The Angels have acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league outfielder Isaiah Jackson, according to announcements from both clubs. Prior to the official announcement, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Grissom portion and Chris Cotillo of MassLive the Jackson part. The move drops Boston’s 40-man count to 39, perhaps allowing them to make a selection in tomorrow’s Rule 5 draft. The Halos’ 40-man count goes from 34 to 35.
If there’s a consistent theme in how the Angels are attacking this offseason, it is buying low on former top prospects. Their two biggest moves of the winter so far have been to sign Alek Manoah and acquire Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles. Manoah and Rodriguez are both former first-round picks who are coming off a few years of injury struggles.
The situation with Grissom is somewhat analogous, though he is not a pitcher and didn’t have quite the same prospect pedigree. Atlanta took him in the 11th round of the 2019 draft but he put up huge numbers on his way up the minor league ladder. By the summer of 2022, he had become a top 100 prospect. He slashed .322/.411/.480 on the farm over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Atlanta called him up in August of 2023, skipping him over the Triple-A level. He put up a big .291/.353/.440 line in his first 156 big league plate appearances.
Going into 2023, Atlanta let Dansby Swanson depart via free agency, signing with the Cubs. Grissom seemed to have a good shot at being the long-term answer there. There were questions about his defense but the bat seemed legit. Ron Washington, then on Atlanta’s coaching staff, worked with Grissom on his defense throughout the winter. At the end of spring training, Atlanta surprisingly decided to give Orlando Arcia the shortstop job. Grissom was optioned to Triple-A.
Atlanta called up Grissom a few times that year but he hit just .280/.313/.347 for a 79 wRC+ in his 80 plate appearances. But he still showed his offensive potential in the minors, as he hit .330/.419/.501 for a 138 wRC+ in Triple-A.
Going into 2024, Atlanta flipped Grissom to the Red Sox for Chris Sale. At the time, it seemed like a coup for the Red Sox. Sale had barely pitched from 2020 to 2022 due to injuries. He had made 20 starts in 2023 but with a 4.30 earned run average. Since he was going into his age-35 season, the final guaranteed season of his contract, the expectations weren’t high for him going forward.
That deal turned into a big bust for Boston. Sale posted a 2.38 ERA in 2024 and won the National League Cy Young award. Grissom, meanwhile, has mostly been stuck in Triple-A since being traded. Boston gave him 114 big league plate appearances in 2024 but he hit just .190/.246/.219 in those. He has still been putting up decent Triple-A numbers, but not quite as gaudy as before. Since the start of 2024, he has a .266/.357/.417 line and 106 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. He played all four infield spots during his time with Triple-A Worcester. He finished the 2025 season on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis.
Grissom exhausted his final option season in 2025, meaning he will be out of options going forward. The Sox have an uncertain infield picture at the moment but will likely address it with further moves this offseason. Since they just made the playoffs, they will be looking to compete again and surely didn’t want to rely on Grissom after a couple of uninspiring years.
For the Halos, they have been mired in mediocrity for a while now, having last made the playoffs over a decade ago. They need a lot to go right if they’re going to break that streak. They will probably make some more clear-cut upgrades at some point this winter but have thus far been taking chances on low-certainty upside plays.
Their infield has a couple of openings at the moment. They have Zach Neto locked in at shortstop and Nolan Schanuel at first base. Second and third base are up for grabs. At the hot corner, Anthony Rendon is technically signed for another season but is probably going to retire. The Angels gave Christian Moore a chance to grab the second base job in 2025 but he didn’t take advantage of that opportunity. Denzer Guzmán, Oswald Peraza and Kyren Paris are also on the roster but no one in that group has a track record of major league success.
There’s a path for Grissom to perhaps earn some playing time at second or third, or perhaps as a bench/utility guy. It’s possible those paths get blocked with future moves but they are there for now. Grissom still has less than two years of service time. If he can thrive as an Angel, they can retain him for five full seasons before he would be slated for free agency. He is only 24 years old, turning 25 in January.
To get that shot on Grissom, they are giving up an outfielder from deep in their system. Jackson was just selected in the eighth round of the draft this summer. He has ten games of experience as a professional, which came at High-A, where he hit .219 /.324/.344. He turns 22 in May. For the Sox, they are likely happy to get any kind of return at all for a guy who was getting pushed off the roster anyway.
Photos courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
The stove is getting warm .. I guess
Maybe clearing room for a big signing?
Rule 5
WadeBoggsWildRide: “Maybe clearing room for a big signing?”
Bregman and Belinger! We need some more big contracts!
Boston is buying supplies in anticipation of cleaning their stove…
No permanent damage done, making this an amazing move by Angels standards.
Looks like the Red Sox have an open spot on the 40 man roster heading into the Rule 5 draft.
All- I certainly hope they will be doing much more than just adding someone from the Rule 5 draft. It does make sense to be prepared because they have had success with some of the players from the draft. They still have a few on the 40 man roster who seem very expendable such as David Hamilton.
Uncle: Agreed. I am pretty confident that the Red Sox offseason is far from over.
Thank GOD he’s off the Sox (I’m not even religious). Curious of the return.
I’m praying for you 101-there’s hope yet
Nothing great but he wasn’t going to get a great return. It’s basically clearing a 40-man roster spot so you have an opening to sign someone.
Sox 101 – So, what Breslow is saying, is he couldn’t have done this a week ago instead of losing Criswell for nothing?
Give me a break……..
Sad – if this happened a week ago then whoever takes the 40 man spot would’ve bumped criswell anyways.
The sox are going to need more 40 man spaces still to come before the end of the offseason
GASox – unless I’m mistaken Jackson wasnt on the Angels 40Man and doesnt need to go on the Sox 40Man.
