Article: Red Sox Stay Busy, Trade With Yankees For Catcher Carlos Narváez

[Nick John]

The Boston Red Sox have been busy as the Winter Meeting is in its penultimate day, first making a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Garrett Crochet. Now, they have followed it up with a trade with the New York Yankees.

Coming over from the Yankees is twenty-six-year-old catcher Carlos Narváez, who made his major league debut this past season. In a small sample size, Narváez appeared in six games for the Yankees, slashing .231/.333/.231 across 13 at-bats. Narváez spent most of the season in Triple A, playing 96 games where he hit 11 home runs and drove in 58 RBI.

After the season ended, Narváez played in the Venezuelan Winter League, appearing in 23 games. In that time, he slashed .366/.439/.676 in 71 at-bats.

Narváez was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster in November of 2023, although he was viewed as their fourth catcher on the depth chart. Offensively, he has managed to be roughly league average at each minor league stop but is vulnerable to high fastballs. Major league pitchers can get him out easily if they can control their fastball to the upper levels of the strike zone.

Narváez’s best tool is his fielding. The catcher has an incredibly quick release and an accurate arm. However, despite that, he has allowed 79% of base stealers to steal successfully. However, the visual scouting report of his ability to control the run game is more encouraging than what the numbers show. Overall, he’s viewed as a competent defender who is fair with blocking balls in the dirt.

He will most likely be viewed as the Red Sox's third catcher waiting in Triple-A Worcester if they manage to bring another catcher. Otherwise, at the current moment, he would be the backup catcher to Connor Wong.

Heading back to the Yankees to complete the deal is right-handed pitcher Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, TalkSox’s 15th-ranked prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Rodriquez-Cruz was drafted in the 4th round of the 2021 draft and spent last season between Salem and Greenville. Overall, he finished the year with a five and five record across 21 games split between the two levels. He pitched to a 2.91 ERA and struck out 102 batters in 89 2/3 innings. The Red Sox are also sending an $250,000 of international bonus pool space to the Bronx in the deal.

Rodriguez-Cruz, profiled as a long reliever, will be an interesting acquisition for the Yankees. He is only 20 years old and has a fastball that tops out at 99 mph.

As a corresponding move to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Narváez, Enmanual Valdéz was designated for assignment. Acquired in the Christian Vazquez trade to Houston in 2022 alongside Wilyer Abreu, Valdez spent parts of two seasons in Boston. In 125 career games, Valdéz slashed .235/.287/.400, hitting 12 home runs and driving 47 RBI.

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[moonslav59]

Sounds like the defensive catcher we need. Apparently, he walks a lot, so he's not a total loss on offense,

ERod had some hopes, but this looks like a good deal.

EValdez was DFA'd to make room. He may end up being traded, but maybe not.

The roster is taking shape, although some parts are still lumpy, as in Chapman as our closer and the lack of a big RHB.

[FredLynn]

35 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Sounds like the defensive catcher we need. Apparently, he walks a lot, so he's not a total loss on offense,

ERod had some hopes, but this looks like a good deal.

EValdez was DFA'd to make room. He may end up being traded, but maybe not.

The roster is taking shape, although some parts are still lumpy, as in Chapman as our closer and the lack of a big RHB.

And one more quality SP

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

And one more quality SP

We seem a lot closer to respectability than a couple days (hours) ago,

[FredLynn]

18 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We seem a lot closer to respectability than a couple days (hours) ago,

Agreed. I believe one more quality SP plus a good RHB and we could compete for a playoff berth. 

[Larry Cook]

I wonder why bres-slow gave up so quickly on Elmer ?????

[vjcsmoke]

I believe losing Teel in the trade for crotchet promoted this trade. At age 26 Narvaez is pretty much MLB ready. His hitting numbers were awful in small sample size but he did tear it up in winter league so who knows maybe he can become league average for a catcher some day.

[WestestWorcester]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We seem a lot closer to respectability than a couple days (hours) ago,

Definitely, I also think that with the now big 3 coming up, this season's focus really should be respectability, probably Breslow is still looking at 2026 for real contention

[Hitch]

Love this trade. 

[notin]

9 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I wonder why bres-slow gave up so quickly on Elmer ?????

Not his pick, high MiLB attrition rates for pitchers, and saw a need for catching depth.

Like every org, the Sox have five other ERCs.  His only distinguishable characteristic was that his name was Elmer…

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, notin said:

Not his pick, high MiLB attrition rates for pitchers, and saw a need for catching depth.

