The nerve-racking deadline day has come and passed with a handful of minor moves for the Sox. The first move did not involve a trade, but rather a swap of outfielders within the system. At around 3:30pm this afternoon, Jeremy Hermida left Fenway Park after being designated for assignment to make room for young outfielder Ryan Kalish. Then the 2 trades for the Sox were announced, as they sent Ramon Ramirez to the San Francisco Giants for young pitcher Daniel Turpen. The second move brought in catching prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia for 1B Chris McGuiness, RHP Roman Mendez, a player to be named later and cash. (More info after the jump)
The first move was a no-brainer as Jeremy Hermida has hit .203 with 5 home runs and 27 rbis in 52 games with the Sox. Since returning from the DL on July 23rd, Hermida had been just 2 for 20 with no home runs or rbis and 9 strikeouts. This year in 78 games split between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket, Ryan Kalish has hit .294 with 13 home runs and 47 rbis. According to SoxProspects.com, Ryan Kalish is the 2nd best overall prospect in the Sox system and 1st among position players. This move is to improve the defense in the outfield for the Sox and of course add some offense to the potent Sox lineup.
The first trade was almost entirely to clear up a bullpen slot. Ramon Ramirez has had good streaks in 2010, but overall has been inconsistent and unreliable, a brutal combination for a reliever. In 44 games this year, Ramirez is 0-3 with a 4.46 era and had allowed 6 home runs and 16 walks in 42.1 innings. The Sox acquired young reliever Daniel Turpen who had a 5-5 record and 4.09 era in 37 games in AA Richmond this season. Turpen is not expected to be a future star with the Sox, the move was mostly just to push out Ramirez. Lefty Dustin Richardson was called-up to fill Ramirez’s roster spot for the time being.
The final trade brought in Texas Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia for minimal mid-to-low level prospects and cash. Saltalamacchia has been through some struggles the past few years since being traded for Mark Teixeira, but has the potential still to be a solid MLB catcher. He is a powerful guy, hitting 11 home runs in AAA Oklahoma this year and could prove to be a valuable piece if the Sox fail to re-sign Victor Martinez after this season. Saltalamacchia is a switch hitter, so would also provide the Sox with some more options as a back-up catcher, but for now will need to prove his worth in AAA Pawtucket.
There is a brief overview of this year’s non-waiver trade deadline. Theo is an expert at making trades during the waiver period, so he may not be finished just yet. Check back for more info and analysis shortly and whether I believe these moves really improve the Red Sox or whether it makes them a playoff contender.