The Cut-Off Man

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Andrew Bailey was just traded to the Boston Red Sox as the highlight of a five player deal.

To be more specific, Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney are headed to Boston while outfielder Josh Reddick and a pair of minor leaguers, corner infielder Miles Head and right-handed pitcher Raul Alcantara, are headed to Oakland according to USA Today.

This deal is exactly what both teams need.

The Boston Red Sox had a great closer in Jonathan Papelbon. However, he is now in Philadelphia after signing a very lucrative contract with the Phillies.

Internally, the Red Sox could have used Daniel Bard as the new closer. He led the American League in holds last season with 34. He also appeared in 70 games with a 3.33 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He is 26 years old, and he seems as if he would have been a good option. However, he will probably move to the starting rotation now that this deal has gone down.

The Boston Red Sox also needed more depth in the bullpen. It definitely does not hurt to have more dependable arms who can get outs. Bailey has a career 2.07 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP. He will help the Boston Red Sox stay competitive right now and for the near future.

That is also a very important point. The Boston Red Sox are expected to compete for the World Series virtually every season. As I will talk about in a few minutes, the Oakland Athletics are in an all-out rebuilding mode. The Boston Red Sox are not at that place. They need quality players that will be able to help them win right now.

It is similar to the pressure that the New York Yankees or the Philadelphia Phillies face. These teams have been highly successful over the past few years. Because of that, and the fact that they have very high payrolls, they are expected to do well and be in the hunt for the World Series. They need to meet the high expectations or feel immense scrutiny.

Because of this, it makes complete sense that the Boston Red Sox needed to make this move. It helps them win right now, and Bailey is simply a great pitcher and addition to their bullpen.

The Oakland Athletics also made a positive move.

I am sorry Oakland Athletics fans, but they virtually have no chance of their World Series this season. Because of that, it makes a lot of sense for them to invest in the future.

Josh Reddick got his first significant playing time last season as a member of Boston Red Sox. In 87 games, he hit .280 with seven home runs and 28 RBI. These are not All-Star numbers by any means, but Oakland is not worried about All-Stars in 2012. They are preparing for a future run as evidenced by the prospects they brought in through this deal, the Gio Gonzalez deal, and the Trevor Cahill deal.

The prospects in this particular deal along with Reddick also seem to have a bright future. Between Greenville and Salem last season (both of which are single-A), he hit .299 with 22 home runs and 82 RBI. Alcantara is only 19 years old, and is currently in low-A ball. He seemed to get rocked up a little bit at that level, but he also seems to have a knack for not allowing runners on base as evidenced by his 1.027 career WHIP.

These prospects might pan out, and they might not. However, both teams did what they had to do in this trade. The Boston Red Sox acquired their new closer, and the Oakland Athletics continued gathering the prospects that they need to make this rebuilding process work in about five years. I am not going to say who I believe won or lost however because both teams have different goals. I will say that both of these teams were consistent with the goals that they appear to have set, and that is ultimately what is important.

The Cut-Off Man Chris Berry Interactive Chris Berry Interactive