Boston was finally able to come to terms with Cleveland on a deal and secure Victor Martinez, a player they've wanted to bring into the fold for a while. In the deal, the Indians will be receiving three pitchers: Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Brian Price. For a team whose main concern was to trim payroll, this is an excellent group of arms to add to the organization. This move will definitely impact the fantasy world, and we'll attempt to sift through the aftermath now.For starters, Martinez's value seemingly goes up playing with Boston, but he's been an absolute mess in July, where he's hit .175 with one homer in 80 at-bats. Martinez isn't assured consistent playing time in Boston. The team can play him at 1B and Kevin Youkilis at 3B, if Mike Lowell suffers a setback or needs time off. They can play him at catcher against righties and save Jason Varitek for tough lefties. If David Ortiz needs rest, Martinez could also play some DH. Given the Sox's obvious infatuation with V-Mart, expect him in the lineup more often than not.
In Cleveland, Kelly Shoppach will start to see more playing time behind the plate. He only has 41 ABs in July, but he's been doing a better job getting on base this month than he has all season. He makes for a solid pickup in deep leagues, especially since the low averages has caused him to be jettisoned by many owners.
Masterson has been used both as a starter and more frequently as a reliever by the Red Sox. While the Indians might be hesitant to throw him into the rotation right away, he makes for a candidate for next year's rotation. Neither of the other two arms will make a fantasy impact in the near future.
In a subsequent move, the Red Sox traded Adam LaRoche back to the Braves for Casey Kotchman. In a full-time role in Atlanta, LaRoche could be primed for another big second half. Kotchman will either come off the bench in Boston or be sent to Triple-A.
