OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bobby Valentine has found his new man for the back end of the Boston bullpen.

The Oakland Athletics traded All-Star closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox on Wednesday for outfielder Josh Reddick and infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.

In the deal, first reported by ESPN, Bailey gives the Red Sox a reliable ninth-inning guy to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a $50 million, four-year contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.

Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year who made the All-Star team that season and again in 2010 — has been the subject of trade talk this offseason.

The right-handed Bailey, 27, went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41 2-3 innings and 42 appearances this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm.

Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A’s, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday.

Reddick, who began last season at Triple-A Pawtucket before being promoted in late May, will look to fill a big void in Oakland’s open outfield.

The 24-year-old Reddick batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He can play any outfield spot and likely will get immediate action for the A’s, who already lost outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham in free agency. Center fielder Coco Crisp isn’t expected to return either.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark some 40 miles south in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from Commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.

The A’s (74-88) haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

At last summer’s trade deadline, the A’s and Red Sox were near completion on a deal that would have sent Oakland right-hander Rich Harden to Boston for Triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson, but it fell through late because of Harden’s lengthy list of injury issues.

Former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young returned to the A’s this offseason to work under manager Bob Melvin.

Head, a first baseman, batted .299 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs in 129 games with the Red Sox two Single-A affiliates, at Greenville and Salem.

The right-handed Alcantara, 19, combined for a 1-4 record and a 2.20 ERA in 13 starts with Single-A Lowell and the Red Sox affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He struck out 50 and walked just 12 while holding opponents to a .208 batting average.

OAKLAND, CALIF. The Oakland Athletics traded all-star closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday for outfielder Josh Reddick and prospects Miles Head and Raul Alcantara.

In the deal, first reported by ESPN, new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has found a reliable ninth-inning guy in Bailey to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a four-year, $50-million US contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.

Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year who made the all-star team that season and again in 2010 — has been the subject of trade talk this off-season.

The right-handed Bailey, 27, went 0-4 with a 3.24 earned-run average and 24 saves in 41 2-3 innings this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm.

Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A’s, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday.

Reddick will look to fill a big void in Oakland’s open outfield.

The 24-year-old Reddick batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He can play any outfield spot and likely will get immediate action for the A’s, who already lost outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham in free agency. Center fielder Coco Crisp isn’t expected to return either.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.

The A’s (74-88) haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

At last summer’s trade deadline, the A’s and Red Sox were near completion on a deal that would have sent Oakland right-hander Rich Harden of Victoria to Boston for triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson but it fell through late because of Harden’s lengthy list of injury issues.

Former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young returned to the A’s this off-season to work under manager Bob Melvin

The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. – Bobby Valentine has found his new man for the back end of the Boston bullpen.

The Oakland Athletics traded all-star closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox on Wednesday for outfielder Josh Reddick and infield prospect Miles Head and minor league pitcher Raul Alcantara.

In the deal, first reported by ESPN, Bailey gives the Red Sox a reliable ninth-inning guy to replace the departed Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a US$50 million, four-year contract as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in November.

Bailey — the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year who made the all-star team that season and again in 2010 — has been the subject of trade talk this off-season.

The right-handed Bailey, 27, went 0-4 with a 3.24 ERA and 24 saves in 41 2-3 innings and 42 appearances this year. He spent time on the disabled list for the second straight season, pitching for the first time in 2011 on May 29 after being sidelined with a strained right forearm.

Bailey becomes the fourth key pitcher traded this month for the rebuilding A’s, who dealt starter Trevor Cahill and reliever Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Dec. 9 and then sent left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez to Washington last Thursday.

Reddick, who began last season at triple-A Pawtucket before being promoted in late May, will look to fill a big void in Oakland’s open outfield.

The 24-year-old Reddick batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for Boston in 2011. He can play any outfield spot and likely will get immediate action for the A’s, who already lost outfielders David DeJesus and Josh Willingham in free agency. Center fielder Coco Crisp isn’t expected to return either.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane is retooling his roster for the future in hopes of the franchise getting the go ahead to build a new ballpark in San Jose despite the San Francisco Giants owning the territorial rights to technology-rich Santa Clara County. Beane and owner Lew Wolff have said they expect to hear soon from Commissioner Bud Selig, and Beane said the unsettled stadium situation would affect him being able to sign his own free agents this winter.

