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Red Sox Trade For Catcher Sandy Leon

BOSTON (CBS) -- With Christian Vazquez's status for the 2015 season unknown, the Boston Red Sox have traded for another backstop.

The Red Sox acquired Sandy Leon from the Washington Nationals in exchange for cash considerations on Monday morning. Leon will be assigned to the major league camp, and is expected to participate in baseball activities starting on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Leon has spent most of his career in the minors, where he hit .236 with a .324 OBP and .329 slugging percentage over eight seasons. The switch-hitter has .189/.280/.253 splits in 34 major league games (107 plate appearances) over three seasons.

Behind the plate, Leon threw out 45 percent of potential base stealers in the minors. In his brief stints in the majors, Leon threw out six of a potential 15 base stealers.

Leon, who signed with Washington as an amateur free agent in 2007, won't be arbitration eligible until 2017.

The move comes as Vazquez, who was pegged as Boston's opening day catcher earlier in spring, is set to pay a visit to Dr. James Andrews to determine if an elbow injury will require surgery to repair ligament damage -- potentially ending his season. Vazquez was placed on the 60-day disabled list following Boston's acquisition of Leon.

Should Vazquez be sidelined for the season, veteran backstop Ryan Hanigan would likely take over the starting role.

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