After what felt like a never-ending slumber, the trade deadline is finally alive and kicking and the big moves keep on flowing at a frantic pace. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Houston Astros have bolstered their roster by trading for Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez. The Red Sox are actually playing in Houston tonight so Vazquez will now have to make the unfamiliar walk to the home clubhouse.
The Houston Astros are finalizing a deal to acquire catcher Christian Vázquez from the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN.
The Red Sox are playing in Houston tonight, so Vázquez presumably will just walk around the stadium to join his new teammates. And the Sox's sale begins.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022
This is a significant move for the Astros who also traded for infielder and designated hitter Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the day. Houston is loading up on big bats ahead of what they hope will be yet another deep postseason run and potentially another World Series ring.
It is also a significant move for the Mets who reportedly linked with Vazquez, along with Red Sox teammate J.D. Martinez. The Mets have been quiet thus far with the trade deadline now less than a day away, but the good news is that Martinez is very much in play and Vázquez going off the board could mean they are still actively in discussions with the Chicago Cubs about catcher and DH Willson Contreras.
Back to Vázquez and the Astros are gaining a veteran catcher who has been hot at the plate for the past few months. Prior to Monday, the righty has been batting .304 with a .348 on-base percentage over the past two-and-a-half months. He also has a .479 slugging percentage, .827 OPS, seven home runs, 17 doubles, 34 RBI, 13 walks and 25 runs in 59 games dating back to May 18.
Vazquez is slashing .282/.327/.432 on the year overall with eight homers, 42 RBI and 33 runs. The veteran hit a double in Boston’s win over the Brewers on Sunday in what has now proved to be Vazquez’s final game in a Red Sox uniform.
Prior to July 25, Vazquez also ranked third in the majors with 14 runners caught stealing and he was throwing runners out at a 29% clip. So, it is clear that not only are the Astros getting a very accomplished catcher who can help the defense, but they are also getting a player who is having a very good year offensively and who will inject some pop into the middle of the lineup.
Vazquez is currently in the final year of his original three-year deal with the Red Sox, and he has a base salary of $7 million for this year. Therefore, he is purely a rental for the Astros who are clearly going all-in on chasing another championship. The return for Vázquez is not yet known.