So, if they made this deal last week Criswell would still be available to the Sox to trade in Breslow’s stable of controllable arms. Instead the Mets got him for nothing
“instead of losing Criswell”
The deal was worked out at the Meetings. Who says either team wanted to do it last week?
Besides they wouldve only saved Criswell for an extra week, or do you think the Red Sox are done building the team? Sorry to tell you this, but there are probably more players be dropped off that 40-man as they keep adding FAs or players through trades.
Reggie – I cant believe you’re still defending that move.
Everyone is looking for controllable starters……….even middling ones
Defending? Its a nothing move.
Red Sox pitching depth has far surpassed Criswell. He was only needed for 17 innings last year for a 5.17 FIP. After additions and young player growth, he is somewhere between 10th and 13th on the depth chart.
Reggie – I cant relive the painful amount of posts that we exchanged on this move last week.
You keep saying its a nothing. its nothing, but the the Mets claimed him within hours of his DFA’ing. Everyone at the Meetings, including Breslow, is talking about making a deal with the Sox because of their controllable starters.
Yet, you continue to defend the idea that it was smarter for the Sox to keep Grissom on the 40Man before the Rule 5 deadline than Criswell, Or, they couldnt spin off either of them last week without having to DFA someone?????
Breslow got cute and added $20k to the minimum on Criswell’s deal thinking that would deter another team from claiming him. He was wrong and you are wrong. Just admit it and move on.
“Yet, you continue to defend the idea that it was smarter for the Sox to keep Grissom on the 40Man before the Rule 5 deadline than Criswell,”
Of course it was.
Red Sox got an 8th round pick from this years draft, for Grissom. Im sure they callled around the league. If they couldve gotten anything for Criswell, they wouldve.
Clearly you just need to be right, so, you’re right!
Thank you.
Sad, I get where youre coming from. But, it doesnt make sense if these deals were all happening at once, or, if there was something else on the table where PIT might pivot to someone else if breslow dragged his feet.
It could be breslow thought this deal was also done, and, LAA dragged their feet after indicating it was good to go based on a delay in checking off medicals, and PIT had already moved forward, who knows.
There just too much to speculate over. Heck, there could’ve been another deal that broke apart, or, some other free agent player deciding not to sign that breslow thought was a done deal.
Look at the volume of deals and guys moving coming together all at once. Its forgivable to have one non-premium guy wind up a casualty with all the moved going on.
Id prefer it not to be, but, its what it is. And maybe nobody was willing to pay for Cooper, and, last minute Cohen decided he wanted him.
Speaking of bring right, around the news of criswell being dfa i think someone here mentioned dumping grissom instead in connection with the deal, likelynfor a lottery ticket type or ptbnl…… looks like he was right, just a few hours off on the logistics 😉
Breslow seriously thought that this guy was enough for Chris Sale
To be fair it was for 1 season of Chris sale after he pitch 31 games….. in 4 seasons. It’s funny how quickly it went from “clean break” to “bad move” in the media.
It’s Boston. They turned into the Yankees once they broke the curse of the Bambino
Boat won two more World Series after that
GM – Wrong, it was for 2 seasons. There was a $20M team option for this year too …. an absolute steal.
Go back to the MLBTR page where Sale is traded for Grissom.
mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/braves-red-sox-trade-ch…
All the Red Sox fans were fine with the deal. Now, its “I Knew It All Along”.
Reggie- Thanks for sharing that. I wanted to see who people said at the time. I can’t believe how much value everyone was putting on Grissom as if he was going to be the star second baseman for years to come. I don’t think I posted but I was not happy to see Sale go because it seemed like they were giving up on the season from my perspective.
I was part of that hype for Grissom. I really did think he could have been an occasional All-Star in his career.
Although, I don’t think it will happen, I’m still cheering for it to happen. Vaughn is a really good guy
I have nothing against Vaughn, he just hasn’t amounted to much at this point. Things can certainly change and I wish him nothing but the best. Really wish he had become a star for the Sox.
Don’t forget it was Sale and 17MM.
Don’t also forget there was a 20mil club option for Sale.
I wonder if Breslow now realizes Grissom only looked good in Atlanta because of a .348 BABIP.
@mack423
When trading for AAA player with MLB success, if his current club doesn’t feel he’s worth keeping on their 26-man roster, it should raise some red flags.
Adverse selection bias is real, haha. To be completely fair, I remember Grissom losing a good bit of weight last year due to illness, right? Do you think that’s affected his development? Looks like his XBH numbers were really down in 2024 and kind of returned in 2025, but his discipline went way down this year too?
@mack423
There was quite of talk about his weight loss and how it was related to illness. That said, he missed most of his time in 2024 due to pulling BOTH of his hamstrings and there has long been a correlation among baseball player hamstring injuries and PED use. That’s not anything definitive, but worth considering as to why he lost his power/weight.
He was 23 last time anyone paid attention to him, so it makes sense to think of him that way.
Wcsoxfan is Grissom’s mlb success in the room with us lol?
Pete: Grissom’s mlb success was abducted by aliens
Sale was a cash dump
@MLB Top
I wish. They only saved 10.5mil after paying down 17mil of his contract.
Based on how the Red Sox built their roster they legitimately thought Grissom would be their starting 2nd baseman in 2024.
It’s not that simple. A lot is politics. They made sure to try to get SOMETHING for Sale to save face on the move. Obviously, that backfired hard.
It was still a salary dump.
I agree that based on Sale’s contract and injury history that a trade was necessary. They didn’t need to trade him for Grissom – they already had Grissom in the farm with Yorke and Meidroth and many other middle infield prospects.
