Red Sox Acquire Jeremy Hermida

The Red Sox have acquired outfielder and former first-round pick (11th overall) Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins. In return, the Marlins will receive two minor league southpaws: Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.

Hermida has frustrated Marlins fans during his four full seasons in South Florida. Take a look at his WAR totals for each of his years in the major league, including his 2005 cup of coffee:

Aside from his strong 2007, Hermida is only slightly above replacement level. He is certainly a below-average corner outfielder. What did the Red Sox give up to acquire such a dubious asset?

Hunter Jones is the more advanced of the two prospects, and will likely compete for a bullpen job in the spring. He will be 26 years old next season. According to MinorLeagueSplits.com, Jones had an equivalent FIP of 5.72 this past season in 53 innings out of the bullpen at Triple-A Pawtucket. He walked 4.1 batters per nine innings and struck out just 6.6 per nine. He is a lefty, and the results from 2008 were stronger (50.2 IP, 50 K, 14 BB). In 12.2 major league innings, he struck out 9 and walked 7.

Jose Alvarez split time between class-A affiliates in Lowell (MA) and Salem (VA) this season. Cumulatively, he tossed 107.2 innings as he pitched both out of the bullpen and in the rotation. His major league equivalent FIP between the two clubs was 5.11. In those 107.2 innings, he struck out 74 and walked 16. He has the virtue of generating more ground balls than fly balls.

Overall, this is a deal that reflects the major league needs of the two clubs. Hermida, in his second year of arbitration, is set to get a raise from the $2.25 million he earned in 2009. Given that he is unlikely to produce more than one win, especially coming off the bench, his surplus value is close to zero. 

Neither of the prospects the Marlins received in return are set to be world-beaters, but each could provide some league average innings out of the bullpen down the road.