Vaughn Grissom is hitting.342/.413/.526 in 13 games for the Angels, a sharp rebound for a player Boston gave up on after a rough 2024 season. The former Red Sox infielder has four doubles and five RBIs while moving around the infield for Los Angeles.
Boston acquired Grissom ahead of the 2024 season in exchange for Chris Sale, banking on a player who had hit.287 across 64 games with the Atlanta Braves in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Instead, Grissom played in 31 games for Boston and slashed.190/.246/.219, then was never promoted back in 2025 before being sent to Los Angeles.
That move now looks more complicated than it did on paper. Boston got prospect Isaiah Jackson in the deal, and he is hitting.238 at High-A Greenville, while the Red Sox have also continued to search for answers at third base. Caleb Durbin has taken over there, but he has played in 29 games and is slashing.172/.261/.263 with one home run and 11 RBIs.
The contrast matters because Grissom is no longer just a name from a failed swap. He has already played first base, second base and third base for the Angels, showing the kind of versatility Boston hoped to uncover. For now, the player the Red Sox moved on from is producing, and the club that traded for him is still waiting for a cleaner return on the deal.
