Red Sox Trade For Another Closer From A Bad Team, Good Luck Joel Hanrahan

For the second off-season in a row, the Red Sox have proceeded forward with the idea that closers on inferior teams should be able to make a smooth transition to the rigors of the AL East. How did that work out last season for Mark Melancon (formerly of the Astros) and Andrew Bailey (formerly of the A's)?

After much talk about the possible trade last week, it was made official today as Boston traded Melancon along with minor leaguers Stolmy Pimentel (pitcher), Ivan De Jesus (infielder) and Jerry Sands (first baseman/outfielder) to PIttsburgh for closer Jack Hanrahan and minor league second baseman Brock Holt.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a nice move for the Red Sox since Hanrahan is a two-time All-Star in the National League (2011, 2012) and they didn't give up much in return. Melancon was a complete disaster in 2012 (0-2, 6.20 ERA in 41 appearances) and who knows if Pimentel, De Jesus and Sands will pan out. Pimentel was in Portland (Double A) last season while De Jesus and Sands came over in the huge trade with the Dodgers. None of them were any of the Red Sox' elite prospects by any means.

Hanrahan is not young, he turned 31 in October and made his major league debut for the Nationals in 2007. After 2.5 years with Washington, he's spent the last 3.5 in Pittsburgh. So that means he played for two of the worst teams in baseball (this was before the Nationals were competitive) and hasn't sniffed a playoff spot let alone played meaningful games in September and October.

He had 40 saves in 2011 and 36 last season. In 2012, he was 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 63 appearances. In 59.2 innings, he allowed 40 hits, 18 earned runs and eight home runs with 67 strikeouts and 36 walks. Hanrahan is a big guy (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) so he's a power pitcher. It makes you wonder what Boston plans to do with Bailey (7.04 ERA, 6 saves, 3 blown saves in 19 appearances) who was injured most of last season then terrible when he finally was activated late in the miserable campaign for all involved.

There is still over two months before spring training starts so expect the Red Sox to continue making moves to bolster a roster which as it stands, still appears to be the fifth best in the AL East. Pennants aren't won in November and December but it's hard to argue with all the improvements made by the Blue Jays. The Yankees, Orioles and Rays haven't done much but they were better teams than the Red Sox to begin with so I don't think that has changed.

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Red Sox Snap Four-Game Losing Streak, Salvage Series Finale Vs. Pittsburgh

I missed pretty much all of the Red Sox-Pirates games on Friday and Saturday due to a couple concerts (Dispatch, Matisyahu). Clearly, those were better options than watching bad losses by Boston.

Yesterday afternoon was the first game of the series I actually paid attention to and no surprise, they turned things around (pats self on back). Andrew Miller made his second start for the Red Sox (45-32) and it was a good one as he helped Boston snap a four-game losing streak and leave Pittsburgh's (39-38) PNC Park with a 4-2 win.

To say this game was sloppy and Little League-esque, would be an insult to shitty Little Leaguers around the country. The Pirates made four errors while the Red Sox had two.

Miller (1-0) didn't seem to mind too much as he went six innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Alfredo Aceves (seventh), Daniel Bard (eighth) and Jonathan Papelbon (ninth) combined for three scoreless innings as Boston walked out of Pittsburgh with a little pride after a rough couple days.

Pirates starter James McDonald (first cousin of Boston's Darnell McDonald) went six innings, allowing two runs (zero earned) on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

This truthfully might have been the most boring win in Red Sox history. Their four runs scored on two sacrifice flies, an error and a ground out.

Pittsburgh didn't exactly set the world on fire either, scoring on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.

Oh well, Boston has today off and then they get to the main course of interleague play: a three-game series in Philadelphia against the Phillies (the NL's best team and easily one of the best teams in baseball). Say it with me: Possible World Series preview!

While we wait for tomorrow, let's all pray for J.D. Drew who had to leave yesterday's game in the second inning after suffering a black eye bunting during batting practice. I think I'm going to write a book, start a blog or twitter handle chronicling all of Drew's ridiculous injuries (haha vertigo?). Either way the guy is a joke: he's the most accident prone person in the world or the biggest pussy.

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Thanks for the Memories Manny, Welcome Jason Bay

With the 4pm trade deadline rapidly approaching yesterday, after watching coverage on NESN during lunch with nothing happening (sorry, Ken Griffey Jr. is no longer big news), I took a shower figuring that the Red Sox were going to keep Manny Ramirez for the rest of the season.

When I got out, my phone started to beep with text messages, the unlikely had happened: the Sox worked a three-way trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. Manny was going to the Dodgers while Pirates outfielder Jason Bay comes to Boston.

Even after preparing for a moment like this for the last few weeks, the actual event is still surprising. Like in 2004 when Nomar Garciaparra was traded, the Red Sox rolled the dice and made a controversial splash.

Without question, Boston gave up a lot to get rid of their Manny-induced headache. They're paying him for the rest of the year and also traded Brandon Moss (who could be the next David Murphy but didn't have a place in the Sox outfield) and Craig Hansen (who is a bust) to the Pirates. Bay is the only player the Sox get in return.

A Yankees killer, one of the most clutch players and all-around best hitters I'll ever see in my lifetime (especially on my favorite team), Manny has created endless positive memories for Red Sox fans the past eight seasons. This was necessary though; both sides needed a fresh start.

It was too much of a risk to hope that Manny would be motivated for the rest of the season (even though he was theoretically playing for a contract).

Playing in obscurity, Bay at 29-years-old is still an unknown commodity. He's a two-time all-star for the Pirates and rookie of the year. He'll play left field and bat somewhere from 3-6. Will he handle the pressure of Boston? That and many other similar questions are impossible to answer at this point. Let's give the guy some time to get his feet wet before we start making the final decision.

Manny's presence on the Dodgers makes them instant contenders, especially in the weak NL West. He's reunited with Nomar and Derek Lowe, the 2003 Red Sox reloaded. It'll be strange to see him in a different uniform, hitting ropes but such is life. Time to move on and move forward.