Grissom was in the minors when the braves could have used a bat the year before he was traded. That tells you what they thought of him.
So the return was awful.
It was still a cash dump.
Did everybody know he would stay healthy?He really couldn’t in Boston.Now we see he was worth keeping.Then he was hurt a lot.Do you want to pay that money when he was not able to pitch?
It was a salary dump… But yea this one really looks awful in retrospect.
Joemo: “They didn’t need to trade him for Grissom”
=========================
I doubt they set out to get Grissom. I think they set out to dump as much of Sale’s contract as possible which turned out to be with the Braves and Grissom was a secondary development. The Braves were in the driver’s seat regarding the player going back to Boston.
Yes. My point is simply they likely could have dumped a bit more salary for nothing much. They got a top 100.
All – they didn’t need to accept a bad trade like that though. They could have held onto him and -hindsight is 20/20 – he would have been worth a lot more! Maybe they would have kept him because they would have had that top of the rotation arm they lacked in 2024.
The Red Sox paid Sale’s entire salary for 2024, plus 1MM due to the contract restructure, and they got back literally nothing. It’s the definition of a bad trade.
@all in the suit
It was well reported at the time that the Red Sox were looking for a starting 2nd baseman. And they needed just that. Grissom was well liked by the keyboard warriors at the time so he certainly wasn’t perceived as someone the Braves dumped on the Red Sox.
I’m sure that cutting salary was a major part of the deal, but that certainly wasn’t the only factor at play.
WC: Whatever happened, I was fine with the trade then and I still have no problem with it. I was happy to get any value in return for Sale after he was hurt for 5 straight years. Now I am happy to get something of value in return for Grissom.
sad – Chris Sale AND $17M.
That’s the part that really kills me ….
“Here Atlanta, take next year’s Triple Crown Cy Young Award Winning Pitcher …. and we’ll pay you $17M to go against his salary too!!”
You’re not wrong. Huge backfire. But the hunch at the time was that the Sox fleeced the Braves.
A+ to Fever Pitch who I believe was the only Sox fan not thrilled about this trade.
This trade was so bad that if gm approached me as owner with this trade I would fired him on the spot. Never was a top 100. Never a SS. Ceiling of a average 2b. Couldn’t even get a lotto ticket. Had to send $. I rarely give a F grade but pretty sure I gave this on a F.
That’s just not true. Myself and many others said the return was bad.
@Joemo
What was your previous name because there is no Joemo in the sale trade article according to Google find page.
I also hated the deal at the time.
Braves fans were mad to see Grissom go. Sale actually sad he would have traded him too. Remember Sale had a great year but broke down and missed the playoffs. Still not a great return, just saying more to it than what was said.
Finally
A greasy paper bag from a cheese steak is the return.
Jeter Downs 2.0
Can’t wait to see the return so we can close the book on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad return for Chris Sale and his entire 2024 salary.
He’s a former Brave, so he fits the mold.
I’ve always liked him. i wish yankees considered him. i still want rosario back now
Trade talk Transcript courtesy of ESPN
Perry-You say he played the Braves?
Boston GM -Yes Sir
Perry- I want him
Boston GM- His fielding needs working
Perry-I want him
Boston GM -His swing has a lot of holes
Perry-I want him
Boston- He’s arbitration eligible
Perry- I need him
Boston GM – His salary is $5M
Perry-Give me him
Boston GM- you have them under one condition
Perry-what’s that?
Boston-you take your hands off my neck
Perry-okay
That actually sounds more like Arte than Perry. But I still lol’d.
Why would Arte be involved in a minor league player trade?
So many people want to blame Arte for everything. The wheels on that bandwagon have fallen off.
Why? Two seasons ago the Angel GM traded Rengifo to the Dodgers for three players that included minor leaguer Pages. Moreno foolishly killed the deal The Dodgers offered to build a minor league complex in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles that would be shared by both organizations. It would enable fans to root for their future stars and their development people to be close by–Moreno killed it. He’s the worst.
@carllafong. It was ward, rengifo for Pedersen, and stripling. Didn’t know it pages but there was another guy coming back to angels. Arte shot it down, because they made the deal with certain players and the dodgers included them in the betts deal makes me wonder if it was verdugo.
carlafong, not quite the same thing.
He KILLED a deal involving multiple players at the MLB level that included minor leaguers, he didn’t initiate it.
Looks I understand that there is a strong dislike for Moreno, but it is still foolish to think Arte would be involved in a minimal minor league player trade.
This site still won’t allow me to post links so I will just post quotes. From back in February 2020-
“The deal — which, according to sources and published reports, would have sent outfielder Joc Pederson, right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling and outfield prospect Andy Pages to the Angels in exchange for infielder Luis Rengifo, outfield/third base prospect Taylor Ward, and at least one other prospect.”
The deal was contingent on what was initially a three-team trade involving the Dodgers, Twins and Red Sox that never happened and Arte Moreno got frustrated with that dragging out for a week and nixed the Angels-Dodgers deal.
Never thought you would hear me say this, but after looking at the results by those players while they would have still been under the Dodgers or Angels control, Moreno made the right call.
The Angels got 16.7 WAR from Rengifo and Ward plus whatever Grayson Rodriguez gives him and the Dodgers & Toronto got 5.2 WAR plus whatever Pages gets over the next 4 years.
I can’t find out anything about who the other prospect going from the Angels to the Dodgers would have been,.
