Red Sox trade Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to Phillies
The trade deadline is ten days away and the rumor mill was churning all day for the Boston Red Sox. Earlier this afternoon the whispers began making their way around the newsroom that the Philadelphia Phillies had their eye on Brandon Workman. As the day progressed, Heath Hembree‘s name also started creeping its way into the possible deal. Well, A few moments ago it was made official as the two sides agreed on a deal swapping a duo of pitchers.
The #RedSox today traded RHPs Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree and cash considerations, along with a player to be named later or cash considerations, to the Phillies, in exchange for RHP Nick Pivetta and minor league RHP Connor Seabold.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 22, 2020
Boston will be sending Workman, Hembree, and $800K to the Phillies, while they’ll be receiving starter Nick Pivetta and Top-25 prospect Connor Seabold. It may not be the flashiest deal to be made but it suits needs that both sides have. The Red Sox are in need of starting pitching which Pivetta and Seabold can offer now and in the future. Meanwhile, Philly desperately needs some bullpen help which Workman and Hembree are more than capable of offering.
Workman made his Red Sox debut in July of 2013 and a few months later would earn himself a World Series ring. Fast-forward a handful of years and he would be one of the key relievers in delivering Boston’s fourth World Championship since 2004, in 2018. He earned the right to be the closer last season earning 16 saves in the latter part of 2019 and being damn near unhittable with a 1.88 ERA and 10.8 K/9.
Hembree made his way to Fenway Park via trade from the Giants at the trade deadline in 2014. He’d prove to be a consistent reliever for the Red Sox and would also add a championship ring to his collection in 2018. The righty was storming through 2020 until he hit a brick wall the other day against his new team which skyrocketed his ERA. Over the last four seasons, he’s posted a 10.3 K/9 and was a solid seventh-inning reliever.
Workman is set to be a free agent at the end of this year so this feels like a move for the Red Sox to get something for him before he hits the market and his salary gets too high. For Hembree, he won’t be a free agent until 2022 and his $1.6M salary is far easier to swallow than the double digits that Workman will be commanding.
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Now, let’s talk about the pitchers that will soon be calling Fenway Park their new home. Pivetta will most likely get plugged into the rotation to be the fifth man once everyone is back and healthy. For the remainder of this season, he’ll be following Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez. He’ll be sent to Pawtucket first but will most likely get the call to start this upcoming week as there isn’t a starter tapped for Tuesday.
He hasn’t lived up to the potential and hype that’s surrounded him during his short career but Chaim Bloom seems very high on him and believes Boston could be the team that unlocks his true abilities. If Dave Bush can get with Pivetta and get his head clear and on straight, then he has the possibility to be a strong back of the rotation starter for the next few seasons.
Seabold is the jewel of this trade as far as the return from Philly is concerned. The righty has had some really promising outings during his time in the minors and is ranked #23 in the Top-25 of the Philadelphia farm system. He was drafted in 2017 and went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in Double-A last season. Much like Pivetta, he’ll probably develop into a fourth or fifth man in the rotation but at just 24-years-old, we may see him sooner rather than later.
The trade is more of a move towards 2021 as it feels pretty clear that Boston won’t be making the postseason this year. At just 8-18, as of this writing, it’ll take a miracle for the Sox to be playing in October. Getting a prospect that can be a workhorse in the future and a starter that can be rehabbed into a reliable arm is more advantageous than a soon to be free agent and spotty reliever. This will likely be the first move of many that Bloom makes heading into the trade deadline, don’t be surprised to see more names heading out of Boston.