The Red Sox Have Traded Mitch Moreland To The San Diego Padres

Sean M. Haffey. Getty Images.

Call me crazy, but I don't think this is the end of Mitch Moreland in Boston forever. It is for now, but I could easily see the Red Sox signing him back once again this offseason if his option isn't picked up, but we shall see. For now, he's headed to the San Diego Padres to scoop tosses from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, as the Red Sox continue to sell off their assets amidst one of their notorious dumpster fire seasons sandwiched in between championships.

If you're a Padres fan and you want to know what you're getting in Moreland, I'd be happy to explain. What you're getting in Moreland is everything that you could ever hope for in a veteran player. He's a clubhouse leader, a mentor, the definition of a professional hitter, a Gold Glover, an absolute class act, and a man who has delivered and then some in the biggest spots on the biggest stages of his entire career. I simply could not say enough good things about Mitch Moreland if I tried, and I mean all of it with the utmost sincerity.

If this ends up being the end of the road for Moreland in a Red Sox uniform, then it has been an absolute pleasure to watch this man go to work every day over the last four years. He just reached ten years of big league service time on Saturday, and there was a congratulatory bottle of booze from every teammate of his waiting in his locker. The 2018 World Series team certainly had its stars in Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, and Chris Sale, but that team simply does not win it all without a guy like Moreland. San Diego, you just got an absolute gem.

Coming back to the Red Sox in this deal, you've got 21-year-old third baseman Hudson Potts, who MLB.com lists as the Padres' number 16 prospect in their system. Hudson got taken in the first round with the 24th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. Also coming over the in the deal is 20-year-old (21 in October) outfielder Jeisson Rosario, who was one of the top international free agent signings by anyone in that same year of 2016. Rosario was listed as the Padres' number 19 prospect in their system, which overall ranks as the second best farm system in baseball by MLB.com.

Potts scouting report via MLB.com:

Potts signed with the Padres for $1 million in 2016 as the No. 24 overall selection -- the pick the Padres received as compensation when Ian Kennedy left in free agency. He spent his first full season with Class A Fort Wayne, where he and Fernando Tatis Jr. became the first 18-year-olds to hit at least 20 home runs in the Midwest League since 1987. Potts’ power surge continued in 2018 and ’19, when he hit 21 and 17 home runs, respectively. But he struggled to reach base against Double-A pitching in 2019, posting a .290 OBP.

Potts makes hard contact at the plate, with a quick right-handed bat and plenty of strength to his frame. There is some swing-and-miss to his game. But it will be worth it if he can draw a few more walks and tap further into his power. Potts projects as a fringe-average hitter. But the power is undeniable.

San Diego drafted Potts as a shortstop but has since shifted him to third base, where he shows the necessary hands, footwork and arm strength to be an adequate defender. He moved quickly through the Minors to Double-A, and his early struggles there can be easily attributed to his youth and inexperience. Potts has plenty of time to figure things out at the upper levels. If he can make a bit more contact and work a few more walks, Potts has the upside of a big league power threat.

Rosario scouting report via MLB.com:

Rosario was viewed by scouts as one of the best athletes in the 2016 international class, and he's done nothing to prove those scouts wrong. That athleticism, along with his promising bat and feel for the game, led the Padres to sign Rosario for $1.85 million. He’s been an on-base machine at every level, finishing all three professional seasons with an on-base percentage of .368 or better.

Rosario has natural hitting ability thanks to a combination of bat speed, barrel control and hand-eye coordination. But his swing has a few moving parts, which makes it tricky to repeat. If he can simplify things, Rosario has quick hands and makes lot of hard contact from the left side of the plate, and he could grow into some power.

Rosario’s above-average speed enables him to cover ground with graceful strides in the outfield, and club officials are optimistic about his chances of remaining in center. He still needs time to develop in the Minors, mostly to fill out his lean and athletic frame. But the finished product could be that of a big league regular, with the athletic capabilities to do dazzling things on the baseball field -- including his trademark back flips to celebrate victories.

I think we can all acknowledge that it's impossible to grade the return on this trade day one, given that we're dealing with prospects here. However, when you can take a veteran first baseman, who's turning 35 a week from today, and turn that into two top 20 prospects from the second best farm system in baseball, then I think you can start to see why the Red Sox liked Chaim Bloom so much. This trade can't come back to bite the Red Sox in the ass. They've already squeezed every last drop out of Moreland's prime, won a championship with him, and did him a solid by getting him the fuck out of Boston and onto a contender during this pathetic season they're having.

In doing so, they receive two lottery tickets. Will one hit? Both? None? Time will tell, but it was certainly a no-brainer to make it happen.