The Orioles have announced that they’ve acquired infielders Kelly Johnson and Michael Almanzar from the Red Sox for infielders Jemile Weeks and Ivan De Jesus. This is the Orioles’ second significant trade of the evening, having also recently acquired outfielder Alejandro De Aza from the White Sox. The Johnson deal gives the Orioles a bit of low-cost infield depth.
Johnson, 32, began the season with the Yankees, then headed to Boston in a trade for Stephen Drew. (He also played for the Rays in 2013 and the Blue Jays in 2011 and 2012, meaning that he’s now been or will be on the roster of all five AL East teams, with no non-AL East teams in between.) He’s played mostly third base and first base since 2012, and he’s hit .212/.290/.354 for the season. With the Orioles, he’ll likely play mostly at third base in the wake of the team’s loss of Manny Machado for the rest of the year.
The Orioles selected Almanzar from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft last winter, but returned him in early July. Since then, he’s hit .280/.360/.427 in 186 plate appearances for Double-A Portland, mostly playing third base. At 23, he’s the youngest player in the deal.
Weeks was a first-round draft pick by the Athletics in 2008, and they sent him to Baltimore in 2013 in the Jim Johnson trade. The 27-year-old Weeks played in 215 games with the A’s in 2011 and 2012 but has spent most of the past two seasons in the minors. This season, he’s hit .278/.391/.385 in 254 plate appearances for Triple-A Norfolk. Despite the high on-base percentage, the second baseman probably profiles mostly as depth at this point, although CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam tweets that Weeks will join the Red Sox’ big-league team. (Dustin Pedroia may have suffered a concussion in Saturday’s game, but the timing of Weeks’ acquisition appears to be a coincidence.)
De Jesus, who heads back to the Red Sox after spending a few months in the organization in 2012, also appears to be mostly a depth player. De Jesus came to Boston from the Dodgers in the Adrian Gonzalez / Carl Crawford / Josh Beckett blockbuster, then headed to Pittsburgh almost immediately as the Red Sox traded for Joel Hanrahan and Brock Holt. The Pirates showed little interest in him despite a strong offensive season in Triple-A in 2013, and he signed with the Orioles after the season. The 27-year-old hit .282/.358/.389 in 469 plate appearances for Norfolk this year, mostly playing shortstop.
Really? Ivan DeJesus is back? Ughhh
Guess who’s back, back again
DeJesus is back…. tell a friend
What the heck are the Sox gonna do with Weeks? And De Jesus is yet another 2nd baseman IIRC. Okay ….
Weeks is strictly depth, but he gets on base. DeJesus is a possible future shortstop; his dad was a very good one, and his numbers aren’t bad.
Seems like neither fanbase likes this move
Don’t see how, Orioles gave up nothing of value in neither of those 2 trades(De Aza or Johnson)
What makes you say that?
I like Kelly Johnson.
De Aza is groovy and Kelly Johnson should help.
I think we can forget about Beltre coming to charm city and I am okay with that now! =P
U won’t like Kelly Johnson after the first 10 games trust me
He’s 3B depth and insurance, and/or allows Davis to move back to 1B. With Steve Pearce a tweaked ab, it threatens to make the bench a little thin.
Johnson has apparently raked in Camden Yards, and Buck is a believer in stadium splits.
When you’re forced to start him day after game, I could understand that. With the O’s he’ll spot start and won’t be relied upon to fill out the lineup card. If Johnson gets more than 1 or 2 starts a week I’d be shocked.
Kelly Johnson won’t be getting many starts at all. He’s just depth.
First, after the De Aza trade you commented how much you have always liked him..
Now you state you like Kelly Johnson..
I wish I could have seen your reaction to the Scott Feldman trade last year or the 5 minute signing of Balfour earlier this year..
I wouldn’t say that. I’d say neither fan base really cares…
I am for the move. Buck has a crush on Almanzar and we got him for nothing.
why?
Why not?
The most irrelevant 4 player trade in history.
It also features 2 players returning to their former team.
Orioles making moves, more than other teams can say.
De Aza + Johnson = Postseason Bench Depth.
And they didn’t give up anyone of great value in either trade.
I recall Kelly being a decent at second a long time ago, though haven’t watching him play in years. Flaherty and Schoop seem completely lost at 3rd (Schoop seem quite lost anywhere else too). With both Pierce and Davis having oblique/ab issues this year… Kelly is a lock if he can play the hot corner and isn’t a complete and utter disaster at the plate.
Luckily it’s been confirmed with Pearce’s MRI this morning that it isn’t an oblique or intercostal issue and should (hopefully) only be out a few days.
Hey Ivan, welcome back!
With this, Kelly Johnson completes his tour of the AL East!
Lol Kelly Johnson Has Played For Every Al East Team
Ha. Wait. The only team he hasn’t played for is the Rays right?
He played for the rays last season
Oh yeah that’s right! Haha. This is hilarious. The Os were the last team he needed to play for, to complete the set.
He’s now played for 4 of them in the past 2 seasons
This is a double bench depth move. Swapping useful parts to prepare for “just in case” scenarios at respective teams’ thin positions.
Red Sox dealing with the Yankees and Orioles. I am beginning to question reality.
Wow, Jemile Weeks has fallen a long, long way.
It happens a lot actually.
The Os have another castoff guy, Delmon Young, who was probably even a bigger blazer on the prospect charts. The #1 prospect in all baseball for several years as a Rays phenom.
There was a time when Kelly Johnson was a Type A free agent.
Duquette must really really love Almanzar or something