Billy Wagner goes to the Red Sox
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Boston Red Sox helped their chances to win a third world championship this decade by adding left-handed reliever Billy Wagner to the roster. The Red Sox made the better trade in August 2009 with the New York Mets to obtain the "Baby Faced Assassin" only days after he returned from the disabled list because of arm surgery.
Wagner is 37 and is coming back from Tommy John surgery. In two innings for the Mets he struck out four and did not allow a hit. He's throwing about 94 mph on his fastball and most observers feel he's still yet to go all-out with his fastball. In his first game with the Red Sox he struck out three and gave up one hit.
The better trade for Wagner will give Boston further depth in the bullpen. Wagner will complement setup man Hideka Okajima, one of the team's most valuable components, and give the Bosox a left-hander to use in that role. Manny Delcarmen, Takashi Saito, Daniel Bard and Ramon Ramirez are other members of the staff who can help there, too. One drawback is the inability of Wagner to pitch every day. He will require one full day of rest between appearances, as it is less than a year since his reconstructive surgery.
The Red Sox had to give up two unnamed players in the deal. These are probably expendable mid-range players who didn't fit into the team's long-range plans to begin with. Speculation revolves around two players on the team's 40-man roster who are in the minor leagues.
How much will this better trade cost the Red Sox? A big part of the deal was Boston's willingness to forgo Wagner's $8 million option for 2010. That means Wagner will receive a $1 million buyout and the Red Sox will put out about $4 million to bring him on for the rest of the season.
Another question concerns current Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon, who hasn't been an automatic saver this season. Papelbon spoke out against the trade, as though the addition of Wagner was both unneeded and insulting. Some observers feel the team was trying to send Papelbon a message through the acquisition of Wagner. He obviously didn't like the message he received.
In his 15th season, Wagner is 39-37 with a 2.39 ERA and 385 saves. He's struck out 1,073 of the 3,280 batters he's faced. Wagner spent most of his career with the Houston Astros, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2004 seasons, and signed as a free agent with the Mets prior to the 2006 season. He's been named to the National League all-star team on six occasions. If he comes close to approaching those numbers with the Red Sox or helps them win another World Series, it will be considered one of the team's better trades in its lost and illustrious history.
