Because this is the most important transaction the Red Sox made last weekend.
Who is he and where did he come from?
He’s Ryan Noda. He’s the newest Red Sox in town after Boston sent the Angels everyone’s favorite name: Cash Considerations. Noda, who turned 29 in March, grew up in northern Illinois, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, and shot up prospect boards but stalled a bit in the Dodgers’ farm system after being the “player to be named later” in a Ross Stripling deal. He then ended up in Oakland via the Rule 5 draft, and was an everyday starter for them until missing a chunk of time after suffering a grounder to the jaw. His 2024 season also was affected by being hit by a pitch by a pitch machine and then having an elbow ailment that landed him on the 60-day IL.
What position does he play?
He has logged 130 career games in the Majors at first base, most of which came during that abysmal 2023 Athletics season, and 11 in the outfield. Notably, AAA Salt Lake City has also used him as a DH, but it’s a pretty good bet he won’t supplant any plans the Sox have at that position.
Is he any good?
So here’s what’s interesting. He was second on his team in OPS in that 2023 full season, with an OBP of .364 and 16 home runs, which ranked third on that team, but that Oakland team absolutely stunk, going 50-112. Of course, it pales in comparison to what we saw out of the 2024 White Sox (Noda’s childhood favorite team, by the way) and what we’re seeing now out of the Rockies, but in a vacuum, he was a bright spot, or at least not a detriment on a really horrendous team.
He has not started the season well at all in Triple-A Salt Lake. His wRC+ has shrunk to 88 and he’s slipped under the Mendoza line, down to .148. So to answer the question: No. Guys that are traded for merely cash considerations are usually not very good, and Noda is no exception, but he’s not completely unusable. More on that in a minute.
Show me a cool highlight.
I have two, one funnier than the other. We’ll start with this optimistic quote that showed true leadership just one short year ago while still with the Athletics. Even if he’s delusional, you gotta love the heart and leadership it displayed. It’s a Will Campbell-esque bite. (Quote in link).
Here’s another more tangible example, a sound defensive play to rob Edward Olivares of a base hit in a game where it looked like everyone was getting their hits in.
What’s he doing in his picture up there?
Showing that sweet swing — or perhaps checking that sweet swing. Considering his 2023 Savant rankings, 98th percentile walk percentage at 15.6%, 85th percentile barrel percentage and 71st percentile hard hit percentage, it makes sense that he was also in the bottom second percentile of both whiff percentage (36.9%) and strikeout percentage (34.3%.)
What’s his role on the 2025 Red Sox?
I’m not going to lie to anyone, or myself, and say that Ryan Noda is the starting first baseman for the 2025 Red Sox with Triston Casas’ injury and Rafael Devers’ refusal to play first. I remain hopeful that Kristian Campbell’s adjustment works out the best for the 2025 team, and ultimately that whatever happens with Campbell’s development is the best for him long-term outlook at any position. I think Noda’s fit in this organization is secondary to that, barring any resurgence of Noda as an option. To get a guy like Noda, who performed well as recently as 2023 and who was a catalyst for a team that, frankly, needed it, for something as expendable as cash, is a great deal.
But, there’s an elephant in the room that may be telegraphing this move more than any other: Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard are, as of now, the starters at first, while the Worcester roster thins out. It seems as though Noda can provide a leadership role in Worcester while the roster is so in flux. Low-risk, medium reward is the name of the game here.