Red Sox acquire Potts, Rosario; summon Dalbec

Scuffling into the second half of 2020 at 11-22, the Boston Red Sox made a series of moves Sunday with an eye toward the future.

Boston acquired third baseman Hudson Potts and outfielder Jeisson Rosario from San Diego in a trade for big league first baseman Mitch Moreland. Potts, who had been the Padres' No. 16 prospect, slotted in at No. 20 for the Red Sox while Rosario, who had been No. 19 moved up to No. 16 with Boston. The Red Sox also bolstered their infield by calling up third-ranked Bobby Dalbec from the club’s alternate training site.

Dalbec can play both corner infield positions and has made six stops on the Red Sox Minor League ladder over four professional seasons prior to this year. The 25-year-old split his time between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket in 2019, batting .239/.356/.460 with 27 homers and 73 RBIs in 135 games. The two-time MiLB.com Organization All-Star was added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November, shortly after he played for USA Baseball in the Premier12 tournament. In 28 total at-bats for the national team, Dalbec hit .250/.364/.500 with a pair of homers, including a grand slam, as the U.S. finished fourth.

The young slugger was inserted into Boston’s starting lineup Sunday for his Major League debut, playing first base and batting seventh. He homered in his second at-bat.

Not a bad first impression.

Third-ranked #RedSox prospect Bobby Dalbec introduced himself to Fenway Park with an opposite field homer in his second Major League at-bat. pic.twitter.com/R0JFMLqqOY

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 30, 2020

Potts and Dalbec were drafted in 2016, with Potts going 24th overall to San Diego and Dalbec landing with Boston in the fourth round. Taken out of a Texas high school, Potts reached Double-A Amarillo in 2019, playing 107 games with the Sod Poodles and batting .227/.290/.406 at just 20 years old.

Drafted as a shortstop, Potts’ field and arm tools are still two of his best, grading at 50 and 55 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, according to MLB Pipeline. His power is also above average at 55 and he's belted 57 homers in four pro seasons. Potts has defensive versatility as well, playing all four infield positions while spending most of his time at third base.

“Hudson Potts is primarily a third baseman, but he did see some time at second base last summer as well,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters. “A big, physical kid with a lot of power and a good arm. Really good tools. There’s a chance, as he continues to develop his approach, that he can be a real asset with the bat and be able to play multiple positions."

Rosario signed with the Padres out of the Dominican Republic in 2016 and has progressed steadily, playing in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2017, the Class A Midwest League in 2018 and the Class A Advanced California League last year. In total, the outfield prospect has batted .264/.376/.340 through 289 games.

“Jeisson Rosario is a top-flight athlete who profiles as a true center fielder and a true leadoff hitter,” Bloom said. “Plus-plus runner, really good athlete, very good ability in the outfield, has a really advanced feel for the strike zone at a young age, and we’re excited to see how he develops as he grows and adds strength. But he’s got the upside to play center every day and hit at the top of the lineup.”

The trade was San Diego's second in as many days. The Padres, sitting in second place in the National League West and in position to make the postseason for the first time since 2006, sent outfielder Edward Olivares to Kansas City in exchange for Major League reliever Trevor Rosenthal on Saturday.

In other transactions:

Orioles pick up pair of prospects: Two spots out of playoff position in the American League, Baltimore made a deal to improve its farm system, acquiring infield prospects Terrin Vavra and Tyler Nevin from the Rockies for Major League reliever Mychal Givens. Vavra, who had been Colorado's seventh-ranked prospect, became the Orioles' No. 12 prospect and Nevin, who was No. 14 before the deal, ranked No. 22 for Baltimore. A third-round pick of the Rockies in 2018, shortstop Vavra hit .318/.409/.489 with 10 homers and 52 RBIs in 102 games with Class A Asheville in 2019. Nevin was a first-round pick in 2015. The corner infielder and son of former big leaguer Phil posted a .251/.345/.399 line with 13 homers and 61 RBIS over 130 games for Double-A Hartford last season.