Like every org, the Sox have five other ERCs.  His only distinguishable characteristic was that his name was Elmer…

Plus, we already had an ERod.

Been there: done that!

[Hugh2]

9 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I wonder why bres-slow gave up so quickly on Elmer ?????

I don't agree with the narrative that a team is "giving up" on a guy just because he traded them.  You have to give something to get something.  Catcher was an area of need, and Elmer was very redundant, yes the Sox lake top end pitching talent but they have a plethora of guys in Elmer's range; no plus pitch, not a lot of swing and miss might be better as a reliever. 

Also Elmer had been in the Sox system for 3 full years, it's not like Breslow just picked a guy out of a hat, I'm sure his decision to value Elmer as a trade piece was largely built by the internal evaluations of the guys in the Sox development staff who've been here and watching Elmer for those three years. 

[notin]

9 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I don't agree with the narrative that a team is "giving up" on a guy just because he traded them.  You have to give something to get something.  Catcher was an area of need, and Elmer was very redundant, yes the Sox lake top end pitching talent but they have a plethora of guys in Elmer's range; no plus pitch, not a lot of swing and miss might be better as a reliever. 

Also Elmer had been in the Sox system for 3 full years, it's not like Breslow just picked a guy out of a hat, I'm sure his decision to value Elmer as a trade piece was largely built by the internal evaluations of the guys in the Sox development staff who've been here and watching Elmer for those three years. 

ERC was traded for a 26yo catcher with boring MiLB statistics and 15 career plate appearances in the Majors.  I think both sides gave up here.,,

[mvp 78]

10 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I wonder why bres-slow gave up so quickly on Elmer ?????

Quickly? Elmer had been around a while. Last year was his third in Salem. His fastball has poor characteristics and he doesn't have a typical MLB pitcher body. They were quicker to promote other guys last season (Wehunt) before Elmer. I just think he wasn't valued at all. Probably saw him as a reliever. 

[moonslav59]

7 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I don't agree with the narrative that a team is "giving up" on a guy just because he traded them.  You have to give something to get something.  Catcher was an area of need, and Elmer was very redundant, yes the Sox lake top end pitching talent but they have a plethora of guys in Elmer's range; no plus pitch, not a lot of swing and miss might be better as a reliever. 

Also Elmer had been in the Sox system for 3 full years, it's not like Breslow just picked a guy out of a hat, I'm sure his decision to value Elmer as a trade piece was largely built by the internal evaluations of the guys in the Sox development staff who've been here and watching Elmer for those three years. 

Well said.

If there is one thing we have a lot of, it's pitchers in the minors who show a little promise- like ERod. (Just not a lot or promise.)

Two steps ahead: Perales

One step: Dobbins, Priester, Fitts and maybe Guerrero, Early, Tolle & Sandlin

About even with Wikelman and ERod:

Penrod, Gambrell, Mata, I Coffey, Rogers

Monegro, Paez, Mullins, Wehunt, Dean, 

Valera, Ingrassia, D Reyes, Clarke, Neely, Tygart

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Plus, we already had an ERod.

Been there: done that!

Elmer's actually an Elrod. Sox fans may never see him turn into Soul Man, but hopefully someday he'll get to pitch to Jake Burger.

[Larry Cook]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Well said.

If there is one thing we have a lot of, it's pitchers in the minors who show a little promise- like ERod. (Just not a lot or promise.)

Two steps ahead: Perales

One step: Dobbins, Priester, Fitts and maybe Guerrero, Early, Tolle & Sandlin

Penrod, Gambrell, Mata, I Coffey, Rogers

Monegro, Paez, Mullins, Wehunt, Dean, 

Valera, Ingrassia, D Reyes, Clarke, Neely, Tygart

This has to be the weakest group of pitchers of all the organizations in Major League Baseball 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

3 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

This has to be the weakest group of pitchers of all the organizations in Major League Baseball 

Wha- every one of them can press Yoshida's inflatable dumb bells.

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

This has to be the weakest group of pitchers of all the organizations in Major League Baseball 

I don't think it's as bad as you think, but we sure lack the highest promising pitchers on the farm.

We have a nice quantity of somewhat promising pitchers, for what that is worth.

[mvp 78]

56 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

This has to be the weakest group of pitchers of all the organizations in Major League Baseball 

You can thank Bloom for that. We'll see if Breslow is able to continue to add. There are high hopes for Tolle.