GAGNE LANDS IN BEANTOWN
The Boston Red Sox acquired pitcher Eric Gagne from the Texas Rangers for Kason Gabbard, David Murphy and Engel Beltre.
What does it give the Boston Red Sox
Not that the Red Sox needed to be more dominant in the late innings with closer Jon Papelbon and setup man Hideki Okajima, but you can't have too much of a good thing. With Gagne added to the setup corps, Boston will be nearly impossible to beat with a lead after six innings. The Sox are on tap to pay Gagne more than $2 million due to a contract restructuring, then will likely let him walk as a free agent at the end of the year.
What does it give the Texas Rangers
The centerpiece of this fantastic deal for the Rangers is Gabbard. While Gagne would have left as a free agent at the end of the season, Gabbard is a big-league ready lefty who has already looked impressive in seven starts with the Bo-Sox this year. Just 25, the crafty, young southpaw is exactly what the Rangers need and he'll certainly be plugged directly into their rotation. Murphy is a young outfielder who can do a little bit of everything, while not truly excelling at any one thing. If he makes it to the Show, it'll be as a fourth outfielder. Beltre may wind up as the real steal here. He's a five-tooler, but a raw five-tooler who's only 17. He's got a whole lot of growing to do, both physically and as a player, so he's one to keep an eye on for around 2012.
Fantasy impact
