Red Sox Trade for Jeremy Hermida

[Donoghus]

From the Boston Herald:

The hot stove season has begun for the Sox, who today acquired outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins in exchange for left-handed pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Hermida, 25, hit .259 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI over 129 games with the Marlins last season and set a career high with 56 walks. The left-handed hitter, who appeared in 81 games in right field and 51 in left, made just one error in 205 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage, sixth among qualifying National League outfielders

He appeared in just three games after August 31, however, due to an intercostal strain on his right side.

Hermida was selected by Florida in the first round (11th overall) of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. He has a .265 batting average, 57 homers and 210 RBI in 516 career major league games with the Marlins.

Jones, 25, made his big league debut with the Sox last season and appeared in 11 games in relief. The left-hander posted a 9.24 ERA with the Red Sox [team stats], compiling nine strikeouts.

The 20-year-old Alvarez combined to go 9-4 with a 2.26 ERA and 74 strikeouts compared to 16 walks in 26 games (12 starts) between Single-A Salem and Short-A Lowell in 2009. He led the New York-Penn League with a 1.52 ERA while recording eight wins over 14 outings (12 starts) with Lowell.

The Red Sox also today outrighted right-handed pitcher Fernando Cabrera, outfielder Joey Gathright and infielder Nick Green to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Trying exactly how to figure this one out.  Do they plan on letting Bay walk?  Are they really gonna use Hermida as their 4th OF?  Is he gonna get flipped in something else?

Very interesting trade.

[Redz]

he's a 4th outfielder and lefthanded bat off the bench I guess

[Bahku]

From the Boston Herald:

The hot stove season has begun for the Sox, who today acquired outfielder Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins in exchange for left-handed pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Hermida, 25, hit .259 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI over 129 games with the Marlins last season and set a career high with 56 walks. The left-handed hitter, who appeared in 81 games in right field and 51 in left, made just one error in 205 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage, sixth among qualifying National League outfielders

He appeared in just three games after August 31, however, due to an intercostal strain on his right side.

Hermida was selected by Florida in the first round (11th overall) of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. He has a .265 batting average, 57 homers and 210 RBI in 516 career major league games with the Marlins.

Jones, 25, made his big league debut with the Sox last season and appeared in 11 games in relief. The left-hander posted a 9.24 ERA with the Red Sox [team stats], compiling nine strikeouts.

The 20-year-old Alvarez combined to go 9-4 with a 2.26 ERA and 74 strikeouts compared to 16 walks in 26 games (12 starts) between Single-A Salem and Short-A Lowell in 2009. He led the New York-Penn League with a 1.52 ERA while recording eight wins over 14 outings (12 starts) with Lowell.

The Red Sox also today outrighted right-handed pitcher Fernando Cabrera, outfielder Joey Gathright and infielder Nick Green to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Trying exactly how to figure this one out.  Do they plan on letting Bay walk?  Are they really gonna use Hermida as their 4th OF?  Is he gonna get flipped in something else?

Very interesting trade.

Yeah ... I've been trying to figure this one out, too, Don ... doesn't make a lot of sense on the surface to me. Things that make you go hmmmm ...

[Roy Hobbs]

Gammons suggests that he's insurance, in case Bay walks.  In that case, they'll platoon Hermida with a right-handed bat.  Otherwise, presumably he's the 4th outfielder.

[Truck Lewis]

Gammons suggests that he's insurance, in case Bay walks.  In that case, they'll platoon Hermida with a right-handed bat.  Otherwise, presumably he's the 4th outfielder.

just read that too....that would be a disaster

[NextCeltic34]

Hermida is a nice pickup.

[JBcat]

Well Baldelli was our 4th outfielder last year.  Wonder if this means this is the end of his tenure in Boston. 

[Fan from VT]

Gammons suggests that he's insurance, in case Bay walks.  In that case, they'll platoon Hermida with a right-handed bat.  Otherwise, presumably he's the 4th outfielder.

just read that too....that would be a disaster

Yeah, the Sox need more consolidation and concentration of talent into one fearsome hitter, not FURTHER watering down of their lineup.

