Pitcher Craig Breslow ’02 and catcher Ryan Lavarnway ’09 never played together at Yale. They will get that chance in Boston, as the two former Bulldogs became teammates on the Red Sox today.
Boston recalled Lavarnway from Triple-A Pawtucket today, just a day after acquiring left-handed reliever Breslow from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for outfielder Scott Podsednik and reliever Matt Albers.
Both Breslow and Lavarnway arrive in Boston in the midst of strong seasons. Breslow posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out 42 batters in 43 1/3 innings of work for Arizona, which is currently in third place in the N.L. West. Meanwhile, Lavarnway hit .295 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs for Triple-A Pawtucket. That performance earned him a start behind the plate for the International League in the Triple-A All Star Game.
Both former Elis have called Fenway Park home before. Breslow signed as a free agent with Boston in 2006 and posted a 3.75 ERA in twelve innings pitched.
Lavarnway, one of the top prospects in Boston’s system, had his first Major League experience last year over the course of two stints with the Red Sox. He hit .231 with two home runs in seventeen games. Both home runs came in Boston’s second-to-last game of the season against Baltimore on Sept. 28, 2011, as Lavarnway’s big bat kept his team’s wild card hopes alive.
Although Breslow has taken the mound for six different major league teams, the two Bulldogs could remain teammates for the foreseeable future. Breslow will not be eligible for free agency until 2014, and Lavarnway will be under control until 2018.
Boston is currently in fourth place in the A.L. East, with a 53–52 record.