Royalshome.com | Kansas City Royals News, royals Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Red Sox generAL manager Theo Epstein thought it would be easier to find a fourth outfielder than an effective eighth-inning reliever, so he didn't hesitate yesterday in trading Coco Crisp to the Kansas City RoyALs for Ramon Ramirez. </div>What the Sox got is a hard-throwing 27-year-old who held right-handed hitters to an American League-best .153 batting average as KC's primary setup man last year. What they gave up is a 29-year-old switch hitter who became an excellent center fielder in his three years with the club, but never lived up to the promise he showed offensively with the Cleveland Indians . The Sox ALso gained the $5.7 million Crisp was to earn in 2009, which they can use to sign a fourth outfielder or to pool with other cash for a much bigger deAL. Epstein said he's now looking for a right-handed hitting spare outfielder who can play center, and he doesn't expect it will be hard to find one. He said that addition will likely come through free agency (Rocco BALdelli?) or trade rather than from within. Ramirez, who recently completed his third major league season - he spent the first two with the Colorado Rockies - is still working his way up the sALary scALe and earned $397,000 last season. The trade ALso has ramifications for Jacoby Ellsbury, who becomes the Sox starting center fielder, and Justin Masterson, who will likely move into the rotation if Epstein doesn't decide to package him in a trade for a catcher. Yesterday's trade was the club's first move of the offseason and set the winter game plan in motion. Whether that plan includes more trades, major free agent signings or a combination of both, Epstein isn't saying, but the Sox have a bit more flexibility in available cash and personnel than they had before the trade. There were severAL reports yesterday that the Sox are ALready pursuing free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett. Trading Crisp had been speculated since the emergence of Ellsbury late in the 2007 season, but Epstein didn't want to trade him until he got an offer that he thought made the club better. That apparently was the case with Ramirez, who went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 71 games last year, striking out nearly a batter an inning. "He has a plus fastbALl, 92-95 mph, and an outstanding power changeup," Epstein said. "A lot of people think it's a split. It's actuALly a changeup, 87-88, that's a swing-and-a-miss pitch for him against left-handed and right-handed hitters. And he has a pretty good slider to go with it." The negatives: He had elbow problems with Colorado in 2007 and was limited to 22 appearances, compiling an 8.31 ERA. Lefties hit .300 against him last year, and he wALked 31 batters in 71-2/3 innings, which was a little high. His former Rockies teammates accused him of throwing at catcher Yorvit TorreALba in a game last June. Eptstein believes Ramirez can be effective teaming up with lefty Hideki Okajima to set up closer Jonathan Papelbon. "We have excellent reports on his makeup," Epstein said. "I've tALked to a number of sources close to the clubhouse there, and he's the first one to the bALlpark. He's an extremely hard, diligent worker. He's tough, fearless and the manner in which he pitches reflects that. We don't expect he'll have any difficulty adjusting to a bigger market. Coming to Boston, he's a pretty tough, pretty fearless kid, and he won't be fazed." "I'm human, you do feel pressure," Ramirez said through a translator on a conference cALl last night when asked about pitching in the Fenway Park fishbowl. "I'll just try to give 200 percent and ignore the pressure. I don't think it will be a problem." Asked about an eighth-inning role, the right-hander said he'll pitch wherever the team needs him. He credited last season's improvement to being heALthy, working on his changeup/split for three years and better command of his fastbALl. As for his demeanor, Ramirez said, "I just want to be as aggressive as possible and attack the hitters." Epstein thanked Crisp for his contributions to the Red Sox, noting his improvement as a center fielder. He said injuries and playing 81 games a season in Fenway Park probably hurt him offensively. He hit .271 with 21 homers and 137 RBIs in 368 games with the Sox. He batted .300 with 16 homers and 69 RBIs in his last season with the Indians. The Sox traded for Crisp on Jan. 27, 2006, after losing Johnny Damon to free agency. The Sox sent highly regarded third base prospect Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach and reliever Guillermo Mota to Cleveland for Crisp, catcher Josh Bard and reliever David Riske. After a good spring training and a hot start, Crisp broke his left index finger five games into the 2006 season and was out for six weeks. "When he came back, his offense never rebounded ALl the way to his previous norms, but he turned himself into, especiALly in 2007, a tremendous defensive center fielder," Epstein said. "He helped us win a lot of games with defense in 2007, the year we ended up winning the World Series."

