Red Sox trade for former CSU pitcher Tyler Thornburg

The baseball season may not start until four months, but the Boston Red Sox are getting a head start towards preparing.

The deal was announced Tuesday and was the first trade at baseball’s winter meetings.

It’s not that David Stearns doesn’t like bullpen closers.

Third basemen Travis Shaw, infield prospect Mauricio Dubon, and single-A pitcher Josh Pennington will be exiting Boston and going to the Brewers. They just made one of their first transactions of the off-season.

The back end of the bullpen continued to generate a high return for the rebuilding Brewers, as the club traded reliever Tyler Thornburg to the Red Sox for Travis Shaw and two prospects on Tuesday.

Thornburg likely slots into an eighth-inning role for the Red Sox, with Craig Kimbrel securing the closer spot and Carson Smith likely fitting into a seventh-inning type of role as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. “So, the result of that is we’ve acquired a number of shortstops and we’re fortunate we do have depth at that position, both at the major-league level and throughout our system”. With Shaw out of the mix as even a left-handed platoon partner, this move does suggest the Sox will add some bat to their roster. It’s nothing that they can’t replace, however. “I’m grateful for what the Red Sox organization was able to give me, and I’ll always be thankful for there”.

It’s also important since Miller Park has been the most favorable park for left-handed power in the majors over the last three seasons, according to BaseballHQ.com.

Shaw will be the Brewers’ starting third baseman this season, while Pennington and Dubon will start in the minors. He made 99 starts at third base.

The Brewers, though, probably got the best part of this deal. However, Thornburg is no rental; he is entering his first year of arbitration. Thornburg stepped into the spotlight, and pitched well down the stretch. They landed a considerable haul here, though only Shaw will help in the short-term. “I’m going to work my tail off for Milwaukee and get a chance with them”. This time it’s Josh Pennington, a 21-year-old righty who touches the high-90s with a fastball, is clearly his best pitch.

Dubon, 22, batted.323 with six homers and an.840 OPS between Class A Salem and Double-A Portland this year, putting him squarely on the prospect map. By all accounts, Dubon is a very good defender at shortstop, but is athletic enough that he could possibly end up being a plus defender in centerfield someday.

What do you think to this trade, who is the victor here?