REPORT: Anderson Espinoza traded for Drew Pomeranz

In a move first reported by Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald, the Red Sox have traded right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza (pictured) to the San Diego Padres in exchange for left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The trade is a one-for-one deal, as first reported by Jon Morosi. Espinoza is the third-ranked prospect on SoxProspects.com and ranked 14th in all of baseball on Keith Law's midseason top 50, released today, and 15th on Baseball America's midseason top 100 released earlier this week. In return for the club's top pitching prospect, the Red Sox add a first-time All-Star who is under team control through 2018, gambling that his breakout season is for real and that he can hold down a spot for the beleaguered Boston rotation.

Espinoza, whom the Red Sox signed to a $1,800,000 bonus in July 2014, is considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. The youngest player in the  Low A South Atlantic League, he has a 4.38 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 27 walks in 76 innings with Greenville this season. The precocious young right-hander has the potential for three plus pitches and advanced pitchability for his age. Look for Ian Cundall's Trade Analysis feature to be posted to the News Page shortly for more scouting information on Espinoza, but for now, here is his Scouting Scratch posted just three days ago. 

Pomeranz represents a significant acquisition for a struggling Red Sox rotation. The 27-year-old has a 2.47 ERA with 115 strikeouts and 41 walks in 102 innings this season. A former top 50 prospect in the game who was chosen fifth overall by the Indians out of Mississippi in 2010, Pomeranz is having a breakout season in his first year in San Diego and was named to his first All-Star Game. Before this season, Pomeranz had been used both as a starter and as a reliever, sporting a 4.07 ERA in 291 2/3 innings split between Colorado and Oakland. Pomeranz has been traded three times before: from the Indians to the Rockies during the 2011 season, to the Athletics during the 2013-14 offseason, and then to the Padres this past offseason. He is currently in his first year of arbitration eligibility--having signed a $1.35 million deal to avoid arbitration--and will not be a free agent until after the 2018 season.

Photo Credit: Anderson Espinoza by Kelly O'Connor

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