The Pirates have traded infielder Hoy Park to the Red Sox, according to the transactions tracker at MLB.com (hat tip to Chris Cotillo of Mass Live). Park was designated for assignment yesterday. Going the other way is left-hander Inmer Lobo.
Park, 27 in April, has spent most of his career in the Yankees’ organization. He went to the Pirates in 2021 as part of the trade that sent Clay Holmes to the Bronx. Unfortunately, he didn’t find much success with his new team. He was optioned frequently between the majors and minors this year, hitting .216/.276/.373 in the bigs and .225/.332/.354 in Triple-A. Based on that tepid showing, he lost his roster spot when the Pirates claimed Lewin Díaz.
Despite the lackluster offense, the Red Sox likely were intrigued by Park’s defensive versatility and speed. He’s posted double-digit steal totals in each of his professional seasons when combining different levels, in addition to having played all three outfield positions and every infield position except for first base. If his work at the plate can improve at all, he could be a useful utility option for them.
The club’s position player mix has a bit of uncertainty at the moment, with Trevor Story and Enrique Hernández both candidates to play shortstop. Both players are also capable of playing second base with Hernandez also a candidate for work in center field. Christian Arroyo could play some second with Jarren Duran an option for center while Jeter Downs is also in the infield mix. Park’s versatility could have him moving around based on how those situations play out over time.
As for Lobo, he threw 22 dominant innings over five starts in the Dominican Summer League with a 0.82 ERA, 34.1% strikeout rate and 2.4% walk rate. He’s still quite young, as he won’t turn 19 until February, but he’s an intriguing long-term prospect for the Pirates.
