Brian Fuentes trade rumor
Posted on July 22, 2008
Filed Under 2008 Season |
As the trade deadline gets closer, the Red Sox have sent out a few feelers in an attempt to bolster their bullpen. One of the biggest names mentioned has been Brian Fuentes. Brian has taken over the closer role in Colorado and has put up decent numbers in his career (3.50 ERA, 439 K and 168 BB in 398.3 IP) He’s done it in a hitter friendly Coors Field but also against weaker NL lineups.
Numbers-wise, I think he would be a good puzzle piece for the pen; however, there are some issues surrounding him. His contract is up at the end of the season and with the market being what it is, he could probably command 6-7 mil a year. He’ll want a decently long contract and giving 5 years to a reliever is NOT something that the Red Sox do. This means that he’ll probably be a 2 month rental player and Theo Epstein isn’t a fan of those (last season’s Eric Gagne trade only strengthened this resolve.)
So the contract issue might be a problem, but there is another road bump to get past. The Rockies are reportedly asking for Clay Buchholz. Buchholz has already thrown a no-hitter in his career and has been ranked by almost everybody as a top 5 pitching prospect in the major leagues.
Is a 2 month rental worth giving up a potential future number one starter? I don’t think so and I’m betting that neither do the Red Sox.
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[...] year the Rockies have asked for Clay Buchholz in a potential trade for Brian Fuentes (link). Fuentes would have been a rental as well and Theo Epstein seems to have decided that the asking [...]