4:41pm: The Red Sox have announced the deal.
2:17pm: The Cubs have acquired Felix Doubront from the Red Sox, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Jon Morosi of FOX Sports first reported (on Twitter) that a deal was close.
The Red Sox will receive a player to be named later in return for the 26-year-old lefty, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. That player will be determined after the Rule 5 draft, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Doubront’s tenure in Boston seemed destined to come to an end after he publicly announced his desire to return to the rotation — with another team, if necessary. After beginning the year as one of the team’s five starters, Doubront was dropped to the pen after posting a 5.19 ERA over ten starts. Things have only gone downhill since, as he has surrendered a .375/.409/.625 line and 11 earned runs to the 45 opposing hitters he has faced in seven relief appearances.
Chicago will hope that a change of scenery prompts a turnaround for a player who is said to have high-quality stuff. (Over 2012-13, Doubront compiled 323 1/3 innings of 4.59 ERA ball as a starter.) He will be arb-eligible for the first time next year, and his price tag should be manageable given his rough numbers this year. In many respects, Doubront is not unlike several of the Cubs’ other recent buy-low pitching additions (both through free agency and trade) — Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel, and Scott Feldman come to mind — though he comes with the added benefit of a lower cost and extended, uncommitted control.
Jeff Todd contributed to this post.
Wonder what the sox will get in return. Probably not too much I’m guessing
The Red Sox sale has begun. Next up Lackey and Lester.
It began with Peavey.
Would not be shocked to see Lester, Lackey, Gomes and Carp all gone
…for a case of Goose Island IPA.
Cubs kind of gave up a lot on that deal, eh?
sold.
Saw him Pitch in the Minors, he’s not as bad as he’s been hope he turns it around for the Cubs. Theo signed him very young.
Likely a PTBNL deal.
Jesse Rogers and various other sources say an Emilio Bonifacio trade should be finalized shortly. No word so far on where he’s going or what the Cubs are getting.
Theo would know Doubront well, no?
Indeed, and Hoyer, too. Doubront has a ton of talent, but insufficient drive and dedication. I thought this was going to be his break-out year. Oh well, I was right about Pierzynski and Drew (for all the good it did).
When Doubront hears “Drive” he googles the closest McDonalds, Chinese Buffet or Taco Bell. The man likes to eat.
Well there are both right across from wrigley so he’s coming to the right place
As in McDs and T-Bell
As in McDs and T-Bell
A PTBNL? That’s it?
His poor comments and recent work killed his value. Good buy low for the Cubs. I would have liked something decent back given he still is under team control but I’m happy to see him gone.
Probably means it is a player drafted by the Cubs this year as they cannot be officially traded yet.
highly doubtful its a player they just drafted dude..
Why? Red Sox sure aren’t getting any good close to MLB ready talent for Felix.
Because they’re probably not getting much talent whatsoever for Felix. Most likely a AAAA player of some sort.
If that’s the case the Sox really messed up selling low on Felix, better off with a far from MLB ready lottery type prospect than a AAAA guy.
Doubront has never been great but he was a serviceable starter in 2012-2013.
It was selling low, but it was time for Felix to go. He wasn’t happy about not having a spot in the rotation, and the way he performed it would be hard to justify giving him one of Lester or Lackey’s spots over Workman, Webster, or Ranaudo. He’ll probably turn things around over in Chicago, and I wish him all the best, but his time in Boston was done.
Speier tweeted the player will be conveyed after the rule 5. Means he is likely close to majors. so not a 2014 draft pick.
You beat me to this comment.
I doubt the Sox would wait almost a year for their return. It might be an A B thing depending on performance or another pending deal. Might be the PTBNL from either Dodgers or Athletics deal. Could be an injury situation.
I would love if it ends up being the Dodgers PTBNL traded by the cubs. Probably won’t be though.
The rumor now is it won’t be completed til after rule 5 draft in December.
Might be an agreement that the Cubs will take somebody in the Rule 5 draft for the Red Sox.
no way they can’t be traded for way too long after they wouldn’t have bothered making this deal now they would have just waited until the offseason if it was someone they drafted this year.
What did you expect for a guy who watched his stock plummet this year? They’re lucky they got a warm body for him.
Nice.
Adding a lefty will allow Theo/Jed to shop Russell and Wright. The PTBNL shouldn’t be too much.
All they’ll get for Russell or Wright is another PTBNL.
I would find it highly amusing if they held onto Lester.
Chris Bosio seems like he knows how to get the most out of a guys talent. For example: Jake Arrieta, Scott Feldman, Travis Wood, Paul Mahlom. This could be a good pick up if the cubs aren’t sending to much.
He also got a lot of Jackson, don’t forget Jackson.
And Travis Wood hasn’t been anything to write home about this year either at least on the mound — one ot their better hitters. Bill Mueller is having more luck with him on the mound this year.
Jackson, Wood, Veras, Villanueva
Travis wood was an all star last year, this is the first season of his career he’s struggled.
Umm no. Travis Wood had one really good year and everything outside of that is average at best if not below average. People need to look at last year as his career year. He’s NOT going to repeat that or even come close to it. There is absolutely zero reason to think otherwise based off Wood’s career.
Jackson, Wood, Veras, Villanueva
He’s no Dave Duncan but then again without Voodoo/ Robert Johnson style pact, who could be?
All in all though, he’s still pretty damn good.
PTBNL? We all know how that worked out for the Sox last time. Oh well.
Call me crazy, but I think the Red Sox were too hasty in selling off a 26-year old LHP who’s had long stretches of success. I get that he’s been bad this season, but I think the hook is too quick. That said, a change of scenery will do him good.
