Looking to upgrade behind the plate in both 2020 and beyond, the Rays have shown interest in Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, according to The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Eno Sarris (subscription required). “Early discussions” between the two clubs have seen the Sox look at adding young pitching in return.
With the Rays holding World Series aspirations, the Red Sox in seller mode, and former Rays VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom now running Boston’s front office, the two AL East rivals make a lot of sense on paper as natural trade partners. Vazquez in particular would fill a major need for Tampa Bay, given that catcher has been a longstanding problem position for the team.
The catching combo of Mike Zunino and Michael Perez have produced sub-replacement level numbers in 2020, as the duo (and Kevan Smith, who made two plate appearances) have combined for a collective .160/.241/.340 slash line in 112 PA. While Vazquez himself hasn’t had an exceptional year at the plate, his .260/.294/.423 line over 109 still represents a marked improvement over the Rays’ current catching mix. Plus, Vazquez’s highly-regarded defensive and game-calling abilities would also provide a boost.
After hitting .276/.320/.477 with 23 homers last season, Vazquez’s production has taken a step backwards. The catcher’s 27.5% strikeout rate and 4.6% walk rate are both career lows, his hard-hit ball rate is down considerably from 2019, and his .253 xwOBA is in the bottom fifth percentile of any player in baseball. Now in his sixth MLB season, Vazquez’s offensive numbers have been somewhat all over the board, as he preceded his career-best 2019 with a dreadful 2018 campaign. Evaluating Vazquez’s bat through only 112 PA, of course, is a difficult task — in a normal season, Vazquez could just be off to a slow start.
As with any Rays trade target, money is a factor, though Vazquez’s contract is reasonable for even a low-spending team like Tampa Bay. He is owed approximately $780K for the remainder of this season, $6.25MM in 2021, and there is a $7MM club option his services for 2022 that can be bought out for $250K. Since the Rays were willing to commit $4.5MM to Zunino this season, it stands to reason that they would be open to spending a bit more in 2021 for what they hope would be considerably better production both offensively and defensively.
Vazquez’s modest contract and extra year (or years) of control make him a particularly interesting trade chip for a Red Sox team that seems to be more or less open to moving almost anyone prior to Monday’s trade deadline. While the Rays can technically only trade players currently on their 60-man player pool, they could work around that restriction simply by making a handshake deal to trade any prospect now and then reveal that prospect as a “player to be named later” within a few months’ time. Bloom’s familiarity with Tampa Bay’s highly-rated farm system could put any number of minor league arms in play for a potential deal.
Please God
Which gm is better? Will be interesting to see with all the rays GM’s. If I had to give up too much I would give Pittsburgh a call about Stallings. This guy did say he would be like a rookie if traded, that doesn’t sound good.
Pittsburgh hangs up immediately.
I like the rumor, However the Rays catchers -Zunino and Mike Perez have been clutch hitting and winning games for them lately. Having a catcher learn all the Rays pitchers on the fly is very difficult. I know (hope) Eric Neander will be very careful dealing with Chaim Bloom since he knows the Rays minors intimately.
I’m just not sure there’s any way the rays win this trade. This guy has big value and the rays are gonna have to give up a piece or two to get him and bloom knows this. You rarely ever win a trade when you’re in complete win now mode and you’re making a push to the World Series. I would love to see the rays acquire this guy but this will be the first trade in a long time the rays don’t “win” in my opinion if it goes down. Unless we win the World Series and he’s a big part
Add in that the trade would be intra-division. Players that Bloom wants should require a second evaluation from Tampa before pulling the trigger. That said, trades theoretically anyway should be a win-win situation. There is no way if I were Bloom would I take anyone back on a MLB contract unless it’s expiring and you need to do it to get the prospects you want. I don’t care who wins this exhibition year but every penny Tampa has to pay next year to players will add up and eventually force the team to have to sell off or simply stay pat because of their payroll constraints.
So the Rays do have a drastic need at catcher; Zunino is just a mess everywhere (his defense is vastly over-rated), and Perez certainly has defensive chops and hits left-handed, but has a ceiling of 2nd division backup. The hope in the farm is Ronaldo Hernandez, but there have always been doubts about his defense and after last year, doubts about his bat.
I’m not sure the Rays have upper level, almost MLB ready, impact type pitching that the Sox would need for Vasquez, whose easily among the top 5 catchers in the game. Guys like Joe Ryan et al have ceilings of back of the rotation types, and I doubt the Sox are interested in the Rays’ long-range younger pitchers.
If they move Vasquez, I can see San Diego involved; some kind of a deal around Patino (add pieces on either side if you wish).
