Red Sox acquire Tony Armas Jr. from the New York Yankees
The most notable August deal in Red Sox history involved a player that never threw a pitch in a Boston uniform. In 1997, the Red Sox acquired a young prospect by the name of Tony Armas Jr. for Mike Stanley and Randy Brown.
One year later, the Red Sox sent Carl Pavano and Armas Jr to the Montreal Expos. Armas Jr. was the big prospect that was sent in exchange for a young flamethrower from the Dominican Republic.
Oh yeah, this guy.
Pedro Martinez in the #AllStarGame was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. (🎥 @Cut4) pic.twitter.com/Gj5MMH34LJ
— RealClearSports (@RealClearSports) July 11, 2017
Yes, Pedro Martinez was acquired largely due to a trade that was made during the August waiver period. Pedro went on to become a Hall of Fame pitcher in Boston, winning various awards, and blossoming into one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
Tony Armas Jr, on the other hand, had a career 4.65 ERA in Montreal / Washington – hardly in the same conversation as Martinez.
It is very unlikely that the Red Sox would be able to swing a deal, such as this, but that doesn’t mean that a piece to a blockbuster trade won’t be acquired.
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The August waiver period has endless possibilities, as often times a team will try to get rid of a player with a monster contract – similar to the Dodgers / Gonzalez trade. That trade could be used as a model for Giancarlo Stanton possibly heading out of Miami. Either way, the Red Sox have made plenty of trades during this time and I wouldn’t be surprised to see another this season.