The Boston Red Sox are making moves before the deadline and began the process today as they traded veteran outfielder Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Josh Rutledge.
A lot of people were expecting Boston to make moves during the deadline, since the team is in last place in the AL East. As the Red Sox look to quickly retool this underachieving club, unloading veterans who are approaching free agency makes a lot of sence, and Victorino fits that criteria.
This season for Boston, Victorino has slashed .245/.324/.298 with one homerun and four RBI, in only 33 games played. To say the least, this has been a down season for Victorino. He hasn't shown any power, and even though he's not know for the longball, his current slugging percentage is well below league average. The veteran outfielder will probably platoon with Matt Joyce, who has been good over his career against right-handed pitching.
Even though Victorino is on the worst start in his major league career, he is still a really good veteran player. He is still an above average defender and has much needed World Series experience for an Angels club that is in the thick of contention.
Boston is getting a nice young player in Josh Rutledge. There is a lot of talk about this player turning out to be a great player once he reaches his full potential. However, he hasn't reached the big leagues this year after spending three seasons on the big league roster for the Colorado Rockies. In 81 minor league games, Rutledge is slashing .286/.336/.432 with six home runs and 34 RBI.
The Red Sox need to fill up on young talent, and trading the old guys for young pieces is a smart move while being out of the playoff hunt. Looking at the rumors, Boston will remain active and looking to make moves in the upcoming days.
In the end, it's a move that makes sense for both teams. Boston gets young talent that will be useful in the future, and Los Angeles gets a veteran guy that knows what it takes to win in October and make it to the World Series. The Angels are looking to win now, and this is a nice pickup to do so.