Theo Epstein's quest to acquire every single Red Sox prospect drafted during his tenure is going strong, as the Cubs claimed lefty reliever Drake Britton from the Sox off waivers Wednesday afternoon.
Britton, 25, was designated for assignment earlier in the week to make room for Alexi Ogando. He had been with the team since 2007, drafted in the 23rd round after falling due to signability concerns. The Red Sox would overcome that hurdle with a $700,000 signing bonus, which was more than either of their first round picks that year (Nick Hagadone, Ryan Dent) received.
The eight years since have had more than their fair share of ups and downs for Britton. Tommy John surgery saw him miss almost the entirety of 2009, and left him limited to short outings for two years to come. After a rough 18 months, Britton would put up some strong results in the second half of 2012 and much of 2013.
Even as his numbers were headed in the right direction, however, Britton was getting himself into trouble off the field, with a DUI during spring training leaving him in the doghouse with the team and fans alike.
Britton would see some time with the big league team during the 2013 season after making the move to the bullpen, but didn't really break through as a regular, being left off the postseason roster and only making a handful of appearances in 2014. With the Red Sox seemingly still not interested in relying on Britton even with a dearth of left-handed relievers, and with no options remaining after 2014, it's not surprising to see him headed elsewhere.