Red Sox trade for utility player Pablo Reyes from Oakland Athletics

The Boston Red Sox made a trade this afternoon, acquiring utility infielder Pablo Reyes from the Oakland Athletics in return for cash considerations. Reyes spent this season in Triple-A Las Vegas so far, but has had two stints on the Pirates' and Brewers' major league rosters.

Reyes initially signed into the MLB in 2012 with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international prospect, where played through 2019. He had 201 at-bats in those two seasons, with .229/.296/.664 splits, 18 walks drawn to 47 strikeouts, 26 RBI, and five home runs. He was suspended due to violating the PED policy in 2020 for 80 games, but was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers to a minor league deal in 2021.

He was called up at various points by the Brewers, putting together some quality at-bats. He registered 93 at-bats in those two seasons, with .258/.330/.674 splits, 10 walks to 17 strikeouts, four stolen bases, three RBI, and a home run. Throughout his time in the major and minor leagues, he has registered a .960 fielding rate, with only six errors across six positions in 629 innings.

Pablo Reyes adds depth to Red Sox

Overall, Reyes seems to be a quality depth pickup for the Red Sox and could be used in the infield at times to provide days off for Rafael Devers or Enmanuel Valdez. This also makes for an intriguing debate about Bobby Dalbec, who seemed to be the "utility infielder" previously for the Sox. Does this signal a trade of Dalbec later this year? Potentially. The eerily similar roles between Reyes and Dalbec are noticeable and worth watching to see who remains long-term.

During his professional career, Reyes also has significant time in the outfield, which makes things even more interesting. The ability to play at nearly every position aside from catcher and pitcher gives a unique versatility to his game that very few have. We will see how that pans out in the coming months as well.