Sandy Leon dealt to Red Sox

VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have traded catcher Sandy Leon to the Red Sox.

What the Nationals may receive in exchange for the 26-year-old catcher is unknown, but Leon was out of options and wasn't going to crack the 25-man opening day roster. The Nats have Wilson Ramos and Jose Lobaton behind the plate and a host of young catching prospects in the pipeline.

On his Twitter account, Leon this morning began retweeting messages of thanks and encouragement from Nats fans after news of the trade broke. But his Twitter profile still lists him as "Catcher for the Washington Nationals, #41."

Leon, a Venezuelan who signed with the Nats as an undrafted free agent in 2007, hit .189 with one home run and five RBIs in 34 games over parts of three seasons (2012-14) in D.C. He was considered a good defender - cutting down 45 percent of the minor leaguers who tried to steal against him - and slashed .236/.324/.389 in eight minor league seasons.

The Red Sox were in need of a catcher after news broke that catcher Christian Vazquez had an elbow injury that would necessitate a visit to noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and might require Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. Boston will probably turn catching duties over to veteran Ryan Hanigan, who was acquired over the winter, and the acquisition of Leon gives the Red Sox more time to develop top catching prospect Blake Swihart, a 22-year-old who has only 18 games of experience at Triple-A.

The Washington Post first reported news of the trade.

More on the deal once the Nationals arrive at Roger Dean Stadium for today's game against the Cardinals.

Update: The Nationals will receive cash considerations in exchange for Leon.