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Moriarty9 · 05-03-2008, 09:37 PM

Red Sox trade Nathan
Kuo to be compete for closer's job
November 14, 2009

BOSTON - The Red Sox front office is under fire on local sports talk radio as fans voiced their displeasure with a trade sending popular closer Joe Nathan to the St. Louis Cardinals.
In return, Boston acquired closer Hong-Chih Kuo and $2.5 million from St. Louis.
Nathan, 34, will be paid $7.3 million in 2010 after the Red Sox picked up his contract option earlier this week. Kuo will be paid just under $4 million.
Nathan expressed surprise with the trade to St. Louis, who finished 19 games back in the NL Central in 2009.
"I thought I'd retire in Boston but I guess that just wasn't in the cards," the closer said. "I really enjoyed my time here but they've decided to make a move for whatever reason. I can only guess it's a money thing because they exercised the option and picked up some cash in the deal. I wish I knew more about the decision but what can ya do? It's a business."
Nathan went 5-3 with 37 saves and a 3.51 ERA in 57 appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen in 2009. In 11 big league seasons, 10 of which have been with Boston, Nathan has gone 34-30 with 229 saves and a 3.25 ERA. He was a starting pitcher during his rookie season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998, going 3-7 with a 6.29 ERA in 12 starts. He worked out of the bullpen after being traded to Boston, making just one start in 412 appearances with the Red Sox. He became the team's closer in 2004, going 4-4 with 34 saves and a 1.83 ERA in 56 games. He is a three-time All Star and won the 2006 AL Cy Young award by going 6-4 with 47 saves and a 2.27 ERA in 65 games.
Kuo, a 28-year-old lefty, has five years of big league experience - all with the Cardinals. He went 1-5 with 30 saves and a 4.06 ERA in 57 games with St. Louis. Kuo was one of the NL's elite setup men in 2006 and 2007. He went 2-1 with 2 saves and a 2.35 ERA in 58 games in 2006, 4-1 with a pair of saves and a 2.30 ERA in 75 appearances in 2007. In his career, Kuo is 15-16 with 73 saves and a 3.09 ERA in 314 appearances. He was an All Star as a rookie in 2005 as the Cardinals closer, going 3-5 with 31 saves and a 3.03 ERA in 62 games.
Kuo will be introduced to the media at a Fenway Park press conference later in the week.
He is expected to compete with Jonathan Papelbon and Joba Chamberlain for the closer's job in the spring.

05-03-2008, 09:37 PM	#70 (permalink)
Moriarty9 Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 384	Nathan dealt by Boston Red Sox trade Nathan Kuo to be compete for closer's job November 14, 2009 BOSTON - The Red Sox front office is under fire on local sports talk radio as fans voiced their displeasure with a trade sending popular closer Joe Nathan to the St. Louis Cardinals. In return, Boston acquired closer Hong-Chih Kuo and $2.5 million from St. Louis. Nathan, 34, will be paid $7.3 million in 2010 after the Red Sox picked up his contract option earlier this week. Kuo will be paid just under $4 million. Nathan expressed surprise with the trade to St. Louis, who finished 19 games back in the NL Central in 2009. "I thought I'd retire in Boston but I guess that just wasn't in the cards," the closer said. "I really enjoyed my time here but they've decided to make a move for whatever reason. I can only guess it's a money thing because they exercised the option and picked up some cash in the deal. I wish I knew more about the decision but what can ya do? It's a business." Nathan went 5-3 with 37 saves and a 3.51 ERA in 57 appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen in 2009. In 11 big league seasons, 10 of which have been with Boston, Nathan has gone 34-30 with 229 saves and a 3.25 ERA. He was a starting pitcher during his rookie season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998, going 3-7 with a 6.29 ERA in 12 starts. He worked out of the bullpen after being traded to Boston, making just one start in 412 appearances with the Red Sox. He became the team's closer in 2004, going 4-4 with 34 saves and a 1.83 ERA in 56 games. He is a three-time All Star and won the 2006 AL Cy Young award by going 6-4 with 47 saves and a 2.27 ERA in 65 games. Kuo, a 28-year-old lefty, has five years of big league experience - all with the Cardinals. He went 1-5 with 30 saves and a 4.06 ERA in 57 games with St. Louis. Kuo was one of the NL's elite setup men in 2006 and 2007. He went 2-1 with 2 saves and a 2.35 ERA in 58 games in 2006, 4-1 with a pair of saves and a 2.30 ERA in 75 appearances in 2007. In his career, Kuo is 15-16 with 73 saves and a 3.09 ERA in 314 appearances. He was an All Star as a rookie in 2005 as the Cardinals closer, going 3-5 with 31 saves and a 3.03 ERA in 62 games. Kuo will be introduced to the media at a Fenway Park press conference later in the week. He is expected to compete with Jonathan Papelbon and Joba Chamberlain for the closer's job in the spring.