DALLAS –– The Red Sox have made a move, just not on the scale that many expected.
After selecting third baseman Marwin Gonzalez from Miami in the Rule 5 draft on Wednesday, Boston shipped him to Houston for right-hander Marco Duarte –– who the Astros tabbed from the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in the draft –– and cash.
The 25-year-old thrived in the Mexican League in 2011, going 12-4 with 93 strikeouts and 4.94 ERA. In five seasons in the minors, Duarte has amassed a 26-17 overall record and 297 strikeouts.
"[Duarte] is a guy we’ve scouted in Mexico this winter and over the summer and his stuff really came on," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. "It was up to 94 recently and he’s performed for Mexico City last summer.
"Kind of a little bit of a late bloomer, but there’s been some guys in Mexico that ended up being pretty good pitchers. We’ll see, we’ll get to know him better in spring training."
Despite the acquisition, the Red Sox lost lefty pitcher Cesar Cabral, who was picked up by Kansas City with a first-round pick in the Rule 5 draft.
It marked the second straight year Cabral was selected. Last year, Tampa Bay tapped the Dominican, but ultimately returned him back to the Red Sox after spring training.
During the Double-A portion of the Rule 5 draft, Boston chose catcher Gerardo Olivares from the Rays’ affiliate. The 23-year-old played 24 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades in 2011, hitting .298 with two homers and 18 RBIs.
