The Phillies have acquired minor league infielder C.J. Chatham from the Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named later, per announcements from both teams. Right-hander Victor Arano has been designated for assignment in order to clear a roster spot, the Phillies added. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reported (via Twitter) that Chatham was likely headed to Philadelphia just prior to the announcement.
Chatham, 26, was the Red Sox’ second-round pick back in 2016, during Dave Dombrowski’s time as the team’s president of baseball operations. It seems as though Dombrowski, now heading up the Phillies’ baseball ops department, is still a firm believer in Chatham’s skill set. Chatham has yet to make his big league debut but spent the 2020 season at Boston’s alternate training site, where he continued to build on a solid 2019 showing in the upper minors. In 467 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A that year, Chatham hit .298/.333/.408 while logging time at both middle infield positions.
Both Baseball America and MLB.com ranked Chatham 14th among Boston farmhands this past summer. BA tabs him as at least a bench piece in the Majors and perhaps even a passable regular option at second base. Chatham has fanned in just 18.2 percent of his minor league plate appearances and has an all-fields, contact-oriented approach at the plate due to a lack of power, per those scouting reports. He’s a versatile defender who could handle any infield spot, and Chatham still has a pair of minor league options remaining, which gives the Phils some flexible depth for the next couple of seasons.
From Boston’s vantage point, a roster spot was needed to make Martin Perez’s new one-year deal with the team official. The Sox have yet to announce the Perez signing, but that’ll happen once he passes a physical.
As for the 25-year-old Arano (26 next month), he spent the 2020 season in the Phillies’ 60-man player pool but didn’t make it to the Majors. Arano was limited to just three appearances in 2019 due to elbow surgery, and he missed a chunk of the 2018 campaign due to shoulder issues — rotator cuff inflammation, more specifically. He made his big league debut back in 2017 but has still managed to tally just 74 1/3 frames, in large part because of injury.
Of course, Arano has also been impressive when he’s been healthy enough to take the hill. In those 74 2/3 innings, he boasts a 2.65 ERA and 3.38 SIERA. He’s also punched out 26.3 percent of the hitters he’s faced and walked a very manageable 7.6 percent of opponents. Arano is a fly-ball pitcher with average fastball velocity (93.6 mph) who leans heavily on his slider that has helped him to post an impressive 16.6 percent swinging-strike rate in his young career. The Phils have a week to trade Arano, release him or place him on outright waivers.
um okay then. not happy to get rid of Arano but i guess its telling. like Chatham though.
I saw Chatham quite a bit at AA; you’ll like him. Think a poor man’s Kiki Hernandez. Plays anywhere, with skill actually, plus-plus personality.
I’m not sure the bat plays on a contender, but DD obviously knows more than I do.
Not a bad comp. Saw him as sort of a Mark DeRosa type. Can play anywhere (not well, but passable) bat is there is stretches. Plays hard.
My guess is Arano velocity has been down since arm injuries. My guess is they think his arm is cooked. He is only 25. He has time to rebuild his stock.
yeah, i dont think he goes over Quezada or Irvin if they think he’s likely to make a comeback. though they also thought that when they released Leibrandt and he ended up not only pitching, but making it to the Majors.
Not to nitpick, but calling Dombrowski a “firm believer” for only surrendering a PTBNL seems a bit hyperbolic.
Can any Philly fan explain what’s up with Arano? The guy hasn’t pitched bad. There wasn’t a better option to drop here?
he can’t stay healthy. he’s great when healthy, but it’s become a growing issue. i have a feeling the reason Boston didnt just take him as the return for Chatham is telling.
Boston doesn’t have the 40 man roster spot for Arano, They had a full 40 before signing Perez, so it looks to me like reason they were sending Chatham out is likely to open up the roster spot.
i would just imagine they couldnt open up a 40 man spot if they thought he could be a healthy factor again.
Uuh… that is not a good trade by Bloom
Well its certainly a weird trade, but I think thats probably because they need to clear a 40 man spot for Perez, so its either DFA or trade for whatever you can get in that situation.
That being said, we have no idea what the return that Bloom/Boston is getting is so it’s kind of hard to judge it yet and say whether or not it’s good or bad. Until we see the PTBNL we just don’t really know.
Boston has a large quantity of guys on their 40 that they could just designate and no one would care. Chatham was hardly the last guy on the 40, and honestly I wouldnt sign Perez if it means giving up on Chatham.
Unless another shoe is about to drop?
DarkSide83054 mins ago
Boston has a large quantity of guys on their 40 that they could just designate and no one would care.
