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Sox trade Renteria to Braves for prospect »
December 8, 2005
ESPN's Peter Gammons reported Thursday morning that the Red Sox have traded shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Braves for third-base prospect Andy Marte.
Gammons said the announcement will be made between noon and 1 p.m. EDT.
The Sox and Braves have been discussing a deal that would send Renteria to Atlanta since Tuesday. The Devil Rays were involved as a third team in various stages of the talks -- Boston would have received Tampa Bay shortstop Julio Lugo -- but the Rays apparently felt they were not receiving enough in exchange for Lugo and dropped out of the bidding.
Renteria is owed $30 million over the last three years of the free-agent contract he signed last winter, and various newspapers reported the Braves wanted the Red Sox to pick up at least part of that tab. It was thought the trade might stall over the amount of money Boston sent Atlanta.
Renteria, the Sox' big free-agent signing last offseason, was a disappointment in his first -- and only -- season in Boston. His average dipped to .276, a drop from .330 in 2003, and he made 30 errors. The Sox are worried that the deterioration of his skills is permament, and he won't rebound to the levels he displayed during his career with the Cardinals.
Marte, 22, is one of the shining stars in the Atlanta farm system and was rated the Braves' top prospect by Baseball America.
-- Art Martone, with reports from Sean McAdam in Dallas
Posted by Art 
at 11:32 AM | Permalink
