The Boston Red Sox on Monday traded infielder C.J. Chatham to the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Chatham, who spent 2020 at the Red Sox’s alternate training site, has yet to make his major league debut. The 26-year-old seemingly is on the cusp of reaching The Show, though, having spent the previous campaign split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket.
A second-round in 2016, Chatham batted .298 with five home runs, 46 RBIs, seven stolen bases and a .741 OPS in 110 games (467 plate appearances) with the Sea Dogs and PawSox in 2019.
This move, while minor on its surface, is notable for several reasons.
First, it creates a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster, which was necessary in wake of the Red Sox agreeing to a deal with pitcher Martin Perez.
Second, it marks another trade between the Red Sox and Phillies, who just five months ago completed an August deadline swap in which Boston sent Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to Philadelphia in exchange for Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold.
Perhaps most significant, however, is the optics of Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom wheeling and dealing with the man he essentially replaced, Dave Dombrowski, who recently was hired as Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations.
Dombrowski was Boston’s president of baseball operations when the Red Sox drafted Chatham, so clearly he sees something in the young infielder, who has spent most of his minor league career at shortstop but also has experience at third base and second base.
