Royals trade partner history: The Red Sox

These swahhps took players to Fenway Pahhk.

This is a series that looks back at their trade history with each team in baseball. So far, we have looked back at trades with the Braves, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Orioles, White Sox, Angels, Marlins, Brewers , and Rockies. Today we look at the history of deals with the Boston Red Sox

Total number of Royals/Red Sox trades: 24

When I was a kid, I was always hearing rumors the Royals were going to trade for All-Star Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs. It never happened. Nearly two decades later, there were rumors Boston was interested in Carlos Beltran and were dangling star prospect Kevin Youkilis in a trade. It never happened.

So the two teams have never really engaged in a blockbuster like that, but they have had a lot of smaller deals. The Royals picked up former All-Star first baseman George Scott for a post-season push in 1979 for reserve outfielder Tom Poquette, but Scott was near the end of his career and his power was sapped. They shipped Mike Aviles to Boston where he became a useful utility player and was eventually traded to Toronto for manager John Farrell. Just last winter, the Royals picked up reliever John Schreiber for pitcher David Sandlin, and we’ll see how that trade turns out.

Best trade: In a three-team trade, the Royals traded Khalil Lee to the Mets, Franchy Cordero, Luis de la Rosa and Grant Gambrell to the Red Sox, and received Andrew Benintendi from the Red Sox on February 10, 2021

The Royals were tired of losing and felt their rebuild was ready for contention when they traded for Andrew Benintendi before the 2021 season. Boston was in cost-cutting mode, and were willing to ship their former first round pick for a handful of non-elite prospects in a three-team trade that also involved the Mets. Benintendi was worth 5+ rWAR over two seasons with the Royals and was an All-Star in 2022, while the players they gave up are still non-elite prospects. The Royals ended up flipping Benintendi to the Yankees for three pitching prospects that haven’t panned out yet.

Worst trade: The Royals traded Ramon Ramirez to the Red Sox for Coco Crisp on November 19, 2008

The Royals were coming off a 75-win season in 2008, their best season in five years, and Dayton Moore seemed to have the Royals on the right track. He had picked up reliever Ramon Ramirez from Colorado the previous year, and the right-hander led the team in appearances with a 2.64 ERA. Moore decided to sell high on the bullpen arm and get a starting player out of it, sending Ramirez to Boston for speedy outfielder Coco Crisp, a player with one year of club control plus a club option.

Crisp had provided good speed and defense in center, but also had a history of injury. On this site, Freneau questioned whether he was really the missing piece.

...the Royals acquired a starting centerfielder for a utility player, which is certainly yummy. Its trades like this that have got the Royals to where they are and give us hope for the future. While the method was strong, however, I can’t help but think that the motivation, nevertheless, remains questionable.

Crisp talked about stealing 50 bases for the Royals, but he didn’t even play 50 games, missing much of the season with a shoulder injury. The Royals turned down his club option, and Crisp went on to have some nice years in Oakland while Ramirez was a solid reliever for a few years.

Underrated trade: The Royals traded Dick Drago to the Red Sox for Marty Pattin on October 24, 1973

Dick Drago was the first real ace in Royals franchise history, winning 17 games in 1971. But by 1973 he had fallen into disfavor with manager Jack McKeon and even lost his rotation spot for a bit as his ERA ballooned to 4.23. Marty Pattin had been an All-Star with the Brewers and a 17-game winner with the Red Sox, but he too had fallen into disfavor, losing his rotation spot as his ERA went up to 4.31.

Royals GM Cedric Tallis had struck out in his quest to land an ace pitcher like Gaylord Perry or Fergie Jenkins, so he made the quintessential “change of scenery” swap, sending Drago to Boston for Pattin.

“The more I look at it, the more I wouldn’t be surprised if Pattin wins as many games for us as a Jenkins would have. Pattin is a real bulldog type of pitcher nad we feel our park should help him becuase of the deeper fence in left.”

Well Fergie would lead the league with 25 wins, while Pattin won just three in 1974, so Cedric’s puffery was a bit overblown there. But Marty Pattin became a very useful swingman for the next seven seasons for the Royals, pitching on four post-season teams. Meanwhile, Drago became a full-time reliever and was a critical part of the 1975 pennant-winning Red Sox club.

Cursed trade: The Royals traded Adalberto Mondesi to the Red Sox for Josh Taylor on January 24, 2023

Mondesi had been an enigmatic player with five-star talent - speed, defense, power - but one-star health. In seven years with the Royals, he had never played more than 102 games in a season, missing time due to various ailments - a bum shoulder, a strained oblique, a knee injury. The Royals finally decided to cut ties with him after the 2022 season, and were happy to get anything back for him. Boston offered injured lefty reliever Josh Taylor, who had a 3.40 ERA in 61 games in 2021, but had missed the entire next season.

It should be of no surprise that this swap of injured players left both teams feeling unfulfilled. Mondesi never played a professional game for the Red Sox and is currently out of baseball. Taylor pitched in just 17 games last year for the Royals with an 8.21 ERA and is currently on the Injured List.