Skip
What blasphemy is spewing from your finger tips! All the Arte haters must be cursing out loud at you right now.
ha ha ha ha
Even worse is they have to admit I am right as well
@skip’s. That might’ve been the revised deal. Maybe the angels wanted a prospect from the twins or the other three that went to the redsox. I agree it’s better it didn’t happen, and they needed to trade rengifo two years ago. He would’ve got more than Chisholm that year. Maybe they wanted verdugo and the twins were getting the angels prospect. The funny part Is i think most of prospects flop and pages is looking better at the end of the day.
Truly and actually LOL.
Moreno seems to have a hard time trading away fan favorites like Rengifo. He wasn’tgreat, but as you said he had some value 2 years ago and should have been traded. I don’t think that a complete rebuild and increased spending in player development will ever come for that organization and because of it the situation there won’t improve much until he is no longer the owner.
hahaha fantastic! his unabashed obsession with Braves players is absurd.
Literally the best post all year long. A friend of mine who recently passed away (who was also a Dodgers fan), would have thoroughly enjoyed this.
Perry strike again!
@halosheavenJJ. That’s his first AA trade this year. Part of the future considerations from last years. Im guessing grissom and peraza are the fringe players instead of Lopez, Anderson, kingery, and kieboom.
Edit i had a brain fart. He’s in Boston now or was.
Yeah, but he signed Manaoh after Atlanta cut him loose.
But Minasian was also AGM for ATL when they drafted him in 2019 — so he knows him better than most.
@runDMC. Yeah he’s getting younger guys that haven’t translated to the mlb. My guess is he will get veterans to fill in triple A on minor league deals. He has flipped his strategy because it wasn’t working.
I’m glad he’s getting a chance, and hope he does well. No future with Arias, Mayer and Campbell in front of him.
ray – It’s not about chances. Right now the Sox are desperate for a 2B, which is why they are looking into Marte.
If Breggy Beer Man leaves, it’s Mayer at 3B and Story at SS and God Knows Who at 2B..
KC is hardly a lock for anywhere on Opening Day, could very well be 1B. .
Fairly predicatable trade by Minasian. Now is Rengifo packing bags? What happens with plans for Cristian Moore??
Giif is a FA
Is he? My clock is off! Haha
@gwynning. Rengifo might’ve packed his bags and left it in the lockeroom, so your not completely wrong.
Moore clearly needs minor league seasoning but Grissom should be a bench piece.
Rengifo is a free agent and I doubt he’ll re-sign here.
Copy! Mahalo! 🤙🏽🍻
There is talk they are moving Moore to 3B.
Never heard or read that
where his defense will be hidden under ‘good glove, a little tiny range’.
Many scouts pegged him as a future LF’er heading into the draft. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that his his future.
In that case a middling bat in a corner outfield spot is less than ideal for an early first round pick.
Rhett Bollinger reported on December 8 that the Angels would be open to trying Moore at third base.
he should have spent more time on the farm last year, at this point i am not sure if it changes anything
Grissom shouldn’t block Moore imo.
ST should shake out the tree, so to speak. Hope Grissom can find his mojo!
It’s a lot of good talent either way. Honestly good gamble for the Angels.
Nobody, I mean, nobody blocks Moore! Terrible defense and no hitting!
Yeah, this is definitely a sign theyve moved on from hiffy.
Wonder if this means he’s our new 3rd baseman..
@Gwyn-Moore has plenty of options left. He was “okay’when he came up. I think the Angels were hoping they catch lightning in a bottle. Didn’t quite work out. He’s got alot of potential. He didn’t embarrass himself.
It’d be funny if the Red Sox acquired Grayson Rodriguez in return, but it said a minor leaguer.
Hopefully the kid gets a chance out there and can make the most of it
I kid above but these are the types of chances the Angels should take. Grissom is only 23 and has talent.
Most of these lottery tickets won’t hit but if a couple do, that could go a long way towards helping Neto and the young core be successful in the future.
He turns 25 in January and the talent is debatable, but otherwise I agree.
The 40-man and 26-man (he’s out of options) spots works be the sticking points for most teams, but Angels have the room. I think he could still be a weak-side platoon partner at 1st/2nd/DH.
i agree- 25% change Grayson is an ace and stays healthy, 15% on Manoah, 20% of Grissom…. for what they gave up and for those lottery tickets, it is a good bet that one of them delivers on the upside and makes them look brilliant- and you only need 1 (since the most expensive one was Grayson for 1 year of Ward)
That Grayson deal was a steal in my opinion. Orioles making moves as if they’re one piece away from a championship front runner…
Honestly the big difference from normal Angel “fliers” is they are finally going after these pedigree guys when they are still young instead of 30 years old. Thats where most of the value is, especially bets where hitters havent found power and pitchers havent found health or command at the beginning of their careers.
I honestly like this approach. We are several players and levels of depth from being a winner.
I’d much rather watch a 70-75 win team full of young guys figuring it out (or not figuring it out) than one full of over the hill guys collecting their last paychecks.
Get as many young, high pedigree guys as possible and find the handful that will actually pan out.
Clearing a 40-man spot… 👀
Isaiah Jackson is actually a legit prospect. 8th round pick with big raw power, a decent overall skillset and may be able to play CF.
Was ranked 25th in the Angels system by MLB Pipeline.
Always fun to follow a rule-5 guy, and hope that’s the case, but given the need to add two infield bats and one lefty reliever they needed the extra 40-man space and there are no more obvious players to remove. They’ll need to trade away an outfielder and starter just to make room as-is.
legit prospect??
He has 10 games on pro ball under his belt.
This a trade that BOTH teams are closing their eyes and hoping for the best.
He’s actually ranked by a publication and was drafted this year. That’s far better than most Red Sox fans expected.
Many thought Grissom would be outright cut last month. Anything more than PTBNL or cash is a win here.
I am not saying Jackson doesn’t have a chance. to reach the majors.
