The Orioles have issued an announcement of the 1-for-1 swap of lefties. Baltimore will acquire Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com first reported (via Twitter).
In return, Boston has picked up left-handed pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez, per a tweet from Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) first reported that a young arm was included in the deal.
Rodriguez represents a significant return for Boston on Miller, who emerged as the most sought-after left-handed reliever but is set to reach free agency at year’s end. He had been nothing short of dominant this year, posting 14.7 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 and generating a 52.5% groundball rate.
Miller’s excellent 2.34 ERA is actually higher than advanced metrics would suggest, as Miller owns lower marks per ERA estimators such as FIP (1.69), xFIP (1.76) and SIERA (1.42). Miller has held down both lefties (.420 OPS) and righties (.537 OPS) on the year.
Rodriguez came into the year as Baltimore’s 3rd-best overall prospect, per Baseball America. The 21-year-old has not taken a step forward at Double-A, however, as he owns a 4.79 ERA with 7.5 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 through 82 2/3 innings on the year. Though he profiles more as a middle-of-the-rotation arm, Rodriguez had been on a fast track to the big leagues and still has plenty of value.
Fantastic!
If you have an iffy rotation, beef up the pen. Hope the O’s didn’t overpay
Not sure if this is a fried chicken joke…?
3.14 ERA over the last 45 days isn’t all that iffy
Err… Rodriguez. Sorry, wrong name.
Way too much?
yes
Perhaps. But I’ve never been on the E-Rod hype-wagon… Miller is one of, if not, the best bullpen arms available. As an O’s fan I like the deal. Probably a good deal for the Sox too.
Perhaps. But I’ve never been on the E-Rod hype-wagon… Miller is one of, if not, the best bullpen arms available. As an O’s fan I like the deal. Probably a good deal for the Sox too.
This will give an idea of the price of interdivision trade
Its a rental Interdivision does not matter
I think it does, no rivals want to help bolster another’s roster and help them win a WS. They got the teams #3 prospect. I think that’s a lot for a “rental”
Rodriguez has been awful this year in Bowie. Hitters look like they’ve adjusted and he hasn’t made the necessary changes to counter act that.
Not really since two others teams not in Sox division back out of deals bc price was too high…
The Red Sox are doing well today!
Is it at least a good minor league pitcher? :P
My sources tell me it is Dylan Bundy
Yep, Red Sox made him wear Rodriquez’s jersey until he got to Boston.
Its like Christmas morning! What is in this present?
a bag of coal…merry freakin christmas. Now, goaway
I’d say socks. Lots and lots of socks today.
Ken Rosenthal said it’s Eduardo Rodriguez.
For whom?
What the heck man??? The Braves could have beat this offer!! Who in the world is answering a phone in Atlanta????
Rodriguez is the 60th best prospect in baseball. I dont wanna trade Lucas Sims for 30 innings of a reliever. Huge overpay.
Over-rated by BBA and O’s fans because he’s a lefty who throws hard… not all that special and will be a major bust. At best he’s a left match-up man out of the pen… most likely a AAAA pitcher who bounces around for a few years.
Not overrated by this O’s fan. You guys got shiny Etzel for a rental of one of the best bullpen arms available.
Don’t’ be surprised if he isn’t on that list next year.
Rodriguez is 21 in a league where the average pitcher is 3 to 4 years older.
The average age of pitchers in AA is 24-25? I’m asking in earnest, do you have a source?
Not really. Lucas Sims is about the only thing you have that’s close and he’s a right hander.
Middling return for Lester/Gomes, peanuts for Lackey, Orioles’ #3 prospect for Miller.
I don’t understand anything anymore.
This is what happens when Henry and company are more worried about filling the seats. They were so worried about being bad next year that they made silly decisions.
Im a puppet.
Cespedes, Craig and Kelly are all MLB talent that will be with Boston next year with a handshake agreement to sign Lester this Offseason they Sox got alot to be competitive next year.
