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How the MLB trade deadline unfolded: Red Sox add Padres’ Eric Hosmer, hold on to J.D. Martinez

By Katie McInerney, Alex Speier, Andrew Mahoney and Christopher Price Globe Staff,Updated August 2, 2022, 7:39 p.m.
Eric Hosmer.Gregory Bull/Associated Press

The Red Sox were both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline.

Why?

“Simply put,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Tuesday night, “we do think we have a chance to make a run.”

Related: On Baseball: Why did Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox buy and sell at the deadline?

Tuesday’s 6 p.m. deadline came and went and the Red Sox held on to slugger J.D. Martinez and starter Nate Eovaldi.

They did trade pitching prospect Jay Groome to the Padres for first baseman Eric Hosmer — a clear upgrade at the position for Boston.

We tracked trade deadline moves and rumors as they happened. Read on to see how it all unfolded.

Tommy Pham made his debut for the Red Sox on Tuesday.Bob Levey/Getty

Moves the Red Sox made at the 2022 trade deadline

▪ Traded Christian Vázquez to the Astros

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Vázquez, the Sox’ starting catcher and the longest-tenured player on the team, found out he was traded while in Houston, warming up on the field at Minute Maid Park before Monday’s Red Sox-Astros game.

In return, the Sox landed two prospects in Houston’s top 30: Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu.

Related: For all parties involved, Christian Vázquez’s trade to the Astros proved to be an awkward swap

▪ Traded Jake Diekman to White Sox for catcher Reese McGuire

The Sox reconfigured their catching dynamic by acquiring Reese McGuire from the White Sox for lefthander Jake Diekman and a player to be named or cash considerations. McGuire was hitting .225/.261/.285 in 53 games as the White Sox’ backup catcher.

Diekman (5-1, 4.23 ERA in 44 games) was signed this spring to a two-year, $8 million deal, with the Sox hoping he’d become a factor at the back of their bullpen. But a lack of command resulted in discomfort on the part of the Red Sox to use him in high leverage situations.

Related: 3 things to know about newly acquired Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire

▪ Traded for Reds OF Tommy Pham

The Red Sox reinforced one area of their big league roster by acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham from the Reds in exchange for a player to be named.

The 34-year-old Pham – who is playing on a one-year, $7.5 million deal this year – was hitting .238/.320/.374 with 11 homers in 91 games for Cincinnati this year, including marks of .290/.371/.462 against lefties.

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Related: 4 things to know about Tommy Pham, the newest Red Sox outfielder

▪ Traded for Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer

After Eric Hosmer vetoed a trade to the Nationals, the Red Sox swooped in to grab the 32-year-old. The Padres also sent along prospects Max Ferguson and outfielder Corey Rosier to Boston.

In return, the Sox sent lefthander Jay Groome to San Diego.

San Diego will pay virtually the entirety of the remaining $44 million Hosmer is owed through the end of the 2025 season — the final seasons of the eight-year, $144 million deal he signed in San Diego after the 2017 season. The Red Sox will be responsible only for the major-league minimum.

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How the 2022 MLB trade deadline unfolded

What to know about the prospects from the Padres — 7:30 p.m.

Max Ferguson is a a middle infielder ranked No. 23 in the Padres system by Baseball America in its mid-year rankings. The 22-year-old, whom the Padres took in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, posted a .221/.365/.358 line with 55 steals in two levels of A-ball this year. He is a potential utility contributor off the bench.

Corey Rosier, 22, is unranked by Baseball America. He has already been dealt twice since being taken by the Mariners in the 12th round of the 2021 draft. He was sent to San Diego from Seattle over the winter as part of the return in the Adam Frazier deal. Rosier posted a .263/.381/.396 line with six homers and 33 steals in High-A this year.

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Chaim Bloom on Eric Hosmer (and what this means for Casas) — 7:10 p.m.

“We have struggled to find stability at the first base position this year, and we think Eric will provide that,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters this evening. “I think he’s going to be helpful between the lines and in the clubhouse.”

Bloom also added: “I think he’ll love Fenway Park.”

Bloom said nothing about Triston Casas’s development will be altered.