But there is no reason to declare the Red Sox as the winner of this trade at this point either.
@Angelsfan1972 you’re arguing against nobody here as I haven’t said that the Red Sox won the trade over the Angels; I’ve actually pointed out how Grissom can work out as an Angel.
For the Red Sox, this trade is a ‘win’ as they would have had to cut him in order to open a 40-man spot and he had no chance at making their 26-man roster. So it’s like getting something for nothing.
Jackson was ranked 25th in one of the worst farm systems in baseball and was the 889th best prospect overall. He is not listed in the Red Sox top 30. He was a 40 grade prospect. He is not a legit prospect. He is a hope and a prayer that he becomes a 4th or 5th OF and that was why he was taken in the 8th round and paid right about slot value.
@outinleftfield Way to throw ice water on a good time!
But seriously, I mean legitimate as the word and not some hyperbolic take. He’s a legitimate/real prospect and not some org guy with a prospect label.
In terms of the Red Sox top 30, I doubt we’ll see him there, but I expect to see him in the top-60. He was an overslot 5th rounder and should fall in around Myles Patton (58th; 7th rd pick) and Leighton Finley (60th; 6th rd pick). Although those 40 FV guys are pretty fungible and start around the 18th prospect on the Red Sox (per SP.com and Pipeline).
WCSoxFan
I was simply trying to “slow the roll” on the legit prospect claim. Fringe prospect is probably a more accurate description.
Lars Nootbaar was an 8th round pick. I would think the Sox would be thrilled to get that out of Jackson.
@Angelsfan1972
There was a single comment and no roll to slow until you started a roll of toxicity. I’m not sure if you misread the comment or misunderstand the word ‘legitimate’, but these over-the-top negative reactions aren’t helpful to anyone.
I’m happy with the return now as this is clearly a legitimate prospect. Whether they turn into anyone down the line is a moot point.
LOL
I have a feeling you might be one of those who get angry at the intent of a text, rather than taking it for what it is. Which is simply words being written.
Gotta love it. Now it has become toxic.
@AngelsFan1972
Guessing the ‘intent of text’ in response to a comment was your mistake which started the toxicity. Get a grip man. Delusions galore with you.
I am not sure how the questioning of an 8th round draft pick with 10 professional games under his belt can be labeled as a “legit prospect” is toxic.. Seems to me you are being extra sensitive. I promise you, I won’t steal your Cheerios. .
You’re delusional. At the very least, please lookup what ‘legit’ or ‘legitimate’ means in the dictionary so that you understand for future use. It’s not a rare word.
I’ll be blocking you as you seem to have no knowledge to contribute. Good luck learning.
My question was how is my questioning “legit prospect” being labeled as toxic?
And I WILL indulge you on legit definition…..
A “legit prospect” in baseball is a minor-league player who possesses a realistic and high chance of becoming a productive, established major-league player. The term “legitimate” is used to emphasize that the player is considered a genuine potential future asset, as opposed to a “fringe prospect” or a “suspect” whose potential might be more speculative.
An 8th round pick with 10 professional games under his belt realistically falls under the fringe prospect label.
Saw him play for ASU a few times and was happy when the Angels drafted him.
He’ll go to a better development program and might turn into something good.
His speed and defense might give him a decent floor as a 4th OF type but I don’t really trust bats coming out of the two AZ schools. ASU in particular you’ve only had Keaschall and Torkelson as your two big bats drafted in the last fifteen years.
Yeah, I think most people overlook the fact there’s some elevation there.
Phoenix is about 1100 feet up and Tucson is over 2500. That’s obviously not Colorado or Utah type elevation, but it is enough that hitters in Spring Training comment on it.
We’ll see with Jackson. But you have a great point about the lack of MLB success from AZ.
Interesting take. I would have never thought of that. The last hitters of any note from either of those colleges was Kole Calhoun and Jason Kipnis. Dustin Pedroia in 2004 was last one before those 2.
Several Az high school players including Alex Verdugo, Cody Bellinger, and CJ Cron have put up 10+ WAR in their careers, but you have to go back a long way to find a hitter out of UA or ASU.
BTV values
Grissom $0.1
Jackson $0.3
Jackson has zero value. He is a 40-grade prospect. One not expected to ever make it to the major leagues as more than a 5th OF. This trade was not about player value, it was about the Red Sox wanting to clear a 40 man roster spot in order to have room to make a FA signing or big trade.
Glad Vaughn is getting a fresh start.
And to think Boston got this for Sale…. Bend over Breslow!
LOOK OUT here comes BadCo coming in hot!
Never understood how Campbell passed Grissom in the hierarchy of prospects. Granted Grissom kinda flamed out during a very short time at the ML level. But Campbell had one good year in the minors, then just flew into a multi-year contract… and then flamed out. Grissom was never heard from again. (Is this where I put a SMH?)
swan – I wouldn’t say the final book has been written on either player yet.
The biggest problem is both players don’t seem to have a position, they made their reputations with their bat and then lost the ability to hit. Because of the long contract, KC will get a much longer leash. Same thing with Rafaela, his contract will continue to give him a long leash.
Rafaela has a floor that KC doesnt have. Rafaela’s gold glove level defense in center means he’s most likely going to earn that contract and then some. If KC doesn’t hit he is a complete bust since he doesn’t have a defensive floor, he must hit and if he does they will find a spot for him.
Bruin – I think it depends on how low his production drops. He’ll be 25 next year, if his hitting doesn’t improve he’ll likely be relegated to super-sub duty.
