BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox made a move, albeit a small one, at the 2015 Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline.
The Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Cook from the Oakland Athletics before Friday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 28-year-old spent much of this season with Triple-A Nashville, where he posted a 4.05 ERA and recorded eight saves in 30 appearances spanning 33 1/3 innings.
Cook, who appeared in four games with Oakland this season, has ample big league experience. The five-year veteran posted a 3.42 ERA over 54 appearances last season. He appeared in 71 regular-season games in both 2012 and 2013, even earning an All-Star selection with the A’s in 2012, when he had a career-best 2.09 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while striking out a career-high 9.8 batters per nine innings.
“This is a guy that has been a closer in the past,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said Friday of Cook, who saved 14 games for the A’s in 2012. “Again, I know that there’s been some change of role out in Oakland, and as we did with (recently acquired reliever) Jean Machi, (we want him) to come in and (we’ll) take a look at him. This will be a very similar situation.”
Cook, who is arbitration-eligible after this season, owns a 2.93 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 212 career major league relief appearances.
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