Rick Aguilera - Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

With the Twins well on their way to finishing 44 games behind the AL Central division winning Cleveland Indians, Aguilera was traded to the Red Sox on July 6, 1995 in exchange for minor league outfielder J. J. Johnson and pitcher Frank Rodriguez. The move was made official while the Red Sox were in Minneapolis playing the Twins and after walking 20 ft down to the visitors dressing room, Aguilera was called on to convert a save opportunity in his very first appearance - striking out former teammate Kirby Puckett to help nail down a 5–4 win. Although Aguilera would later state that the trade that brought him to Boston was the lowest point of his career, he would perform well for the AL East champion, going 2–2 with 20 saves and a 2.67 ERA in 30 relief appearances. Like a number of his teammates, Aguilera struggled in the playoffs, giving up one run on three hits with one strike out in two-thirds of an inning.