It’s not like the old days when you can carry an elite glove who can’t hit, the 3-player bench (plus catcher) makes it difficult to pinch hit for him. Brewers learned that really quick with JBJ
I thought he was son of Marquis Grissom and might get chance to play alongside the son of Delino Deshields, a few years back when both were in the same organization.
You’ll be extremely happy to know that Delino DeShields Jr. and Marquis Grissom Jr. were both on the Harrisburg Senators this year, lol
Cool!
mack – I attended a few Brockton Rox games 3 years ago.
Want to know who was on the team?
D’Angelo Ortiz (Big Papi)
Manny Ramirez Jr (Mannywood)
Pedro Martinez Jr (Pedro)
Kade Foulke (Keith)
Jaden Sheffield (Gary)
Now THAT made me feel really old. LOL
I’m thinking Griffey Sr. and Jr. inspired lot of the players to follow them when they also had a son who could play but most retired before they could play with their own son.
I had so much hope for this guy. He hit his 1st homer at Fenway while with Atlanta. I don’t know what happened, good luck in Anaheim.
I never thought Grissom was very athletic..a low ceiling, a corner infielder with limited power, not a MI.
Proph – He was a man without a position. The Braves tried him at SS and 2B, he failed miserably at both. They were prepared to try him in the OF before he got traded.
AA totally swindled Breslow on that deal. As a scouting supervisor would say, “Thanks Bres, you freakin’ stiff!”. LOL!!
Fever, youre good with links and memory lol…
If sure you got nuggets saved of my… lets be nice given its near christmas and just call it… reluctance… to see Grissom as having any value to the mlb roster in Boston.
I would’ve been happy to be shown wrong, but, I saw too much of the guy in Gwinnett and the Battery to every think much of his long term outlook.
Now he joins the AAAA Angels of Anaheim… a AAAAAA ball club if you count those As
And the Angels continue to go cheap on their starting pitching in a continuing failed strategy over the years.
When you have as much trouble developing your own starters as the Angels do, they need to either spend some real money/capital in free agency or trade for starting pitching, or they should just go into a full rebuild. Yet, aside from what they got from Ohtani on the mound, the Angels have failed to do either one over the last decade.
Do you know who their owner is?
I’ve long advocated for a rebuild but Arte is foolish and stubborn. I posted an Ohtani trade article when he still had a year and a half left and the reception was more frigid than Lambeau Field in January.
But, had they gone that route over the last 3-4 years they could have a young core and plenty of money to spend by now.
It wouldn’t necessarily have even needed to be a rebuild. They could’ve taken the money they spent on guys like Hamilton and Rendon and spent it on proven starting pitching instead.
As unpopular as it would’ve been, letting Trout walk after his first extension would’ve also put them in a significantly better position by now.
Yeah, but you have to keep Trout at that point in time. Kid was a homegrown stud on the fast track to the HOF.
Hamilton, Rendon, Pujols, Wells, Gary Matthews Jr., Matt Harvey, and a host of other bad deals killed this team at the MLB level while gutting scouting and development ensured there was no in house talent to promote.
Really, it is hard to screw up an organization this badly at every single level. Yet Arte and his college buddies have done it.
All I can say is at least they’re not the Rockies.
That’s about all we can say too, ha ha.
Chris Sale for Isaiah Jackson. That alone qualifies Breslow to be canned. What a mess.
Man they sure whiffed on that Chris sale trade
I remember reading comments on here on how the Red Sox “won” that trade lol
Stein – There’s a portion of Sox “fans” here who worship any Red Sox Ops guy that is young and heavily into analytics, so I’m not surprised about comments here immediately declaring the trade a “win” for Breslow. Those same “fans” did the same thing with Bloom’s moves.
I doubt he is a top 100 prospect, but Jackson hit .310/.402/.630 with 18 HRs in 60 games for Arizona State in 2025. He looks like a good prospect to me.
If I’m a Halos fan, I wouldn’t say I’m hyped, but it feels like they’re at least trying to begin working toward something. Kinda.
We were a 63 win team in 2024. Minasian hired Wash and made some additions to the team that were small improvements at several positions. We ended up a 72 win team and I am convinced that it would have been a little better than that if Wash was here all season.
This offseason Minasian is being allowed to make more of that same type of incremental improvement moves. We still need a CF, 2SP, and if Joyce won’t be ready to start the season a closer. Long way to go in the offseason, so hopefully he can fill those holes with players at least a little better than those they are replacing and we can creep up in wins. Really like to see a season with a .500 win% or better but I am not holding my breath.
Hopefully the Angels can buy out Rendon, or they’ll need to consider trading someone in exchange for paying Rendon’s medical bills and a nice recliner for him to sit at home and watch again this season.
Already done
Let’s see
Get a former top prospect who can’t hit with ties to Atlanta ✅
Sign a former top prospect pitcher with arm problems ✅
Trade an established major league hitter for. Pitcher with potential that is always hurt✅
Hire a manager with absolutely no experience✅
All we need now is take a salary dump player and sing a couple of relievers who were good three years ago and we are ready for another 90 loss season
Perry please quit
Now we need relievers that had great seasons three years ago
Honestly, these are all low risk, medium reward moves. Not bad dice rolls
Don’t forget, only give that new manager a 1 year contract.
The only problem with your assessment is that the reason for all of those things is not incompetence by the GM, its the owner and his meddling.
Until Arte sells, Minasian’s hands are tied. No GM has done better or can do better with the restrictions and conditions created by Arte.
I’m willing to bet that the Rockies will make the playoffs before the Angels do.
Article: “Atlanta called up Grissom a few times that year but he hit just .280/.313/.347 for a 79 wRC+ in his 80 plate appearances.”
Just? That slash line is better than the entire Angels line up in 2025. Sounds like a guy who needs consistent playing time. Every time he was sent down and got at at-bats, he mashed.
