Pirates agree to trade closer Hanrahan

Saturday, 22 December 2012 17:03

Written by Michael Sanserino

Closer Joel Hanrahan is on his way to the Boston Red Sox after the Pirates agreed to trade the two-time All-Star in return for a multiple young players, according to sources.

Two of those players are Jerry Sands, a first baseman/outfielder with major league experience, and Stolmy Pimentel, a right-handed pitcher according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

The trade is pending physicals for all players, which likely will not be complete until after Christmas.

Hanrahan, 31, joined the Pirates in 2009 in a trade that sent Sean Burnett and Nyjer Morgan to the Washington Nationals. He assumed the role of closer in 2010 after the Pirates dealt Octavio Dotel at the trade deadline.

Since then, he has recorded 82 saves in 94 opportunities and was named to the National League All-Star team in 2011 and 2012. He was named the Pirates’ team MVP in 2011 after going 40-for-44 in save opportunities. He was perfect in 26 save opportunities in the first half of the 2011 season.

But Hanrahan was due a hefty raise this offseason, his final year of arbitration eligibility. He signed a one-year, $4.1 million contract last offseason to avoid arbitration, and his salary will likely increase to about $7 million next year.