The recent addition of Walker Buehler bolstered the rotation for the Boston Red Sox. However, it also led to a situation in which they needed to clear some room on the 40-man roster with more additions on the way.
On Christmas Eve, they cleared up some of that room. The Red Sox traded away catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper to the Minnesota Twins. In return, they picked up left-handed reliever Jovani Moran.
Gasper, a former draft pick of the New York Yankees, was acquired last offseason to provide depth at the catcher position. He appeared in 13 games and went 1-for-18 at the plate. He’ll now be a Triple-A/emergency catcher for Minnesota.
Red Sox News: Boston makes trade with Twins on Christmas eve
On the other hand, Moran had a phenomenal 2022 season for the Twins. In 31 games, he posted a 2.21 ERA, .172 BAA, and 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 54 batters compared to 18 walks in 40 2/3 innings.
Moran struggled in 2023, though. The now 27-year-old finished with a 5.31 ERA, .226 BAA, and 1.46 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings. He didn’t pitch in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. Despite those less-than-perfect surface stats, it wasn’t all bad.
Moran has an elite changeup and posted a solid FIP. He’s more left-handed relief depth the Red Sox can stash in Triple-A. Importantly, they won’t have to use a 40-man roster spot on him at the moment.
Moran feels like a phenomenal reclamation project. He’s produced in the past, and Andrew Bailey can potentially help unlock another level.
Gasper was a Rule 5 selection by Boston in 2023. The switch-hitting 29-year-old catcher/infielder put up fantastic numbers in the minor leagues (.367/.471/.592 in 48 games in Triple-A) before earning his first promotion to the Majors in August.
Gasper was a pleasant surprise in 2024 for the Red Sox. There wasn’t a real role for him in the future of the organization, though. It was increasingly likely by the day that Gasper was going to be DFA’d to free up a roster spot. The fact that the Red Sox got anything for him was a positive.
