The Boston Red Sox have dealt struggling reliever and hometown flame-thrower Manny Delcarmen to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
After first breaking in with the Sox’s in 2005 and posting a respectable 3.00 ERA, the 28-year-old Delcarmen has experienced distinct peaks and valleys in his six seasons in Beantown.
In 2006, opponents batted .385 against Delcarmen, but during the 2007 Championship run, he put up a career-best 2.05 ERA.
Unfortunately, both Delcarmen’s ERA and BB/9 ratio have steadily climbed since the 2007 World Series, and his K/9 ratio has only decreased in that time. All of his numbers have been going in the wrong direction.
Auspiciously, Brad Hawpe, the Colorado Rockie who launched a homerun off Delcarmen in that World Series, was just traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 2010 Fenway faithful have seen Delcarmen post nearly career-worst numbers across the board, and Delcarmen himself has no doubt heard those same faithful moan in frustration whenever he’s made the trot from the bullpen to the mound.
Parting with Delcarmen is hardly throwing in the towel on the season, as he’s offered little true relief out of the pen.
In exchange, the Red Sox have acquired Chris Balcom-Miller, a 21-year-old righty from San Jose, California. Selected in the sixth round of the 2009 amateur draft, Balcom-Miller was impressive for the 2009 Casper Ghosts (1.58 ERA / 0.82 WHIP).
This season, Balcom-Miller has been less dominant for the Class-A Asheville Tourists. In 108.2 innings, he has posted a 3.31 ERA and fanned 117.
As recently as July 6, Balcom-Miller was awarded South Atlantic League honors as Pitcher of the Week.
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