USA – The Red Sox today purchased the contracts of lefthanded pitcher Felix Doubront from Single-A Salem of the Carolina League (Boston’s new High-A affiliate, formerly Single-A Lancaster), lefthanded pitcher Hunter Jones from Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League, and catcher Mark Wagner from Double-A Portland of the Eastern League.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

Doubront split last season between Single-A Greenville and Single-A Lancaster, combining to go 13-9, the third-highest win total in the Red Sox minor league system, with a 3.69 ERA, 28 walks and 138 strikeouts in 26 games, all starts. He led all Red Sox minor leaguers in strikeouts and finished third in wins.

The 21-year-old spent the majority of the season with the Drive where he was 12-8, tied for the third-most wins in the league, with a 3.67 ERA in 23 starts. He fanned 118 batters in 115.1 innings and was one of four players to represent Greenville in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

Doubront was promoted to Lancaster on August 18 where he posted a 1-1 record with a 3.86 ERA, 20 strikeouts and just four walks in three regular season starts. He took the hill twice in the postseason, going 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA.

A veteran of four professional seasons, Doubront signed with the Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent in 2004. He combined to go 4-10 with a 7.45 ERA in 19 starts between short-season Single-A Lowell and Greenville in 2007 and in 2005 was named Red Sox Minor League Latin Pitcher of the Year after logging a 7-1 record and 0.97 ERA in 13 starts for Boston’s Venezuelan Summer League squad.

Jones finished third in the Red Sox farm system with 12 saves in 2008 and went 7-3 with a 2.45 ERA, 18 walks and 76 strikeouts in 48 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. He surrendered runs in just 3 of his 13 relief appearances with the Sea Dogs and posted a 0.75 ERA over his final 7 outings to earn a May 15 promotion to Pawtucket, his first career experience at the Triple-A level.

The lefthander went 7-2 with the PawSox, converting eight of his 11 save opportunities while fanning 50 in 50.2 innings. Jones was 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 2 post-season appearances.

The 24-year-old has been in the Red Sox system since signing as a non-drafted free agent in 2005. In 2007, he combined to go 6-2 with 2 saves and a 2.62 ERA in 47 relief appearances between Lancaster and Portland. He spent his second professional season with Greenville in 2006 where he struck out 100 batters in 94.1 innings. A participant in the 2008 Red Sox Rookie Development Program, Jones is currently pitching for Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League.

Wagner hit .219 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 94 games for Double-A Portland in 2008. The 24-year-old led all Eastern League catchers with a .997 fielding percentage and ranked second throwing out 42 percent of attempted base stealers.

The right-handed hitter has been in Boston’s minor league system since being selected in the 9th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. With Single-A Lancaster in 2007 he finished fifth among Red Sox farm hands, the California League and among all minor league catchers with a career-high .318 batting average.

The Lakewood, California native is playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League where he is hitting .296 with three home runs and seven RBI in 17 games, all behind the plate. He has reached base safely in each of his last 12 games with an at-bat, going 15-for-43 (.349) in that span.

Media Release: Greenville Drive

Tags: USA