Red Sox pull off late trade to get roster back to 40
Boston made a small deal late on the final day of the Winter Meetings, adding a minor-league reliever to fill a roster spot.
The Boston Red Sox had an opening to fill on their 40-man roster after trading Vaughn Grissom for a lower-level minor leaguer. They decided to fill it with a reliever acquired in a trade late on the final day of the Winter Meetings.
As announced by the team Wednesday night, the Red Sox traded for right-handed pitcher Ryan Watson from the Athletics, in exchange for minor league utility player Justin Riemer and cash considerations. The move puts the Red Sox' 40-man roster back at the maximum, as they head into the post-Winter Meetings phase of the offseason.
Watson, 28, was originally a 39th-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. He played four years of college ball at Auburn, where he made the 2020 honor roll in Supply Chain Management and graduated that same year. Watson first joined the pros with the Baltimore Orioles, where he spent seven seasons working his way up to Triple-A. The Orioles traded him to the Giants for cash in 2024, then he stayed in the San Fran organization until he was left unprotected in Wednesday's Rule 5 draft. The A's then selected him, and later traded him to Boston. He has yet to pitch in a major league game.
A 6-foot-5 reliever, Watson has made 157 career minor-league appearances with 34 starts. He throws a fastball, slider, and cutter, with his heater clocked at an average of 94.4 mph in 2025 (via Fangraphs). It's certainly not unprecedented for a veteran minor-leaguer to finally crack the majors, and even make an impact, in his late-20s. But at this stage, Watson should be considered a long shot to be a difference-maker for the 2026 Boston Red Sox.
In the wake of the Winter Meetings, as of Thursday morning, the Red Sox have had a disappointing week. Despite being linked to several big-name infielders and Craig Breslow publicly addressing the team's need for a middle-of-the-order bat, Boston has yet to make a significant addition. They struck out on free agents Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, and Alex Bregman remains on the open market.
