Red Sox make savvy trade with Seattle Mariners to kick off offseason
Red Sox trade RHP Easton McGee to Seattle Mariners for cash considerations
On Wednesday evening, the Boston Red Sox announced that they traded pitcher Easton McGee to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash considerations.
If you have no idea who that is, don’t worry, you’re probably not alone.
The Sox claimed McGee off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on October 5, the final day of the regular season. He’d made his big-league debut three days earlier, pitching three innings and only allowing one unearned run against the Houston Astros. The Rays designated him for assignment the following day, and the Sox scooped him up.
The Tampa Bay Rays drafted McGee out of high school in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, when Chaim Bloom was their Vice President of Baseball Operations. Over six seasons in the Rays’ minor-league system, the 24-year-old righty pitched to a 4.38 ERA across 101 games, including 91 starts. He’s been praised for his strike-throwing ability and doesn’t walk too many batters, but he’s a lower-velocity arm who could end up in the bullpen.
After scooping up McGee for essentially nothing barely over a month ago, the Sox got value in return despite the right-hander never logging an inning for Boston.
The #RedSox today traded RHP Easton McGee to the Seattle Mariners, in exchange for cash considerations.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) November 9, 2022
The dollar figure is unknown, but any preparation in this manner early in the offseason indicates a positive sign that the Sox are gearing up to better prepare themselves with both roster and financial flexibility. Xander Bogaerts opted out of his contract, JD Martinez and Nathan Eovaldi hit free agency, and guys like Alex Verdugo, Nick Pivetta, and Rafael Devers are due big raises in the arbitration process.
This is a classic Bloom move and a savvy way to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. Bloom was a key member of a Rays staff known for developing stellar pitching, so if he’s ready to give McGee to the Mariners, the Sox can probably live without him.
