BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox traded catcher and team mainstay Christian Vázquez to the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez and minor league outfielder Wilyer Abreu. The move coincided with the Sox activating pitcher Rich Hill and recalling catcher Ronaldo Hernandez from Triple-A Worcester.
Vázquez, 31, has hit .262 (610-for-2,329) with 54 home runs in 698 Major League games, all with the Red Sox. Selected by Boston in the ninth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, he ranks fifth in franchise history with 651 games at catcher. Vázquez caught the final pitch of the 2018 World Series, as the Red Sox went 9-1 in his 10 starts during their Postseason run. In the 2021 American League Division Series, he ended Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 13th-inning home run, the latest walk-off homer in Boston’s Postseason history. Since the start of 2019, Vázquez leads the majors in games caught (371).
Valdez, 23, is ranked by Baseball America as the Astros’ No. 12 prospect. The left-handed hitter has split the 2022 season between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, batting .327 (107-for-327) in 82 games with a 1.016 OPS, 26 doubles, one triple, 21 home runs, 77 RBI, and 66 runs scored. This season, he has made 36 starts at second base, 17 at third base, 14 in left field, and eight at designated hitter. Born in the Dominican Republic, Valdez was signed by the Astros as an international free agent in July 2015. He is one of only four minor leaguers in 2022 with at least a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and 20 home runs.
Abreu, 23, is ranked by Baseball America as the Astros’ No. 21 prospect. The left-handed hitter has spent the entire 2022 season with Corpus Christi, playing in 89 games and batting .249 (82-for-329) with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, 54 RBI, 81 runs scored, 78 walks, a .399 on-base percentage, an .858 OPS, and 23 stolen bases in 24 attempts. He has made 44 starts in center field this season, as well as 22 in left field, 17 in right field, and five at designated hitter. Among all minor leaguers, Abreu ranks third in walks and is tied for third in runs scored. Born in Venezuela, he signed with the Astros as an international free agent in July 2017.
Hernandez, 24, is batting .279 (81-for-290) with 23 doubles, 10 home runs, and 45 RBI in 74 games this season, including .326 (56-for-172) with an .876 OPS, 23 extra-base hits, and 29 RBI in 43 games beginning June 4. He has made 48 starts at catcher this season, throwing out 10 of 46 attempted base stealers (21.7%). Hernandez was recalled on April 19 but did not appear in that night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays before being optioned to Worcester the following day. His first appearance will be his Major League debut.
Hill, 42, was placed on the 15-Day Injured List on July 2 with a left knee sprain. The left-hander made one rehab start, allowing one run over 3.0 innings on July 28 for Double-A Portland at Hartford. Hill is 4-4 with a 4.20 ERA (33 ER/70.2 IP) in 15 starts for Boston this season, allowing three earned runs or fewer in 12 of his outings.
On Monday, the Red Sox acquired outfielder Tommy Pham from the Cincinnati Reds, in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Pham, 34, is batting .238 (81-for-340) with 11 home runs and 39 RBI in 91 games for the Reds this season, making 82 starts in left field. The right-handed hitter ranks third among Major League left fielders with seven outfield assists. Against left-handed pitching this season, Pham has hit .290 (27-for-93) with an .833 OPS, four doubles, and four home runs.
Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Durango High School (NV), Pham has hit .261 (717-for-2,743) with 108 home runs and 339 RBI in 823 games for the Cardinals (2014-18), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-19), San Diego Padres (2020-21), and Reds (2022). He has played in 15 Postseason games for the Cardinals (2015), Rays (2019), and Padres (2020), hitting .352 (19-for-