Sandy Leon was expected to be a payroll casualty but the Boston Red Sox managed to get something for him rather than letting him go for nothing.
The veteran catcher was a non-tender candidate. His anemic bat and limited backup role weren’t valuable enough to be worth the $2.8 million he’s projected to earn in arbitration. With the Red Sox aiming to slash payroll this winter, letting Leon go was an easy way to trim salary from the budget.
With the deadline to tender arbitration-eligible players approaching Monday night, the Red Sox traded Leon to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league pitcher Adenys Bautista.