The Red Sox acquired catcher Carlos Narváez from the Yankees for minor league pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool space. Boston designated infielder Enmanuel Valdez for assignment to open the necessary 40-man roster spot.
Narváez, 26, is a depth catcher who has been on New York’s 40-man roster since last offseason. The Venezuela native reached the majors for the first time in July. He appeared in six games, collecting three singles and two walks in 15 plate appearances. Narváez had a good year in Triple-A, hitting .254/.370/.412 with 20 doubles and 11 home runs through 403 plate appearances. He walked at an excellent 13.9% clip while striking out 26.1% of the time.
The righty-hitting Narváez strikes out a lot, but he walks enough to reach base at a solid rate. Connor Wong was the only catcher on Boston’s 40-man roster. Narváez is now the favorite for the backup job by default, though the Sox will probably look for a more established veteran in the coming months. Narváez has a pair of minor league options and could begin next season at Triple-A Worcester.
New York had five catchers on the 40-man roster. Austin Wells and Jose Trevino form the MLB duo. J.C. Escarra, who finished the season in Triple-A, secured a 40-man spot at the end of the season. Carrying Narváez and Escarra was redundant, so the Yanks cash in the former to take a flier on a young pitcher.
Rodriguez-Cruz, 21, was Boston’s fourth-round pick three years ago. The 6’3″ righty has worked as a starter in the low minors. Rodriguez-Cruz had a nice season between Low-A and High-A, working to a 2.91 ERA with a 27.2% strikeout percentage across 89 2/3 innings. The Puerto Rico native issued free passes at a lofty 11.5% clip. He’ll need to dial in his command if he’s to stick as a starter. He’s an intriguing developmental flier for the Yankees to land for a player who was at the back of the roster.
New York also picks up an undisclosed amount of money it can use to sign an international amateur before the end of the signing period on Sunday. To be clear, the signing bonus space is unrelated to Roki Sasaki. The Japanese star will be part of next year’s amateur class. Teams cannot trade for 2025 bonus allotments until that signing period begins on January 15.
Valdez gets pushed off the roster after a disappointing season. The lefty-hitting infielder posted a .214/.270/.363 slash with six homers through 223 plate appearances. That’s a big drop from last year’s intriguing .266/.311/.453 showing over 49 games as a rookie. Valdez spent a good portion of the season in Worcester, where he had a league average .233/.330/.446 line in 50 contests.
Boston has five days to trade Valdez or put him on waivers. He still has a minor league option remaining and has a career .254/.345/.473 line over parts of three Triple-A seasons. Between that and his ability to bounce between second and third base, there’s a good chance he’ll find a new home within the next week.
Nooo not eman
What the heck was that
Mr. Wonka? Mr. Wonka? I said you get NOTHING you lose! Good day sir!!
Wouldn’t it be ironic if this International bonus money was used to secure Sasaki. Way to go Red Sox.
Yanks building up international money
Try again.
You’re right it’s for the pitcher never been above High A lol
Try again
IMO Naverez could have replaced Trevino to save money. Interesting trade.
They lost some when they signed Fried.
They traded away international money here bucko
No, the Yankees aquired international money.
No they didn’t bucko they got it from Boston
This is 2024 money, which they have to use by Sunday.
A replacement for Teel who was Traded.
Hath heck frozeneth over?
Trades between the Sox and Yankees do happen, usually for inconsequential roster filler
Weissert proved that theory wrong last year. Plus the unkown with Fitts.
JP – He did write “usually”, which is correct.
There’s been only like 4 others over the past 30 years.
Ottavino, Drew, Stanley, BankHead,
They only pretend to hate each other. This doesn’t happen in Texas
Ranger – The Astros traded a HOF catcher to the Rangers just 15 years ago.
That was before we hated each other
ERC is an interesting prospect.
I’m not sure how I feel about Carlos Narvaez. Seems like a defensive first catcher who could crack the Yankees roster, so looks like the Sox got their catcher!
Great OBPs in the minors. Doubles hitter with some power.
yikes. another overpay (not on the level of Crochet, which I’m still scratching my head over. has potential disaster written all over it). they could’ve signed a backup from the wires at some point down the road.
to whom are you referring?
domino effect from moving teel
hoping the universe has an ironic sense of humor and ERC ends up having a better career than crochet
Two offseason in a row w Sox Yanks deals. Used to go decades without seeing even one.
What? These guys made a deal?
For a second I was thinking Omar Narvaez. It turns out it’s his cousin.
Omar might be tostada.
Totally off subject. Yanks please walk away from the table and do not trade for Tucker. The Astros will rightfully ask for the world and then we have to go thru the in-season drama of whether or not he’s going to stay? Sorry…..way too soon. Gil has extre value. If he’s legit he saves you money you can spend elsewhere. If Tucker wants to be a Yankee then you’ll have a shot at him after the season.
Nope, all in. Let’s go!
They should of gave them Trevino lol
@Green
Trevino is a tremendous pitch framer and Cole’s personal catcher, so he’s not going anywhere.
Green – Better yet, the Sox will sign Cervelli. The dude is still in his 30’s.
impossible. anyone who played on the last championship squad is long dead
Yankees continue their yearly tradition of trading a catcher the last three years (Rortvedt, Higashioka & now Narvaez).
All of whom have done well since leaving the Yankees. They might have been better off trading Trevino and saving the money, but doubt the Sox would have wanted him. Can’t throw out baserunners.
Correct. I believe I watched a late season game where they stole 6 or 8 bases on him in the first five innings.
It’s funny how many commentators didn’t read the last paragraph about when the money can be spent — until this season’s deadline on Sunday. So it has no effect on Red Sox’s international free agency pool when Sasaki will sign.
lol no longer is it the last paragraph. Here it is: “New York also picks up an undisclosed amount of money it can use to sign an international amateur before the end of the signing period on Sunday. To be clear, the signing bonus space is unrelated to Roki Sasaki. The Japanese star will be part of next year’s amateur class. Teams cannot trade for 2025 bonus allotments until that signing period begins on January 15.”
Cleveland – Unfortunately these days reading and listening are frowned upon.
Just a FYI, the articles get updated. So comments can come in before that is added.
This new normal to deal with the Sox is fine by me!
What y’all doing want for Casas since I’m higher on him than most Sox fans it seems…?
Can’t trade w/your big rival, bad juju.
Sparky lyle
Danny Cater
Not a fan on this on the surface. Narvaez hits for power, has a high OBP and a cannon. He should have been on the roster last year in place of Trevy. He’ll do well in Boston.
Only way this makes sense is if CHI or HOU needs this kid in a deal for Bell or Tucker
What in the world?
A legit prospect for a fringe-roster 3rd catcher type with meh defense outside of a good arm?
Just weird. Are the Sox in full tilt panic mode?
I think Sox fans might be surprised by Narvaez. He has the potential to be a solid regular who won’t hurt you behind the dish and will surprise you with some bottom of the order power.
That may very well be, but it doesn’t change the wild difference in prospect level. Proximity is important, but the ceiling is so low for Narvaez it’s difficult to see its worth compared to just signing one of the low level free agents with power, for example Grandal just off the top of my head.
A fair point, and you’ll be proven right if the Yankees get any value out of Rodriguez-Cruz. Grandal is closer to retiring than starting at this point, and isn’t likely to provide as much value at his age as a 26 year old major league ready defensive catcher. The Sox have tons of young offensive talent, appear to be adding pitching, and need a good defender behind the dish to work with Wong. I would posit that Narvaez is more valuable to the Sox at the moment than their 13th ranked prospect who hasn’t made it past high A at the age of 21. Something is worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.
Now all the Red Sox need is a 3B, a 2B, an OF, another TOR starting pitcher, and 2-3 relievers and it will be a team that can compete with the Orioles for 2nd place in the East.
baseball – The Red Sox aren’t close to competing for 2nd place at this point or any point during 2025. Talent needs to be added not subtracted and Devers has to DH and analysts on MLB are pushing for the nightmare of having Devers play 1B. Drop their record even farther if that happens.
As of today, Crochet is a SP2 at best. I’m not convinced he’ll be as good as Houck. The team lost their catcher of the future and wasted two first round picks. They kept the worst of the SS in the minors at AAA and packaged yet another player better than Mayer.
Now Duran and Casas are being suggested for trades as if Yankee fans were running the show here. Either the fans are trolls, idiots or simply people trying to stir the pot. Unfortunately, the front office is so dumb they are likely to follow the BS suggestions.
This team is still at best a .500 ball club far below BAL and NY in talent. TB and Tor are struggling otherwise BOS would still be a cellar dweller.
With bad decisions happening everywhere there is no reason to think things will get better in 2025. Remember what Boston needed:
1 – Move Devers to DH – NOT DONE
2 – Get a Left handed SP1 – NOT DONE but they got a SP2 that is lefty
3 – Get a 2nd SP1 = NOT DONE
4 – Get a lefty reliever who can double as a closer – DONE but Tanner Scott would have been a far better choice but costs bigger money and the $300 Million a year in profits team can’t afford him but they bid $700 Million on an outfielder
So with only 4 things needed only one was completed and the best choice wasn’t taken. The other three aren’t going to happen so .500 it is in 2025. Good thing TOR and TB are going to have down years to lessen the embarrassment for Red Sox fans wanting to get back in the playoffs.
Oh ye of little faith! Breslow is embolden by the Crochet trade and is hot on the trail of the other three objectives.
Yankees not taking much advantage of too many catchers in a thin catcher world.
Disappointed to lose ERC don’t know much about Navarez. ERC is disappointing to lose throws hard heavy sink decent secondaries needs to learn to throw the changeup and more strikes.
Got a backup catcher for Wong, I do feel better about trading Teel now. They had this in the works as well.
kingbum = Catchers at Teel’s level are rare. Wong is a back-up so we just acquired a back=up for a back-up and go into the season without a true starting catcher but also without the knowledge that one would be coming soon. Horrible move. If Crochet wins the Cy Young, the trade is still borderline considering what they gave up in Teel, Montgomery and Meidroth. Montgomery has the skills to develop into a perennial all-star. The good fortune Brewlow had for him to fall to Boston was unbelievable and then he turns around and gives the good fortune to the White Sox.
Boston has to stop hiring inexperienced people it continues to haunt them. Cora is now a six season idiot who no longer is inexperienced not he’s simply inept. Bloom and Breslow should never have been hired based on their experience since this is the Boston Red Sox and they had one of the greatest GMs in history and chose to go the cheap and ineffective route for the next half decade so far.
The organization is simply an embarrassment from top to bottom. This ship can’t be righted without more intelligent baseball people at the top.
If we had hired that Ng chick, we would have been able to fleece the Marlins!
DFA’ing a middle infielder who played in the MLB and (albeit inconsistently) showed a little pop means they are closing in on a deal.
I hope Valdez enjoys the West Coast as I would love him to land in Seattle or San Diego as part of a package with a SP1 coming back
Don’t like this trade. Why give up pitching for a backup catcher. Let Connor Wong catch 150 games and see what kind of numbers he puts up. Not to mention Wong is a righhanded power bat.
Evidently, the Yankees used that international bonus pool money towards signing a pitcher named Stiven Romans for $1.65M this past weekend before the deadline for using 2024 pool money.