Boston Red Sox make major mistake by trading Sandy Leon
By David Hill
Usually, the trade of a backup catcher would not be that noteworthy. For the Boston Red Sox, such a move was a mistake.
Over the years, the backup catcher position has been a bit of a sore spot for the Boston Red Sox. Typically, that was due to the presence of Tim Wakefield, whose knuckler was seemingly only able to be corraled by the immortal Doug Mirabelli. After being traded for Mark Loretta, Mirabelli was acquired once again just a month into the season, as Josh Bard proved incapable of handling Wakefield. He infamously received a police escort to Fenway, where he was hailed as a conquering hero.
The same scenario may be playing out once again. On Monday, the Red Sox traded backup catcher Sandy Leon to the Cleveland Indians, with minor league pitcher Adenys Bautista heading to Boston in return.
We made a trade with the @RedSox this morning, acquiring C Sandy León in exchange for RHP Adenys Bautista. RHP James Hoyt was designated for assignment to clear room for León on the 40-man roster.
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) December 2, 2019
On the surface, this is a pretty minor move. It was uncertain if Leon would be tendered a contract by the Red Sox, so they were able to get a potential piece for the future while clearing a spot on the 40 man roster. Had he gone to arbitration with Boston, he was projected to earn $2.8 million, so this move also helps the Red Sox financially.
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The problem with this move is that the Red Sox could potentially have another Mirabelli situation on their hands. Leon had been Chris Sale‘s personal catcher, the one player on the roster that he trusted to handle his stuff.
The Red Sox front office does not need to look that far back to see how bad this move could be. At the start of the 2019 campaign, Boston had sent Leon to AAA, keeping Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez as their catchers. Sale struggled mightily at the start of the year, obviously missing Leon behind the plate. While his numbers were not great at the end of the year, Sale was better when his personal catcher returned from exile in Pawtucket.
History could be repeating itself. The Red Sox will need to find a catcher that Sale can feel comfortable with, which may not be as easy as it sounds. After all, Boston had the same thought before, albeit with the different circumstances of finding someone to handle the knuckleball. Yet, a pitcher is a pitcher, and having familiarity with their backstop is highly important.
Next. Red Sox all decade team. dark
The Boston Red Sox decision to trade Sandy Leon may not be a major transaction. However, if Chris Sale struggles again without having Leon behind the plate, another police escort could be on the horizon.