BOSTON Just hours after trading ace Jon Lester the Red Sox sent No. 2 starter John Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday amid one of the most eventful Trade Deadlines in team history.
In exchange for Lackey Boston received outfielder/first baseman Allen Craig and righty starter Joe Kelly.
In the deal the Red Sox also sent cash considerations to the Cardinals as well as Minor League lefty Corey Littrell a fifth round pick by Boston in the 2013 First Year Player Draft.
The Red Sox gain a considerable amount of contractual control with Kelly and Craig a right handed hitter.
A solid offensive performer the last few seasons before struggling thus far in 2014 Craig is signed through '17 and there is a club option for '18.
Kelly who started Game 3 of the 2013 World Series against Boston isn't eligible for arbitration until after the '15 season. Boston has the 26 year old under control through 2018.
Craig came up big for the Cardinals in October 2011 belting three homers against the Rangers in the World Series. St. Louis won that Fall Classic in seven games. He hit .375 against the Red Sox in last year's World Series which Boston won in six games.
The trade of Lackey removes nearly all of the veteran presence from a Boston rotation that now has Clay Buchholz Rubby De La Rosa Allen Webster Brandon Workman and Kelly.
With their hopes of making this year's postseason no longer realistic the Red Sox are trying to load up for 2015 and beyond. They got slugger Yoenis Cespedes from Oakland in the deal for Lester.
The Red Sox signed Lackey to a five year $82.5 million deal in December 2009 that included a team option at the minimum salary for a sixth season if the righty missed significant time to a pre existing elbow injury.
That's exactly what happened as Lackey did not pitch in 2012 following Tommy John urgery.
Just like his friend and former teammate Lester Lackey goes from last place in the American League East to a club that has is in a pennant race. The Cardinals entered Thursday 2 games back in the National League Central.
There will be quite a reunion next week in St. Louis when the Red Sox visit the Cardinals for a three game series from Aug. 5 7.
It was Lackey who defeated the Cardinals in the clinching Game 6 of the 2013 World Series.
Kelly has made just three starts this season after missing nearly three months of action with a left hamstring strain sustained while he was running the bases.
Splitting the 2013 season between the rotation and the bullpen Kelly was a key contributor for a team that won the pennant going 10 5 with a 2.69 ERA in 37 games. In the 15 games he started last season Kelly was 9 3 with a 2.28 ERA.
In this disjointed season the righty hasn't been as effective going 2 2 with a 4.37 ERA over seven outings all starts.
After battling through inconsistency and injuries in his first three seasons with the Red Sox Lackey was a strong performer over his last two seasons with the club. In 21 starts this year Lackey went 11 7 with a 3.60 ERA for Boston.
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