Red Sox's Newest Trade Acquisition Could Provide Notable Boost To Bullpen

The Boston Red Sox are on the board after a few weeks of inactivity to start the offseason.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made his first trade at the helm of the organization, and it appears to be a win.

"(Seattle) Mariners are sending right-handed pitcher Isaiah Campbell to the Red Sox in exchange for infielder Luis Urías," the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish reported Friday.

Campbell made his big-league debut in July and was prepared for the opportunity. He went 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA, 33-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .210 batting average against and 1.22 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old has dominated since going No. 76 overall in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft. Prior to his call-up, Campbell logged a 2.01 ERA with a 106-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .194 batting average against and 0.97 WHIP in 89 1/3 innings across 61 career minor-league appearances.

The hard-throwing righty has a 95 mph fastball with a .263 batting average against, a devastating slider and a promising "sweeper" -- which is just a variation of a slider. 

If Campbell continues to produce at a similar level, he'll be a weapon for Boston, likely jumping into a high-leverage role down the line alongside Chris Martin, Kenley Jansen and possibly Tanner Houck.

The rookie is still in the pre-arbitration process and will be under team control for the foreseeable future. Breslow acquiring Campbell for Urías -- who will be a free agent at the end of 2025 and was about to be non-tendered due to an inflated contract -- is quite impressive.

Trades should not be over-evaluated in the moment but with the information we have, it looks like Breslow is off to a very strong start.