Red Sox generAL manager Theo Epstein thought it would be easier to find a fourth outfielder than an effective eighth-inning reliever, so he didn't hesitate yesterday in trading Coco Crisp to the Kansas City RoyALs for Ramon Ramirez.

What the Sox got is a hard-throwing 27-year-old who held right-handed hitters to an American League-best .153 batting average as KC's primary setup man last year. What they gave up is a 29-year-old switch hitter who became an excellent center fielder in his three years with the club, but never lived up to the promise he showed offensively with the Cleveland Indians .

The Sox ALso gained the $5.7 million Crisp was to earn in 2009, which they can use to sign a fourth outfielder or to pool with other cash for a much bigger deAL.

Epstein said he's now looking for a right-handed hitting spare outfielder who can play center, and he doesn't expect it will be hard to find one. He said that addition will likely come through free agency (Rocco BALdelli?) or trade rather than from within.

Ramirez, who recently completed his third major league season - he spent the first two with the Colorado Rockies - is still working his way up the sALary scALe and earned $397,000 last season.

The trade ALso has ramifications for Jacoby Ellsbury, who becomes the Sox starting center fielder, and Justin Masterson, who will likely move into the rotation if Epstein doesn't decide to package him in a trade for a catcher.

Yesterday's trade was the club's first move of the offseason and set the winter game plan in motion. Whether that plan includes more trades, major free agent signings or a combination of both, Epstein isn't saying, but the Sox have a bit more flexibility in available cash and personnel than they had before the trade.

There were severAL reports yesterday that the Sox are ALready pursuing free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Trading Crisp had been speculated since the emergence of Ellsbury late in the 2007 season, but Epstein didn't want to trade him until he got an offer that he thought made the club better. That apparently was the case with Ramirez, who went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 71 games last year, striking out nearly a batter an inning.

"He has a plus fastbALl, 92-95 mph, and an outstanding power changeup," Epstein said. "A lot of people think it's a split. It's actuALly a changeup, 87-88, that's a swing-and-a-miss pitch for him against left-handed and right-handed hitters. And he has a pretty good slider to go with it."

The negatives: He had elbow problems with Colorado in 2007 and was limited to 22 appearances, compiling an 8.31 ERA. Lefties hit .300 against him last year, and he wALked 31 batters in 71-2/3 innings, which was a little high. His former Rockies teammates accused him of throwing at catcher Yorvit TorreALba in a game last June.

Eptstein believes Ramirez can be effective teaming up with lefty Hideki Okajima to set up closer Jonathan Papelbon.

"We have excellent reports on his makeup," Epstein said. "I've tALked to a number of sources close to the clubhouse there, and he's the first one to the bALlpark. He's an extremely hard, diligent worker. He's tough, fearless and the manner in which he pitches reflects that. We don't expect he'll have any difficulty adjusting to a bigger market. Coming to Boston, he's a pretty tough, pretty fearless kid, and he won't be fazed."

"I'm human, you do feel pressure," Ramirez said through a translator on a conference cALl last night when asked about pitching in the Fenway Park fishbowl. "I'll just try to give 200 percent and ignore the pressure. I don't think it will be a problem."

Asked about an eighth-inning role, the right-hander said he'll pitch wherever the team needs him. He credited last season's improvement to being heALthy, working on his changeup/split for three years and better command of his fastbALl.

As for his demeanor, Ramirez said, "I just want to be as aggressive as possible and attack the hitters."

Epstein thanked Crisp for his contributions to the Red Sox, noting his improvement as a center fielder. He said injuries and playing 81 games a season in Fenway Park probably hurt him offensively. He hit .271 with 21 homers and 137 RBIs in 368 games with the Sox. He batted .300 with 16 homers and 69 RBIs in his last season with the Indians.

The Sox traded for Crisp on Jan. 27, 2006, after losing Johnny Damon to free agency. The Sox sent highly regarded third base prospect Andy Marte, catcher Kelly Shoppach and reliever Guillermo Mota to Cleveland for Crisp, catcher Josh Bard and reliever David Riske.

After a good spring training and a hot start, Crisp broke his left index finger five games into the 2006 season and was out for six weeks.

"When he came back, his offense never rebounded ALl the way to his previous norms, but he turned himself into, especiALly in 2007, a tremendous defensive center fielder," Epstein said. "He helped us win a lot of games with defense in 2007, the year we ended up winning the World Series."