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Chatham is fairly far down. He reminds me of Marrero. Okay glove, but not elite. No power, and no great hit tool. And he is 26.
Maybe they are backdooring a deal for Arano. If he is healthy, Arano alone is worth a lot more than Chatham, imvho. I’m curious what this turns into, but at a minimum, I am not sure why DD is giving up on Arano, given the state of their BP. He was really good in 2018.
Hopefully Bloom is working on something else and just needed to clear a roster spot.
ROTFLMAO!
You have apparently determined that the “in exchange for a player to be named later” is worse than Chatham?
You have no idea who he is being traded for, but you know that he isn’t any good.
No offense, but you’re a nimrod.
Now that the Sox have Jeter Downs & Hudson Potts, they have no need for CJ Chatham anymore. Both Downs & Potts have a much greater upside that Chatham with the exception of batting average. Chatham could hit .300 in the majors but he has little to no power. Both Downs & Potts smash the ball.
Dorothy – 100 percent correct! The RS have Downs and Potts and they are both better.
Chatham does not hit for power and his does not walk much. Good average, low OBP, and low OPS equal AAAA player.
Chatham is not a bad player by any means. The RS simply have better, and as stated earlier he is already 26.
How exactly is “No offense, you’re a nimrod” not offensive?
I was trying to be nice. There is no other way to put it. I’m not trying to offend him, but what else can one say in this situation?
The golden rule.. Nothing at all.
When someone says something that stupid, that he rates a trade without knowing who is coming back, is the world not a better place if someone insults him nicely? Or should we just nod silently when someone thinks 2+2=5?
Joe, this is a bad trade for Boston fans who want to see a competitive product on the field this year.
We already have no real answer at 2b this year, and now we moved one of our top three options for playing time at the position for a PTBNL…which almost always is for a minor leaguer even farther away from contributing to the club.
So yeah, Sox fans have a reason to see this trade as just another move taking us further away from contention and another example of Bloom’s arrogance.
And as others have stated, there’s no need for name calling.
Joe, that type of comment is typical of the comments on this site.
Player to be named is better than Chatham is so dense that it is a lol comment. Maybe that is a better way to say it, but the fact remains that the comment was beyond dumb.
SoxRewl
Joe, this is a bad trade for Boston fans who want to see a competitive product on the field this year.
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How does this have anything to do with being competitive this year? Chatham was even a decent AA player. He has 12 career starts at 2B. It is the equivalent of trading Marerro or Lin. At some point, you have to give up on certain players.
Further, since you have not the foggiest idea of who the PTBNL is, you don’t have the foggiest idea if he will help us.
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We already have no real answer at 2b this year, and now we moved one of our top three options for playing time at the position for a PTBNL…
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Chatham is definitely behind Chavis, Arroyo, and Downs, and probably behind Potts. Potts is a better hitter, a bit more experience at 2nd, and 4 years younger.
Joe – you are 100 percent correct
Arroyo
Munoz
Chavis
Downs
Potts
Arauz
…are all ahead of Chatham!
It is best to trade a player for another area of need than to let him stagnate in the minors until he is no longer a prospect and has little to no value. It is better for him too.
…..and lol stupid to say you have lost a trade when we do not know who is coming back from the other team.
So you know the return already?
Look at the bright side. It says to me that as good as Chatham looked last year at the alternate site, Bloom has more faith in Arroyo and Munoz. It also suggests Jeter might be closer than advertised.
Looie – yes agreed, Jeter may be closer than advertised as he is a very talented player. Also, it tells me Bloom has confidence in Arroyo and Munoz, or that he plans on acquiring some who can play 2B and probably multiple other positions as well.
This is like throw up!
Arano most not be healthy. He was good out of the pen when healthy
DD is not a development guy. He trades away the farm in exchange for proven veterans.
I wouldn’t say that Chatham is a proven veteran. But another proven veteran might be on the move.
He literally just traded for a guy who hasn’t spent a day in the majors.
He might be a cheaper version of what Kingery was supposed to be.
traded for a guy who hasn’t spent a day in the majors
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Man, the comments on this site are getting worse by the moment. One poster thinks the the PTBNL is worse than Chatham, and another guy thinks a player with 91 AAA PAs is a veteran.
I wonder why you keep looking at the comments if they are so annoying to you… oh wait it’s because you think everyone wants to hear your opinion on everything smh
Of course this guy isn’t a proven veteran. That’s what makes DD’s move so puzzling. It isn’t his modus operandi. I assumed more baseball knowledge than many of you possess. Sorry I have to spell everything out for you.
