Sox acquire Bucs’ first baseman Adam LaRoche by Mike Ghika
Lugo also sent packing to St. Louis for outfielder Duncan


For a lineup that has scored just eight runs over the course of a four-game losing streak, the urgency to go and get offensive help has only increased since play has resumed after the All Star break. However, general manager Theo Epstein went out and got a bat Wednesday morning to hopefully spark a team that has hit a lowly .221 against right-handed pitching since June 25.

WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports that the Sox have acquired left-handed hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche, who has hit at least 20 homers in each of the last four seasons, from Pittsburgh in exchange for two prospects. Dejan Kovacavic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was the first to break the story.

LaRoche, a 29-year-old who becomes a free agent following the 2009 season, will hopefully provide some thump from the left side in a predominantly right-handed hitting lineup featuring Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jason Bay - a former teammate of LaRoche. He is hitting .247 on the season with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 87 games and will join the club on Friday back in Boston.

Nonetheless, the Sox could be rewarded most by his performance post-All Star break, where LaRoche has been very successful. Over the last three seasons, LaRoche has posted a .374 OBP and .952 OPS in the second half. Last season, LaRoche hit .304 with 14 homers and 42 RBIs after the break, while in 2007, he hit .312 with 8 homers and 37 RBIs in the second half. His largest post-break surge came in 2006 when he hit .323 with 19 home runs and 48 RBIs for Atlanta, a year in which he finished with 32 long balls and 90 RBIs.

As for what the Bucs are receiving in return, shortstop Argenias Diaz and pitcher Hunter Strickland are headed to Pittsburgh. Diaz, a 22-year-old defensive whiz, was hitting .253 with no homers at Double A Portland this season, while Strickland, 20, was 5-4 with a 3.35 ERA for the Single A Greenville Drive. Neither projected as a top-tier prospect within the organization.

"I'm excited to go to a great organization in a great baseball city and jump into a pennant race," said LaRoche. "I’m very thankful for the opportunity."

LaRoche did express remorse over the separation the trade will create from his younger brother Andy in Pittsburgh but acknowledged, "I know it’s a good move for me."

For a Sox offense that is fourth in the AL in runs scored and OBP, the addition of LaRoche will create a revolving door of some sort. The move allows the Sox to give Mike Lowell time off against right-handed starters, with LaRoche getting time at first and Youkilis sliding across the diamond to third. LaRoche is an insurance policy of sorts as well, as he will be there if Lowell needs another DL stint or if Youkilis or David Ortiz were to get hurt at some point.

As to the roster move the Sox must make to make room for LaRoche, it remains to be seen what will be done. Mark Kotsay has had nagging injuries all year, but placing him on the DL or designating him for assignment would mean the Sox would have just four outfielders on the roster, and Rocco Baldelli of course is not capable of playing every day regardless. The Sox have essentially gone with 12 pitchers all season long, and it doesn’t look like now is the time to cut the number of relievers down in order to create a spot for LaRoche.

In another move, Epstein swapped out underachieving shortstop Julio Lugo to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Chris Duncan and a player to be named, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The trade comes as a surprise not only after the splash the LaRoche trade has made, but moreover because it seemed the interest in Lugo was virtually nonexistent even after he was designated for assignment.

Duncan, who will be assigned to Triple A Pawtucket, has hit .227 with 5 home runs and 32 RBIs in 260 at-bats with the Cards this season. A left-handed hitting outfielder, Duncan owns a .348 career OBP and hit 22 and 21 homers in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Lugo's final statistics with the Sox include a .251 average, 10 homers, and 103 RBIs in 266 games over three seasons.

-Mike Ghika



Published on July 22, 2009

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