6:40pm: The White Sox announced the trade, adding that they’re also sending a player to be named later or cash to the Red Sox as part of the swap.
6:11pm: The White Sox are trading catcher Reese McGuire to the Red Sox, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Robert Murray of FanSided reports that veteran left-handed reliever Jake Diekman is headed to Chicago in the deal.
McGuire, 27, will give Boston an immediate option to take some of the playing time vacated by this evening’s trade of Christian Vazquez to the Astros. While McGuire has never managed to string together much consistency in the big leagues, he’s a former top prospect with an additional three seasons of club control remaining beyond the current year. He’s hitting just .225/.261/.285 on the season but has outstanding defensive marks on the year: +7 Defensive Runs Saved, a 31% caught-stealing rate and positive pitch-framing grades from both FanGraphs and Statcast.
McGuire is out of minor league options, so the acquisition suggests that the Red Sox plan on carrying him on the big league roster for the foreseeable future. With Vazquez now in Houston and Kevin Plawecki set to become a free agent following the season, McGuire will at least give the Sox a defensive-minded option to be a backup next year. Prospects Ronaldo Hernandez and Connor Wong give the Sox some in-house options to step up in 2023 (and perhaps down the stretch this year), but the front office could also look at ways to upgrade behind the dish in the offseason (or, potentially, with further trades in the next 22 hours).
The 35-year-old Diekman, meanwhile, will give Chicago a veteran left-handed option the front office was rumored to be seeking. He’s having a somewhat typical season by his standards, missing plenty of bats but also walking far too many hitters. Command has always been an issue for Diekman, who currently has a 4.23 ERA with a 29.8% strikeout rate but the worst walk rate of any qualified reliever in the Majors (17.5%).
Despite the deluge of free passes, Diekman will add a hard-throwing, swing-and-miss southpaw to the late-inning mix for manager Tony La Russa. He’s playing on a two-year, $8MM contract that spans the 2022-23 seasons and carries a $4MM club option for the 2024 campaign. As such, the ChiSox can count Diekman among their late-inning options at least for one more season and perhaps for two, depending on how he fares over the next 14 months.
The White Sox have been without lefty Aaron Bummer for most of the summer thanks to a strained lat, and touted young lefty Garrett Crochet underwent Tommy John surgery early in the season. That led general manager Rick Hahn and his staff to target some additional lefty help in the bullpen. Tanner Banks, a 30-year-old rookie, had previously been La Russa’s only other southpaw option out of the ’pen. Triple-A lefties Anderson Severino and Bennett Sousa are both on the 40-man roster, but each has been hit quite hard this season in limited MLB work.
Welllll… What’s Boston idea here?
salary dump.
Popcorn – exactly. The Red Sox save $1,300,000 this year, and the White Sox have Diekman for next year at $4,000,000. Trading Vazquez to Houston also saves $2,300,000 for the rest of this year!
Get under the luxury cap. They were 8 million over
Then why trade for Pham. That negates the salary savings from shipping out Diekman and Vasquez.
My guess is a setup to trade JD or jackie.
JBJ has to go he’s done that’s why you trade for Pham. You don’t want Franchy Cordero out there everyday. The Renfroe/ JBJ trade is the worst trade I can think of in recent years. It also has become apparent and this is why they got JBJ that Chaim Bloom values defense over offense. It’s why they did their obligatory offer to Bogaerts and are willing to let him walk. It’s also why they aren’t in a rush to extend Raffy and explains why they signed Story. Bloom’s plan is to win with pitching and defense and this has fans confused its not the Boston way.
Get under the luxury cap. They were 8 million over.
Whoa, one of the most exciting trades (yawn) of 2022, game changer…
I hear he will be signing autographs in the Walmart parking lot this Saturday night. Just don’t approach his vehicle.
Right idea, wrong place. Not Walmart. The Dollar store.
Salary dump and those defensive metrics are really solid. Maybe McGuire can call a better game behind the plate than Vazquez which imo is Vazquez’s biggest weakness and part of the reason the pitching staff is struggling. Why not let him audition, clearly they aren’t sold on Plawecki, Wong, or Hernandez long term.
My head is spinning.
Reese has three more years of control. Hope he can control himself when he goes out with Tommy.
White Sox will acquire Ian Happ next.
Just a hunch!
I think so too. I had predicted Robertson to A New York team and Happ on the red line last week. Maybe will get Happ in left field at the rate and Eloy as DH.
I like both guys, but that’s funny. They might immediately become best friends.
Doubt it
Red Sox going for the all bad boy team with known charlatan Tommy Pham and Reese “Master of His Domain” McGuire
Matt Bush coming over from the Rangers is next.
They swapped two left handed relievers
Highly underrated comment
Pure gold.
Was he just peeing? Please tell me he was just peeing when he was arrested.
Can’t wait for them to pickup Trevor Bauer.
This is a fun day. Tomorrow should be crazy too.
A replacement for Vasquez and maybe Martinez goes back.
Last place type moves.
Love this move, thank you Mr. Bloom!!! Finally a real all-around catcher in Boston!! First since Tek. Okay McGuire can’t hit, but that’s not a concern.
Fever Pitch Guy4 hours ago
Love this move, thank you Mr. Bloom!!!
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Glad to see someone besides me loves this move. I’m not as down on Diekman as some, but he is a redundant LOOGY who is not quite cheap. I’d much prefer Strahm.
