The Red Sox’s Marcelo Mayer trade did not stay simple for long. What first looked like a straight swap with the Giants for left-handed reliever Erik Miller quickly became a two-player return when Boston also landed outfielder Carlos Gutierrez.
That extra piece changes the shape of the deal, and it gives the Red Sox another young player to evaluate alongside Miller. It also means the organization walked away from Mayer, a player who once carried major franchise-altering buzz, with more than just bullpen help.
Mayer’s departure stirred up strong reactions. Some people thought Boston moved on too fast, while others believed the timing made sense. There were clearly people inside the organization who had started to lose faith as well, and the strange June situation did not help matters.
Still, Mayer’s story is not finished. He can absolutely still put together a solid big league career.
The concerns are real, but not every criticism around him was fair. The talent was always there, and by all accounts he was also a fantastic person to deal with.
At the same time, Boston’s infield picture has changed enough that Mayer’s path had become murky. Curtis Mead has arrived.
Caleb Durbin looks like the third baseman for the next few years. Franklin Arias appears to be the shortstop of the future.
With those pieces in place, Mayer no longer fit as cleanly as he once did.
The more interesting long-term piece in the return may be Gutierrez. He is 21, bats left-handed, and has spent the entire season in High-A. He is not being sold as an elite prospect, but he brings enough to the table to make you pay attention.
His numbers are solid across the board: .271/.385/.441 with 18 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs in 83 games. He has driven in 45 runs, scored 65, and stolen 26 bases. He has also done it efficiently, going 26-for-28 on the bases.
Gutierrez does not project as a big power bat right now. His swing is compact, though, and there is room for Boston to work with it. The Red Sox have already had success helping prospects add pop, and that is part of what makes him intriguing.
What really stands out is the hit tool. Gutierrez is striking out just 19.6% of the time and walking 15.1% of the time.
He is not chasing much, and there is not a ton of whiff in his game. Add in his speed and plus defense in the outfield, and you get a player with a pretty sturdy foundation.
That kind of profile can carry a prospect a long way, even before the bat fully arrives. If the offense keeps trending the right way, then the package becomes a lot more interesting.
In that sense, Gutierrez fits the kind of position player Boston has been chasing lately. The Red Sox have spent the last couple drafts targeting hitters with good swings and trying to build more exit velocity into the profile.
It has already paid off with players like Henry Godbout, Yophery Rodriguez, Mason White, and Jack Winnay. Gutierrez looks like another one of those bets.
Losing Mayer still hurts. Even for people who had cooled on him, it is hard to ignore how big the hype once was when he fell to Boston at No.
- But the Red Sox did come away with a strong left-handed reliever, and Gutierrez was enough to make the deal worth a closer look almost immediately.
In Other News...
Red Sox Still Need Answers After Hot Bat Left Early Wednesday
The Red Sox had already been leaning on Willson Contreras bat for much of Wednesdays game against the White Sox, which made his sudden early exit feel like a notable swing in the night. Before he left, he had been performing well, giving Boston another useful presence in the lineup at a time when every productive at-bat matters.
Boston said Contreras was removed because of an illness, and the team added that it is not connected to the recent helmet injury he took against the Dodgers. More details are expected after the game, leaving the Red Sox with at least one more health question to sort through as they try to keep the offense moving. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Durbin Is Making That Mocked Red Sox Trade Look Brilliant
Caleb Durbin looked like a hard sell for a while after the Red Sox brought him over from Milwaukee in an offseason trade that drew plenty of skepticism. He struggled early, and the move was easy to second-guess, but since late June he has settled in and emerged as one of the more productive third basemen in baseball, giving Boston real value at a spot that can shape a lineup night after night.
Durbin has been part of a larger surge for the Red Sox, with Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler also helping fuel a stronger run since late June. The turnaround has changed the tone around a deal that once looked mocked and now looks like a clear win for Boston, especially with the club climbing in the standings and hanging around the playoff race. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Send Clear Message As Franklin Arias Pushes For Boston
The trade deadline offered a pretty clean read on where the Red Sox see Franklin Arias in their long-term plans. While the front office moved other top prospects, it kept the 20-year-old shortstop in the system, a strong sign the club considers him a real piece of what comes next. Arias has backed that belief with a good season across Double-A and Triple-A, giving Boston another reminder that his development has become one of the more important storylines in the organization.
For now, though, the message from the Red Sox is more patience than urgency. Craig Breslow has sounded encouraged by what Arias is doing, but the club is not looking to force a promotion while it is in the middle of a playoff push. Boston likes where the young infielder is headed, and it is clearly watching him closely, but the next step is still being treated as something to earn rather than something to rush. [Read more 🡒]