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Grading the Boston Red Sox’ perplexing trade deadline moves

By Gabrielle Starr

BOSTON, MA - JULY 6: Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom of the Boston Red Sox looks on before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 6, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 6: Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom of the Boston Red Sox looks on before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 6, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Eric Hosmer
May 17, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer (30) breaks his bat on a line out during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Eric Hosmer: B

If the San Diego Padres weren’t paying the entire remaining sum of Eric Hosmer’s enormous 8-year, $144M contract, this trade wouldn’t get a passing grade. But since they’re eating the remaining $44M, leaving the Sox to essentially shell out the minimum, I don’t dislike it as much as I initially thought I would.

Hosmer has four Gold Gloves to his name and postseason experience to improve the Sox’ struggling first base situation, though all of that came with Kansas City years ago. But he’s also been a mentor to Triston Casas, the Sox No. 2 prospect, who should debut at the end of this year or early next. The Sox are also getting two prospects, Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier, so there’s more upside than downside to this deal.

The reason this trade gets a B instead of a B+ is that the return is former first-round pick Jay Groome, the once-promising pitching prospect whose minor-league journey was sidelined by Tommy John surgery in 2018. The Sox had promoted Groome from Double to Triple-A in July, and it felt like he was finally on his way. Instead, his big-league journey will be in San Diego, with a team that’s had their eyes on him since he was in high school.

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