Red Sox Make Surprise Trade With Division Rival Involving Promising Hurler
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The Boston Red Sox made a rare inter-division trade Wednesday afternoon involving a young southpaw that could seek revenge on his former club this season.
Boston traded left-handed reliever Darwinzon Hernandez to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced.
Hernandez, a once highly regarded prospect, was designated for assignment Friday to make room for corner infielder/designated hitter Justin Turner on the 40-man roster.
The 26-year-old had a horrible stint in Boston last season but his two seasons prior were quite productive.
He posted a 3.17 ERA with a .195 batting average against, 30.2% strikeout rate and 150 ERA+ in 48 1/3 innings between 2020 and 2021.
Unfortunately, his walk rate, WHIP and hard-hit percentage were far too high, even when he was posting solid overall numbers.
It would have been beneficial for Boston to sneak Hernandez back into the organization but off the 40-man roster had he cleared waivers given their lack of left-handed depth -- but this result was the second-best option.
What makes the trade so interesting is that these low-level trades are typically used so that Boston can direct where Hernandez ends up.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom appears comfortable keeping the flamethrowing southpaw in the American League East.
While far from a blockbuster, inter-division trades are always worth noting, as they do not come often.
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