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Sox agree to pay $11 million of Renteria's salary as part of trade

DALLAS -- In order to facilitate the trade that sent Edgar Renteria to the Atlanta Braves for third-base prospect Andy Marte, the Red Sox had to agree to include $11 million in payment to the Braves.

Renteria has approximately $29.5 million remaining on his four-year, $40 million contract, signed with the Sox last winter. Additionally, there is the matter of a $3 million buyout for an option year for the 2009 season. Initially, the Braves had requested that the Red Sox assume half ($15 million) of the remaining contractual obligations. But the Sox were able to negotiate that figure down by some $4 million.

The two sides agreed on the deal shortly after midnight Wednesday, but an announcement was held until this morning since the commssioner's office must first approve any transfer of significant money as part of a player transaction.

The Red Sox passed on an opportunity to obtain Lyle Overbay from the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday when the Brewers, too, asked the Red Sox to take back some of starting pitcher Matt Clement's $17 million salary obligations. Unwilling to do that, the Sox had brief discussions with the Brewers about a deal that would have sent Bronson Arroyo, whose salary -- Arroyo is arbitration-eligible -- is considerably less. But the deal gained no traction and the Brewers later traded Overbay to the Toronto Blue Jays instead.

-- Sean McAdam

Posted by Art  at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments 5

Sox trade Renteria to Braves for prospect

DALLAS - The Boston Red Sox gave up on Edgar Renteria just one year after lavishing a four-year, $40 million contract on him, trading the shortstop to the Atlanta Braves today for third base prospect Andy Marte.

The move left Boston without a shortstop amid speculation that it will trade Marte to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Julio Lugo. The Braves needed a shortstop after Rafael Furcal signed a three-year, $39 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 12:29 PM | Permalink

Report: Sox trade Renteria to Braves

ESPN's Peter Gammons reported Thursday morning that the Red Sox have traded shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Braves for third-base prospect Andy Marte.

Gammons said the announcement will be made between noon and 1 p.m. EDT.

The Sox and Braves have been discussing a deal that would send Renteria to Atlanta since Tuesday. The Devil Rays were involved as a third team in various stages of the talks -- Boston would have received Tampa Bay shortstop Julio Lugo -- but the Rays apparently felt they were not receiving enough in exchange for Lugo and dropped out of the bidding.

Renteria is owed $30 million over the last three years of the free-agent contract he signed last winter, and various newspapers reported the Braves wanted the Red Sox to pick up at least part of that tab. It was thought the trade might stall over the amount of money Boston sent Atlanta.

Renteria, the Sox' big free-agent signing last offseason, was a disappointment in his first -- and only -- season in Boston. His average dipped to .276, a drop from .330 in 2003, and he made 30 errors. The Sox are worried that the deterioration of his skills is permament, and he won't rebound to the levels he displayed during his career with the Cardinals.

Marte, 22, is one of the shining stars in the Atlanta farm system and was rated the Braves' top prospect by Baseball America.

-- Art Martone, with reports from Sean McAdam in Dallas

Posted by Art  at 11:32 AM | Permalink