Ex-Red Sox World Series Champion Signs With Rangers, Joining Nathan Eovaldi

Two World Series champions meet up in Texas

Scott Neville | Jan 12, 2023

Ex-Red Sox World Series Champion Signs With Rangers, Joining Nathan Eovaldi /

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A pair of 2018 World Series Champions will be on the same roster after departures from the Boston Red Sox.

One of the more notable moves for the Texas Rangers this offseason -- trailing the addition of superstar right-hander Jacob deGrom -- was the acquisition of right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, after the Red Sox reportedly pulled their multi-year offer.

Now, Texas reportedly has added one of his old battery mates.

"Free-agent catcher Sandy León has signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal tweeted Thursday. "Deal includes (an) invitation to major-league spring training."

León split time last season with the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, and never found any rhythm offensively. The 33-year-old hit .169 with three doubles, four RBIs and a .509 OPS in 33 games.

The last time León eclipsed a .200 batting average was in 2017 with the Red Sox, and his only above-average offensive performance came the year prior, also in Boston.

León still is regarded as a strong defender that can combine his strong arm, framing ability and stout blocking with quality pitch calling.

It would not have been surprising if the Red Sox decided to bring León back on a similar deal given the lack of experience behind the plate currently on the roster, but Boston should have plenty of other options to turn to if they decide to upgrade the catcher position.

In fact, León might have just stolen former Red Sox-turned-Rangers free agent Kevin Plawecki's spot in the organization.

A reunion would seem unlikely given the way Boston cut ties with Plawecki a season ago, but his addition could aid an inexperienced group.

While the Red Sox appear committed to shedding all members of the 2018 roster, it'll be fun to see León catching for Eovaldi in spring training.

More MLB: Red Sox Make Very Surprising Cut After Announcing Corey Kluber Signing

Published Jan 12, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu