Red Sox get setup man Thornburg from Brewers for INF Shaw

Earlier in the day, the Red Sox acquired right-hander Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers in a package that included infielder Travis Shaw.

The movement of Shaw likely affirms a commitment from the organization to Pablo Sandoval, about whom Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski spoke glowingly on Monday at the winter meetings.

The Red Sox already feature one of the best closers in baseball, Craig Kimbrel. The 5-11, 190-pound right-hander was 8-5 last season with a 2.15 earned run average and 13 saves. Dubon batted.323/.379/.461 with six home runs and 69 RBIs between Single-A Salem and Double-A Portland last season, but his future in Boston was murky due to Xander Bogaerts‘ presence as Boston’s shortstop. He went 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 13 starts at Class-A Lowell in 2016 and 2-1 with a 0.82 ERA in 7 games (6 starts) with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in 2015.

In Milwaukee, Jonathan Villar will shift from third base over to second base, and Roster Resource now has Shaw filling out the sixth spot in the lineup.

The Red Sox found their eighth-inning reliever, and it will only cost them a couple of million dollars (and some players). Pending further moves this offseason, the Brewers roster will now comprise 17 pre-arbitration players, six players in arbitration (Gennett and Kirk Nieuwenhuis have already signed one-year deals), and just two players who have amassed enough Major League Baseball service time to negotiate their own contracts. In total, lefties were an incredible 86% worse than league average against Thornburg.

Thornburg, 28, was a 3rd round pick of the Brewers in the 2010 MLB Draft and has spent his entire career with club since breaking into the majors in 2012.

“I never really had a role”. The most obvious of which is that it clears the path for talented prospect Yoan Moncada to become the starting third baseman in 2017, though the Red Sox are unlikely to rush him to the major leagues, as he skipped AAA on his way to his late season call-up.

“Not looking to make any more additions to our bullpen”, Dombrowski said.

Pennington, 21, was drafted by the Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2014 draft despite suffering an arm injury during his senior season at Lower Cape May that ultimately required him to undergo Tommy John surgery. He made 99 starts at third base.

Dubon is originally from Honduras but moved to the United States for high school and was drafted in the 26th round in 2013, from Capital Christian in Sacramento, California. Mauricio is a highly-regarded prospect who brings us speed and plate discipline, and adds further infield depth.

Shaw gives the Brewers another left-handed bat in their right-handed-heavy lineup.