Grissom played worse the further he moved across the infield, and, is one of your prototypical aaaa players where the holes in his swing aren’t exploited by minor league pitching the way they are in the majors.
Look at how awesome dalbec was in the minors vs majors. Happens all the time.
Holes in the swing generally mean high strikeout rates. Grissom is just a bit better than average on that front. 20.9% in the majors and 16.5% in AAA.
Dalbec was the perfect example of a hole in the swing equaling high SO rates at every level. 36.8% in the majors, 33.6% in AAA. 27.7% in AA. 32.1% in A- to A+. 60 grade power that was never able to materialize because he couldn’t make enough contact.
Isaiah Jackson Scouting Report (2025)
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40
A left-handed hitter, the 6-foot-3 Jackson has long had tremendous raw power and he started tapping into it consistently for the first time this past spring. A lot of that had to do with making better swing decisions and being shorter to the ball compared to his first two years in school. After striking out 26.7 percent of the time as a freshman and sophomore combined, he cut that down to 17.1 percent this year while upping his walk rate from 8.8 percent (2023 and ’24) to 11.2 percent.
While Jackson is an average runner, he’s very athletic, especially for his size. He knows how to steal a base, and while at one point it was thought he’d have to move to a corner, he’s become an outstanding defender in center field, one who made the Pac-12 All-Defensive team two years in a row. It likely will always be a power-over-hit profile at the plate, but his overall profile is helped by the fact he can stay up the middle at the next level.
That description is not correct if he is graded as a 50 for power. 50 is average on the 20-80 scouting scale.
Jackson was tied for 61st in NCAA D1 ball in HR in 2025.
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/isaiah-jackso…
You posted the grading already. It says 50. That is average.
you said it was “not correct”
So I gave source.
Skip is correct. 50 is average on the scouting scale.
Here is a good primer to help you understand what those numbers mean. blogs.fangraphs.com/scouting-explained-the-20-80-s…
Jackson has average power. That is part of why he went in the 8th round.
When did I say 50 wasnt average? What are you talking about.
Heres a good primer on the english language.
preply.com/en/online/english-tutors?campaignid=123…
He was correct that 50 is average. He was correct that the description you gave from whatever the source was incorrect.
That description said “A left-handed hitter, the 6-foot-3 Jackson has long had tremendous raw power”.
Jackson’s power grades out as just average as per the 50 grade, not tremendous.
You are wrong. Take the L and sit back down.
Red Sox paid $17 million to the Braves for Sale to win the 2024 NL Cy Young for Atlanta.
Wish we had kept cooper criswell
Had a feeling he would get traded, but wasn’t sure because Boston needs RH bats and he ended the year on IL (I think). But it seems as though Anaheim’s philosophy is to acquire guys that had a lot of potential a couple years ago, and are still young enough to bounce back.
Would love to see the Phillies offer a package for Reid Detmers and Caden Dana. And you have to wonder if Mike Trout and the FO have had any discussions about him being moved this winter. The Phillies and Yankees would make the back end of Trout’s deal in new sponsorships and jersey sales alone, so I don’t think there’s as much risk for those 2 teams particularly. Would be fun to watch him chase 500 in a Phillies uniform, and could handle RF within the friendly confines of the Bank (or Yankee stadium’s short RF).
Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker should be motivated in a contract year. If the Angels acquired both, plus Johan Rojas (they don’t have a CF’er) and a decent lefty hitting prospect like Gabriel Rincones Jr – for Trout & Detmers (to fill the ‘Joe Ross’ role) – why the hell not? Salaries would equal out $39M/$39M, leaving both clubs with the same budget for 2026. Angels incentive being long term salary relief and doing right by the best player in their franchises’ history.
All 30 teams split merchandise sales including jerseys equally. It doesn’t matter who the player is or what team they play on.
The Angels biggest needs are CF and starting pitching. They are not trading 1 starting pitcher, let alone 2.
Trout has said unequivocally again this offseason that he would not waive his NTC. Its not doing right by him if he doesn’t want to be traded.
What a disaster, that one turned out.
Then again the Angels and that fkn idiot Rendon is a nuclear bomb.
Perry still dumpster diving
We want to thank you Red Sox for letting us have Chris Sale for Vaughn Grissom. It was a wonderful deal…for the Braves apparently.
Angels Front Office at a Crossroads: Will Arte Moreno Throw Perry Minasian a Lifeline?
It’s not the definitive answer. But it might be the right move. And I’m on board.
The Angels just acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league outfielder Isaiah Jackson a clean, calculated swap. Grissom’s got tools, and more importantly, he’s got something to prove. A change of scenery might be exactly what he needs. And frankly, the same goes for this front office.
Because once again, GM Perry Minasian is fighting for his professional life. The roster’s in flux. The fanbase is restless. And the clock is ticking.
What he needs now isn’t just autonomy. He needs a lifeline.
Enter Arte Moreno.
For all the criticism Moreno has taken some fair, some not this is his moment to shift the narrative. To back his GM. To invest in a vision that might not guarantee success, but at least signals direction.
Because if Minasian is going down, he deserves the chance to do it swinging.
That would require Arte allowing Minasian to invest in long term deals in starting pitching and signing players with QOs hanging over them.
Why would you think the Red Sox would use the open 40-man roster spot to make a Rule V draft pick? They have so many other needs on the major league roster that picking up a Rule V player makes little sense.
The only way it makes sense to grab a rule 5 guy is, depending who is available at the time, there are corresponding moves via trade that you expect to open additional 40 and 26 man spots.
