The Boston Red Sox traded outfielder Nate Eaton to the Athletics on Thursday, completing the first deal of the Major League Baseball offseason.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported the transaction one day after the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series.
“First trade of the off-season. The Red Sox trade Nate Eaton to the Athletics,” Nightengale wrote on X.
Francys Romero identified the player heading to Boston as minor league right-hander Jareth Rayo. The 18-year-old from Nicaragua made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League this year.
Rayo appeared in 11 games and pitched 36 innings with a 5.50 earned run average. He struck out 36 batters while walking 20 in that first pro season after signing for a $70,000 bonus.
Eaton, 29, split the 2026 campaign between the Red Sox and Triple-A Worcester. He appeared in 24 regular-season games for Boston and went 8-for-50 with a .160 batting average, one home run and six RBIs.
He also saw action in the American League wild-card series against the New York Yankees, going 1-for-2 with a double in that game.
Across 137 games with the Royals and Red Sox from 2022 through 2026, Eaton has hit .221 with a .294 on-base percentage and .307 slugging percentage. He has three home runs, 23 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 290 at-bats.
Eaton is out of minor league options, which limited his flexibility on Boston’s roster heading into the winter. He was optioned and recalled multiple times this past season.
In 84 games at Triple-A Worcester, he posted a .253/.338/.410 slash line and stole 18 bases in 21 attempts. Those numbers offered a clearer picture of his production away from the majors.
The right-handed hitter was originally drafted by Kansas City in the 21st round of the 2018 draft out of the Virginia Military Institute. He made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2022 before signing a minor league deal with Boston ahead of the 2025 season.
The Athletics view him as added depth for a young outfield that features Henry Bolte, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler. All three of those players are 26 or younger.
Eaton’s speed has been a consistent asset. Statcast ranked him in the 96th percentile for sprint speed this year, and he has been successful on 25 of 28 steal attempts in his career.
Most clubs prefer to wait until after the World Series before executing trades, but the Red Sox and Athletics moved quickly once the postseason ended. The deal clears a 40-man roster spot in Boston while giving the Athletics a veteran option with defensive versatility.
