According to ESPN Boston, sources say a deal sending Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox is close. No names are mentioned in the article, but yesterday we heard that the Pirates were interested in shortstop Jose Iglesias. We will continue to keep you updates on any news from today in this article.
Boston Red Sox closer to deal with Pittsburgh Pirates for closer Joel Hanrahan, sources say http://t.co/STipUHyo
— ESPNBoston (@ESPNBoston) December 22, 2012
Update: 1:21pm The article has been updated to say that there is still “work to be done” to get the deal done and the Pirates are asking for a significant return
1:59pm Jon Heyman now says that multiple players will be involved, but not Jose Iglesias, the name we have heard most often recently.
#redsox still talking to #pirates about hanrahan. likely be for multiple players. jose iglesias not in current offerings
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 22, 2012
3:33pm Jon Heyman has said that Jerry Sands could be a part of the deal. He is a 25-year-old OF/1B that the Red Sox acquired recently from the Dodgers. Sands has played 70 games in the majors over the last two seasons, posting a .244/.325/.376 line. He hit .296 with 26 homers and a .900 OPS in 119 games at AAA Albuquerque this year. As a team, Albuquerque had the highest OPS(.832) in the Pacific Coast League in 2012.
One name that could be in mix is Jerry Sands, an OF with power and yrs of control. #hanrahan trade
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 22, 2012
It was also mentioned a little bit earlier by Jim Bowden that Red Sox won’t give up any of their top prospects
Red Sox are not going to include: Bogaerts, Barnes, Bradley, Webster, De La Rosa in a Hanrahan type deal
— Jim Bowden⚾️
3:43pm Bowden has now posted this update, confirming Sands in the deal
@JonHeymanCBS tweets "One name that could be in mix is Jerry Sands"…moment later I confirm that Sands is indeed in trade #alwaysontopofit
— Jim Bowden⚾️
3:58pm Bowden now says Pirates sources have confirmed that Hanrahan will be dealt and Sands will be part of the return
Pirates source confirms Joel Hanrahan will be dealt to Red Sox and in fact Jerry Sands is part of the deal as speculated by @JonHeymanCBS
— Jim Bowden⚾️
4:24pm Bowden with another player involved, although he doesn’t mention which one. Red Sox have two Pimentels in the minors, the likely one is Stolmy, a 22-year-old starter at AA. In 22 starts, he went 6-7, 4.59 with a 42/86 BB/SO ratio in 115.2 innings.
Pimental and Sands are both in Hanrahan deal according to Pirates source
— Jim Bowden⚾️
4:31pm The trade has been agreed on but not finalized
Pirates and Red Sox have agreed to trade with Hanrahan, Pimental and Sands all involved waiting on rest of deal
— Jim Bowden⚾️
4:46pm Rob Biertempfel is now saying the Pirates will include another player in the deal. There will also be more than two players coming back to Pirates
Source confirms #Pirates will trade Hanrahan and one other player (prospect?) to Red Sox.
— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) December 22, 2012
4:54pm Jon Heyman is reporting Pirates will get four players in return
#pirates will get 4 players in trade that is being finalized. They include sands and pimental. #hanrahan
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 22, 2012
Some info on the players we know about. Stolmy Pimentel was rated as high as the sixth best prospect in the Red Sox system by Baseball America. That was after the 2010 season when he pitched well in High-A ball. His 2011 season saw him return to High-A, where his stats were worse. He was also in AA for 15 starts and that did not go well either. He went 0-9, 9.12, with a 1.95 WHIP. Pimentel spent this whole season at AA, making 22 starts with marginal success. He is a 6’3″ 165 RHP who can reach 97 with his fastball, but he works better when he throws in the low 90’s range. He has an average changeup and according to his BA report, he scrapped a below average curveball for a slider/cutter, which he had some success with in 2011. They originally projected him to be a possible #3 starter. He will have to show something this season due to the fact he has already used up two minor league options.
Jerry Sands has good power and size, 6’4″ 225 R/R. He was ranked by BA as the Dodgers sixth best prospect following the 2010 season. He doesn’t have much speed but has good instincts and can play a corner outfield spot or first base. Sands was named the best defensive first baseman in the Midwest League in 2010. He has hit 119 minor league homers in five seasons, with a .289/.376/.562 line. As noted above, he has spent two years in the Pacific Coast League playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark.
10:15pm ESPN Boston has mentioned that reliever Mark Melancon could be part of the deal, while another source said that no major league players will go to the Pirates