“All it means, as we have hoped all along, that Triston’s timetable is going to be determined by Triston.”

Padres paying down BIG money on Hosmer — 6:17 p.m.

J.D. Martinez is staying with the Red Sox — 6:14 p.m.

Peter Abraham reports Sox slugger J.D. Martinez will not be dealt.

Sources said last week that the team was very open to moving Martinez, a free-agent-to-be.

“I’m not blind. I know what’s going on, being out there. But just put it off to the side,” Martinez said Sunday. “As far as I know I’m here. I’m not going to think anything otherwise.”

Alex Cora is excited about Martinez sticking around.

Around the league: Who’s NOT on the move — 6:10 p.m.

Multiple reports say the Cubs will not be trading catcher Willson Contreras or outfielder Ian Happ ... ESPN says Carlos Rodón is sticking with the Giants, as is Joc Pederson ... Ex-Sox pitcher Martín Pérez and LHP Matt Moore will remain with the Rangers

Whit Merrifield traded to Blue Jays — 6:03 p.m.

ESPN reports that Merrifield, the Royals’ starting second baseman, will be traded to Toronto.

Merrifield is among the number of Kansas City players who are not vaccinated. Might that change now?

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Yankees trade LHP Jordan Montgomery to Cardinals — 5:56 p.m.

The Yankees will get CF Harrison Bader in exchange.

Phillies trade for Angels’ Syndergaard — 5:52 p.m.

Multiple reports are out that Noah Syndergaard is headed to the Phillies.

Philadelphia is sending Mickey Moniak and another prospect out to L.A.

Hosmer deal is officially done — 5:43 p.m.

Groome scratched from Worcester start — 5:12 p.m.

Jay Groome was just scratched from his scheduled start for the WooSox.

Sox getting prospects in Hosmer deal — 5:05 p.m.

Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier are reportedly heading to Boston in the Hosmer deal.

Max Ferguson is the No. 23 prospect in the Padres system, per Baseball America’s mid-year update.

Rosier is not in the Padres’ top 30.

Groome was recently ranked No. 13 by Baseball America (though I’d have had him a bit lower).

What the Sox are giving up for Hosmer — 4:59 p.m.

The Padres are reportedly getting Sox pitching prospect Jay Groome back for Eric Hosmer.

The Padres were heavily in on Groome in 2016 draft and have followed him closely since.

Groome has slipped a lot in Sox depth chart behind other rotation prospects, but looks like a big leaguer who isn’t far from the big leagues in some role — maybe depth starter or bullpen.

Two hours until the deadline — 4:00 p.m.

We’re closing in. Will J.D. Martinez and Nate Eovaldi still be Red Sox by 6 p.m.?

Juan Soto deal is official — 4:00 p.m.

Phillies trade for Cubs’ David Robertson — 3:45 p.m.

The Phillies have traded prospect Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson, according to multiple reports.

Earlier in the day, Philadelphia also traded for Angels outfielder Brandon Marsh, sending prospect Logan O’Hoppe to Los Angeles.

Luke Voit finishes out Nationals-Padres Soto trade — 3:35 p.m.

It turns out the hold-up in the Soto trade wasn’t Eric Hosmer, according to sources, but at any rate — the full return is now clear.

First baseman Luke Voit is heading to the Nationals as part of the Padres’ deal for Juan Soto.

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The Sox land a first baseman. What about Casas? — 3:05 p.m.

Hosmer’s longer-term fit with the Red Sox is a bit of a question given that No. 2 Red Sox prospect Triston Casas is in Triple A and nearing a big league opportunity.

But Casas and Hosmer are actually close — the two attended the same high school in Florida roughly a decade apart.

Most importantly, the longer-term fit of Hosmer can be reassessed down the road.

Report: Padres to pay down Hosmer’s contract — 2:45 p.m.

Eric Hosmer is owed about $44 million for the remainder of his contract, which extends to 2025.

ESPN reports that the Padres will pay down “a significant portion” of that.

Sox reportedly trading for Eric Hosmer — 2:34 p.m.

Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer is reportedly headed to the Red Sox.