Who is available at this time that would improve the Red Sox team enough to waste, I mean use, a 26 man roster spot on them?
In theory a high-upside bullpen lefty could make sense as they’ll likely use a spot on a lefty either way (think of Whitlock but lefthanded).
mlb.com/milb/prospects/angels/samy-natera-jr-69651…
mlb.com/milb/prospects/yankees/brock-selvidge-6917…
Or possibly a catcher to challenge Wong (although it would be better to get a non-26 man player who could start at AAA):
mlb.com/milb/prospects/athletics/daniel-susac-6917…
Think all of those are longshots though and agree that saving the spot for a FA signing makes more sense (also, Hayden Mullins may be the best lefty rule-5 guy available).
The Chris Sale trade was a prime reason why you don’t declare winners and losers right after the trade has been made.
Sending Duran to KC for a starter still makes sense…
I have nothing to back up this statement, but I feel like if he got put on a non-contender and was just given the chance to play 2B everyday in a no-pressure type situation he’d really turn his career around. The talent is there. I’m not saying he’s a superstar but he could be DJ Lemahiue
From your mouth to the baseball gods ears.
I see a very real scenario where the Angels open the season with Grissom as the Second Basemen. This is a good, low risk move the Angels that might pay off pretty well for them
No secret: the Angels need arms. Starters, bullpen, anything that throws strikes and doesn’t implode by June. With the Rule 5 Draft tomorrow, don’t be shocked if Perry dips into the bargain bin and comes back with a couple of arms throw it hoping it stick.
But let’s not kid ourselves this team also needs a productive outfielder. We’ve been “linked” to every free agent with a glove but let’s be real: what free agent wants to sign in Anaheim right we need to make a trade or a miracle? The market knows what Arte’s selling, and it ain’t winning culture yet
And with the Tyler Skaggs trial still casting a shadow and a potential financial storm brewing it’s hard to believe this front office is ready to spend or pivot with urgency.
Hope I’m wrong. But until then, I’ll be watching Rule 5 like it’s the Winter Meetings. Because for the Angels, it just might be.
If they want to keep him, they kind of have to since he’s out of options.
This is as close to a no lose situation for the Angels as we can get. Last season our 2B combined for a 68 wRC+ and -.07 WAR. Grissom has an 82 wRC+ and -0.1 WAR in the majors with above average hitting and average defense at 2B in the minors.
We are not 1 or 2 players away from contending, so Perry needs to keep up adding former top prospects that represent an incremental improvement even if they don’t improve from their past MLB numbers.
A’s missed out here. Grissom has a roof and it’s high
Pretty good move for the Angels. Low risk and honestly, he had a decent minor league season again last year. At some point he’ll put it together in the show and be a starting caliber 2B or I believe he can be a super utility player as he’s athletic enough to play almost everyone position. He showed may flashes of being able to hold his own in the show but just couldn’t remain consistent. Rooting for the kids and angels fans seeing the strategy they are going for this offseason … high potential with a very high bust change. Fun to dream in the offseason until the regular season happens and it tanks your dreams
Perry will be picking up castoffs from his old Atlanta team right up to the day that he gets fired. That day can’t come soon enough.
Angels quietly added a power bat behind the plate.
On November 28, the Angels signed 24-year-old catcher Omar Martinez to a minor-league deal, a move that flew under the radar until it surfaced days later on the official transactions wire. Martinez, a former Yankees prospect, brings a mix of power and patience that could make him a sleeper to watch in 2026.
In 2025, Martinez played 104 games across three minor-league levels, slashing .220/.319/.358 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. While the average dipped, the power remained intact and it’s worth noting he posted an OPS of at least .778 in each of his previous four MiLB seasons, signaling more offensive potential than his recent line suggests B.
Originally signed by the Yankees in 2018 out of Venezuela, Martinez has developed into a power-hitting backstop with a solid arm and improving game-calling skills. While not yet considered a top-tier defender
Can’t hit, can’t field, can’t stay on the field. The quintessential Minasian add.
Eybersson Polanco is a right-handed relief pitcher with a power arsenal and swing-and-miss stuff, currently developing in the Los Angeles Angels’ minor league system after being selected in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of his profile and scouting report:
• Name: Eybersson Jesús Polanco
• Born: September 3, 2003 (Age 22)
• Birthplace: Lagunillas, Venezuela
• Height/Weight: 6’0”, 170 lbs
• Bats/Throws: Right/Right
• Signed: International Free Agent by Boston Red Sox (July 2021)
• Current Organization: Los Angeles Angels (acquired in 2025 Rule 5 Draft, minor league
• Physical Build: Medium frame with limited projection, though he appears more filled out than his listed weight suggests A.
• Delivery: Compact three-quarters arm slot with some effort; repeatable mechanics.
• Fastball: 94–98 mph four-seamer with life; primary weapon.
• Breaking Pitches:• Slider: 83–88 mph with late bite.
• Curveball: 80–84 mph with sweeping action.
• Command: Throws strikes consistently and generates swing-and-miss; projects as a bullpen arm with upside A.
—
📊 Performance Snapshot
Year Team (Level) G GS IP ERA SO WHIP
2022 DSL Red Sox (Rk) 12 12 50.2 1.78 50 0.95
2023 FCL Red Sox (Rk) 8 7 32.0 5.06 22 1.59
2025 Salem Red Sox (A) 36 0 62.0 5.23 71 1.50
Career — 56 19 144.2 3.98 143 1.33
• Notable Metrics (2025):• K%: 24.6%
• BB%: 10.7%
• Ground Ball Rate: 47.7%
• FIP: 3.35 (suggests better performance than ERA indicates) B
“Meanwhile” should START the sentence, not come in the middle between commas.