Than maybe your post should’ve been something along the lines of ‘this is a puzzling move’?
DD was a.development guy when he was with the Expos, and Marlins. He works with the hand he is dealt.
And Detroit. He came in about a year before the 43-119 season. Had to start from the bottom with some brutal contracts on the Tigers’ books (Higginson, Clark, Easley).
Is it possible Arano is the PTBNL? Maybe delay it to let Boston work on their 40 man a bit?
yeah but I dont see why you dont just designate another one of their backend guys right away if you’re Boston. It does seem that this is the roster clearing move.
We need to get something done with Pedroia soon.
I think it’s time we tell him to retire
@Xavier
I didn’t know you had the power to do that. Neat!
Well obviously he can’t be forced to retire, but he can be told that the organization is done with him, so he can either retire or be cut
Pedroia has 1 year left on the contract and everything that pedroia has given the redsox that would be wrong of the sox. If i were pedroia and the organization told me I could retire or be cut, I’d pick being cut because at least I would collect my full salary still and it is a nice way of saying “wow, did you really just disrespect me” to the sox.
Honestly, you and most other fans may fail to realize it but as long as pedroia is on the 60 day DL, he is not taking up a 40 man roster spot. And truthfully, if he is active, perhaps they can get a little bit of something out of him for a few games.
it is a nice way of saying “wow, did you really just disrespect me” to the sox.
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I love Pedey, but it is time for him to go. Right now, he is on the 40.
He is taking up a 40 man roster spot right now, that is the issue. I’m not sure when the IL officially opens but in the offseason, you cannot have players on the 60 day IL. That is why Sale, Pedroia, etc..are currently taking up these needed roster spots. I believe the IL opens up no later than the first day of the regular season if not sooner but for now, Pedey & Sale have to be on the 40 man.
He has not played in 4 years. Come on already! Talk about armed robbery without a gun!
Pedroia will go out on his terms. As 123 said, he’s not costing a 49 man spot. When will people realize he took a team friendly deal that paid dividends in 18. If he forced the team’s hand and took every last dollar, would the team have been able to make all those late season moves that seemed to work perfectly?
*40 man spot.
I hope the Orioles sign Arano. When healthy he has good stuff
Yeah, their must be something really wrong with the guy unfortunately. I can’t see why the Phillies would get rid of him otherwise.
Chatham. Cobham.
Phillies like ham.
Subtraction by subtraction. Whatever.
The Phillies apparently have an overload of relief pitchers and just don’t need a 25 year old with a career mlb era of 2.65…
I’m a little shocked at the arano dfa. Those are solid numbers.
I smell a Scott Kingery trade in the works.
I think they will keep Kingery. They’d be selling incredibly low on him right now. He was pretty awful last season, but was good the season before that and isn’t far removed from being a top prospect. Plus he can play almost anywhere, which is a big help to a Phillies team with several gaping holes on offense.
only way it makes sense us for another buy low guy (Beni?)
I posted the same time as you, and almost added that. He has shown talent in CF, and was a 2B, both positions we need. And he has three years of control, as opposed to only two for Benni.
i wouldnt bank on the CF part. he was only really there because we have lacked a true starting CF for a bit. ive always thought he’d be better off staying in one place, but he has played all over and id feel he should be an average at worst defender wherever he ends up.
He’s been an uber-disappointment, but they’d be insane to get rid of him.
0% chance
Arano looks like a guy Farhan will look to claim.
Some how the best player in this transaction ended up being the one on waivers
Sure let’s get rid of a descent young player and his spot on the roster to pick up a mediocre pitcher who has a loosing lifetime record. Another great move by Bloom. Is he secretly working for the Yankees?
I always see you complaining no matter what he does.
AL34 hates the RS so much that he has determined that it is a bad trade, without even knowing whom we are getting back.
Let’s keep Pedroia on the roster for another year. He hasn’t played what in 4 years going on this year. Get him to retire already. Enough is enough with Pedroia already.
My mistake Bloom has done a great job this off season. Can you tell me one thing he has done that is going to make this team better?
Bloom’s moves the last two years suck and that is the flat out truth. He is a tire kicker in a used car lot
How about signing Lester who loved the City of Boston and is a lot better than Perez for cheap money. I do not understand Bloom.
1-Chatham is 26 with 91 AAA appearances, and no history of success. To call him a decent young player is way way too generous.