Hosmer was reportedly exercising his no-trade protection to veto a deal to the Nationals, who wanted to include him in the package to acquire Juan Soto.

Now, according to ESPN, Hosmer will land in Boston, which is in desperate need of a first baseman.

Joey Gallo reportedly headed to Dodgers — 2:30 p.m.

Pending a review of medical records, Joey Gallo will be sent to the Dodgers from the Yankees.

Blue Jays send SS Groshans to Marlins — 1:50 p.m.

ESPN says the Blue Jays are sending SS Jordan Groshans to the Marlins in exchange for pitcher Zach Pop, among others.

Could this Hosmer hold-up benefit the Red Sox? — 1:40 p.m.

With Eric Hosmer reportedly exercising his no-trade protection to veto a deal to the Nationals, it will be intriguing to see if the Red Sox now get involved.

Hosmer has been decent this year (.272/.336/.391) — offensively and defensively superior to what the Sox have had at first base.

The Sox and Padres have talked repeatedly over the last three years about the idea of the Red Sox taking on either Hosmer or Will Myers in a package that would allow them to “buy” prospects. (Robert Hassell was part of the discussion as a Sox target last year.)

Under the new CBA, Hosmer would “only” count as $13 million for average annual value purposes over the next three years — less if the Padres picked up some of the freight.

To be clear, haven’t heard that the Sox and Padres are engaged on Hosmer — but wouldn’t be shocked if the Sox saw this as a way of advancing their attempted having-cake-and-eating-it-too trade deadline.

Reports: Eric Hosmer could hold up Soto trade — 12:28 p.m.

Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer has a no-trade clause for the Nationals, and will need to waive it in order for the Soto deal to be completed, according to The Athletic.

Hosmer is owed $39 million from 2023 to 2025.

Padres trade for Juan Soto — 11:50 a.m.

Juan Soto is on the move.

The Nationals superstar outfielder is headed to San Diego, where he’ll play alongside Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. (when he’s healthy) in a massive deal that comes six hours before the trade deadline.

ESPN reports that the Nationals will also send first baseman Josh Bell to San Diego.

In return, the Nationals will get: LHP MacKenzie Gore, OF Robert Hassell III, SS C.J. Abrams, OF James Wood, RHP Jarlin Susana, and one other player.

Twins deal for closer Jorge Lopez — 10:45 a.m.

ESPN reports that the Twins have landed closer Jorge Lopez from the Orioles.

Minnesota is sending back four pitchers: Cade Povich, Yennier Cano, Juan Nuñez, and Juan Rojas.

4 things to know about Tommy Pham — 10:05 a.m.

Tom Westerholm rounded up four things to know about the newest Red Sox outfielder.

Yes, the slap is included. Read more here.

Red Sox check in on Brett Phillips — 9:20 a.m.

According to a major league source, the Red Sox checked in with the Rays about the possibility of acquiring outfielder Brett Phillips. The Rays designated Phillips for assignment on Monday after acquiring outfielder Jose Siri from the Astros.

Phillips, 28, is hitting .147/.225/.250 this year (down from a more respectable .206/.300/.427 line last year), but leads all big league outfielders with 10 Outs Above Average (according to Statcast) on defense.

Is there a chance the Sox could deal for Sean Murphy? — 9:10 a.m.

After trading Christian Vázquez, even with the addition of Chicago backup catcher Reese McGuire from the White Sox, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said that the Red Sox’ catching puzzle for the final two months of 2022 was incomplete. He implied that the team may pursue catching upgrades leading up to Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline.

“This is pretty fresh and haven’t really had a chance to sit down and map [the catching situation] out. We like what Reese McGuire brings to the table as far as being a left-handed hitter who is an asset on defense,” said Bloom. “There’s nothing else imminent that’s up my sleeve right now, but some of this [assessment] I think is best saved for assessing after the deadline is over, we can talk about the full picture.”

The most significant catcher available on the trade market – the one who could fit the bill of giving the Red Sox a chance to compete in 2022 and help the team beyond this season – is A’s catcher Sean Murphy.

