Enmanuel Valdez DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Pirates have acquired infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez in a trade with the Red Sox. Minor league pitcher Joe Vogatsky was shipped to Boston in exchange for Valdez. The 25-year-old debuted for Boston in 2023, playing 125 games and posting a .235-12-47-40-6 line in 372 career plate appearances. It's unclear how the Pirates plan to use the left-handed hitter as they already have Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, and Nick Yorke who can play his primary position of second base. Vogatsky was the Pirates' 19th-round pick in the 2024 Draft but has yet to make his minor league debut. Neither player figures to have a significant fantasy impact in 2025.

The Boston Red Sox optioned infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday and recalled infielder/outfielder Jamie Westbrook from Worcester in a corresponding move. The Red Sox also selected the contract of right-hander Trey Wingenter from the minors and designated right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa for assignment. Westbrook will now replace Valdez on Boston's big-league roster as a utility man after Valdez hit just .226 (37-for-164) with six home runs, 26 RBI and 20 runs scored in 56 games in just his second year in the Show. The move to send the 25-year-old back to the farm is good news for fantasy managers that have been relying on regular playing time and the speed of middle infielder David Hamilton. Westbrook, who hits right-handed, made his big-league debut earlier this year and went 4-for-18 with a homer, four RBI and eight K's in 11 games played.

Boston Red Sox infielder Enmanuel Valdez will retreat to the bench for Friday's series opener against the visiting San Diego Padres. David Hamilton will get the nod at second base and will bat second, while Ceddanne Rafaela will man the 6 for Boston and bat in the nine-hole versus Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez. Valdez, 25, has already tied his career-high with six home runs on the year while adding 25 RBI in 162 plate appearances, but he's hitting just .212 (31-for-146) and is mainly just a middle-infield depth option in AL-only leagues for now. Hamilton has been much more productive up the middle for Boston in 2024, slashing .282/.333/.449 with five long balls, 15 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 28 runs scored in 156 at-bats. His speed has made him an asset in mixed fantasy leagues in just his second big-league season.