Twins trade lefty reliever Jovani Moran to Red Sox for utilityman Mickey Gasper

Bobby Nightengale, Star Tribune on Dec 24, 2024

Published in Baseball

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MINNEAPOLIS — No team plucked left-handed reliever Jovani Moran from the Twins during the Rule 5 draft earlier this month, despite rumors there were interested clubs, and the Twins opted to trade him a couple of weeks later.

The Twins dealt Moran, who missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, to the Boston Red Sox for catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper on Tuesday. Gasper, 29, made his major league debut last season and appeared in 13 games with the Red Sox, mostly as a pinch hitter. He was hitless in 18 at-bats with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Gasper, a switch hitter, split time between catcher and first base in the minor leagues last season, but he made his only three starts with the Red Sox at second base. Playing 44 games at Class AA and 48 games at Class AAA, Gasper batted .328 with 12 homers and 58 RBIs while producing a .439 on-base percentage with more walks (56) than strikeouts (44).

Gasper initially was a 27th-round pick in the 2018 MLB draft. The Red Sox selected him from the New York Yankees in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft last year.

Moran, 27, had a 5.31 ERA in 43 appearances for the Twins in 2023 with 48 strikeouts and 27 walks across 42 1/3 innings.

Gasper fills a spot on the Twins’ 40-man roster, giving them depth for their bench. The Twins have 39 players on their 40-man roster.