Red Sox grab Gagne from Rangers
Eric Gagne's comeback has landed him a new role on a new team: helping the Red Sox close out the Yankees.
Gagne, pitching like his old self following two elbow operations and back surgery, was acquired by Boston for the stretch run Tuesday from the Texas Rangers, who also unloaded first baseman Mark Teixeira to Atlanta in a seven-player swap.
Once one of baseball's premier closers, Gagne waived the no-trade clause in his contract to join a Boston bullpen that already had two all-star relievers: closer Jonathan Papelbon and setup man Hideki Okajima.
But the Red Sox, who entered Tuesday leading the AL East by 8 games over New York, didn't want to take any chances of blowing their big lead and acquired Gagne to bolster the back end of their bullpen after consecutive implosions last weekend by Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen.
Gagne will serve as Papelbon's primary setup man and will close on days Papelbon needs rest. Gagne went 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 16 saves for last-place Texas.
Shortly after acquiring Gagne, Boston announced that reliever Brendan Donnelly will have season-ending surgery on his right elbow.
The Red Sox sent left-hander Kason Gabbard and minor-league outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre to the Rangers.
Bit of a baffler: The Pittsburgh Pirates got pitcher Matt Morris from San Francisco, an uncommon deal for a high-priced player by an out-of-contention team at the trading deadline.
Pittsburgh sent rookie outfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named to the Giants, who began shedding salary as they look to rebuild one of the majors' oldest teams.
Normally, teams not in the race don't look to add an aging and expensive starter such as the 32-year-old Morris (7-7, 4.35 ERA). But the Pirates felt their young rotation needed a boost with their two top starters -- Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny -- struggling since the all-star break.
Braves active: In addition to acquiring Mark Teixeira, Atlanta also made two more trades to bolster its bullpen, getting Kansas City reliever Octavio Dotel for pitcher Kyle Davies and San Diego left-hander Royce Ring for pitchers Wil Ledezma and Will Startup.
The new players were not expected in Atlanta for Tuesday night's game against Houston. Still, their impending arrival created a confident buzz in the Braves' clubhouse.
"We've got a World Series team," shortstop Edgar Renteria said. "That makes the whole lineup more dangerous. It's exciting."
The swap for Teixeira already is inspiring comparisons to the Braves' 1993 deadline trade for first baseman Fred McGriff.
Mateo to Phillies: The Phillies acquired reliever Julio Mateo from Seattle, adding bullpen depth.
Mateo (1-0, 3.75 ERA in 9 appearances) hasn't pitched in the major leagues since early May. The right-hander was suspended by the Mariners after his May 5 arrest for allegedly assaulting his wife at a Manhattan hotel. He is due back in court in New York on Sept. 4 on a third-degree assault charge.
The Phillies sent infielder Jesus Merchan from Double-A Reading to Seattle for Mateo. Merchan hit .330 with 7 homers and 44 RBI in 81 games at Reading.
Cardinals acquire Pineiro: The pitching-starved St. Louis Cardinals acquired right-hander Joel Pineiro (1-1, 5.03 ERA in 31 appearances), optioned to the minors last week by the Boston Red Sox, and cash for a minor-league player to be named.