Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The expected announcement came Thursday:
The Red Sox deal with the Dodgers was finally completed.
As for that other announcement, you can read the Associated Press story on Bobby Valentine's firing, or CBS News' Jon Heyman on possible replacements, other than John Farrell.
As for the Dodgers deal, the initial big announcement came in August, when the Red Sox dumped the huge salaries of Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford onto Los Angeles.
But Boston also got prospects in return. Two were announced at the time of the trade - pitcher Allen Webster and infielder Ivan De Jesus. Two others were "Players To Be Named Later."
Those two players were not a secret - pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands. But they officially joined the Red Sox on Thursday.
De La Rosa, 23, may be the prize of the bunch. With a fastball that can hit triple digits, he reached the majors in 2011 (4-5, 3.71 ERA) before needing Tommy John surgery. He came back at the end of this season and will ready to go this spring in Fort Myers.
He could make the Red Sox rotation, or be in Pawtucket, in line to be one of the first pitchers to fill in.
In Triple-A last year, Sands, 24, batted .296, with 26 home runs in hitter-friendly Albuquerque. He seems destined for Pawtucket.
Webster, 22, considered a top prospect with a powerful sinker. He had a 3.55 ERA in Double-A last year. He will be in Pawtucket next year, working on his command.
De Jesus, 25, is a utility infielder that will likely be insurance in Pawtucket.
Valentine is gone, and the minor league system got a little deeper. The rebuilding is on its way.
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Kevin Thomas covers baseball and basketball for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He wisely moved to Maine in 1994 after working for the St. Petersburg Times. He is married to Nancy and they have nine children.
Follow his thoughts on the Boston Red Sox and Portland Sea Dogs on Clearing the Bases
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