July 31, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Red Sox acquire Victor Martinez from Cleveland
While some teams make a splash at the non-waiver trade deadline, the Red Sox just did a cannonball. DJ Bean of WEEI.com, citing multiple media reports, has confirmed that Boston has acquired slugging catcher Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for pitchers Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. The 30-year-old Martinez is hitting .284/.368/.464 with 21 doubles, 15 home runs and 67 RBI in 377 at-bats so far this season, playing 52 games as a catcher, 47 at first base, and serving as the Tribe DH on 3 occasions. He is currently in the fifth season of a five-year, $15.5 million contract with a team option for 2010 that would pay him $7 million. Just a season removed from hitting a disappointing .278/.337/.365 with just 2 home runs, Martinez, a three-time American League All-Star, owns career .297/.369/.463 numbers with 103 home runs and 518 RBI in parts of 8 major league seasons with Cleveland. The Venezuelan switch-hitter was originally signed by the Indians as an international free agent in 1996.
Masterson, a second-round draft choice by the Red Sox in 2006, is currently pitching out of the Boston bullpen. The 24-year-old righthander is 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 31 appearances for Boston, including 6 starts. Nick Hagadone was chosen by the Red Sox in the first supplemental round of the 2007 draft and had been plying his trade in the starting rotation for the Greenville. Just a year removed from Tommy John surgery, the 23-year-old lefthander was 0-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 25 innings for the Drive. A 22-year-old native of Texas, Bryan Price was selected by Boston in the first round of the 2008 draft and had made 19 starts between Greenville and Salem this season. He was a combined 4-8 with a 4.67 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 96.1 innings.