ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Angels improved their infield depth on Tuesday, acquiring former top prospect Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox for Minor League outfielder Isaiah Jackson.
The Angels are taking a chance on Grissom, who has struggled offensively in his first three years in the Majors and is out of Minor League options. But he can play both second base and shortstop, giving the Angels a possible replacement for free agent Luis Rengifo.
TRADE DETAILS
Angels get: INF Vaughn Grissom
Red Sox get: OF Isaiah Jackson (LAA's No. 25 prospect)
Grissom, 24, had a solid rookie season with the Braves as a 21-year-old in '22, hitting .291/.353/.440 with five homers, five stolen bases and 18 RBIs in 41 games. But he batted .280/.313/.347 with no homers and nine RBIs in 23 games in '23 and was traded to Boston for Chris Sale prior to the 2024 season.
Grissom, though, had a tough time with the Red Sox, batting .190/.246/.219 with no homers and six RBIs in 31 games and didn't play in the Majors in 2025. He batted .270/.342/.441 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs in 96 games with Triple-A Worcester before his season ended after being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in early September.
The addition of Grissom shouldn’t change the club’s plans to add another infielder, as they’re still looking for a third baseman and possibly a second baseman with Anthony Rendon expected to be out again next year after his hip surgery last year.
The Angels are also open to moving former first-round pick Christian Moore from second base to third base if they feel like they find a better fit at second. But Grissom figures to be more of a bench player, barring a breakout season.
Jackson, meanwhile, was the club's eighth-round pick in the 2025 Draft out of Arizona State and batted .219 with a homer and four RBIs in 10 games with High-A Tri-City in 2025. He was the Angels' No. 25 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.