Calling Craig and Kelly “talent” right now is a blatant misuse of that word. Craig is rocking a negative WAR right now. Joe Kelly is iffy. Cespedes is alright, but only around for 2015.
And this “handshake agreement” talk is all speculation that non-Sox fans like to talk about. I don’t buy it for a second.
You’re right. A guy with a 3.25 career ERA in 266 major-league innings isn’t good enough to be a #5 starter…
…on the 1968 Dodgers.
Okay, my bad on Kelly, I was walking and was reading K/9 as ERA xD
Player 1 2014 3.93 FIP, 3.72 XFIP, 6.43 K/9, .77 HR/9
Player 2 2014 3.87 FIP, 3.83 XFIP, 5.38 K/9, 1.00 HR/9
PLayer 1 is Joe Kelly and PLayer 2 is Doug Fister guess Fister is awful xD
I literally just admitted that I was reading the wrong columns
Well earlier you said the return for Lackey was two awful players… Also, you have continuously said the the trades were no where near fair value and commented as someone that would know which column to look at on a website…
I was walking home from work, cut me some slack.
For someone who criticized my reasoning earlier, you’re pretty quick to use a brief error of attention as a strawman for my whole body of reasoning
Alright fair enough. I apologize for my rudeness.
I was going to say Craig is 30 and was losing playing time to Tavares
Playing time doesn’t matter. StL depth is their problem. The fact that he hasn’t been hitting this year does matter…
I buy it 100% and I’m a Sox fan. Reading between the line for the last 3 months leads me to believe both sides (Lester and Sox) had something up their sleeves as far as Jon coming back.
Agree. Doesn’t hurt that they sent him to Oakland–a team without the resources to keep him. Red Sox will have Lester in 2015.
And if we don’t have Lester, we’ll have Scherzer or Shields or trade for someone like them. The Yankees can’t sign all of them.
One season of negative WAR and Allen Craig has no talent. Guess Matt Kemp is talentless and Bryce Harper and Carlos Gonzales and lots of other players having bad years. One year doesn’t mean everything.
Lester is bound to be a FA. They weren’t going to pound out an extension before the end of the year. So even if they lose him they got a whole year of Cespedes and a 2nd round pick rather than a 1st round pick for losing him. Sounds good to me. There is also the real possibility they resign Lester and have Lester AND Cespedes next year.
Now the Lackey trade: Lackey is going to be 36 years old. Joe Kelly is 10 years younger, has a 3.25 career ERA, and could be a very nice 3 or 4 starter for the Sox. They’re sort of buying low on Craig in a way. He was a .300 hitter in 2012 and 2013 but has scuffled this year. He could easily turn it around at Fenway.
Miller trade: They got another young arm that they could use in a package for a marquee player this offseason.
I have no doubt in Ben and I believe that the Red Sox will have a competitive team next year. The roster will look drastically different but BE PATIENT. It’s a good day to be a Red Sox fan.
Probably the most insightful Sox perspective comment to here.
Thank you!
Thanks. A voice of reason. This is the same front office that built a 69-win team into a World Champion in one off-season. It might be a little much to expect that to happen again, but the Red Sox know what they’re doing. They just acquired a good 26-year-old pitcher with 4.5 years of club control and a power-hitting outfielder who hits 25 homers a season despite playing in one of the worst hitters’ parks in baseball. He could bust out in a big way in Fenway.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing about Cespedes–Fenway is a MUCH friendlier hitter’s park.
Agreed!
I hope the Cubs sign him!
My other post got deleted, but: Please explain to me how they were awful trades? Lester was gone in 2 months, so instead of a pick we get a bonafide MLB OF ( i know he is only under contract for one year) and a pick. Lackey we get two MLB players under team control. One of which is one year removed from being an all-star. The other is a 26 year old who started game 3 of the World Series last year. So again, please explain to me how these are awful trades?
Sox. Should. Have. Gotten. More.
I’m a Red Sox fan and I don’t understand how any Red Sox fan can dislike what the Sox have done for trades today.
They traded two top pitchers for pennies on the dollar?
They’ll get one of them back in a few months.
