caliber roster. Trade him while value is high.
I have said this since this rumor popped up in the past. Any Gm that gives away anything for Dominic Smith should be fired. If the Red Sox trade any player of value and this is the return, Bloom shouldn’t last past the announcement. We have problems with power, and a dead bottom of the lineup. We have a terrible bullpen, and a skeletal starting staff. In what world does Dominic Smith bringing his mediocrity to Boston help in anyway, and why would you trade away existing talent to get him.
Dom Smith is better than anything bosox have. It would be a steal. He would take as starter.
Vientos and Smith for Vazquez and a lower level prospect makes sense to me. Catcher is a valuable position and Vientos is a nice return that lets NY keep Baty and Alvarez.
The Sox would be better off not packaging Vazquez with JD though. Send Martinez somewhere else or let him walk for the comp pick. I do like the idea of them keeping Eovaldi and using Smith and Vientos for a push for the wild card.
I don’t see the Mets giving up Vientos for rentals. I could see Szapucki, Smith, and JD for Vazquez and JD.
I don’t see the Mets getting both Vazquez AND JD for that. But if the Sox really do prefer major leaguers, like the article says, how about Smith, Davis, and McCann for Vazquez, with the Mets paying McCann’s contract?
Bogey is the only one who would bring back a serious haul but it seems the PR hit from doing that is too high. I guess trying to get people to pay $30/month for streaming games is too difficult after you gut your roster completely. They will make a show of doing everything possible to resign him and then collect the draft pick when he leaves.
I believe this is exactly the reason for not trading XB. Fenway continues to sell out and it’s personally one of my favorite ballparks to visit while donning a NYY cap of course.
Rentals can bring back a prospect or two, but they don’t bring back a “haul.”
I know you go for best player available over “need” in a draft, or when you’re talking guys who are 3-5 years from the majors. But at some point, that does become an issue, and Vientos is not a good organizational fit. This front office has added a *lot* of these 1B/3B types. Dalbec, Casas, Binelas all fit here, as well as Blaze Jordan and Kavadas who will probably both be in AAA at some point next season.
I would rather just extend Vazquez than trade him for a duplicative prospect. There are no starting catchers in the upper minors. There are two guys in AAA who can possibly help. There is no one here ready to catch 120 MLB games in 2023.
Check that, Jordan is not going from an age 19 season in A with maybe a brief taste of A+, to even a brief taste of AAA at age 20. The overall point still stands, that the organization needs outfield, low minors pitching, and catching more than yet another close corner infield bat with some power.
Spot on. I like a lot of these guys, but they all look like carbon copies of each other. High-power, high-K guys, with fringy gloves. I would love to see the RS start moving some of the more athletic ones to the OF.
IRT the Mets, it would require a lot of medical review, but I think I’d prefer Matt Allen.
@rhswanzey
This close to FA, the question is does Vazquez want to pass up testing the market? Its not the Red Sox decision. He may not want to sign.
Clean house except Devers
Trading a top 5 prospect like Vientos would be foolish unless both Vasquez and Martinez come back. To me you don’t trade Vientos unless the return is bigger, a la Contreras, or for longer control than 60 games and a playoff run. I like Martinez and the 30 doubles are appealing, but the return for Benintendi was nowhere near Vientos value and he is arguably having the better year with a lower salary.
A prospect is a prospect and there are no guarantees on any of them. I remember the Mets had David West in the 1988 season and he was their top pitcher. He never was that great or as good as advertised
Agree but there are limits. Vientos hit 25 bombs in 83 games last year and hit #19 tonight in AAA. Still no proof he can translate to the bigs but I’m not inclined to move him for a 34 year old that lost his power on June 30th and puts the club over the Cohen tax threshold. Need to get a stronger haul than just Martinez.
Cool thing is with the Addition of Parada and Jett Williams, the farm is strong and Vientos is expendable in the right deal. So is Mauricio. But I just don’t think this is the right deal.
