On July 27, the Boston Red Sox made a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. No, it was not for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Chris Bassitt. Instead, the division-rival squad sent catcher Danny Jansen to Boston.
In return, the Red Sox sent three prospects to the Blue Jays. Those three prospects were left-handed-hitting infielder Eddinson Paulino, right-handed hitting infielder Cutter Coffey, and right-handed pitcher Gilberto Batista. Paulino was ranked No. 15 on the SoxProspects top 60 list, Coffey was No. 28, and Batista was not ranked.
Jansen is a right-handed hitting catcher who adds some pop behind the plate. He's hitting just .212 in 2024 but does have 13 doubles and six home runs in 198 at-bats. He also hit a career-high 17 home runs in 268 at-bats last season.
Jansen is great at blocking pitches, but his framing needs work, and his arm is bad. However, he offers a nice upgrade offensively from Reese McGuire.
Grading the Boston Red Sox trade for catcher Danny Jansen
OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired INF Cutter Coffey, INF Eddinson Paulino, and RHP Gilberto Batista from the Red Sox in exchange for C Danny Jansen.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 27, 2024
Welcome to our #BlueJays family! pic.twitter.com/pVbWJNkA7P
The Red Sox needed to add a right-handed bat. This doesn't feel like that move, though. They'll need to do more. As for what they gave the Jays, it seems excessive. The trade deadline is right around the corner, and there aren't a ton of teams seen as sellers, so the teams buying might need to overpay a bit. Giving up two top-30 guys and a lottery ticket arm still feels like a lot, though.
It feels like the Red Sox could've used those assets for something else. Maybe at a position of actual need for the Major League team. If we're being honest, Jansen isn't the most exciting name. However, there's still a lot of time, and more moves could be made.
Maybe the Red Sox make a few more trades, and this is just a small piece that helps create a perfect storm. Even then, though, it goes back to feeling like some of these assets could've been used in further moves.
That being said, they were about to run into a Rule-5 crunch, and the middle infield is littered with talent in the minor leagues. The Red Sox have a lot of great trade pieces in the minor leagues, so more moves are 100% possible.
Hopefully, Jansen can be a great pickup for the Red Sox. We wouldn't be shocked if they cut ties with McGuire so they can add more. The price is a little steep, though. We'll have to see what else they do to see if this move makes sense.
Overall grade: C