LOS ANGELES -- Outbidding four other teams and getting a jump-start on the coming trade activity, the Red Sox filled a major void yesterday with the acquisition of veteran lefty reliever Alan Embree from the San Diego Padres in exchange for two pitching prospects.
For the last three weeks, the Red Sox have been concerned with their bullpen, particularly left-handers. The problem mushroomed during the series at Yankee Stadium earlier this month and became even more acute when right-hander Rich Garces, who has historically been very tough on lefties, was sidelined with a groin pull soon after.
Other than Darren Oliver, who was relegated to long relief after losing his spot in the starting rotation, the Sox had only Casey Fossum to rely on in relief. Before a fine three-inning scoreless stint yesterday, lefties were hitting .345 against Fossum.
Embree, 32, had a 0.94 ERA in 36 appearances for the Padres, holding lefties to a .145 (8-for-55) average. Over his eight-year career, lefties have hit Embree at just a .225 clip.
The competition was stiff for Embree, with the Anaheim Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and a fourth unidentified team in the market for him. It was with some reluctance that the Sox agreed to part with pitcher Brad Baker, drafted in 1999, who was off to a 7-2, 2.79 start at Sarasota. They resisted the Padres' wish to include former top pick Philip Dumatrait in the deal.
But the Sox knew there was a price to be paid for a quality lefty, especially one interim GM Mike Port yesterday compared with Seattle's Arthur Rhodes.
"This was a step toward strengthening our bullpen, something we've been wanting to do," Port said. "As highly as we thought of Brad Baker, (young starting pitching) was the area where we thought we had something of a surplus. To add what we needed today, we had to set some priorities."
The Sox also included right-handed pitcher Dan Giese in the deal, while receiving right-hander Andy Shibilo from San Diego. Shibilo, 25, will be assigned to Trenton. Baker and Giese will report to the Padres' Double A affiliate in the the Southern League.
Embree will join the Sox for their homestand tomorrow.
"It's exciting, obviously, to go to a team that, when you wake up in the morning, they're in first place," he said. "I don't know what role I'll have. I'm just going to have to come over and do whatever they ask me to do. Hopefully I'll be doing the same thing that I've been doing this year. But, I'm happy to help a team that's in contention right now. So, I'll do whatever it takes."
Though Embree will be a tough weapon against left-handed hitters, both the Red Sox and he emphasized that he doesn't have to be limited. He's capable of getting right-handers out, too.
"I would not want to be tagged as a lefty specialist quite yet," Embreee said. "I think I'm a little bit too young for that."
Said Port: "With what we saw of him in the last week, we can expose him to righties, too. I wouldn't classify him as a crafty, situational lefty."
Embree had an arthroscopic procedure on his left elbow after the 2000 season and it took him a year to regain the life on his his fastball. He's been regularly clocked anywhere from 94-96 in recent weeks.
"I spent last off-season working hard with a good friend of mine and we went back to the basics," he said. "We just restructured everything and from that and my delivery, I learned to get the max out of my body."
He will likely team with Garces, due back from the disabled list, to form a potent left-right late-inning set-up duo for the Sox.
