The BoSox have two promising young backstops in Vazquez and Swihart but neither is expected to start this season with the big club--Vazquez has a significant elbow injury and Swihart is back in the minors already. That left only Hanigan to handle the catching duties, so the defense-first Leon is a solid short-term addition to provide depth behind Hanigan. Leon is also a switch-hitter, which gives the Red Sox more options.

With Ramos and Lobaton catching for them, the Nationals didn't need Leon anytime soon and he was out of minor league options. Those factors made him expendable, and at least the Nats get something for him in return here via trade.

Neither Hanigan nor Leon is much of a hitter, so neither will likely be fantasy-worthy in 2015 (even at hitter-friendly Fenway). Vazquez and Swihart are worth remembering for the keeper radar, but this development isn't great news fantasy-wise for either of them early in the 2015 campaign.