The Boston Red Sox have made one of the first big moves prior to the 2020 trade deadline. The Red Sox have sent right-handed pitchers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree along with cash and/or a player to be named later to the Philadelphia Phillies. In return, they have acquired Nick Pivetta and minor leaguer Connor Seabold. Boston Globe reporter Pete Abraham broke the news late Friday evening.
From the #RedSox: RHPs Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree and cash considerations along with a player to be named later or cash considerations to the Phillies for RHP Nick Pivetta and minor league RHP Connor Seabold.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) August 22, 2020
Red Sox Trade Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree
Workman is the most well-known name in this trade. The 31-year-old pitcher has accumulated 288 major league innings with a 3.75 ERA. He has a 4.05 ERA with eight strikeouts and four walks in 6 and two-thirds innings for 2020. Hembree maybe doesn’t have the same recognition as Workman but he has also been an effective reliever. His career stats include 265 and one-third innings with a 3.60 ERA. Hembree has a 5.59 ERA with 10 strikeouts and three walks in nine and two-thirds innings this season.
Pivetta is a 27-year-old pitcher who has struggled in the major leagues. He has a career ERA of 5.50 with 421 strikeouts and 148 walks in 396 and one-third innings. 2020 has been especially unkind to the big right-hander as Pivetta sported a 15.88 ERA in just five and two-thirds innings before he was sent to Philadelphia’s alternate site earlier in August. Seabold has not yet made the major leagues but he might debut in the next season or two. He pitched at four different levels in 2019 with Double-A being the highest. Seabold’s career minor league ERA is 2.89 in 280 innings.
What This Means for the Future
This move makes a lot of sense for Boston. Their starting rotation is near the bottom of the league in WAR with -.5 according to FanGraphs. Both Pivetta and Seabold look like fine arms that can slot into either the middle or back-end of the Sox rotations. Pivetta, in particular, will get plenty of chances to start and prove he can handle the job while Boston undergoes a rebuilding phase.
This also boosts the Phillies’ chances for the postseason. Both Workman and Hembree bring a wealth of experience to the Philadelphia bullpen, which has accumulated 0.0 WAR this season. Philadelphia has a long battle ahead of itself in the NL East but the two newest relief options should move things in the right direction.
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