The Boston Red Sox have officially entered sell mode.
The Red Sox traded catcher Christian Vazquez to the Houston Astros on Monday night in exchange for two minor league prospects, infielder Enmanuel Valdez and outfielder Wilyer Abreu, the team announced. Mark Berman of Houston's FOX 26 was the first to report the news.
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Here are more details about Valdez and Abreu:
Vazquez and the Red Sox are in Houston on Monday night to begin a three-game series with the Astros, and the veteran catcher actually was asked about the deal minutes after it was reported.
Houston reportedly was "focused" on a deal for Vazquez, who is one of the better offensive catchers in baseball. The 31-year-old is hitting .282 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs through 84 games and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which made him a prime trade target if Boston decided to sell ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline.
That appears to be the case, with the Red Sox shipping out their starting catcher in exchange for non-major league players. Designated hitter J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi also are trade candidates between now and Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.