Sox Acquire Van Buren

[yankeessuck013]

Sox get Cubs pitcher

 

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

 

It's not a Josh Beckett blockbuster, but the Red Sox made another deal for pitching today by acquiring Cubs righthander Jermaine Van Buren for a player to be named or cash.

 

The 25-year-old Van Buren made his major league debut with the Cubs last Aug. 31 and posted no record to go along with 3.00 ERA (2 ER/6.0 IP) in six relief appearances. He limited opponents to a .118 batting average (2 for 17).

 

Van Buren was the Cubs’ 2005 pitcher of the year at Triple-A Iowa after posting a 1.98 ERA (12 ER/54.2 IP) and setting a franchise record with 25 saves. He combined to post a 1.92 ERA (25 ER/117.0 IP) with 47 saves in 109 minor league relief appearances since making the conversion from a starter to a reliever prior to the 2004 campaign.

 

In 2005, the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder ranked second in the Pacific Coast League in saves and limited opponents to a .181 batting average (righthanders hit just .158). Van Buren posted a 2-3 record in 52 Triple-A relief appearances. He had 65 strikeouts in 54.2 innings, an average of 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

 

Van Buren was a member of the mid-season and season-ending Pacific Coast League All-Star teams and recorded 14 saves with a 1.25 ERA (3 ER/21.2 IP) in his final 21 outings with Iowa to earn his promotion to the Cubs at the end of August. He set the Iowa franchise mark with his 23rd save on Aug. 20 vs. Memphis.

 

Originally selected by Colorado in the second round of the 1998 Draft, Van Buren signed with the Cubs prior to the 2004 campaign and pitched exclusively as a reliever for the first time in his professional career, pitching that season at Single-A Lansing (three outings), Double-A West Tennessee (51) and Iowa (three) and combining to post a 1.88 ERA (13 ER/62.1 IP) in 57 relief outings.

 

A native of Laurel, Miss., Van Buren is 42-36 with 47 saves and a 3.57 ERA (258 ER/651 ER) in 219 minor league appearances (93 starts).

 

With the addition of Van Buren, the Red Sox now have 37 players on their 40-man roster.

[Optimist]

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard this:

 

http://www.gallatindesign.com/websites/presidents/images/biopics/vanburen.jpg

[elsrbueno]

This guy just screams "Blaine Neal v.2" to me.

 

Seems like if he was going to be a difference maker the Red Sox would have had to give up more than just a player to be named later, but what who knows?

 

He was pretty damn dominant in AAA last year and he's still young.

[yagmaster]

This guy just screams "Blaine Neal v.2" to me.

 

Seems like if he was going to be a difference maker the Red Sox would have had to give up more than just a player to be named later, but what who knows?

 

He was pretty damn dominant in AAA last year and he's still young.

 

Blaine Neal was a little older and less dominant in the minors than Van Buren was. Plus, he wasn't named after a famous man in United States history. I think this is a solid deal with plenty of upside, and I doubt we gave up anyone too good. Though not Farnsworth, Van Buren definitely fits the bill.

[guapo34]

How can this be a bad thing? We gave up very little to get him and he had great numbers in the minors. The cubs just signed a few free agent relievers and felt there was no room for him on there team. Glad to see we picked him up.

[ksushi]

We don't know what we gave up yet.

[yankeessuck013]

I Took this from a baseball america chat:

 

"He's a guy to keep an eye on if you're a Cubs fan, but people weren't that impressed in spite of his numbers. He's a max effort guy with a good slider who threw hard early but lost velocity late."

Ouch. Other reports have him with a 90-91 mph fastball and the ever-unsettling "deceptive delivery." At best I think he could be a Damaso Marte type. At worst, he's the second-coming of Waaaaaaaaay Back.

Look for him to spend a lot of time putting up numbers in Pawtucket that just don't translate in the bigs.

 

Well, hopefully he's not a bust...

 

But his minor league stats last year are quite impressive. Good deal I think. He's still young enough too, so he can get better.

[Ray10]

Never heard of the guy never seen him pitch. I'll be looking forward to seeing him pitch next year.

[Soxfan1]

His minor league stats are awesome. If he doesn't work out in the Majors at least the Pawsox will get some help.

[ksushi]

Wait, what is unsettling about a deceptive delivery?

[Beckett95]

ya, anyone now who we gave up yet?

[yeszir]

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard this:

 

http://www.gallatindesign.com/websites/presidents/images/biopics/vanburen.jpg

Same

[Cityofchampions33]

he sounds solid and is only 25, yet tor each his peak. If he does good that'll be 2 in a row for the Sox w/o theo. What are his splits?

[riverside sluggers]

ya, anyone now who we gave up yet?

 

as the article has said, it could just end up being cash considerations to Chicago. *Im liking this deal, nothing better than restocking the farm with quality talent.

[ksushi]

He looks like a guy who is pretty damn close to major league ready.

[example1]

But for some reason one Cubs prospects page ranked him 40th in the system. They gave him up for very little. I'm sure there's something we don't know.

[jimmycarter05]

But for some reason one Cubs prospects page ranked him 40th in the system. They gave him up for very little. I'm sure there's something we don't know.

 

there is, the guy had 13 walks in 6 innings with only 3 Ks, that's not a good sign

[Beckett95]

Jermaine Van Buren

by John Hill (the cub reporter)

Low-90s fastball, fine slider, side-arm herky-jerky motion, and these minor league numbers…

 

 

Double-A West Tenn 2004- 53.0 IP 23 H 2 HR 24 BB 64 K 1.87 ERA 21 SV

Triple-A Iowa 2004/2005-- 46.2 IP 27 H 6 HR 17 BB 58 K 1.93 ERA 19 SV

 

Pringles Park, the home of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, plays very much like the pitcher’s park, and the Southern League as a whole is a pitcher’s best friend too. But Van Buren, a former Rockies top prospect, now 25 and just over a year and a half removed from the Independent Leagues, has taken the same kind of success to Iowa and the Pacific Coast League, which is very much hitter friendly. With our bullpen in Chicago not exactly dependable, what’s not to like? And what’s to lose? The flagrant underemployment of Sergio Mitre, who’s thrown just 3 innings since the All-Star Break? Send him to Iowa, or preferably elsewhere today via trade, anywhere where the innings will come thicker and faster, and give Van Buren the shot that he deserves.

[riverside sluggers]

there is, the guy had 13 walks in 6 innings with only 3 Ks, that's not a good sign

 

you are taking this from his major league debut as a bad sign? DelCarmen had ringed up his fair share of walks in the bigs. Doesnt really mean then he will struggle with command.

 

Van Buren had 9 walks in 6 innings, not 13

[ksushi]

It was his first call up to the major leagues, you can't expect the guy to mow people down.

 

He was their pitcher of the year for the minor leagues, why did we get him for nothing?

[riverside sluggers]

Id say Van Buren looks like Vernon Wells just a tad

[schillingouttheks]

I'd say you are correct in your assumption. Especially in the blue. Let's hope he can perform like Vernon Wells, except on the pitchers' mound...

[Beckett95]

red sox finally finalized this deal and are reportedly sending Jeremy West to Chicago