January 8, 2010 at 9:44 AM
Red Sox trade Kotchman to Mariners
Following days of speculation, the Boston Red Sox have officially traded Casey Kotchman to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Bill Hall, a minor league player to be named later, and cash.
Kotchman, a former first-round selection by the Angels in 2001, was acquired by Boston at the trade deadline last season in exchange for Adam LaRoche. In 29 games with Boston, Kotchman hit .218 with 1 home run and 7 RBI. Kotchman is a career .269/.337/.406 hitter in his six major league seasons.
Hall, a longtime member of the Milwaukee Brewers, will be joining his third team in two years. His best season came in 2006, when he hit .270/.345/.553 with 35 home runs and 85 RBI. Hall, a right-handed hitter, is known for his versatility, playing second base, shortstop, third base and all over the outfield in his career. In eight major league seasons for Milwaukee and Seattle, he has compiled a .251/.309/.441 line.
The trade gives the Red Sox about $1.5 million in salary relief, as the Mariners will be picking up the majority of Hall's $8.4 million salary for 2010. The minor league player to be named later will be chosen from a list of players the Red Sox will scout during Spring Training.