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Red Sox News: Adalberto Mondesí Traded to BOS from Royals for Josh Taylor

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 24, 2023

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 21: Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (27) throws to first for an out during a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals on April 21, 2022, at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO.  (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images),
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The Boston Red Sox announced Tuesday that they agreed to a trade with the Kansas City Royals for shortstop Adalberto Mondesí.

Boston is sending left-handed pitcher Josh Taylor to the Royals for Mondesí, along with a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Mondesí, who is the son of former MLB outfielder Raúl Mondesí, has missed most of the past two seasons due to injury.

After becoming the first player since 1885 to make their MLB debut in the World Series in 2015, Mondesí spent the majority of the next two seasons in the minors.

He became a full-time starter of the Royals in the middle of the 2018 season and then saw the most extensive action of his MLB career in 2019.

Appearing in a career-high 102 games, Mondesí hit .263 with a career-high 62 RBI, 58 runs scored, 43 stolen bases and 10 triples to go along with nine home runs.

He then played in 59 of the Royals' 60 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, hitting .256 with six homers, 22 RBI, 33 runs and an American League-leading 24 steals.

Mondesí seemed poised to become one of MLB's best all-around shortstops in 2021, but oblique and hamstring injuries limited him to just 35 games. He then appeared in only 15 games last season due to a torn ACL suffered in May.

While durability has been a major issue, acquiring Mondesí could be a worthwhile gamble for a Red Sox team looking for answers at shortstop.

Longtime starting shortstop Xander Bogaerts signed with the San Diego Padres in free agency. Trevor Story was supposed to slide over from second base to shortstop in 2023, but a UCL injury may keep him out for most or all of the season.

Despite having made his MLB debut in 2015, Mondesí is still just 27 years old, and he has plenty of untapped potential that could still be realized if he manages to stay healthy.

The gamble is worthwhile since Mondesí will only make $3.045 million this season before hitting free agency in 2024.

Also, the Red Sox didn't have to give up a quality prospect or an important member of the Major League roster to land him.

Taylor is a 29-year-old southpaw who spent time on Boston's roster from 2019 to 2021 as a reliever. His biggest workload came in 2021 when he went 1-0 with a 3.40 ERA, 1.427 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 47.2 innings in 61 appearances out of the bullpen.

Overall, Taylor owns a 3.69 ERA and 1.329 WHIP in 121 outings during his Major League career.

Last season, Taylor pitched exclusively in Triple-A and Double-A after dealing with a back injury, going 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.91 WHIP in 13 appearances, seven of which were starts.

If Mondesí is healthy to start the 2023 season, he has a chance to vie for a spot near the top of Boston's lineup along with third baseman Rafael Devers, designated hitter Justin Turner and outfielders Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida.