Angels acquire Shane Victorino from Red Sox

“I don’t have enough words to thank the Red Sox”. The veteran outfielder will probably platoon with Matt Joyce, who has been good over his career against right-handed pitching. 274 with five homers and 32 RBIs for the Bees.

Today the #Angels have acquired OF Shane Victorino and cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for INF Josh Rutledge. However, his defense at first base has remained steady, which makes him appealing to the Pirates.

Collin Cowgill was batting.

Victorino has struggled with injuries throughout his tenure in Boston, although he is now healthy again. The 34-year-old has been hampered by various injuries each of the last two seasons. Victorino then missed 2 1/2 weeks early this season with a strained right hamstring before sitting out almost six weeks with a left calf strain, returning in early July. “But just what he did in 2013, it was a worthwhile deal”.

Boston will pay the Angels $3,801,639 as part of the trade.

Rutledge, 26, played with the Colorado Rockies from 2012 to 2014.

The Royals sent left-handers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed to the Reds for Cueto, who won 20 games last season and will instantly move to the top of Kansas City’s rotation.

Rutledge did not win the competition for the Angels’ second base job in spring training and has spent this season with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League.

“This is a guy we believe in and believe will be a good major-league player”, general manager Ben Cherington said of Castillo. “He’s an offensive infielder with some defensive versatility around the infield. In all likelihood he’ll join the big league club when he gets here”.

To fill Victorino’s spot on the roster, the Red Sox recalled outfielder Rusney Castillo from Triple-A Pawtucket. “Hopefully there’s now an opportunity for him to get a good chunk of playing time between now and the end of the season and get comfortable at the big-league level before we head into the offseason so he can feel better about where he is and we’ll have a better sense about where he is”.