Off-season trades have begun. The Athletics acquired an outfielder Nate Eaton from the Red Sox in exchange for a minor league right-hander Jareth Rayo. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that Eaton had been traded to the A’s. Chris Cotillo of MassLive first reported that the Sox would get a minor league player in return. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR identified Rayo for the first time.
Eaton, 30 in December, was part of the roster bubble in Boston. He played an up-and-down role this year, shuttling between Triple-A and the majors. He hit just .160/.300/.260 in the big leagues and exhausted his final option season. It was going to be difficult for him to maintain a spot among the 40 players during the offseason.
Most teams will face a crisis in the coming days. The injured list disappears on Monday, meaning several players from the 60-day IL will have to regain their spots on the list. Prior to this deal, RosterResource projected the Sox for a 40-for-44 roster, taking into account players coming off the IL and those destined for free agency. They still have three spots to clear, but Eaton’s move begins the process of resolving the impasse.
It may not be a coincidence that the A’s have a new front office leader who just left Boston. General manager David Forst was fired in August. In October, the club hired Taylor Smith as president of baseball operations. Smith previously served as an assistant general manager for the Red Sox and should be familiar with Eaton.
While Eaton has yet to click in the majors, with a .221/.294/.307 batting line over four seasons, there are things to like. His speed and defense could give him a decent playing field. Statcast ranked him in the 96th percentile of skilled players this year. During his big league career, Eaton had 25 interceptions in 28 attempts. In 578 innings on the field, he was credited with 14 defensive runs saved, three outs above average and a Fielding Run Value rating of six.
These skills make him a viable outfielder. If he can provide something else with the bat, that would be a bonus. As mentioned, he has yet to hit in the majors. His work in the minors has been a little better but still not exceptional. From 2023 to 2026, he has taken over 1,594 times at the Triple-A level. His 8.2% walk rate and 22.7% strikeout rate were about average. He slashed .262/.329/.444 for a wRC+ of 96.
The A’s plan to have Henri Bolté, Laurent Butler And Tyler Soderstrom in three outfield spots next year. Denzel Clarke And Carlos Cortes and others would be in the list for complementary roles. If Eaton remains on the roster through the winter, he would complement with these guys for a spot on the bench. If things go well with the A’s, he will be controllable at a lower cost since he is still not qualified for arbitration. RosterResource projected the A’s to be 40 out of 46 players before this deal, so they’ll need to clear some space in the coming days.
The Red Sox free up a roster spot and also get a lottery ticket prospect in the process. Rayo was an international signing for the Nicaraguan A’s last year. He pitched 36 innings in the Dominican Summer League this year with a 5.50 ERA.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
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