Chaim Bloom's biggest win: Revisiting the Christian Vazquez trade
When Chaim Bloom acquired prospects Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez from the Houston Astros in exchange for long-time catcher Christian Vázquez, Xander Bogaerts didn’t mince his feelings about the deal.
“No one saw [the trade] coming. You obviously saw a lot of stuff coming out, but it doesn’t kick in until it really happens. And obviously, Diekman obviously going to the White Sox, so that was two pieces going out and nothing coming in.”
Fast-forward 13 months since that trade, and both Chaim Bloom and Xander Bogaerts are out of Boston. And since being called “nothing” by the team’s superstar shortstop, Wilyer Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez have emerged as potential key contributors to the Red Sox’ future.
With a solid glove and a knack for the big hit, Vázquez was a fan favorite during his 7.5 seasons in Boston. His career wRC+ with the Red Sox sits at an underwhelming 85, but he accumulated 51 DRS behind the dish, bringing his WAR with the Red Sox to a respectable 12.3. His walk-off home run in the 13th inning of Game 3 of the 2021 ALDS is regarded as one of the greatest moments in recent Red Sox history.
Since he was traded by the Red Sox, however, Vázquez has struggled mightily with the bat, posting a 64 wRC+ since the time of the deal. While the 33-year-old is still solid with the glove, his xWOBA lands in the first percentile, and he’s been worth just 0.7 WAR in 2023 with Minnesota. Owed $20 million over the next two seasons, Vázquez’ contract doesn’t look great, but he has likely secured a role as the Twins’ backup catcher during that time.
At the time of the deal in August, the second baseman Valdez looked like the centerpiece of the deal. Valdez had posted a 118 wRC+ at Houston’s AAA affiliate and looked poised to contribute at the big league level. But a combination of bad defense and the emergence of Pablo Reyes has made it difficult for Valdez to stick with the Red Sox this year, as he’s posted an 87 wRC+ with a dreadful -7 DRS/-5 OAA in just 301 innings at second base. Valdez just didn’t make consistently hard contact and struggled mightily against left-handed pitching. At only 24, he still has time to develop: if Valdez can limit chases and even slightly improve his defense, he projects as a potential bench player for the team in 2024.
Abreu, on the other hand, has emerged as a potential cornerstone and cemented this deal as one of Chaim Bloom’s biggest victories during his tenure with the Red Sox. After playing the entirety of 2022 in Double-A, the 24-year-old has hit .364 with a 159 wRC+ in his first 62 major league at-bats. His defense has been solid as well, with 2 DRS in left field and -1 DRS in center.
Abreu’s success with the bat is rooted in his elite plate discipline and ability to make hard contact, similar to the approach of Triston Casas. Abreu’s 21.2% chase rate since being called up is amongst the best in the major leagues, as is his Hard-Hit% and Sweet Spot%. He’s only swinging at 22.6% of pitches outside the zone, which has translated to an 11.3% walk rate with a passable 25.8% strikeout percentage. If he can continue this mature approach into next year, he could force himself into an everyday role next season and beyond.
While Bloom definitely had his misses, this deal is shaping up to be one of his biggest hits. The future productivity of Valdez is still TBD, but Abreu has looked like an elite bat during his short time in the majors, and this deal could be paying dividends for the Red Sox for years to come.
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