Rays interested in: any catcher with a pulse that can hit over .200
Rays can have Zach Collins from the White Sox. Not sure what they have to offer the Sox.
The best farm in baseball
If they gave Kevan Smith some AB, I think they’d see a catcher with a decent bat
The rays should also call the orioles and discuss severino, he could be a mice pick up at a cheaper price.
I would think Severino would have more upside and come cheaper, he’s also a gamer. Plus the Os have Sisco and Holladay now with Wynns, Cervenka, and of course Rutschman all trying to make their way. The Orioles are stacked at catcher.
Sure the Rays are interested. The Sox better get a haul for a team friendly contract on a top tier catcher.
“considerably better production both offensively and defensively”
Not to nitpick, but is latter part of this statement true?
Vazquez is regarded as the league’s best defensive catchers, and has been compared to Yadier Molina in past years. He only broke out as a hitter last season with 23 homers, but before that he was a decent defensive catcher.
The league’s best defense catcher last year was the Gold Glove winner Roberto Perez.
Hockeyjohn, winning the gold glove and name mlb defensive player of the year do not make him better defensively. Playing in a big market where fans of certain teams make you better. He also only hit 24 homer us in his first full season as a starter.
I think the likelihood of trading within division is going to go way up this year simply because those teams are the only ones that you get to see in person. Normally you can scout 29 other teams easily, but now you are kind of stuck with 9 in person and 20 on TV (if that).
That’s actually a good observation I hadn’t thought of yet.
The Rays might want to dump Zunino’s salary in return for Vaz. The Rays probably want to keep the R/L tandem in place. Would they go for trading JBJ/Pillar, Vaz, Barnes/ Brassiere, Chavis & Cash for Zunino, Meadows, and a top AA pitching prospect.
I can see the Rays looking to dump Meadows salary and get more pen help, Barnes. Pillar/JBJ would help the Rays defensively.
The Rays always think they are smarter than every other Trade Partner let’s see what happens. Bloom knows the Rays Minor league System. Go for it. Don’t try to outsmart their braintrust.
No Sox trade should include Josh, Darwinzon, Mata, Houck, Duran, Casas or Dalbec.
Moreland should be going someplace by the deadline.
Meadows is staying in TB
No way the Rays pay JBJ.
you sound exactly like a guy who posts on the red sox news and rumors page with that ridiculous trade.. Seems like you moved over to here. there is no way the Rays are trading meadows and if they did it certainly would not in a trade like that
That is just pure insanity but would expect no less from a Sox fan. The Rays do not need another no bat, all glove outfielder. They have KK and just traded for Brett Phillips. Meadows will not be traded and makes near league minimum anyways.
Uhh… No? If bloom makes that trade he needs to be fired.
Vaz is a top-10 MLB catcher on a team friendly deal for this year and 2 more.
You don’t add young controllable chavis, a reliever, another trade chip in pillar,and add money for a steaming overpaid dumpster fire in zunino, meadows who only had one breakout year he hasn’t lived up to again this season, and an aa prospect that’s no sure thing.
Boston needs MLB ready hurlers, and multiple of them. Tampa has them.
The real fear is if bloom tried to get cute going after ‘hidden gems’ or reclamation projects instead of the sure things that are available.
Try more like Vaz + Barnes +Pillar/JBJ and cash/ptbnl for Meadows and minor pieces or Brujan, Honeywell, McClanahan.
Alternatively, center a vaz + Barnes + jbj with cash deal around a Franco return if you’re going to try to flip bogey.
“Boston needs MLB ready hurlers, and multiple of them. Tampa has **15 of them on the IL, four of them post surgery**.”
And bloom already traded mookie Betts for Verdugo who had stress fractures in his back and was injured…
What’s the point?
If the player is high enough quality, and the injury is something the medical staff is comfortable with, doesn’t stop a trade.
Lol at including Franco around a deal for a mediocre reliever and catcher.
I agree this guy is really stupid if he can get Franco for spare parts.
Maybe we can throw in Wander while we’re at it
C’mon guys Kevan Smith is literally hitting 1.000 this year, you can’t get better than that.
Baz and Zunino for Vazquez? Zunino really just balances $$$ and gives the Sox a warm body to play catcher for a month.
That’s great
Plawecki can handle it short term
If you give Vazquez up in a trade, who is going to catch for this team next year? Come on, your weakening an area to strengthen another. We do not have a major league ready catcher in the minor leagues. I do not want to see him traded. Spend money and sign free agent pitching because we have very little in the minor leagues
Boston can always sign McCann in the offseason cause he’s definitely deserving of more playing time.
