WATCH: Speechless Red Sox Catcher Finds Out He’s Been Traded During Batting Practice
Brian McTaggart/@brianmctaggart
Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez appeared stunned after he found out during batting practice that he’d been traded to the Houston Astros.
Vazquez won’t have to travel far to join his new team, as the Red Sox are in Houston for a three-game series that ends Wednesday.
The longtime Red Sox backstop made his Major League debut with the team in 2014 and has been a stable presence behind home plate. On Monday, Vazquez received the news he’d been traded to the Astros during batting practice and was left momentarily speechless.
Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart posted the awkward moment on Twitter:
Vazquez when asked if he was traded to Astros, “I think so, yeah.”
How does it feel: “It’s a business.”
Red Sox PR pulled him away. pic.twitter.com/fQ06LVzwW0
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 1, 2022
Vazquez was asked if he’d been traded to Houston.
“I think so, yeah,” Vazquez responded, seemingly visibly stunned.
“How do you feel about being traded to the Astros, Christian?” McTaggart asked.
“It’s a business,” he said after several seconds while staring off into the distance. “It’s a business.”
The reporter asked Vazquez how he felt about going to a first-place team, but before he could respond, a member of the Red Sox public relations team whisked him away.
In return, Boston received prospects Emanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu.
The Red Sox are in last place in the American League East but remain just three games out of the final Wild Card spot in a tight race. It was unclear if the team would be a buyer or a seller ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. While trading Vazquez for minor leaguers appeared to indicate a seller’s mindset, the Red Sox acquired first baseman Eric Hosmer from the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.
