BOSTON — Before the Red Sox searched for their first post-All-Star break series win in Wednesday’s rubber match against the Mariners at Fenway Park, the team made a handful of roster tweaks after Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Boston’s front office acquired five players, four of which are big-league prepared — James Paxton, Danny Jansen, Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia — while surrendering 10 prospects in the process. The Red Sox addressed their needs for starting pitching, relief pitching and right-handed hitting without compromising the farm system or trading away anyone from the big-league roster.
Yet, just hours after the 6 p.m. ET deadline had passed, Boston endured a tough 10-6 loss to Seattle, which warranted the following moves:
Infielder Nick Sogard promoted from Triple-A Worcester
The Red Sox promoted Sogard, a 26-year-old infielder who the organization acquired three years ago in a four-player trade with the Rays.
Sogard spent the entirety of 2024 with the Worcester Red Sox, primarily playing shortstop with some appearances in second base, third base, and the outfield. He batted .279/.382/.439 with 12 home runs, 17 doubles and 54 RBIs in 89 games. Boston manager Alex Cora mentioned that one particular part of Sogard’s game was the main reason for giving the 12th-round selection of the 2019 draft his first taste of the big leagues.
“We felt like having the switch-hitter is gonna help us,” Cora said pregame. “… We knew the player, we knew that work ethic and he’s been solid in every aspect. Through the process, the numbers have been good numbers, right? Controls the strike zone, hits the ball hard from both sides, good defender.”
Pitcher Lucas Sims activated to 26-man roster
The presumed asking price of pitching depth was high, but that didn’t stop the Red Sox from filling their biggest void and Sims was welcomed to Boston’s clubhouse with open arms on Wednesday, too.
Sims, 30, made 43 appearances this season with the Reds, recording a 3.57 ERA through 35 1/3 innings of relief. The right-hander fills the team’s obvious depth need as the Dodgers, Rockies, Yankees and Mariners have charged Boston a hefty price for its underperforming bullpen thus far. In high-leverage, late-game situations, the reliability hasn’t been there, making Sims a prime candidate for helping change that.
“We just gotta make sure we talk to him (about) what we do here,” Cora explained. “Other teams have other philosophies, right — get ahead and expand. Ours is get ahead and stay ahead so maybe that’s what gets him in the zone. … Everybody has different philosophies, of course. Everybody talks about getting ahead but after that it’s what you do. Some shy away from the strike zone, some look for expansion.”
Infielder Jamie Westbrook optioned to Triple-A Worcester
Boston’s initially had second base reserved for Vaughn Grissom, the organization’s trade return for Chris Sale this offseason, but the team’s injury list woes prompted the Red Sox to lean on its farm system and give Westbrook a shot.
The 29-year-old, who spent 11 seasons in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Red Sox this season, logged 21 games. Westbrook struggled to platoon at second base, hitting .150 through 48 plate appearances which, most recently included, a .091 stretch (2-for-22) in July.
Pitcher Yohan Ramirez designated for assignment
The Red Sox took a flyer on Ramirez after the right-hander was placed on waivers by the Dodgers over the weekend, and the 29-year-old lasted just one day in Boston.
Ramirez made a relief appearance on Tuesday night and allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings of work, drilling two batters while also throwing a wild pitch. The unimpressive first impression in Boston prompted the club to shift Ramirez in order to make room for Sims.