2-You either didn’t read the article, or didn’t interpret it correctly. Chatham was traded for a PTBNL. Agano was released by Philly to make room for Chatham. Two separate transactions.
3-W/L record for an RP is pretty meaningless. But even assuming that Agano is the PTBNL, his career W/L record is .600.
For such a simple, and low-level transaction, you managed to get a whole lot of things wrong.
PTBNL?
I’d like to buy a vowel.
Your missed the point AL34 was making. We moved chatham to make space for Perez. That’s The pitcher with the losing record he was referring to.
You do realize how 40 man rosters work, right?
Fair enough, I can see the connection. But I still see little value in Chatham.
I have to say, I’m starting to lose my patience with Bloom too. He needs to either start spending and try to build a competitive team, or start selling guys off for young talent. Shite or get off the pot.
you’re looking at the W/L for a relief pitcher? this might be the worst take in the history of this site that doesnt involve an attack on a player’s personality.
This just in….. NOTHING.
Bloom probably realized the sabermetrics and algorithms had to be wrong on this one. Chatham doesn’t hit home runs, doesn’t steal bases, and just is kind of… there. Bill James needs to update the master stats on this one.
Placido Polanco was a 2B who didn’t walk much, showed minor power and didn’t steal bases but had a solid career by putting bat on ball, and just plain knowing how to hit. I believe he spent some time in Philly. He had a solid glove too! Three true outcome followers may not appreciate what he did, but he was one of my favorites in Detroit. The other team hated to see him come up with runners in scoring position, because they knew he was putting the ball in play. Nothing wrong with this type of player.
Hmm, good point. I’ll have to wait for the “eye test” on this one. I need Keith Law on this one, stat!
No clue what is in Bloom’s mind… not just this but the last two off-seasons.
It is too early to explain 2021, but I can explain 2020 for you. He was asked to get under the cap, and there was no way to do that without trading Betts.
Anything else?
They were losing Betts so he doubled Downs to raise the Price. Was that Wong?
I’m okay with the Betts deal. That made sense. It’s everything else I’m unsure with. I wanted Betts traded.
It’s everything else I’m unsure with.
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I’m not sure what else there would be. By almost any standard, he got a fine return for the guys he traded. He could’ve traded JBJ, but the trades he did make were highway robbery.
Pwndroia; just to set the record straight, Bloom has been with Boston just under 15 months.
Okay then, but my opinion still stands.
its also worth noting he was Premier12 teammate of Bohm’s prior to last year.
Arano > Chatham.. not a very great move by Dealin’ Dave…
not when Arano is not on the field, which is oftem
PTBNL rules give the receiving team up to six months to complete the transaction, or receive cash. Red Sox had to open a roster spot and at least got something for Chatham. They can scout Philadelphia’s offerings and decide at the conclusion of spring training what direction to take. It buys them time and due diligence. No brainer by Bloom.
Or Bloom chooses a player that does not yet require a 40 man spot, and names him next week. Both are options.
Tigers should pick up Arano, get rid of Schreiber.
Definitely!
If BOS keeps trading, for trading sakes, let’s make a deal for Connor Wong & Beni!
Wish Boston had given Chatham the shot at second last year. He has hit in the minors, played well in AFL in 2019, you knew you weren’t trying to compete in 2020 anyways. Why not go with a league minimum option from the farm and just see if he can play or not? A lot of times the biggest difference between guys who make it and guys who don’t is opportunity.
Read a while back in Baseball Prospectus that Arano had the best stuff among Phillies pitchers. Hope the Phillies find a way to retain him. He’s still young enough to be an asset. However, I do agree with several previous posters who posed that maybe his arm may be cooked and that’s why he became the odd man out. Why else would the Phillies, who clearly need all the talented bullpen arms they can muster, risk cutting ties with Arano? Maybe other MLB GMs are wary as well and he stays with the Phillies.
Chaim and company must already know their grade for the off-season is shifting from “I” to “F”. If they weren’t going to refuel the team they could have gotten Lester for $5M for symbolic purposes. Hope they pull a rabbit out of the hat…..
You don’t pay GMs to make moves for “symbolic purposes” but to build teams capable of winning championships. If Lester wasn’t left handed he’d be out of baseball.
I disagree about Lester; I believe he is still a proficient ML pitcher.
But, I certainly agree w/ you on the first portion!
I guess I was implying Lester is as proficient as Pérez and you get the symbolic purpose as gravy for the same price as they clearly are not building the team this year. Bloom seems cheap whereas DD was the other extreme.