Makes no sense whatsoever. Potentially their best return and likely most useful looking forward was obtained for a guy that just 16 months ago was banished to the south pole. I really deep down truly believe the Red Sox front office is in way over their heads. I often chuckled how much stock they put in draft picks, which when it comes down to it, that’s their strong side. Outside of that, this front office really has no business, well, doing business.
Middling return? Cespedes through 2015 for $10.5m. Plenty of cash to resign Lester in the off-season and still have Cespedes in the middle of the order?
The Sox wanted Lackey off the team. Period.
E-Rod WAS the #3. He’s not even in the top 10 per MLB 2014 mid-season prospect listing.
Sox wanted Lackey off the team? What?
E-Rod isn’t listed as the Orioles’ #3 anymore because he got moved to the Sox’s #10. He got traded, remember?
Lackey is a quitter. Especially on a team that’s not contending. They wanted him off the team.
Fine, he’s not on the O’s list anymore because he was traded. I’ll concede that point. If you’ll concede the FACT that E-Rod wasn’t in the O’s top 10 at the time of the trade (at least per the MLB 2014 mid-season prospect ranking by teams).
(I feel like I’m arguing with my 5 year old daughter…)
He was though. I went to the MLB prospects page to see where he was, and he was #3. I didn’t know anything about him prior to this trade, so it’s not like I’m recalling old information.
Also, you’re name-calling and *I’M* the one who’s like a 5-year old?
You’re missing my point. He was #3 in the off-season. Before the trade MLB did a ‘refresh’ of the prospect ranking and E-Rod wasn’t in the O’s top 10. So, yes, you were recalling old information (just like the MLBTR article did).
And my 5 year old comment was because she misses the point and brings up ‘he’s not #3 on the O’s list because he was traded’ type comments too.
I’m not going to have this argument xD When the article dropped, I was like “Who’s this guy?” I went to the page. He was listed as #3 on the Orioles prospect list. Now he’s #10 on Boston’s list.
Also, given that he’s #10 for Boston, there’s no way he wasn’t in the top 10 for Baltimore. Boston has a much better system.
I’m not going to have this argument xD When the article dropped, I was like “Who’s this guy?” I went to the page. He was listed as #3 on the Orioles prospect list. Now he’s #10 on Boston’s list.
Also, given that he’s #10 for Boston, there’s no way he wasn’t in the top 10 for Baltimore. Boston has a much better system.
E-Rod was number 3 on the Os in the recently updated MLB midseason top prospects.
He was though. I went to the MLB prospects page to see where he was, and he was #3. I didn’t know anything about him prior to this trade, so it’s not like I’m recalling old information.
Also, you’re name-calling and *I’M* the one who’s like a 5-year old?
Are you serious? I thought the Red Sox made out like bandits.
Like the bandits from Home Alone, maybe
The Carabobo contingency continues.
Eduardo Rodriguez was ranked #43 in MLB by Keith Law back in January.
Yeah and he has had an awful season repeating AA Bowie. He is 3-7 with a 4.79 era with blah peripherals.
And he’s 21. How many 21-year olds tear it up as a starting pitcher at double-A?
A top pitching prospect in return for 2 months of a reliever…. Wow…
Yeah, take a look at those “top prospect” stats. Could be a hard decade for the Os, if that’s the best they’ve got for pitching prospects.
I think Gausman will be fine. I just hope Dylan Bundy can recover fully from the Tommy John surgery he had last year and become the stud everyone envisioned. Still a while to go to see how Harvey pans out, even though he’s done for the year.
Who? I’m talking about Rodriguez. This is the Andrew Miller thread.
You were talking about the other prospects the O’s had and I was just listing them.
Wonder if the Orioles try to move him back into the rotation?
Not on a two month rental
They got him for free -_-
? It’s a consensus top-75 prospect going back. Not an elite guy, sure, but a legit prospect.
Consensus top-75? He’s not even on MLB’s top 100 list
He was previously. Having a rough year.
