Breaking News: The Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers are apparently close to making a trade that involves sending Red Sox oft-injured third baseman Mike Lowell and $8-$9 million to the Rangers for one of the Rangers trifecta of young catchers, Max Ramirez.
Commissioner Bud Selig has to sign off on the deal, due to the large amount of money being exchanged between the franchises.
Lowell has had numerous hip and thumb injuries and the Red Sox will have to eat about half of Lowell's salary.
This isn't the first time the Red Sox have tried to acquire a young Rangers catcher, as last offseason the Red Sox were linked to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, another one of the young Rangers catchers. The deal eventually fell apart.
This trade is by no means official and could still fall apart. Rangers GM Jon Daniels has said "[The progress of the trade] might be overstated."
Both the Rangers and the Red Sox are looking at other possible deals involving Lowell and Ramirez.
It's been said that the Red Sox might be pressured into a move because of the blockbuster three-team deal that involved the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers, in which the Red Sox' rival Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, who is potentially the best centerfielder in the game.
While Ramirez is far from the best catcher in the majors now, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein may feel a little pressure to get a trade done, and the Rangers might be his scapegoat out of the pressure.
Last season, Lowell hit .290 with 17 home runs and 75 RBI. His on-base percentage was .337 and his slugging percentage .474 for an OPS of .811. Lowell will turn 36 during Spring Training.
Ramirez hit .217 in 17 games last season (his only season and games of his major league career) with two home runs and nine RBI. His on-base percentage was .345 with a slugging percentage of .370 for an OPS of .715.
Presumably, Ramirez will have to fight for a major league roster spot in Spring Training if he is traded to the Red Sox. He will have to battle with Jason Varitek, Dusty Brown and George Kottaras for the back-up catcher spot on the Red Sox' roster.
In other Red Sox news, Boston claimed pitcher Boof Bonser of waivers from the Minnesota Twins . Bonser, who recently turned 27, has pitched in parts of three seasons with the Twins. Last time Bonser pitched in a major league game it was 2008. That season, Bonser had a career high 47 games, starting 12, and getting a 3-7 record. His ERA in 2008 was a career high 5.93, a large jump from 2007's 5.10 and a far cry from 2006's 4.22. His WHIP in '08 was better than in '07, at 1.48, down from 1.53.
Bonser will likely battle for a position in the bullpen for the Red Sox, but probably won't make the roster. Bonser could see Major League time if another member of the bullpen gets injured.
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