[nickagneta]

Theo, on more than one occasion has said that this might be the year they take a step backwards so that they can ultimately take step forwards in 2011 and 2012.

I think this is a precursor of letting Bay walk because he isn't the high batting average, power hitter that the Sox so desperately like to have in the 3,4 and 5 spots in the order. Bay is a below average fielder that is made to look better in Fenway. He strikes out a ton and even though he'll give you 30/110 he will struggle to hit .280 and will end a lot of innings and rallies with a ton of strikeouts.

Hermida will be a stop gap, good defensive replacement to start in left and give Tito the option to move him to right when Drew eventually gets hurt. The Sox are going to let Bay go, they'll probably live with Varitek, Papelbon, and Lowell and probably Papi for one more year. But look for a ton of payroll to come off the books after next year and for the Sox to go nuts in the 2010 off season.

[Tai]

Theo, on more than one occasion has said that this might be the year they take a step backwards so that they can ultimately take step forwards in 2011 and 2012.

I think this is a precursor of letting Bay walk because he isn't the high batting average, power hitter that the Sox so desperately like to have in the 3,4 and 5 spots in the order. Bay is a below average fielder that is made to look better in Fenway. He strikes out a ton and even though he'll give you 30/110 he will struggle to hit .280 and will end a lot of innings and rallies with a ton of strikeouts.

Hermida will be a stop gap, good defensive replacement to start in left and give Tito the option to move him to right when Drew eventually gets hurt. The Sox are going to let Bay go, they'll probably live with Varitek, Papelbon, and Lowell and probably Papi for one more year. But look for a ton of payroll to come off the books after next year and for the Sox to go nuts in the 2010 off season.

So we're rebuilding.

Yay. -_-'

[yall hate]

this is a good trade.

he was too expensive (at a whopping 2+ million) for Florida...

We gave up garbage to get him (not really garbage, but no one that would ever play here).

he is 25, and has shown power in the majors before (before looking at his stats last year, you should note he battled an oblique injury almost all year).

this was a low cost, high upside move.  I doubt they plan on starting him, he is likely just the 4th of.  I dont think this is related to Bay - the sox are not likely thinking that Hermida is the starter, unless the market goes crazy and Bay/Holliday get obscene offers...

[Fan from VT]

Theo, on more than one occasion has said that this might be the year they take a step backwards so that they can ultimately take step forwards in 2011 and 2012.

I think this is a precursor of letting Bay walk because he isn't the high batting average, power hitter that the Sox so desperately like to have in the 3,4 and 5 spots in the order. Bay is a below average fielder that is made to look better in Fenway. He strikes out a ton and even though he'll give you 30/110 he will struggle to hit .280 and will end a lot of innings and rallies with a ton of strikeouts.

Hermida will be a stop gap, good defensive replacement to start in left and give Tito the option to move him to right when Drew eventually gets hurt. The Sox are going to let Bay go, they'll probably live with Varitek, Papelbon, and Lowell and probably Papi for one more year. But look for a ton of payroll to come off the books after next year and for the Sox to go nuts in the 2010 off season.

Any good targets for that free agency?

[Vermont Green]

Theo is trying to be Billy Beane, getting good solid young players at the right price that may improve and have a good year or two.

Not sure why the Sox need to play that way but worst case is that this guy is an upgrade over Baldelli.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I think this is simply a move to prepare ourselves to bigger trades coming up. I think that there'll be quite a bit of movement from Boston. Rather than a step back, I think we're simply moving on with the new and moving away from the old. Unless Bay gets a ridiculous offer, he'll still be around.

We still have too much pitching in our roster at the moment (though it could be better), to simply step back this year.

[Quinn]

I think this is simply a move to prepare ourselves to bigger trades coming up. I think that there'll be quite a bit of movement from Boston. Rather than a step back, I think we're simply moving on with the new and moving away from the old. Unless Bay gets a ridiculous offer, he'll still be around.

We still have too much pitching in our roster at the moment (though it could be better), to simply step back this year.

I think this is the case.
Otherwsie there was no reason to get it done so early in the offseason.