I drew his name out of a hat. win some you lose some
That would explain a lot of today’s moves, really :P
He’s been banged up this year which is why his numbers were so bad.
Wait, I thought you liked E-Rod? Or are you just argumentative?
I liked that he was a top organizational prospect, but then I looked at his numbers.
I liked that he was a top organizational prospect, but then I looked at his numbers.
Wait, I thought you liked E-Rod? Or are you just argumentative?
Dunno what to tell ya. These are the numbers I got:
Baseball America: #65
MLB: #68
Baseball Prospectus: #61
Those look like pre-season numbers?
They are. I don’t really know what I’m talking about then… I thought that was all there was. I guess he’s fallen since then?
MLB updates their prospect list. You can go there right now like I did xD
eh…. I think it’s a bit of an overpay. Considering it is a 2 month rental for a reliever.
Huge overpay
I’ve never been impressed by Rodriguez, and he continues to disappoint this year, even if it is a two month rental we now have arguably the best 3 punch bullpen combo in baseball.
Agreed. Rodriguez is a soft tosser that was north of 4.00 ERA this year. Get value now to have the 7th-9th inning locked down before ERod dimishes his value even more.
Diminished value is something that continues to happen to O’s prospects, like Britton (finally found a job), Matusz, Arrieta and Tillman to some degree. I like to see them finally get a great return for one of these “potential” players.
Couldn’t have put it any better. Everyone’s excuse for why this trade was bad on the O’s part is that he is only 21 years old, and they assume that he will get better, although they fail to look at what would happen if he gets worse. I’m just glad we moved him while his stock is still somewhat valuable.
He’s extremely disappointing. His stuff is gone. 90 mph fastballs that don’t hit the corners. Seriously seriously average breaking stuff. Meh.
Eduardo Rodriguez, Orioles were high on him a last year and having a rough season in Bowie AA this year.
and Atlanta couldn’t have matched this for one of our biggest holes? Ugh.
Of all the deals the Red Sox made today, it’s a rental reliever that nets them the best prospect? Does not compute.
That nets them any kind of prospect.
Yeah lets throw out all years but 2014 and say Allen Craig is awful right… Makes sense. Guess Lester was a terrible player because he had a poor 2012 should have never given him a chance to rebound in 2013. Or you know Ortiz was done in 2010. Or Xander Bogaerts is an awful player because because after 450 PA in MLB he has a 89 WRC+.
I agree with you though the best way to analyze players is on less then 400 plate appearances…
Yeah, Allen Craig used to be really good, and then this season he’s been awful. Maybe he’ll bounce back, and it’d be great, although who knows where his playing time will come from since his positions are all blocked by surer things.
But as it stands, Allen Craig is terrible right now. They bought low on him. They really couldn’t do any better from team-friendly-contract Lackey than a buy-low bat and a #3-4 starter?
A team friendly contract that many sources have said Lackey won’t play for in 2015??? And that if they traded Lester he would be even less likely to play in 2015 without an extension or with one.
And for Lackey they got a guy making 24 million for his age 30-32 seasons who from 2011-2013 had a 140 WRC+ and can player corner OF/1B/DH or rotate around. Also, potentially allows them to trade Vic or Nap for pitching prospects.
Not to many they got 4 years of Joe Kelly a guy who has a career 3.25 ERA for a total cost under 20 million most likely.
I mean Lackey had value but not as much as you think and Craig and Kelly aren’t stars but definitely have more value then you seem to thing.
The MLBTR article said Lackey would honor the option. Can we finally put the Lackey might retire talk to rest?
To say Allen Craig “can play” the OF is like saying I “can cook.”
The Sox didn’t get enough for Lester OR for Lackey. These players would be alright, probably, if they weren’t the ONLY ones.
The Lackey return was arguably better then what the Rays got for Price and the Lester return definitly was.
Tell me what team would have given up more Major league proven ready to help the team contend in 2015 talent???
One season of Cespedes is “definitely” better than Drew Smyly through 2018 + Nick Franklin and a well regarded shortstop prospect? Are you seriously saying you don’t think the Sox could’ve at least gotten Milone too? And maybe a middling prospect?
