Courtesy of Lebrontourage
It was easy to like Justin Masterson back in 2008 when he was on the Boston Red Sox. The then 23 year-old posted a 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, with 68 strikeouts in 88.3 innings out of the bullpen and rotation for the Sox. In a short period of time, the righty gained the trust of his manager by making key spot starts, and even throwing a scoreless ninth inning in Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series.
Major League heroics aside, the former second round pick also owned a promising career 3.79 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 3.27 K/BB between three seasons in the minors, and was named the #64 prospect by Baseball America prior to the 2008 season. It seemed as though Masterson, an instant fan favorite, would enjoy a long career with the Boston Red Sox. However, the following season, he was gone. Continue reading