Not much for quality FA pitching coming in this offseason. I prefer to keep Vaz, but, if someone pays through the nose to get him, plus a same division premium on top, I’m OK with that.
The Rays may indeed be looking to shed some salary. With about 16 Arbitration cases coming this winter, and back-loaded contracts (Snell, KK) coming up, their payroll projects at about 110M, quite a bit higher than their comfort level. Sure, there’s some non-tenders there; Zunino definitely, Renfroe likely. But, on varied levels, Glassnow, Yarborough, etc. start getting expensive.
The Sox can afford to take some coin, but again, I can’t see the match. Baz? Ya, good prospect. But he’s 3 years away, and Bloom may not last 3 years (and he knows it).
It’s an intriguing idea, the Rays getting Vasquez, but there just isn’t a lot of compatibility there. If they’re going to move Vasquez, they’ll be at least 20 suitors, many with more MLB-ready talent to offer.
Funny how Red Sox fans don’t understand they’re rebuilding the team
The Rays WANT a catcher, they don’t NEED a catcher. The Red Sox could use prospects to help them build.
The Rays have the higher ground here.
Vazquez for Honeywell Jr. straight up would be too high for a solid catcher but a potential no. 2- albeit often injured pitcher who be under team control for 6 years in the majors.
I would propose to send Zunino, Jose Martinez, And Ryan.
Rays get a JD Martinez who would opt out after this season and Vasquez.
The Red Sox get a top thirty prospect in Ryan who will probably be top 20 or 15 in the Red Sox system, Zunino for the year and Martinez for two or three and can flip him for more prospects at seasons end. They could probably resign JD, if they wanted to during the off season.
Franco, Brujan, and Edwards are are not only off the table- but out of the kitchen. Two years of a catcher and spare parts to a current losing franchise is not wOrthapedics selling high end chips.
The Red Sox are a dwarf star right now, and Bloom needs to make a deal more than we do. The Rays need to hold the cards and not give up any thing major for a anticipated playoff run.
I think bloom hung up halfway through your proposal
Then the Rays will talk to him more after he potentially get ran out of Boston and rejoins the Rays.
If it takes that much explanation something is wrong with the deal.
I doubt the Rays would destroy their payroll taking JD; Moreland might be a better alternative more HR’s & better BA.
Zunino handles the pitchers so well like having a coach on the field; he stays.
Perez, Choi, Ryan, Honneywell
After 50 + comments —NO TRADE
TedYaz- Thanks for your review of my comment.
Madmc- It’s a prorated contract and JD would be an upgrade to Jose Martinez. Anything where the Rays are giving years of a valuable prospect for months of either a slightly better upgrade in Vasquez or 30 games for JD is laughable and should not be accomplished. Either Rays win the trade, or the Rays should never make the deal- period.
Vazquez for Honeywell, Zunino and padlo
That’s a great deal the Red Sox.
The Rays can get something cheaper in house. I hope they would never sell six years of time on Honeywell and Padlo for a catcher who’s best years may have been in the past.
Bloom needs the Rays more than the Rays need Bloom’s deal- I feel.
The Red Sox can deal with 28 other teams if they do not like what Tampa offers, so they hold the upper hand. They also have other players to deal….they do not need to trade Vázquez.
Then I say good luck with 28 other teams.
Sooooo how much will it cost the RS to replace him with an equivalent player over the next few seasons?
Seems a very short-sighted move for a team that needs to contend Next Season, not one “Rebuilding” as is allowed in small markets.
As a RS fan our fanbase is filled with morons.
Well at least there are some rational Red Sox fans. The Rays should not trade with Bloom since we will have to give him some of our best minor prospects for a Catcher that might be past his peak. If I was GM, I would go after Royals Salvador Perez (Injured now) who is probably the best offense hitter and another great Def. catcher. for Honey well and a PTBNL?. At least they are out of our division, We don;t have to rush him back and can learn our pitchers and be ready for next year. M Perez looks great and Zunino is well liked by our pitching staff-no reason to upset that. Hey! were in 1st place and Boston is dead last-Firesale or the Rays should stand pat!
Padres should get in on Vasquez, they’ve got a deep farm like the Rays and arms they could move to get this done. Maybe Red Sox could throw in Barnes too to increase the return.
Lucchesi is the obvious MLB ready SP to include, but I think another young arm (Maybe Weathers or Cantillo) plus a lower ranked prospect could work.
Maybe vazquez + Barnes for lucchesi, weathers, and a pair of low end lottery tickets?