Based on what?
The Royals got 3 SP one of them was 1st rounder in 2019. Pretty good return and better than Vientos by himself imo.
Based on them being ranked 19, 21 and nowhere to be found. I’m fine with quantity of lottery tickets. The Royals gave away Benintendi. I would call up Vientos before trading him for an expensive 34 year old that is simply not hitting since July 1. Meanwhile Vientos went yard again tonight.
Those ranking are from January. Each one of those players is having a very good season. Those numbers would be much higher, if there was a ranking done at the time of the trade.
The same ranking system has Ceddanne Rafaela ranked 26th in Red Sox System. But, at mid-season Baseball America put Rafaela in the top 100 in all of baseball (84th).
Who would have thought that a team with the only “reliable” starter is Eovaldi, would struggle? Even he has never been one to stay healthy over the long haul. I never understand why this team tries to be so cute with pitching. They are taking the Rays approach when they have $ to spend like the Yankees.
This team has a lot of holes to fill next year not to mention now. They have to replace Wacha, Hill, Paxton. They have to rebuild the bullpen and for God’s sake get a closer. If they let Vazquez go, they need a catcher and a DH to replace JD Martinez They need a first baseman, need to sign Boggarts and Devers. I do not have any confidence in Bloom to fix any of the above needs. This team could be in the doldrums for years with Mr Tampa Bay Red Sox as President of Baseball Operations or whatever his title is.
I think the DJ will just revolve with players. Other than that, you’re right.
Pretty sure Contreras will get sent to Mets for Vientos +
Why is no one talking about c.j. cron he has 22 hrs and is righty .Then go get dave robertson. For the mets
The Red Sox need to blow it up. If they can get decent prospects then deal the guys. If teams low ball them then hold and tender guys like Martinez and Eovaldi to get the pick when they sign elsewhere.
If Vientos is anywhere near a deal for Martinez and Vazquez, the Mets should walk away. The prospect value on Vientos is much, much higher than a return of Martinez and Vazquez combined, let alone just one of them.
I hope the Mets are smarter than that.
Now, Dom and an A Ball pitcher with upside for Vazquez and Martinez? This is more viable.
And just what are you smoking? Martinez and Vazquez are both proven playoff caliber players who have won a World Series and have demonstrated they can play under pressure. Vazquez is a mid level prospect who hasn’t exactly lit up AAA. Take another toke.
Martinez and Vazquez are both rentals. You don’t get good prospects for a rental.
The Mets overpaid for Baez last year, and even though Sandy has a history of doing moronic trades like that (even Holderman for Vogelbach is a huge overpay), the Mets should steer clear of anything besides low tier prospects, Dom Smith, and JD Davis for Martinez and Vazquez.
You clearly have no idea how baseball trades should work, and have no idea how to construct a proper deal. Unfortunately, neither do the Mets, at times.
Davis & Dom have almost no value. Between them, in almost 2,700 PAs, they have a combined bWAR of 1.5. And they aren’t trending well either, with OPS’ of .690 & .540. You should know that you won’t get anything for them.
From my RS perspective, Dom is an okay throw-in, but only because Franchy is awful. But you’d have to give a 45 FV prospect.
Im an outsider who can’t stand the Mets or Red Sox, but why would the Red Sox be excited about Davis and Smith? That’s horrible.
Its upto eppler not sandy anymore.
Any deal the Red Sox make should have the Almighty Chaim Bloom a must be included piece of the deal. If Vazquez, Eovaldi, etc. are dealt, it’s because Bloom has sat on his ass since he got here. Great guy to get John Henry, can anyone remind him how many WS Tampa has won. Sure they got to playoffs, but Sox did two before 2004 but didn’t win squat since 1918 then. Just what Boston needs as a GM, a hair care business owner that knows nothing about baseball other than saving money. Leave town Bloom, go ruin the Dodgers now