Multiple reports say that the Red Sox have done a trade-deadline deal with the New York Mets, acquiring solid relief pitching in Addison Reed. In return, the Sox have sent three minor league prospects to New York.

It’s the first deal between these two clubs since Boston traded Kelly Shoppach to the Metropolitans in 2012 for a player to be named, who later turned out to be Pedro Beato.

Addison Devon Reed, 28, of Montclair, California is a seven-year Major League veteran. The righty started his career with the White Sox, who selected him in the 3rd round of the 2010 MLB June Draft. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds.

Reed’s big league debut came in six games for Chicago in 2011. Through the 2013 season he was 8-6, 4.17 ERA in 136 games (133.2 IP) with the White Sox. Reed was traded to the Diamondbacks in the 2013 off-season for infielder Matt Davidson. In two season with Arizona, Reed was 3-9, 4.23 ERA in 100 relief appearances (100.0 IP).

Reed moved from the Arizona desert to the big city when he was traded to the Mets in August, 2015 for a minor leaguer and big league pitcher Matt Koch.

With the Mets, Reed found greater success. Since 2015 he’s 6-5 with an impressive 2.09 ERA over 47 appearances (142.0 IP) posting full-season ERAs of 1.17 and 1.97 in 2015-16, respectively. Last year Reed led the Major Leagues and set a New York franchise record with 40 holds, tying him with Tyler Clippard (2014) and Luke Gregerson (2010) for third-most ever in a single MLB season.

Reed’s 2017 ERA stands at 2.57 over 48 appearances (10th-most in the National League). His 19 saves this season are eighth-most in the NL.

In return, the Mets are getting three 22-year-old Red Sox pitching prospects: Gerson Bautista (this season: 3-2, 5.16 ERA in 27 games at High-A Salem), Jamie Callahan (4-1, 1.38 ERA in 10 games at Double-A Portland), and Stephen Nogosek (2-3, 2.55 ERA in 23 games at Single-A Greenville).

Solving Part of the Problem

A reliever, no matter how solid, won’t solve the Red Sox offensive puzzle.

Boston’s .673 OPS for July is the worst in the American League and second-worst after the Giants (.658). It is also the club’s fifth-lowest monthly OPS for any month since 1995.

The Sox’ .673 mark is the worst Sox OPS in the month of July since .664 in 1992 and tied for the eighth-lowest club OPS for July in the past 105 seasons. The last time the Red Sox made the playoffs with such a miserable July OPS was 1918 (.637).

That said, the addition of Addison hopefully means less likelihood of blowing a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning, as the Sox did on Sunday against the Royals.

Reed will be a first-time free agent after this season.

Welcome Addison Reed to Red Sox Nation. He’s on Twitter at @AReed43.