Red Sox Acquire A's Closer Andrew Bailey
Written by Bob Whalon, Wednesday December 28 2011
The Red Sox and new manager Bobby Valentine have found a replacement for departed closer Jonathan Papelbon. On Wednesday, the team acquired All-Star closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Josh Reddick, infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.
Bailey, 27, went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41 2/3 innings and 42 appearances last season. He started last season on the DL and didn't throw his first pitch until May 29.
Bailey was the 2009 Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star team that season and again in 2010. He is also the fourth pitcher that the perpetually rebuilding A's have traded this month. Starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow were dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and starter Gio Gonzalez was traded to the Washington Nationals last Thursday.
The A's haven't posted a winning season since being swept out of the ALCS by Detroit in 2006. Oakland general manager Billy Beane claims that the team's unsettled stadium situation may affect his ability to keep his team together.
The 24-year-old Reddick hit .280 with seven homer and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He is expected to start in the A's outfield that has lost David DeJesus and Josh Willingham already this offseason.
Head is a first baseman who batted .299 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs in 129 games with the Red Sox two Single-A affiliates at Greenville and Salem. Alcantara, 19, is a right-handed pitcher had a combined 1-4 record with the Red Sox Gulf Coast League and Single-A Lowell team. He struck out 50 and walked just 12 with a 2.20 ERA in 13 starts.
Apparently the Red Sox didn't feel comfortable going into the 2012 season with the untested Daniel Bard as their closer. Bard only converted one of his six save opportunities last season.
"Andrew is a proven top-quality closer in the American League," said Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. "He's done it for three years in the American League, he's had a lot of success. He's converted a high percentage of his opportunities. He's got the stuff. We really like his makeup for Boston and everything we learned about him the last few weeks has only strengthened our conviction that he can fit in really well to our team and our clubhouse."
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