Before the trade deadline was over, the Boston Red Sox traded for Cincinnati Reds outfielder Tommy Pham for a player to be named later.
That player’s identity has already been revealed.
“Red Sox trade minor leaguer Nick Northcut to Reds as the player to be named later in the Tommy Pham deal,” MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo tweeted on Wednesday.
When it comes to prospects, Red Sox fans are always wary: they understand they are a valuable component of their next winning team.
Cotillo, however, helped eased any concerns they might have.
“Before the overreactions: @SoxProspects does not have Northcut among their top 60 players in the system,” he tweeted.
Before the overreactions: @SoxProspects does not have Northcut among their top 60 players in the system. https://t.co/FL4wLp6bfw
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) September 14, 2022
At the moment of being traded, Pham had posted just a .694 OPS with 11 home runs and seven stolen bases in Cincinnati.
He has improved with the Red Sox, though: in 36 games and 149 plate appearances, he is hitting .262/.321/.416 with five homers and a .737 OPS.
Pham has an injury-prone label, but when healthy, he is a dynamic power-speed combo even at 34 years old.
The Reds Will Take A Chance On Northcut
Northcut, on the other hand, is a 23-year-old corner infielder capable of playing first and third base.
He has considerable raw power: he even hit 26 home runs in the minor leagues in 2022, in High-A.
He does have some severe contact issues, though: he has run strikeout rates of over 35 percent in both levels he has played in this year (High-A and Double-A).
He also has a good throwing arm, but his chances of carving some sort of MLB role with the Reds will entirely depend on how much contact he can make.
Overall, he was seen as a promising, but expendable player in the Red Sox system.
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