And I like McGuire. For those that say he can’t hit, his OPS+ with TO was 85. Vazquez’ career OPS+? 85. And since he is left, even if he doesn’t hit well, be can platoon with Hernandez or Wong. I see a high floor on McGuire.
I like McGuire. Sneaky pickup by the BoSox
Sneaky in the pickup. Sort of what he was going for.
Well there’s Vazquezs replacement. Not sure I know about this guy though. Is he under years of control?
arbitration next year, free agent 2026
He will battle for PT with Hernandez and Wong next year
That is, if he doesn’t get caught battling with Wang again…I’ll see myself out
White Sox told him to “Beat It”
He took them literal.
A McGuire/Plawecki platoon down the stretch is not very encouraging
It’ll be a very long two months for Sox fans.
Which Sox fans?
Yes
Must mean JD will get traded. Pham will fill in the rest of the year
I still think there is more to the Pham deal.
that’s what I thought.
I heard Diekman might be in this deal.
pwndroia – You pulling my leg on Diekman? You know we all want Diekman gone!
Never said whether I wanted him or not, just mentioning. In all honesty, though, I’d rather him than Brasier.
Dairy Queen yum
I like Jake
I like beer
Ooo look out Boston area malls! Things are about to get sticky!
I’m just glad things are happening.
ChiSox and BoSox dealing catchers today! Cubs up next?
We sent Reese to a nice parking lot upstate where he can do his thing and be happy.
so the red sox trade their 1 good reliever
Amanda – Where did you hear it was for Whitlock, Schreiber or Houck?
He was decent but hardly their one good reliever. Your comment is laughably bad
Seat at the table confirmed
Heard a PTBNL was being added for Boston, so that’s something, maybe the guy they’ll send to Cincy for Commissioner Pham
Stroke of genius by red sox. Hahn allocates an inordinate amount of payroll to bp arms.
McGuire is out of options so BoSox need to carry him!
It temporarily prevents the Chi Sox from a waiver situation between Seby and Reese, but ultimately, the injury carousel that has been this team will hopefully (please sweet jesus) end, and they will be stuck sending down guys they don’t want to like Burger or Banks.
McGuire hasn’t been in the minors since 2019.
Stroke? I see what you did there, well done.
Addition by subtraction…CWS needed LH relief and the team can’t hit…so moving McGuire should help.
The Pale Hose have needed a left handed reliever. Here is hoping they break their atrocious track record of getting guys in the off-season or deadline that completely fall apart for them.
He’s gonna like the Combat Zone
Fire Bloom!
Would have been a good Yankee
ya i was being sarcastic, my teams in dead last and 7 games outta any kinda wildcard hunt, so needless to say im a bit irritated, like were legite watching bad teams that wont make the playoffs making trade, wheres the fun in that, do you remember years ago on the deadline after they traded Jon lester, you legite saw the worst 2 months ever of boston baseball, now i have to watch that again. I still dont know why dombroski left( ya i know i misspelled that) you may have had a crappy farm system, but atleast you had tremendous major league talent year after year
There is also a player to be named or cash considerations going to Boston as per team announcement
Look at the CWS A ball rosters and find someone who is 23 and hitting .250…that’s your PTBNL.
I bet McGuire is really “excited” by this trade.
DFA Bloom
Give Bloom an extension ASAP please!!!
Just don’t agree to meet McGuire in his SUV in a parking lot.
‘What’s the password?”
“New England Clam Chowder”
“Chowda”
I was quoting ace ventura. I was hoping someone would finish the quote. The next like is “Is that the red or white”?
My point was the players involved are going from Red to white Sox and vice versa
This is a my bum player for your bum player trade.
The mediocre get mediocre-y.
I told McGuire to BEAT IT!
how about upgrade 2B now
Watch his hands closely!
baseballtradevalues doesn’t even allow this trade in their simulator lol
Hopefully McGuire isn’t too excited by this move.
When writing about a trade between the White and Red Sox it is important to refrain from calling either team just the Sox.
Good non-moves by the White Sox, if this is all they did, and did not give up the few prospects they have in their system its a good day for this club as it sits. Aside from getting Ohtani, the Sox were not going to improve with just a pickup of one player.. Heck even if they got a Reliever an SP, RF, and 2nd, this team is missing a lot, which you often cannot get in a trade: Heart and Want. That will come when the jettison LaRussa back to the retirement home and ’86’ the current..ahem.. conditioning staff and get coach and a staff in to get these guys into shape, both metaphorical and literal shape… Once the new staff gets in they should determine who has just been showing up to get their check and who has been showing up to try to win.
Very windy post. Heart and want. Twtw. Hawk, is that you?
Sorry, we do not all wear rose colored glasses and drink the kool-aid.
Why do Chicago sports teams celebrate when their (mediocre) team does nothing? Make it make sense.
Simple, this club will not sell (though they should, but who would want most of these players and actually give up something of value for them at this time?), but they sure as hell should not have been stripping what little is left of their prospects for a guy like Quintana when the club cannot beat the dead last team in their own division (sorry KCs win tonight put them like half a game up on Detroit now for the basement), and make pitchers with ERAs at or above 5 look like world beaters when the face this club. I mean the fact I have to explain this at all is sad and evident that people have not been watching the same team I have been all season.
in 1 day the red sox landed a slapper and a fapper