Sox add bullpen arm
The Boston Red Sox traded two minor league right-handed pitchers for Chicago White Sox right-handed relief pitcher David Aardsma.
Aardsma, 26, was a first-round draft pick, out of Rice in 2003, by the San Francisco Giants. He has also pitched for the Cubs and White Sox organizations. He has never pitched a full major league season.
Last year, Aardsma got off to a great start with the White Sox (2-0, 1.31, 26 strikeouts in 20 and two-thirds innings).
But things went sour with three brutal outings. In back to back games against the Cubs on May 19-20, Aardsma gave up 9 runs over 1 one-third inning. He later allowed 5 runs in 1 inning against the Blue Jays.
He spent the second half of the season in Triple-A Charlotte. In his major league career, he is 6-1 with a 5.16 ERA in 81 games. He has 90 strikeouts and 55 walks in 96 innings.
Aardsma is said to have a mid- to high-90's fastball and average slider and change-up.
He was added to the Red Sox 40-man roster (Boston has room for one more on the roster).
Boston traded Miguel Socolovich, 21, and Willy Mota, 22. Both were non-drafted free agents.
Socolovich pitched 11 games in low Class A Greenville last year (2-2, 6.65) and 14 in short-season Lowell (5-4, 3.56).
Mota was an outfielder for four years before converting to pitcher last season (5-3, 2.60 in 17 relief appearances with Lowell).
Posted at 01:36 PM
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