Boston and Washington have swapped Dans.
The Red Sox traded catcher Dan Butler to the Nationals on Wednesday in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Danny Rosenbaum. Butler was designated for assignment last week to make room for reliever Craig Breslow on Boston’s 40-man roster.
Butler made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 2014 after spending parts of six seasons in the minors. The catcher went 4-for-19 (.211) with three doubles, two RBIs and a walk in seven big league contests.
Butler, an undrafted product out of the University of Arizona, spent the bulk of the last two seasons with Triple-A Pawtucket. The 28-year-old backstop provided valuable organizational depth, but he became expendable amid the Red Sox’s roster crunch, as catchers Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan are in line for major league roles in 2015.
Rosenbaum, a 22nd-round pick in 2009, spent the last two seasons with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate. The lefty was limited to four starts in 2014, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in May.
Rosenbaum went 7-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts with Triple-A Syracuse in 2013. The 27-year-old has no major league experience and won’t require a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster, though he’s slated to become a minor league free agent following the 2015 season.
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
