Red Sox Swing Trade With Giants To Bolster Bullpen For Playoff Run
The Boston Red Sox have made their second trade in as many days, this time adding to the big-league roster as opposed to taking from it.
The Red Sox upgraded their bullpen late Wednesday night.
"Red Sox make a minor trade," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported. "Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Mauricio Llovera from the San Francisco Giants, in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Marques Johnson. Kaleb Ort to 60-day injured list to clear a 40-man spot."
Llovera must be added to the Red Sox's big-league roster because he is out of options, placing Joe Jacques on the hot seat. It's likely that he will be optioned to Triple-A Worcester prior to Friday's game.
The 27-year-old Llovera has spent most of his season in Triple-A Sacramento but has logged 5 1/3 innings for the Giants this season with one run allowed.
The right-hander had a 3.92 ERA with a 24-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .211 batting average against and 1.06 WHIP in 20 2/3 innings for Triple-A Sacramento. If you can look past the middling ERA, his overall numbers are promising.
Llovera has a two-pitch mix that features a sinker that averages 95.9 mph and a slider that averages 83 mph and has a 20% whiff rate. He throws them at a near 50/50 rate.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom stressed his desire to acquire players with multiple years of team control. Llovera is still in pre-arbitration, which certainly fits Bloom's vision.
Llovera will have a chance to face the team who just shipped him off right away, as the Red Sox begin a three-game set over the weekend with the Giants in Oracle Park.
As for Johnson, he had a 6.55 ERA with a 43-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .242 batting average against and 1.60 WHIP in 34 1/3 innings for Low-A Salem this season after being drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. He did appear to be turning his season around as of late but was not close to being deemed a top prospect.
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