After a poor start this year, Murphy – considered one of the best framers and defensive catchers in baseball – has been on a torrid run since mid-June, hitting .296/.362/.485 in 36 games to raise his season line to .238/.314/.423 with a 113 OPS+. Fangraphs credits him with having been worth 2.7 Wins Above Replacement – fifth in the majors, well ahead of Vázquez (1.1 WAR). And the rebuilding A’s are open to discussing virtually anyone on their roster – including a catcher who won’t be eligible for free agency until after 2026.

So could Murphy become an option for the Sox? Likely not. According to multiple teams that have talked to the A’s, the asking price on Murphy is “huge.” In all likelihood, the Sox would have to start building a package around two of their top four and more likely three prospects – meaning, for instance, Triston Casas and Brayan Bello.

Even for a controllable catcher with Murphy’s all-around skills and track record, given that the Red Sox (in the words of principal owner John Henry) see themselves as being in a “building” phase, a deal of that magnitude is extremely unlikely.

Christian Vázquez was on the field readying for the game. Then he got traded. — 9:00 a.m.

Christian Vázquez was seated at a round table in the visitor’s clubhouse three hours before first pitch on Monday, playing dominoes with Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and a few other teammates.

Outside of the clack-clack-clack of the tiles, the room was quiet as other players refreshed their phone screens looking at the latest trade rumors to see if their teams were being mentioned.

About 90 minutes later, Vázquez was back in the clubhouse packing up his equipment bag after being traded down the hall to the Astros for two minor league prospects.

In an awkward scene, Vázquez was in the lineup for the Sox and had just finished batting practice on the field when word of the trade came down.

Read the rest of Peter Abraham’s story here.

Astros deal Odorizzi to Braves for Will Smith — 11:09 p.m.

The Astros traded starter Jake Odorizzi to the Braves for reliever Will Smith.

Pirates trade Quintana to Cardinals — 9:45 p.m.

Jose Quintana has parlayed his success in Pittsburgh into a job in St. Louis.

The Pirates traded the veteran left-handed pitcher to the Cardinals on Monday night in exchange for reliever Johan Oviedo and corner infield prospect Malcolm Nunez. Pittsburgh also sent right-handed reliever Chris Stratton to St. Louis.

The 33-year-old Quintana signed a $2 million, one-year deal with the Pirates last fall intent on re-establishing himself as a starter after spending most of the last two seasons working out of the bullpen with multiple clubs. Quintana delivered, going 3-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 20 starts with Pittsburgh, including 5 2/3 shutout innings last week against Philadelphia.

Quintana’s reward is jumping from the last-place Pirates to a pennant race. The Cardinals are three games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central and one game out of the final wild-card spot. — Associated Press

Martinez on Vázquez — 8:00 p.m.

J.D. Martinez offered a few thoughts after the news broke that the Red Sox were trading Christian Vázquez, their longest-tenured player, to the Astros.

“It’s crazy,” he told reporters in Houston. “It’s a fun time to be a fan and mixed feelings if you’re player. It’s been great playing with [Vázquez]. He’s been an unbelievable teammate, probably one of my favorite teammates that I’ve played with. Great all-around person in general.”

Reds get PTBNL for Pham — 7:40 p.m.

The Red Sox will send a player to be named later to the Reds in exchange for Tommy Pham.

What the Sox get in return for Vázquez — 7:35 p.m.

Per sources, the Red Sox will get two prospects — Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu — from the Astros in exchange for Christian Vázquez.

Valdez, 23, hit .327/.410/.606 with 21 home runs in Double A and Triple A this year.

Abreu, a 23-year-old outfielder, hit .249/.399/.459 with 15 HR in 89 games this year in Double A in the Astros system this year.

Red Sox send pitcher Jake Diekman to White Sox for catcher Reese McGuire — 7:07 p.m.

The Red Sox will send reliever Jake Diekman to the White Sox in exchange for catcher Reese McGuire and a player to be named later or cash considerations, the team announced Monday night.

The 27-year-old McGuire was in his first season in Chicago after spending five seasons with the Blue Jays organization. He made his debut in 2018.

McGuire is hitting .225 this season, with 34 hits and no home runs in 151 at-bats. He has appeared in 53 games for the White Sox.

