Red Sox acquire Jovani Moran from Twins

The Boston Red Sox have acquired left-handed relief pitcher Jovani Moran (27) from the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, in exchange for catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper (29). Moran will occupy the 39th position on the Red Sox's 40-man roster.

A former seventh-round selection in the 2015 MLB Draft, Moran is set to begin his fifth season, having spent his initial four years with the Twins. He missed the entirety of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Moran experienced a decline in performance compared to his 2022 season. In 2023, he recorded a 5.31 ERA over 43 appearances, allowing 35 hits and 27 walks in 42.1 innings while striking out 48 batters.

Despite a challenging season, Moran was among the Twins' leading relievers in 2022, achieving a 2.21 ERA in 31 games, with only 25 hits and 18 walks allowed in 40.2 innings, alongside 54 strikeouts.

This transaction marks the third significant pitching acquisition for the Red Sox this offseason, following the trade for former Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet and the signing of former Los Angeles Dodgers starter Walker Buehler to a one-year, $21.05 million contract.

Gasper had limited opportunities last season with the Red Sox, appearing in just 18 plate appearances without a hit. Nevertheless, the former 27th-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft had a commendable season in the Red Sox minor league system.

He posted an impressive slash line of .328/.440/.531/.970, hitting 12 home runs and driving in 58 runs across AAA and AA levels. His defensive skills are also noteworthy.

In 2024, during his time in the minors, Gasper participated in 38 games at first base (.993 fielding percentage), 36 games at catcher (.989 fielding percentage), four games at second base (1.000 fielding percentage), and one game at third base (1.000 fielding percentage). However, he managed to throw out only 17 percent (11 out of 55) of base stealers last year.

SportsLigue