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Red Sox Notes: Melancon, Lowrie, Closer Search

Earlier today, the Red Sox shipped shortstop Jed Lowrie and starter Kyle Weiland to Houston for reliever Mark Melancon.  Here's a look at some items out of Boston with plenty of talk about the trade..

• Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) likes the trade for the Red Sox but stresses that Melancon can't be the team's closer.  In his view, Boston still needs to acquire someone for the ninth inning.
• ESPN's Keith Law thinks the Astros won the deal.
• Melancon's power arm and mental toughness are definite positives, but Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets that the 26-year-old projects as a set-up man in the AL rather than a closer.
• Meanwhile, one talent evaluator told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he loves what Melancon has to offer and believes that he has what it takes to be a closer.  The right-hander finished 47 games for the Astros last season.
• The Red Sox are still in on multiple starters and closers, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  It's a good bet that they'll land either the starter or closer that they're after and may get both.
• More from Speier (via Twitter) who notes that the deal should be a good opportunity for both Weiland and Lowrie.  Lowrie has largely been blocked by Marco Scutaro and now would have had Jose Iglesias in front of him.  Meanwhile, Weiland was set to start the year in Triple-A but will now get to pitch for the Astros' varsity squad.

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