Athletics Acquire Nate Eaton From Red Sox

The offseason trading has begun. The Athletics have acquired outfielder Nate Eaton from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league right-hander Jareth Rayo. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that Eaton was traded to the A’s. Chris Cotillo of MassLive first reported the Sox would get a minor leaguer in return. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR first identified Rayo. Eaton, 30 in December, was on the roster bubble in Boston. He served an up-and-down depth role this year, getting shuttled between Triple-A and the majors. He hit just .160/.300/.260 in the big leagues and exhausted his final option season. It was going to be hard for him to a hold a spot on the 40-man through the offseason. Most teams are facing a crunch in the coming days. The injured list goes away on Monday, meaning several players on the 60-day IL will need to retake roster spots. Prior to this deal, RosterResource projected the Sox for a 40-man count of 44, factoring in players coming off the IL and those bound for free agency. They still have to open three spots but moving Eaton starts the process of alleviating the logjam. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the A’s have a new front office leader who just departed Boston. General manager David Forst was dismissed in August. In October, the club hired Taylor Smith as president of baseball operations. Smith had previously been an assistant general manager with the Red Sox and should be familiar with Eaton. Though Eaton hasn’t clicked in the majors yet, with a .221/.294/.307 batting line over four seasons, there are things to like. His speed and defense could give him a decent floor. Statcast pegged him sprint speed in the 96th percentile of qualified players this year. In his big league career, Eaton has 25 steals in 28 attempts. In 578 outfield innings, he has been credited with 14 Defensive Runs Saved, three Outs Above Average, and a mark of six from Fielding Run Value. Those skills make him a viable bench outfielder. If he can provide anything else with the bat, it would be a bonus. As mentioned, he hasn’t hit in the majors yet. His work in the minors has been a bit better but still not outstanding. From 2023 to 2026, he stepped to the plate 1,594 times at the Triple-A level. His 8.2% walk rate and 22.7% strikeout rate were around average. He slashed .262/.329/.444 for a wRC+ of 96. The A’s project to have Henry Bolte, Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom in three outfield spots next year. Denzel Clarke and Carlos Cortes and others would be in the mix for complementary roles. If Eaton lasts on the roster through the winter, he would complete with those guys for a bench spot. If things click with the A’s, he’ll be cheaply controllable as he still hasn’t qualified for arbitration. RosterResource projected the A’s for a 40-man count of 46 before this deal, so they will have to clear some space in the coming days. The Red Sox clear a roster spot and also get a lottery ticket prospect in the process. Rayo was an international signing of the A’s out of Nicaragua last year. He tossed 36 innings in the Dominican Summer League this year with a 5.50 earned run average. Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta,Imagn Images