Dave Dombrowski has made what is likely to be the first of many trades in his tenure as President of the Boston Red Sox. Late Monday night it was announced that the Sox would send outfielder Alejandro De Aza to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for left handed minor league pitcher Luis Ysla. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Red Sox will also pay $650,000 of the money still owed to De Aza on his current deal.
For the Giants, this move is about building offense and defensive depth as they attempt one last push to overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West. Just 3.5 games back, the Giants could use a fresh face in the clubhouse to perhaps give them that extra spark.
For his part, De Aza is a reliable defender in the outfield. He has committed just two errors all season, both in left field. He has the ability to play all three outfield positions. De Aza is also a solid, if unspectacular, hitter. He began the 2015 season with the Baltimore Orioles, where he hit a paltry .214 over 30 games.
After being waived by the Orioles and acquired by the Red Sox, however, De Aza found his groove at the plate and has stayed in that groove. Through 60 games with Boston, De Aza recorded a .292 batting average and a .755 OPS, along with seven home runs and 32 runs batted in. Overall, he has been worth a solid 1.4 WAR during his time with the Sox. He now moves to a team still very much in contention, unlike the Red Sox, and will try to carry his recent success over from the east coast to the west coast.
For the Red Sox, this deal is about adding to what is an already deep farm system, a system that has recently been producing major league ready talent in droves. Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Travis Shaw, Mookie Betts, Henry Owens, and Eduardo Rodriguez have all found success at the big league level this season, and others, such as Blake Swihart, are also coming into their own. More talent awaits the call, and Ysla adds to that pool.
Ysla has struggled in High-A ball this season, posting a 6.21 ERA, but undoubtedly has talent. As a strter at the Class-A level, he put up a 2.45 ERA over 121.1 innings pitched and won the South Atlantic League ERA title. If he can recapture that form, this could be a good pickup for the Sox. Ysla will be assigned to High-A Salem. He will serve as a reliever.
Main Photo
