Here's everything the Red Sox did before the MLB trade deadline
BOSTON -- Will they be buyers, or will they be sellers? That was the question surrounding the Red Sox entering Tuesday's 6 p.m. trade deadline.
The answer was unclear before the deadline. And it's kind of unclear after the deadline, too.
The Red Sox made a relatively notable deal on Tuesday afternoon but didn't complete any buzzer beaters later in the day. Sitting at .500 on the season and three games out of the last wild card spot, it's not entirely clear if the Red Sox are in better or worse position for the final two months of the season.
Here's a brief recap of who has departed, who is arriving, and who is staying.
HEADING OUT
C - Christian Vazquez
Trading away the starting catcher could certainly be categorized as a sell job. Vazquez was the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox and was clearly the No. 1 catcher on this year's team, but he was sent to Houston in exchange for two prospects.
LHP - Jake Diekman
The Red Sox signed the 35-year-old reliever in hopes that he'd regain his form from 2020. He did not. The Red Sox sent Diekman and his 4.23 ERA to Chicago to help fill the roster gap at catcher left by the Vazquez trade.
LHP - Jay Groome
The lefty was once a tremendously hyped prospect in the Red Sox' system, after he was drafted with the 12th overall pick in 2016. But his career hasn't panned out, and he's yet to pitch in the big leagues. In fact, the 23-year-old never even reached the Triple-A level until a few weeks ago. Groome was sent to San Diego.
COMING IN
1B - Eric Hosmer
In terms of big league upgrades, this one marked the Red Sox as borderline buyers. Hosmer's far removed from his All-Star season in 2016, but he's a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, and he'll provide the Red Sox with some desperately needed defense and stability at the position. His .727 OPS this season won't turn any heads, but it still makes him one of the better hitters in the Red Sox' lineup.
The Padres are also paying a ton of money for the Red Sox to take Hosmer.
OF - Tommy Pham
Tommy Pham is most known these days for slapping Joc Pederson during a batting practice altercation -- a fight which was based on an old fantasy football dispute. The 34-year-old came cheap, as the Red Sox will be sending a player to be named later to Cincinnati to complete the deal. Pham is hitting .238 with a .694 OPS this year.
C - Reese McGuire
The Red Sox needed a catcher after trading away Christian Vazquez, and McGuire can fill that spot. The 27-year-old has started 153 games behind the plate in the big leagues for the Blue Jays and White Sox. He's underwhelming offensively, as a career .241 hitter with a .646 OPS, and his numbers are even lower this year. In 166 plate appearances, he has a .225 batting average and a .546 OPS.
UTIL - Enmanuel Valdez
OF - Wilyer Abreu
The Red Sox got two prospects from the Astros in exchange for Vazquez, neither of whom was highly ranked in the Houston organization. Valdez has had a good season at Double-A and Triple-A this year, hitting .328 with a 1.016 in the two levels in 2022. Abreu is hitting .249 with an .858 OPS at Double-A this season.
INF - Max Ferguson
OF - Corey Rosier
These two prospects came attached in the Eric Hosmer deal. Max Ferguson was the 11th-ranked prospect in the Padres' system, and Rosier was ranked 26th. Both players are 22 years old, and both players have played at the high-A level this year.
STAYING PUT
RHP - Nathan Eovaldi
DH - J.D. Martinez
SS - Xander Bogaerts
3B - Rafael Devers
The left side of the infield was expected to stay intact through the deadline, but it wasn't clear if Eovaldi or Martinez might get sent out, considering their deals expire at the end of the year. But neither player was on the move, which should help Boston remain in the race for that final wild card spot.
That being said, they've all been around all year, and the Red Sox find themselves clinging to life in that playoff race. While they'll technically remain involved for the foreseeable future, the reality is that expectations on this team have not been raised in the short term after Tuesday's deadline.
