Former Giants catcher Blake Sabol is heading from the Red Sox to White Sox after a minor trade.
The Boston Red Sox traded former San Francisco Giants catcher Blake Sabol to the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations on Sunday. Sabol had been designated for assignment and outrighted to the minor leagues by Boston earlier in the month. It’s unclear yet if the White Sox acquired Sabol with the intention to call him up to the majors or if they were simply looking to solidify their minor league catching depth.
The Giants traded Jake Wong to the Reds for Sabol after he had been selected in the Rule 5 Draft away from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2023 season. As injuries and poor performance limited Roberto Pérez, Joey Bart, and Gary Sánchez, Sabol and then-rookie Patrick Bailey took on the lion’s share of catching duties for the team. While Sabol had played some catcher throughout his career, scouts had remained skeptical of his long-term viability as a backstop. For the Giants, he split his time between catcher and left field.
Sabol got off to a semi-hot start, but finished the season hitting .235/.301/.394 with 10 doubles, 13 home runs, 24 walks, and 117 strikeouts in 344 plate appearances (110 games). Below average defensively at both positions, Sabol found himself on the outside looking in the following season. Sabol spent the majority of the season at Triple-A, and was relatively unexceptional in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
The Giants moved on from Sabol this offseason, designating him for assignment, and he was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox. He only appeared in eight games with the Red Sox this season, going 2-for-16 with a double, walk, and seven strikeouts. He struggled just as mightily with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, hitting .167/.281/.299. He will now look to turn things around with the White Sox organization.