That said, the return for Price was laughably low.
Smyly has a lower FIP on the year then Joe Kelly and Nick Franklin has a career 82 WRC+ in 462 PA kind of like how Allen craig (part of the terrible return for Lackey according to you) has a 81 WRC+ this year in 400 PA except for the fact Craig has a career 123 WRC+ in 1800 PA.
Also, a Nick Franklin type player will most likely be available with the comp pick the Red Sox got.
Just going by your standards Cespedes who is a good player this year is the better return then Smyly and Frankling. Also, by standards in contending in 2015 Cespedes a 30 HR threat and top 30 OF in the game paying for ten million is better then Smyly and Franklin though I agree their additional years of control is nice.
Overall, I think the Lester, Lackey, and Price trade just shows that SP weren’t going to get as much in return as you, me, or most fans/analysts thought they were.
Maybe because the other trades weren’t for prospects but for proven MLB players…
Cespedece>Rodriquez…. people are too high on prospect, most never play as projected
Not even that great of a prospect, AA numbers are terrible.
he was a top 70 prospect coming into the year but yes he has struggled
The Red Sox weren’t trying to get prospects. It was pretty obvious that their goal is to build a winning team in 2015.
If you look at their system, it makes sense anyway. They already have a ton of A and B-level prospects at AA and AAA, more than they can protect on the 40-man roster. Getting more really does them no good. Getting established major-league talent with an upside in return for veteran major-league talent makes more sense than prospects.
The Red Sox weren’t trying to get prospects. It was pretty obvious that their goal is to build a winning team in 2015.
If you look at their system, it makes sense anyway. They already have a ton of A and B-level prospects at AA and AAA, more than they can protect on the 40-man roster. Getting more really does them no good. Getting established major-league talent with an upside in return for veteran major-league talent makes more sense than prospects.
Because he’s not as good as the article makes him out to be…
Didn’t really expect Andrew Miller to have such an nice career in Boston. Win-Win for Both Miller and Cherington here.
Gracias
Orioles pitching prospect are terrible…….
Gausman looks like he will fare pretty well from what I’ve seen. Bundy just needs to get back in the swing of things this year after TJ surgery. Harvey is one I don’t know a lot about yet and probably won’t until next year since he is hurt and is done for the season.
O’s back end of bullpen now about the best in the game. Miller has been dominant all year, and who’s to say we don’t sign him next year? Miller-O’Day- Britton. Lights out!
I hope we resign him too. The bullpen needed one more good lefty arm with Matusz stinking it up. Now it’s McFarland, Matusz, Hunter, Webb, Miller, O’Day, Britton. I really like the pen depth.
I do like the Miller addition but after seeing how the Rays didn’t get back nearly enough for Price (in my opinion), I would’ve liked to have seen what the O’s could’ve offered to Tampa to get him.
Thats a nice return for 2 months of a relief pitcher. Miller will be a big piece for the Os too
This is not a two month rental people. Miller is a free agent after 2015. He is arbitration-eligible at the end of this year.
Sure… .the Andrew Miller for the Marlins. Not the one traded by the Sox.
Sure… .the Andrew Miller for the Marlins. Not the one traded by the Sox.
You are wrong. He is a free agent. Not arb eliglible.
First love the name and avatar.
Anyway, at Baseball Reference Andrew Miller.
2014 Status3rd-Year Arb Eligible, Earliest Free Agent: 2015
this coming year is free agent year 2015. Baseball ref is messed up with how they list things.
Strange that the O’s were willing to give up their 4th best prospect (including Gausman) for Miller, but wouldn’t give up one of their top 3 or Lester… especially considering their glaring need at the front of their rotation and the fact that 2 of their 3 best prospects have elbow issues.
For those of us O’s fans that have followed Rodriguez this year… the kid’s stuff has evaporated into thin air. We saw it in Spring Training and it’s continued into his season at Bowie.
