The Red Sox tried to reacquire Justin Masterson before the July 31st trade deadline, according to the MLB Network's Peter Gammons on Twitter. The Indians, who obtained Masterson from Boston in the 2009 Victor Martinez deal, told the Red Sox 'no thanks.' Last night, Masterson pitched five strong innings and beat his former teammates, who are now 6.5 games out of a playoff spot.
For the season, Masterson has a 5.40 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9. With those numbers, Masterson could start for many teams (Masterson's numbers are eerily similar to those of Edwin Jackson). Still, it's likely that the Red Sox, who have a full stable of starters, had interest in bringing Masterson back as a reliever and spot starter. The 25-year-old has a clearly-defined role in Cleveland's rotation and he seems to enjoy the stability.
"It’s a good spot to be in," Masterson told MLBTR over the weekend. "It has given me a great opportunity to be a starter and hopefully be one of the integral parts here."
The sides didn't necessarily come close to a deal, even if Masterson's name came up in conversation. Cleveland controls his rights through 2014 and Masterson figures to be a part of the team's rotation for a while, so it's no surprise that the Indians weren't motivated to move him.
