The Boston Red Sox opened a spot in their rotation Saturday by trading Jake Peavy to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for two minor league pitchers. Allen Webster will be the first to fill the void.
Webster, who was scratched from his scheduled start with Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, will start for the Red Sox in Sunday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, according to manager John Farrell. Webster’s major league call-up will be his first of 2014.
Webster, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the August 2012 blockbuster involving Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonazlez and Nick Punto, made eight big league appearances (seven starts) with Boston last season. The hard-throwing right-hander went 1-2 and posted an 8.60 ERA while striking out 23 and walking 18 over 30 1/3 innings.
Webster was ranked the No. 46 prospect in Major League Baseball before this season by MLB.com, while Baseball America pegged him as the 88th-best prospect. The 24-year-old has lived up to the hype, posting a 4-4 record and 3.10 ERA over 21 appearances (20 starts) at Triple-A.
It’s unclear if Webster will carve out a permanent spot in Boston’s rotation. The Red Sox also have Brandon Workman, who has made 11 major league appearances (eight starts) this season, and Anthony Ranaudo knocking on the door. Webster will have the first crack at it, though, and an impressive showing Sunday could go a long way toward proving he’s big league-ready.
