The Red Sox have traded a portion of their international bonus pool to the Giants in exchange for catcher Blake Sabol, the team announced on X yesterday.
This move comes amid MLB teams competing for top international prospect Roki Sasaki, a right-handed pitcher.
The international bonus pool refers to the funds each MLB team is allocated to sign international players. Every team starts with at least $4.75 million, with some receiving additional funds due to Competitive Balance picks. However, teams can only acquire up to 60% of their total pool and must trade in increments of $250,000.
The exact amount Boston is sending to San Francisco has not been disclosed, but the minimum would be two increments, or $500,000. This trade enhances the Giants’ ability to pursue Sasaki, who has until January 23 to make his decision.
To make room for Sabol, the Red Sox designated pitcher Chase Shugart for assignment. Sabol joins the 40-man roster as the third catcher and will compete with Carlos Narvaez, who was acquired by Boston on December 11, 2024, for the backup role behind starter Connor Wong, with the team since 2020.
Originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sabol was traded to the Giants in 2022. Over the past two seasons, the 27-year-old has appeared in 121 games, tallying 39 runs, 83 hits, and a .243 batting average.
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