Diekman, 35, has been mostly used as relief in middle innings. He has a 4.23 ERA in 2022 in 38⅓ innings pitched.

Sox trade for Reds OF Tommy Pham — 6:56 p.m.

The Red Sox have bolstered their outfield corps by trading for Reds outfielder Tommy Pham, a Globe source confirmed.

Pham is averaging .238 this season, with 81 hits and 11 home runs in 340 at-bats.

Vázquez headed for Houston — 6:31 p.m.

The Houston Astros are finalizing a deal to acquire catcher Christian Vázquez from the Red Sox, a source confirmed to the Globe.

The 31-year-old veteran had been a prime candidate to be dealt ahead of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline. The longest-tenured player in the organization, Vázquez was drafted in 2008 and made his MLB debut in 2014.

Boston is in Houston Monday night for the start of a three-game series. Vázquez looked stunned as he received the news.

“It’s a business,” he began to say before being pulled away by a Red Sox official.

Vázquez is having an excellent year, hitting .282/.327/.432 in 84 games. He leads the big leagues in innings behind the plate over the last two years, and is considered a leader with a demonstrated ability to steward a pitching staff through the postseason to a title.

He’s also elite against big velocity, posting a .314 average this year against pitches of 95-plus m.p.h. — 10th among the 110 big leaguers who have seen at least 500 pitches in that range. Such a skill is of considerable value in the postseason, given the wealth of power arms that teams face.

Both the Astros and Mets were known to have engaged in substantive talks on Vázquez, who is earning $7 million this year on an option the Red Sox exercised on his original three-year, $13.3 million deal.

Yankees trade for A’s pitchers Frankie Montas, Lou Trivino — 4:40 p.m.

The Yankees are bolstering their pitching ahead of the deadline, first trading for reliever Scott Effross and now brokering a deal with the Athletics for starter Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino.

The Yankees gave up pitchers Ken Waldichuk, J.P. Sears, and Luis Medina, and infielder Cooper Bowman.

Astros trade for Orioles’ Trey Mancini — 4:30 p.m.

The Astros have traded for Orioles first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini, according to multiple reports.

Padres trade for Josh Hader, Brewers’ All-Star closer — 1:30 p.m.

The Padres acquired All-Star closer Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in exchange for recently benched closer Taylor Rogers and three other players in a blockbuster deal between NL playoff contenders.

The NL Central-leading Brewers shipped one of the game’s top relievers to the Padres for Rogers, right-hander Dinelson Lamet, outfielder Esteury Ruiz, and pitching prospect Robert Gasser.

The trade features the two big-league saves leaders. Hader has 29 saves while Rogers has 28, though the Padres recently removed Rogers from the closer role after he blew consecutive opportunities in a series at Detroit. The Padres obtained Rogers from Minnesota on opening day.

Hader, the NL reliever of the year three times in the last four seasons, has a career-high 4.24 ERA after enduring one of his worst slumps just before the All-Star break.

The left-hander allowed five homers and 12 runs over 4⅓ innings in a stretch of six appearances in early July, increasing his ERA from 1.05 to 4.50. Hader otherwise has allowed just four runs in 29⅔ innings.

And hitters continue to have all kind of trouble making contact against him. Hader has struck out 59 batters in 34 innings. He has blown only two of his 31 save opportunities.

Hader, 28, is making $11 million this year and is eligible for arbitration again in the offseason. He could become a free agent after 2023. His gradually increasing salary had raised speculation with each trade deadline that the budget-conscious Brewers might deal him. — Associated Press

Yankees acquire reliever Scott Effross in trade with Cubs — 12:30 p.m.

The New York Yankees acquired rookie reliever Scott Effross in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

Effross, a sidearming right-hander, is 1-4 with a 2.66 ERA and one save in 47 games this year. He made his big league debut last season, going 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 14 appearances with Chicago.

The rebuilding Cubs received minor league right-hander Hayden Wesneski in the deal. The 24-year-old Wesneski, a sixth-round selection in the 2019 amateur draft, is 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. — Associated Press


Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @k8tmac. Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @alexspeier. Follow Andrew Mahoney on Twitter @GlobeMahoney. Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at cpriceglobe.

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