Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Trade For Intriguing Mets Reliever After Stellar 2023 Campaign

Boston snagged a promising arm
Scott Neville|
Red Sox Trade For Intriguing Mets Reliever After Stellar 2023 Campaign
Red Sox Trade For Intriguing Mets Reliever After Stellar 2023 Campaign

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Boston Red Sox

New Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has only been in town for a couple of months but already has three trades under his belt.

While the move he made on Tuesday night will garner attention for years -- sending outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees for a package of prospects -- his most recent deal appears to be a strong one.

"Shortly after the Rule 5 draft, Boston acquired right-handed reliever Justin Slaten from the (New York) Mets in exchange for lefty pitcher Ryan Ammons and cash, according to a team announcement," MassLive's Chris Cotillo wrote Wednesday.

"Minutes earlier, the Mets had taken Slaten from the (Texas) Rangers as part of the Rule 5 proceedings. Therefore, Slaten still falls under Rule 5 regulations -- he must stick on Boston’s active roster (or injured list, if he’s hurt) -- for the entire 2023 season."

Slaten was a lock to be selected in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft coming off a strong campaign. 

The 26-year-old posted a 2.87 ERA with an 86-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .206 batting average against and 1.07 WHIP in 59 2/3 innings between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock last season.

Slaten can touch upper 90s with his fastball and has a dangerous slider alongside a formidable cutter and occasional curveball. 

The talented right-hander has a real shot to make the Red Sox's bullpen this season and would certainly have more upside than the previous depth options Boston has deployed -- looking at you Kaleb Ort and Justin Garza.

More MLB: Red Sox Poach Catcher From Yankees In Minor League Rule 5 Draft

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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

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