BOSTON – Ivan De Jesus is welcoming his fresh start with
open arms.
Acquired from the Dodgers as one of four prospects in
exchange for Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, De Jesus was
eager to switch uniforms after eight years in the Dodgers organization.
"I was surprised. I couldn't believe it," De
Jesus said. "I'm happy because it's an amazing opportunity for me in my
career. I know I'll do everything in my power to take advantage of whatever
opportunity they give and to stay ready. If I don't see my name in the lineup,
I'll be waiting for the chance to show them and the fans in Boston my
skills."
Despite coming from the National League, De Jesus is quite
familiar with a chunk of the Red Sox roster. He spent part of his offseason in Puerto Rico playing alongside Mike Aviles. The 25-year-old was also introduced to David Ortiz last
year during a trip to the Dominican Republic.
De
Jesus said he is eager to learn from those mentors and continue his development in Boston.
"It's a team with great tradition like the
Dodgers," De Jesus said. "This is a team that loves to win, and we're
going through a tough time, something teams go through from time to time. But
it's all about playing baseball and trying to finish out the year strong and
look to next year."
Through 42 career games in the majors, the utility man
has batted .224 with five RBIs. Although his Triple-A numbers took a slight
nosedive in 2012 — he went from eight home runs and 59 RBIs to three and 33
this season — he's excited about the future.
"It's a different change of scenery," De Jesus
said. "But a good one."
Clearly, he's turned the page on Los Angeles.
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