‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
And yet, the hot stove kept burning in Boston and Minnesota, to the point that a deal still got done, despite families across the country being snug on the sofa.
Left-handed relief pitcher Jovani Morán went from the Minnesota Twins to the Boston Red Sox in a trade announced Tuesday evening. In return, the Red Sox sent catcher/first baseman Mickey Gasper to the Twins.
There are now 39 players on Boston’s 40-man roster, giving them the space they need to officially sign starting pitcher Walker Buehler.
Morán was non-tendered by Minnesota in November 2023, just as it was determined that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery. He re-signed with the club on a minor league contract, but did not pitch at all in 2024.
The 27-year-old southpaw made his MLB debut back in 2021, but he really broke out in 2022. That season, Morán went 0-1 with a 2.21 ERA, 1.057 WHIP, 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.9 WAR across 31 big leagues appearances.
Morán wasn’t nearly as successful in 2023, going 2-2 with a 5.31 ERA, 1.465 WHIP, 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.4 WAR, but Minnesota still trusted him enough to take the mound in 43 games.
The Red Sox already added a pair of relievers earlier in the offseason – veteran Justin Wilson and former All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman. Like Morán, both Wilson and Chapman are lefties.
Former All-Star closer Liam Hendriks and former AL Rookie of the Year winner Michael Fulmer are also set to return in 2025 after missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgeries of their own.
Adding Morán cost Boston a depth catcher in Gasper, who they poached from the New York Yankees in the minor league portion of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. The 29 made his MLB debut in 2024, going 0-for-18 with four walks and a -0.2 WAR in 13 games.
The Red Sox traded for another Yankees catcher, Carlos Narvaez, a few weeks back, making Gasper expendable. Connor Wong is still slated to get the majority of the starts behind the plate in Boston to open next season.
