Red Sox trade Enmanuel Valdez to Pirates for pitching prospect

The Boston Red Sox traded second baseman Enmanuel Valdez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander Joe Vogatsky, the clubs announced Sunday.

Valdez, who was designated for assignment Wednesday, is expected to be a bench piece for the Pirates but could challenge projected starter Nick Gonzales for playing time at second.

The 25-year-old Valdez hit six homers with 28 RBIs and a .633 OPS over 76 games in 2024.

The Pirates selected Vogatsky in the 19th round of this year's draft. The 22-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA with 8.8 K/9 over 49 innings as a reliever in NCAA's Sun Belt Conference.