The Red Sox have completed a trade for the Colorado Rockies' left-handed reliever Franklin Morales. Colorado will receive cash compensation or a player to be named later.
Theo Epstein and co. seem to have been quite busy today, but the results are, at least for me, a bit underwhelming. While Morales will fill a role in a bullpen that's been shuffled around quite a bit in recent days due to injuries in the rotation, there's not much reason to expect him to be any good at it. While his 3.82 ERA is better than the 6.28 figure he put up in 2010, it belies a 5.14 BB/9 and 4.86 xFIP.
What Morales does have going for him is potential. Ranked as the eight best prospect in the nation in 2008, Morales has never managed to translate his minor league success to the Majors. I would like this deal if Morales stayed in the minors while the Sox tried to work on his mechanics, like with Andrew Miller, but he's just not a major league talent at the moment.
Hideki Okajima will be designated for assignment to create room on the roster.