Blake Sabol DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Boston Red Sox acquired catcher Blake Sabol from the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in exchange for international bonus-pool space. In a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster for Sabol, the Red Sox designated right-hander Chase Shugart for assignment. Sabol was recently DFA'd by the Giants and will now head to the American League East, where he'll serve as catching depth for the BoSox behind Connor Wong and Carlos Narvaez. The 27-year-old former seventh-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019 out of USC also has experience in the outfield but will likely start the 2025 season at Triple-A Worcester. He made his big-league debut in San Fran in 2023, hitting .235 (73-for-310) with 13 homers and 44 RBI in 110 games but only played in 11 games for the Gigantes this past season. Sabol will be off the fantasy radar in all redraft fantasy leagues.

According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay, the San Francisco Giants are designating catcher Blake Sabol for assignment. This transaction opens a roster spot for staring pitcher Justin Verlander, who recently agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants. Sabol appeared in just 11 games with the Giants last season but performed well as he posted a .313/.421/.375. Sabol spent most of the season (97 games) at Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a .246/.340/.388 slash line with 14 doubles, 11 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. The Giants now have three catchers on their major league roster with Patrick Bailey expected to operate as the clear No.1 option. Fantasy managers should expect Sabol to compete for a spot on an Opening Day roster if he were to be claimed by another club.

The San Francisco Giants optioned shortstop Marco Luciano and catcher Blake Sabol to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. Many folks expected Luciano to open the year as San Fran's starting shortstop, but instead he'll open the year in the minors after missing some time with an injury in spring training. Veteran Nick Ahmed will open the 2024 season as the Giants' starter at the 6. The 22-year-old Luciano should still be considered the team's best long-term option at shortstop, but it remains to be seen when they'll deem him ready to return to the majors. Sabol, 26, is currently the Giants' No. 3 catcher behind Patrick Bailey and Joey Bart, so he'll bide his time on the farm until the team needs another catcher at the big-league level.