BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today acquired infielder/outfielder Jemile Weeks and minor league infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder/outfielder Kelly Johnson and minor league third baseman Michael Almanzar.
Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.
Weeks, 27, appeared in only three games for Orioles this season and was 3-for-11 (.273) with a triple and two runs scored. A switch-hitter, he has spent the majority of 2014 with Triple-A Norfolk in Baltimore’s minor league system. In his 63 games there, Weeks hit .280 (58-for-207) with 12 doubles, four triples, one home run, 19 RBI, and 28 runs scored. With Double-A Norfolk, he totaled more walks (37) than strikeouts (30). For his major league career, he has hit .259 (225-for-870) with 41 doubles, 17 triples, four home runs, and 56 RBI in 226 games between the Oakland Athletics (2011-13) and Orioles (2014). The younger brother of Milwaukee Brewers infielder Rickie Weeks, Jemile was a first-round selection of the Athletics (12th overall) in the 2008 June Draft. He was originally selected by Milwaukee in the eighth round of the 2005 June Draft, but elected to play baseball at the University of Miami.
De Jesus Jr., 27, spent all of 2014 with the Orioles’ Norfolk affiliate, where he was named to the International League’s mid-season All-Star Team. He hit .282 (116-for-411) with 19 doubles, five triples, five homers, 56 RBI, and 50 walks in 113 games and appeared at shortstop (98 games), second base (8), and third base (1). The right-handed batter has a .205 average with three doubles and five RBI in 48 career major league games over parts of two seasons between the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-12) and Red Sox (2012). De Jesus Jr. was first acquired by the Red Sox on August 25, 2012 as part of the nine-player deal that sent Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers. He played in eight games for Boston in the final month of September 2012 and went 0-for-8 at the plate. The son of 15-year major league veteran shortstop Ivan De Jesus, Sr., he was the Dodgers’ second-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft and has hit .298 with 178 doubles, 22 triples, 38 home runs, 421 RBI, and 73 stolen bases in 945 career minor league games.
Johnson, 32, was acquired from the New York Yankees on July 31 and played in 10 games for the Red Sox after being activated from the 15-day disabled list on August 7. The left-handed batter went 4-for-25 (.160) with a double and an RBI for Boston, appearing at first base (5 games, 4 starts), third base (2 games, 1 start), second base (1 game), and left field (1 game). In 87 games between the Red Sox and Yankees in 2014, Johnson has hit .212 (48-for-226) with 10 doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 23 RBI. A nine-year major league veteran, Johnson has hit .250 with 201 doubles, 40 triples, 130 home runs, 465 RBI, 81 stolen bases, and 462 walks in 1,138 career games between the Braves (2005, 2007-09), Diamondbacks (2010-11), Blue Jays (2011-12), Rays (2013), Yankees (2014), and Red Sox (2014).
Almanzar, 23, was acquired by the Orioles during the Rule 5 Draft this past December and returned to the Red Sox organization on July 1. The right-handed batter played in nine games in the Orioles system between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, High-A Frederick, and Triple-A Norfolk. In the Red Sox system, he has played 49 games this season, all with Double-A Portland, batting .277 (46-for-166) with nine doubles, five homers, 25 RBI, and 12 walks. Originally signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in 2007, Almanzar has hit .251 with a 147 doubles, 12 triples, 55 home runs, and 333 RBI over seven minor league seasons.
