Victor Martinez Traded to Red Sox in Deal for Three Young Pitchers

The Cleveland Indians made their final move before the trade deadline dealing away All-Star catcher Victor Martinez. The Boston Red Sox are parting ways with pitchers Justin Masterson Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price.

Martinez departing caps off a whirlwind month for the Tribe that has been met with disgust by Indians fans. The Tribe, who had been predicted to contend for a World Series title this season, has traded way notable names such as Marc DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt, Ryan Garko, Ben Fransico, and Cliff Lee and now have parted ways with the popular catcher who has been part of the franchise since signing in 1996. In his big league career, which started in 2002, Martínez has hit .297 with 102 HR's and 512 RBI's and is was one of the most recognizable faces in the franchise during his stint with the Tribe.

Here are the scouting reports on the other players involved in the deal so far:

Nick Hagadone

Big lefty whose fastball sits around 92-94 mph and tops out at 98 mph with very good life. Aggressive, throws strikes and gets ahead in the count. Also mixes in a biting 82-83 mph plus slider, and an improving 80-81 mph changeup. Very good control. Team leader and a hard worker. A closer in college, Hagadone could make it as a starter if his changeup keeps improving. Not a lot of miles on his arm. Needs to work on keeping his delivery consistent. At this stage, despite having fluid arm action, his delivery is a bit compact. The team is still undecided as to whether Hagadone will be a starter or a reliever long-term. Hagadone had TJ Surgery in early June 2008, and returned to the mound in Greenville almost exactly one year later.
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Justin Masterson

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Big righty with an ideal pitcher's build. Dominated the Cape Cod League in 2005. Masterson has a three-fifths arm angle with a slinging-type motion. His arsenal includes a sinker, a slider, and a change-up. Of those pitches, his best is a phenomenal plus-sinker with an excellent heavy drop -- he can vary its speed from 84-94 mph, catching many hitters off balance. Also mixes in a very good slider that sits in the low 80s, and an improving 77-81 mph four-seam circle change. Uses his sinker predominantly as his out-pitch, but also can make use of his secondary pitches to get out of jams. Could stand to mix in his changeup a bit more. His mix of pitches results in a high groundball-to-flyball ratio, resulting in a lot of double plays. Very good command of the zone. Prepares well for every game and pitches with confidence on the mound. Good fielder with a quick and deceptive pick-off move. Strong character, Masterson is one of the most likable persons and teammates going. Converted to a starter in 2007 after coming out of the pen for Lowell in 2006, may still project as a reliever at this point depending on how well his change-up progresses. Needs to work on keeping his delivery consistent deep into games - he's struggled a bit the third time through lineups. Moved to the bullpen in mid-2008. If he stays in the pen, Masterson will need to keep the walks down and improve his ability to pitch out of the stretch. Ultimately, his ceiling is a #3 starter or a dominant set-up man.
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Bryan Price

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Scouting Report: Arm without a lot of mileage. Projectable frame. Price languished for two years at the back of the Rice bullpen, but impressed in 2008, rocketing his draft stock up the charts. Smooth 3/4 delivery, but a lot of seemingly unnecessary movement and long arm action. Not a lot of deception. His fastball sits between 92-95 mph with a nice tail running in on righties. If used in relief, Price's fastball can reach the high 90s for an inning burst. Two-seamer sits around 89-92 mph, also has nice inward movement against right handed batters. Also mixes in a plus 83-87 mph slider, which he relies on as his out pitch. Changeup has fluctuated from 79 to 85 mph, as it's still a work in progress - he shows it a bit too much. However, it does have nice separation from his fastball. His command can be erratic at times when he gets rattled, but for the most part Price has great command and control.
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