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Red Sox Send Edward Mujica To Athletics

By Brandon Nickel

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It was reported yesterday, by MLB.com’s Jane Lee, that the Boston Red Sox have decided to make relief pitcher Edward Mujica take his talents to Oakland, California:

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The news was then forwarded by Charlie Wilmoth of MLBTradeRumors.com of Jarrod Parker being the one that the Oakland Athletics moved. Wilmoth reported that “the Red Sox are giving up Mujica, plus a bit of extra money to pay some of the remainder of his $4.75MM 2015 salary, in exchange for a bit of salary relief. The Red Sox designated Mujica for assignment this week after he posted a 4.61 ERA with eight strikeouts and three walks in 13 2/3 innings this year. The former Cardinals closer didn’t make much of an impression after signing with the Red Sox before last season, posting a 3.90 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 2014.”

So, what does this exchange really mean?

Well, not much for the Red Sox, until the particular asset coming back to them is more defined. At the moment, Boston’s desperation is showing, having to pay some of Mujica’s contract for an American League team. When the time comes for Oakland to play the Red Sox, Boston will be paying for Mujica to pitch against them. That point reveals just how much the Fenway brass had faith in the 31-year-old righty reliever, recently.

With Mujica’s ERA, he was more likely to pile on runs in a shorter amount of time than some of the Red Sox starters, which they are dead last in all of Major League Basesball, as a rotation, with a 5.69 ERA.

Mujica’s four-pitch arsenal includes a four-seamed fastball (90.3 mph), a cutter (91.1 mph), a splitter (85 mph), and a slider (83.2 mph), according to FanGraphs.com. Compared to some of the best relievers in the game, today, these pitches don’t seem to be very dominating, but that’s not what Mujica’s value is to the Athletics. Wilmoth said that “the Athletics’ bullpen has produced a 5.29 ERA this season while struggling through injuries, so Mujica looks likely to help.” When your bullpen has a collective ERA larger than Mujica, you are pretty desperate, yourself, in bringing him in to assist. The very reason why Boston is letting him go is what is attracting Mujica to Oakland. A sad state of affairs, to be sure.

Considering that Mujica was the only player coming from the Red Sox, with some cash, it is very unlikely that anyone coming to Boston will be anything other than a one-for-one deal. This player will be a mid-to-lower range player who either isn’t panning out for the Athletics or is a diamond in a very long patch of ‘rough’. It’s not like Red Sox Nation should expect to see the return of outfielder Josh Reddick from this deal, not that the Red Sox would want yet another outfielder, anyways.

The deal makes sense for the Red Sox and the Athletics. If Oakland can milk out some good innings from Mujica, compared to their own staff, then it was a successful exchange for them. Boston makes room on their roster, and their accounting books, for someone from Triple-A, who costs a lot less, to fill the void and see if they can have more success with the big club. Not an exciting trade, but a necessary one for what is best for business. That is, until the player from Oakland is named and arrives. Then, more decisions will have to be made.

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