Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Trade Young Reliever In Effort To Clear Space On Roster

This right-hander didn't last too long in the Red Sox organization

Scott Neville

Red Sox Trade Young Reliever In Effort To Clear Space On Roster
Red Sox Trade Young Reliever In Effort To Clear Space On Roster /
In this story:

The Boston Red Sox made what most would call a rather insignificant move Wednesday, but their latest trade does serve a greater purpose. 

The Red Sox dealt right-hander Easton McGee to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash considerations according to the Major League Baseball transaction wire.

McGee went 6-9 with a 5.43 ERA but posted an impressive 82-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 107 2/3 innings with Triple-A Durham this season.

The 24-year-old was claimed off of waivers by Boston after the Tampa Bay Rays let him go and was seen as a depth piece at most. On top of having an all-time name, McGee has a rare six-pitch mix and strong command over his repertoire. Unfortunately, he has yet to see those skills translate into success.

The biggest confusion for Red Sox fans when a move like this is made is: why would a big-market team like Boston need to trade for cash?

Well, frankly, they don't. What they did need to do is clear up spots on the 40-man roster so they can lock up minor leaguers who need to be placed on the official roster to avoid the Major League Baseball Rule-5 Draft. Gaining cash was a slightly better alternative than just cutting him outright.

The extra spot also makes free agency slightly easier, though there still are multiple players on the 40-man who could be deemed as easy cuts.

It was a good five-week run for McGee in Boston, but he'll now have a chance to join the Mariners, who just made the postseason for the first time since 2001.

More MLB: Red Sox Finally Reveal Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck's Roles For 2023

Published
Scott Neville
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

Home/Boston Red Sox News