Angels may have gotten last laugh on Red Sox with Vaughn Grissom gamble

With the Los Angeles Angels enduring another lost season, it's time to look for silver linings. One of those unexpected bright spots this year has been the play of infielder Vaughn Grissom. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox over the winter for 2025 eighth-round pick Isaiah Jackson, not much was expected out of Grissom upon his landing in Anaheim.

Grissom was a former top prospect of the Atlanta Braves, who traded him to the Red Sox in December of 2023 in exchange for Chris Sale. Sale went on to win the 2024 NL Cy Young, while Grissom battled injuries and an illness, limiting him to just 31 big league games with Boston. In that span, he hit .190/.246/.219.

Grissom was healthy in 2025, but the Red Sox never gave him an opportunity. He spent the entire season in Triple-A, where he hit .270/.342/.441 with 13 homers.

That apparently stuck in the 25-year-old's craw because he ripped into his former club in a recent interview. He stated that Boston's heavy reliance on analytics ensured that he didn't get an opportunity, no matter how good he looked on the field.

“I think I would probably attribute that to the computer, you know what I mean?” Grissom said. “You have to watch the game and I think I’m damn near the same player, it’s just the opportunity, these people believe in me and in Boston there was no belief in the player. It is what it is, some people watch the game, some people go on the computer.”

“Yeah, I don’t know, maybe I don’t look the best on paper but you watch enough and you see what the player is bringing,” Grissom continued.

The Angels have been rewarded in their belief in Vaughn Grissom, while the Red Sox may have been fleeced twice

Grissom hasn't been a star for the Angels, but he has been a solid player who has helped the team in many different ways. On the season, he's hitting .249/.309/.383 with seven homers through 80 games. He's played 35 games at second base, as well as appearing in 23 contests at both third and first base.

Basically, wherever Los Angeles has needed him, whether that's due to injury, poor performance, or some other factor, the team has been able to plug him in and get at least average production.

On top of that, Grissom has been one of the players alongside Wade Meckler, whom the Halos have rallied behind due to their approach of doing the little things. It's been a breath of fresh air for a club that typically strikes out over hitting a ground ball to move a runner over and regularly makes poor defensive plays.

This might not be Grissom's ceiling, either. He's still young and has that top prospect pedigree. The Angels control him for the foreseeable future. Now that he's found a home where he feels that the organization is behind him, perhaps he blossoms further.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have needs in the middle of their infield. They traded for Curtis Mead, who, before breaking out this year, had a very similar arc to Grissom. Mead promptly broke his wrist, and the Boston traded away Marcelo Mayer. Maybe giving up on Grissom wasn't such a good idea?

For their troubles, the Red Sox received a 22-year-old outfielder in Jackson who struck out 35.1% of the time last season and currently has a 102 wRC+ in High-A. Essentially, he's their return for Chris Sale. For the Angels, they at least know they received a credible utility infielder who has the potential to turn into more.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow