Vaughn Grissom Takes Unexpected Shot At Red Sox's Front Office

Some pent-up animosity here, for sure...

Aug 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Do the Boston Red Sox have any reason to regret letting Vaughn Grissom go?

There's no doubt the Red Sox got hammered on the value calculations of first acquiring Grissom from the Atlanta Braves for ace Chris Sale, then dealing him to the Los Angeles Angels two offseasons later for unheralded outfield prospect Isaiah Jackson. But does the fact that Grissom is now a somewhat regular starter with the Angels reflect poorly on the Red Sox's second trade decision?

That seems to be the implication of Grissom's latest comments, as the 25-year-old came out of the clouds with a harsh critique of the Boston front office this week.

What Grissom said about Red Sox

Speaking to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald, Grissom said he thought he hadn't changed much at all since his trade to the Angels, and that the Red Sox essentially hadn't given him a fair shake when it came to playing time.

“I think I would probably attribute that to the computer, you know what I mean?” Grissom said. “You have to watch the game and I think I’m damn near the same player, it’s just the opportunity, these people believe in me and in Boston there was no belief in the player. It is what it is, some people watch the game, some people go on the computer.”

Grissom got passed up last spring in Boston when then-rookie Kristian Campbell blazed his way to the major league starting second base job after only one full minor-league season, and that decision hasn't worked out in the Red Sox's favor. But even with Campbell back in Triple-A, the Red Sox have options they'd prefer over Grissom, especially trade pickup Curtis Mead when he recovers from a broken wrist.

Yet, Grissom doubled down on his stance that the Red Sox's overreliance on analytics cost them a good one when they shipped him out.

“Yeah, I don’t know, maybe I don’t look the best on paper but you watch enough and you see what the player is bringing,” Grissom told Cerullo.

There's no doubt that Grissom has gotten better this season with consistent playing time. But in 78 games, he sports a .254/.315/.392 slash line (102 OPS+) seven home runs, and negative-5 defensive runs saved across three positions. Add all that up and you get 0.5 bWAR.

Useful player? Sure. Someone the Red Sox should rue the day they gave up trying to turn into a star? Not yet.

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