I have a soft spot for defensive catchers who can’t hit a lick. You can imagine that Sandy Leon would be a favorite of mine. Today, the Sandy Leon era came to an end. The Red Sox traded Leon to the Indians in exchange for minor league pitcher Adenys Bautista, who played in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2019. Thank you, Sandy Leon. You will be missed.
This trade wasn’t about the prospect. It doesn’t appear that Bautista is a significant prospect in any way. This was about clearing Leon’s contract. The Venezuelan catcher was scheduled to earn north of $2 million for the 2020 season. The Red Sox are clearing salary anyway they can. Dropping a backup catcher who can’t hit a lick was step one. He won’t be the last one to go either. My guess is Jackie Bradley is next.
I’m going to miss Leon. He was Chris Sale’s personal catcher. Sale was great with Sandy behind the dish for a number of years. Now Sale will need a new personal backstop. Right now, Christian Vazquez is the only catcher on the roster. They will likely look for someone on the league minimum to replace Leon. Boston doesn’t have a major catching prospect to fill the void either.
Leon is a defense first catcher. Leon hit just .192 in 2019 which made him expendable. Still, I’ll miss Leon. He will always be remembered as a World Series champion and the personal catcher for the man who got the final out of the 2018 World Series. The Red Sox need a new catcher. Keep the moves coming, Chaim. Let’s see what else he has up his sleeve.