I think they would have been more patient if not for the attitude problem.
I am too happy about this. I wanted this to happen for so long.
I thought the Cubs were building for the future. This move says otherwise as adding Felix Doubront will certainly get them back into contention this year. Theo and Jed, just a couple of baseball guru’s
You do realize Doubront has 3 years of team control reaming, right?
The guy helped eradicate polio, let him have all the odd opinions he wants.
I little recognition is all I ask.
Yeah dude, I was kidding around. But it is nice to know they have 3 years of a guy with a career ERA of nearly 5 locked up.
On purpose?
I laughed out loud when I read this.
A good move for the Cubs and it is a PTBNL, so it isn’t part of their foundation pieces. Doubront clearly wanted out of Boston so he can start games again. His attitude on the mound against Toronto definitely showed the front office that he wasn’t trying any longer, due to being in the pen. Players like that are better on other teams, where they can reach their potential again, knowing they are wanted.
He was traded because he has been a huge distraction. It’s addition for subtraction for the Sox. He could end up being a useful back of the rotation pitcher for the Cubs.
Nothing wakes you up to reality more than “You play for the Cubs now”
Good luck to Felix in Chicago. I hope he can turn things around.
For what? a 12 pack of Budweiser?
I actually really like this move. Dubront has potential. He has high quality stuff. I wonder what the Sox wanted for him? He went 11-6 in 2013. Rotation is looking decent: Arrieta, Wood, Dubront, Jackson.
Potential that he has never found apparently, he has an ERA reminiscent of Edwin’s
whats Doubront owed the next 3?
Whatever he gets in Arb I’m pretty sure, but he’s still pretty ehh
I’d guess around 2 mill next year since its based on the previous 2 years performance and he did decent in ’13. But a down year in ’15 will significantly hurt his career earnings moving forward. Nice guy to buy low on and see if he’s motivated by $
I like the move too, but at the same time 3 of those guys have ERA’s over 5 and ugly WHIPs too.
Not to rain on your little parade, but the only guy any other MLB team would want to be part of their rotation would be Arrieta. Everyone else is no better than a #5 starter at this point.
Hey… Hendricks could be a solid number 4 and… uh… well… maybe Ramirez stretched out?
Sorry, I’ll go sit in Matt’s ‘little parade’. /Tear
Cubs should flip him to the Yankees. While I like Chris Capuano, Doubront has much more upside (and downside, but he is definitely worth the risk).
Because the Cubs are in the business of making the Yankees better?
So that’s what they have been up to the last 106 years. Helping the Yankees. Finally we have an answer!
I would make a deal that is good for both the Cubs and the Yankees.
Cubs gain….Yankees missed the boat.
Well, it’s not like the Yankees and Red Sox were going to deal amongst themselves, but I would definitely give the Cubs a better prospect for Doubront than the PTBNL they are going to give to the Red Sox.
PTBNL……is Edwin Jackson
Throw in some cash and that would not be a bad deal for either team. Jackson would probably be very good in Fenway.
He’d be good in Fenway, from a Yankees perspective. Oh wait, you are a Yankees fan! Now I get ya,
I disagree. He is good enough against right-handed hitters to not get too badly dinged by the Green Monster and unless a lefty can yank a drive around the Pesky pole, a lot of fly balls to right and right center are going to get caught. Jackson would do almost as well in Fenway as he did in Detroit. It was a huge mistake for both him and the Cubs for him to pitch half of his games at Wrigley Field. The only worse destinations for him would be Coors Field and Yankee Stadium.
Jackson plus whatever he is due to be paid this season plus another $12MM for the next two seasons for Doubront would have been a very good deal for both teams.
The Pirates were at one point rumored to be asking about Doubront, and that possibility interested me. Good move for Doubront, and nice buy-low move for the Cubs. A change of scenery was in order here.
I didn’t think I’d see a “Cubs acquire” headline this week.
You and every other baseball fan
Looks like Boston is going to trade their whole pitching staff! Maybe Big Papi will pitch tonight! LOL
Nice get for the Cubs. Doubront seems like a very solid buy-low candidate and he is young enough and controllable enough to still fit into the Cubs long-term plans. I know he kind of forced his way out of Boston, but that seems like a paltry return for a 26-year old lefty starter with good stuff and not a lot of innings on his arm.
Jed and Theo are slowly and quietly putting together a good team. Good addition to their team. I was hoping the Padres would pick him up.
Doubront’s fastball was down to 88 mph before he was yanked from the rotation. It has rebounded to 90, in relief, but that is still down from 93 mph that he averaged when he first came up.
He seems to be a 120 IP starter, and fades physically after that. If he can ever improve his conditioning, and regain his fastball, he could be good.
Does this set the table for an EJax DFA? Hendricks and Wada have pitched well and Doubront is clearly a better option to start games and eat innings than Jackson with greater potential upside.
“……for a player who is said to have high-quality stuff.”….so says the above article. But this guy doesn’t have anything, I’m surprised he survived as long as he did with Sox. He’s a pitch to contact pitcher, Wrigley won’t help him at all….the team getting the ptbnl ususally ends with the short end of the stick….wouldn’t be surprised for it be be Fely Duby himself….Theo keeps picking up these Sox castoffs………..
Our pitching coach is pry the best in baseball. He will build this guy up along w/oaks P we got the former rookie of yr in AL. He reminds me of El duke Sox should remember him. He just needs to mature. Add them 2 Wood and our ace we stole from Bal plus last yr minor league P of the year and we got a solid rotation plus A3 SP in aaa. And I didn’t even mention our top prospects like Edwards