Not at all. Harvey and Bundy are both top 40 prospects. E-Rod is a top 125 guy at best.
going into the season he was top 70 but he has had a rough year with injurys which probably lead to his poor performance
He was top 70 according to some at the start of the season. Keith Law really liked him (#43 I think). But his stuff isn’t doing well in AA. It’s not just his injury that are turning people off.
Yeah obviously those guys are way above E-Rod but Lester is also a lot more valuable than Miller. Solid pickup for the O’s either way.
There’s a huge gap between Bundy/Gausman/Harvey and E-Rod (or anyone else in the O’s minor league system). I think #4 is being generous…
Strange that the O’s were willing to give up their 4th best prospect (including Gausman) for Miller, but wouldn’t give up one of their top 3 or Lester… especially considering their glaring need at the front of their rotation and the fact that 2 of their 3 best prospects have elbow issues.
Good job, Ben. There’s still time left. Can you get rid of Drew?
They’ll be able to move him in August.
Yeah, he’ll get through waivers. We don’t have to trade him today. Although I’ll be glad when he’s gone.
I agree with much vigor.
The Fisherman’s Feast is coming up. Maybe they’d take Carp.
:) Ben’s good! Can he get rid of Kelly Johnson too?
Big day for the Red Sox. Monetizing assets quite well
I called for this move over Jon Lester a couple of days ago. Andrew Miller will help more in the long run than Lester would have for a few months.
They are both only under contract for this year. There is no long run.
The O’s will be able to re-sign Andrew Miller while they wouldn’t touch having to pony up the money to re-sign Lester. This move frees up the ability to pass on Zach Britton in the offseason.
I love this deal because the O’s got to keep all 3 of their top young pitchers, setting them up for years to come. Not selling the future for the now definitely helps in the long run.
Third best trade Duquette has made for the Red Sox.
The guy put together most of our 2004 championship team, and as soon as he got to the O’s, they started winning for the first time in forever. He’s not a bad GM.
He was a bad executive at any rate.
Third best trade Duquette has made for the Red Sox.
Worst news for a Jays fan today was this trade
Wait, that’s right, I forgot about the Jays. They were in on everyone, yet landed no one..Why they do that?
They always do that…
As an O’s fan, I’m pumped. E-Rod really didn’t look great this year, and Miller has always torn us apart. Excited to add him.
I can dig this trade. We didn’t give up Bundy or Harvey and got some major league talent in a year we’re we are poised to win it all. With a mediocre rotation that’s just good enough to get by and a great bullpen and excellent lineup, I think we can make some 08 Phils magic work. Let’s go O’s!
Now how do we get rid of Carp and Drew? Give them out in grab bags? As party favors? Kids Meal Toys?
Andrew Miller is not a rental! He is arbitration eligible after this year. FA in 2015
Why do people keep making this mistake? He is not arb eligible.
2014 is this year… 2015 is next year… he’s a free agent next year
When you click on Baseball Reference, they always list the year of free agency one year ahead of his last season under contract. So anybody listed as a “2015 free agent” becomes a free agent after this – the 2014 season – ends. I know its confusing and I don’t know why they do that but thats what they do.
Oh my goodness gravy! Man, I didn’t want to see Miller traded but for this? I’m not even mad.
Red Sox have traded 20% of their 25 man roster within the last 24 hours–so far. Love it!
Huge day for the Boston Red Sox organization; they have picked up a lot of young talent.
A third rate prospect from a sixth rate country! Great deal Benbo. I hope that this is a flip!
he was a top 70 prospect coming into the year
Goes to show, some players get 2 comfortable with there high pay.
If the O’s can extend him to a 3/15mil, this will be a great get by the O’s. He has ace potential before (one of the main piece in the Miguel Cabrera trade) and now seemed to have figured things out. Don’t be surprised if he starts and do well next year!
He has given up 25 hits in 42 innings pitched. Did I read that right ? Talking about Miller….GO O;S
And that 0.898 whip that Miller has cannot be right…..GO O’S
Duquette and company have returned a great winning tradition to Baltimore. Just great to see.