Anthopoulos: Trading Vaughn Grissom 'was painful'

Alex Anthopoulos can't speak any more highly of Vaughn Grissom and admitted it was hard to move him

Lindsay Crosby | Dec 30, 2023

Alex Anthopoulos, speaking to the media via conference call after Saturday's trade for Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale, admitted that it was hard personally to move infielder Vaughn Grissom in the deal.

"It was tough. One of the harder guys to move. I called him directly. I think so highly of him, I know everyone in the organization does."

Grissom, who turns 23 on January 5th, has been with Atlanta since the club took him in the 11th round of the 2019 draft out of high school.

"You're not going to find a better human being. The makeup is a good as they get. High energy player (who) makes people around him better."

Anthopoulos, who called Grissom personally to inform him of the deal, said it was a difficult deal to make, with emotions on both sides.

"It was really emotional," for Grissom, Anthopoulos told us. "Any time you get traded for the first time, especially by the organization you're drafted (and) developed by and have strong relationships," that's to be expected. "It sucks".

But to go along with that difficult decision is some happiness for Vaughn, that he'll have an easier path to playing time.

"We're obviously having him play a little bit in the outfield just to find more at-bats for him, because he's obviously ready to be an everyday player. That's a big league (bat) right now and this is a great opportunity for his career."

Early reports are that Grissom's expected to play second base in Boston in 2024, which AA wouldn't confirm - "I don't want to speak for the Red Sox [...] my understanding is that he'll get a great opportunity there."

Grissom, who debuted in 2022 at second base for an injured Ozzie Albies, came to the majors after only 22 games in AA Mississippi. He acclimated well, batting .291/.353/.440 and hitting his first home run - where else? Boston's Fenway Park.

A wild moment as Vaughn Grissom’s first career MLB HR came at Fenway as a 21 year old with an epic bat flip. Now, it’s his new home. pic.twitter.com/lTQO7tDMWS
— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) December 30, 2023

He was sent to AAA Gwinnett to open 2023 and, after Orlando Arcia broke his wrist on a HBP, came up and covered shortstop, albeit with some defensive struggles.

(Grissom's SS defense was worth -6 OAA, per Statcast, worse than all but five major league shortstops despite only having 179 innings at the position. The five shortstops below him averaged 980 innings each, with three of them over 1000).

But Grissom was blocked at seemingly every position in Atlanta, with the Braves possessing long-term contractural control at every single position on the diamond.

In an anecdote to illustrate Grissom's selflessness, Anthopoulos shared that Grissom was willing to do whatever he could to help the team win. "You know, he told me 'I could pitch, Alex'. That's Vaughn - he's a joker, and at the same time, he will do everything (you ask of him)."

Anthopoulos reiterated that it wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right decision for Vaughn's sake. "It's a painful one because of how highly we view him, but it's a much better fit for his career."

"I would have loved to have kept him" and traded someone else to Boston, but they "were pretty adamant about" Vaughn being in the deal.