Red Sox trade Josh Osich to the Cubs

The Red Sox have apparently hit the accelerator on very minor deals in the final 30 minutes or so leading up to this year’s trade deadline. After most of the day has been filled largely with silence, they have moved a couple of depth pieces right before the deadline. Soon after we learned that they had sent Kevin Pillar to Colorado in a trade, we also learned that they swung another deal. In this one, they are sending Josh Osich to the Cubs. They get back a player to be named later.

As with the Pillar deal, this has to be viewed as a success considering the minimal cost of acquisition. Osich was the very first of many scrap heap pick ups by Chaim Bloom after he was hired early last winter, coming in as a waiver claim from the White Sox. The lefty has been solid at times this year, too. His 5.74 ERA is certainly ugly, but a lot of that has to do with home runs. He does have 20 strikeouts and only five walks in 15 ²⁄₃ innings of work. Ideally, Osich will be utilized by the Cubs only against lefties, but that is obviously much harder with this year’s three-batter minimum rule for relievers.

Either way, the Red Sox get a player to be named later in this deal just like they did in the Pillar trade with the Rockies. As mentioned in that write-up, that player could be leaked earlier, but it is more likely we learn who it is in the winter. Any player who is not on a 60-man player pool (or going to be added to one after the trade) is not technically allowed to be traded and thus goes down as a player to be named later. Also similar to the Pillar deal, I would not expect the minor-leaguer to be anyone of significant value. But again, considering the cost of acquiring Osich, any return is a win.