The Christian Vazquez Era in Boston came to an abrupt end Monday night when the Red Sox dealt him to Houston in exchange for minor-league prospects Enmanuel Valdez (.327/.410/.606, 21 homers, 77 RBI for Triple-A Sugar Land) and Wilyer Abreu (.249/.399/.459, 15 homers, 54 RBI, 78 BB, 23 steals for Double-A Corpus Christi). It was a surreal moment for all involved with Vazquez learning he’d been traded in real time, leaving batting practice to join his new team in the opposite dugout.
Before he could share his thoughts, Boston’s PR staff wisely intervened, ushering Vazquez away from the swarm of assembled media, extending their iPhones in hopes of the veteran giving a splashy quote before officially closing the book on his Red Sox tenure. Vazquez would later take to Instagram, thanking the Red Sox and their fans for a memorable eight-year stint (longer if you count his six seasons in the minors after arriving as a ninth-round pick in 2008) in Boston, where he won a World Series in 2018.
Many expected the slumping Red Sox, who reached .500 (52-52) with a win in Monday night’s series opener at Minute Maid Park, to be sellers at the deadline. Instead, they’ve added catching depth in Reese McGuire, a proven outfielder in Tommy Pham (best known for his feud with fantasy football rival Joc Pederson) and a capable middle-of-the-order bat in Eric Hosmer, the latter falling in the Red Sox’s lap after vetoing a trade to the lowly Nationals hours earlier.
Vazquez has enjoyed one of his better offensive seasons in 2022, pacing all American League catchers in hits (75), RBI (38) and doubles (20). Without him, the Red Sox will turn to Kevin Plawecki as their primary catcher with McGuire and Connor Wong both available as backups.
Though Vazquez is most known for his work behind the dish, the 31-year-old from Puerto Rico also has experience at first base, where he has appeared nine times (five starts) this season. Vazquez will finish his Red Sox career with a .262 average, 54 homers, 266 RBI and 28 steals over 698 games.
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