Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster Would Bring Youth, Talented Pitching Arms to the Red Sox

by Didier Morais on Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 9:16PM

BOSTON — If the reported blockbuster trade with the Dodgers takes place, the Red Sox would receive a prized gem in prospect Rubby De La Rosa.

De La Rosa, 23, is a right-handed flamethrower who is coming off Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers just promoted De La Rosa to the big leagues Tuesday to pitch in relief for the rest of the season.

De La Rosa's fastball was clocked as fast as 99 mph in the minors. Once he fully regains trust in his right elbow, the hurler — who is 11-9 with a 2.75 ERA and 237 strikeouts in his minor league career — is capable of routinely hitting triple-digits on the radar gun.

The Dodgers pulled De La Rosa off waivers Friday after the Blue Jays claimed him. That means that, if the Red Sox were to trade for him, he couldn't be acquired until after the season, and likely for a player to be named later.

But De La Rosa wouldn't be the only arm in the deal. Right-handed pitcher Allen Webster, 22, may also be part of the trade. Webster has blossomed into one of the impact prospects in the team's minor league system, posting a 3.55 ERA and racking up 117 strikeouts in 27 starts in Double-A.

Webster is known as a ground ball pitcher, but he's been coveted before — Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein is said to have wanted him in exchange for Ryan Dempster. If Epstein was eyeing Webster, it's likely Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is familiar with him, too.

Another notable name in the trade would be Jerry Sands. Once the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2010, the 24-year-old was somewhat surpassed by other youngsters in the farm system earlier this year.

Despite a lackluster stint in the majors this year — Sands hit .174 in nine games — he has been raking in Triple-A Albuquerque, launching 24 home runs and 101 RBIs in 109 games. A change of scenery and an opportunity could be beneficial for the outfielder.

The last piece of the prospect puzzle would be infielder Ivan DeJesus. Entering spring training, DeJesus was hoping to crack the major league roster but was sidelined with an oblique injury.

At the plate, DeJesus doesn't bring much power — he hit three home runs and 33 RBIs in 60 games. But his batting average (.295) and strong defense could be intriguing.

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