The A’s (74-88) haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

At last summer’s trade deadline, the A’s and Red Sox were near completion on a deal that would have sent Oakland right-hander Rich Harden of Victoria to Boston for triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson, but it fell through late because of Harden’s lengthy list of injury issues.

Former Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young returned to the A’s this off-season to work under manager Bob Melvin.

Head, a first baseman, batted .299 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs in 129 games with the Red Sox two single-A affiliates, at Greenville and Salem.

The right-handed Alcantara, 19, combined for a 1-4 record and a 2.20 ERA in 13 starts with single-A Lowell and the Red Sox affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. He struck out 50 and walked just 12 while holding opponents to a .208 batting average.

The Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks completed a big trade Friday, and the biggest names exchanged were right-handed pitchers Trevor Cahill (heading to the desert) and Jarrod Parker (going to the East Bay).

But they weren’t the only players involved. Five players in all changed teams, including left-hander Craig Breslow, who was sent to the D-backs. Apparently, details sometimes get lost when a major deal goes down — details such as letting all of the parties involved know that a trade has happened before it goes public. Let Breslow explain:

No! Breslow found out about his own trade on Twitter? It’s not the first time an athlete has learned such news from the media. Every so often you’ll hear about a guy who learned he was traded from TV or radio or even a newspaper (once upon a time). But this Twitter social media thing is kind of a new deal. New but powerful. It has aided revolutionaries across the Atlantic, it has helped pro football players keep in touch during an owner’s lockout. So I don’t know what Breslow means about Twitter’s lack of relevance. A Yale graduate? C’mon. Well, he learned the hard way.

Not that Breslow has reacted with bitterness:

Thanks for all the well wishes as I head to the @dbacks!

That message, plus at least 30 individual thank-yous, came after the first tweet. Can you imagine Albert Pujols sending 30 thank-you notes to … anybody?

Breslow probably would have preferred to hear about the deal from Billy Beane or David Forst from the A’s front office. That’s on them. And the power of Twitter.

Follow Dave on Twitter — @AnswerDave — and engage the Stew on Facebook

Related: Albert Pujols, Craig Breslow, Trevor Cahill, Jarrod Parker, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, BallMedia, Transactions

The Oakland Athletics kicked off their latest roster makeover Friday by trading pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Oakland received pitchers Jarrod Parker and Ryan Cook and outfielder Collin Cowgill, three prospects who could play significant roles for the A’s in 2012.

Cahill’s name surfaced Wednesday as a trade possibility. Until then, it was fellow starter Gio Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey who were most heavily rumored to be leaving Oakland. Both remain strong candidates to be dealt, with Texas interested in Gonzalez.

“It’s never easy to trade a guy who was a focal point of your team for three years,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said of Cahill. “But we understand every so often you need to shuffle the deck.”

Cahill broke into the A’s rotation in 2009, a 21-year-old who appeared part of the foundation upon which the team would build. He went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 2010 and was an All-Star. Last April, he signed a five-year, $30.5 million contract extension with club options for 2016 and 2017.

That affordable, long-term contract was attractive to the defending National League West-champion Diamondbacks, who will add Cahill to a rotation that includes Daniel Hudson, Josh Collmenter and Ian Kennedy.

“We think we’ve got four young starters who are as good as anybody in the N.L. West,” Arizona G.M. Kevin Towers said.

The A’s are looking to stockpile prospects – cost-controllable and with little big league service time – who can develop together as the team hopes to build a new ballpark in San Jose.

Cahill took news of the trade hard. He said he was happy with Oakland and looked forward to being reunited with pitching coach Curt Young, who returned to the A’s after one season with Boston.

“Maybe another piece or two and we would have had that core thing and been good for a long time,” Cahill said. “You kept thinking in the future, and then, all of a sudden, it passed you up, and now you’re on a new team.”

In Parker, 23, the A’s get a right-hander rated as Arizona’s No. 4 prospect by Baseball America. He was their top prospect before missing the entire 2010 season because of “Tommy John” elbow surgery.

He went 11-8 with a 3.79 ERA last season for Double-A Mobile. In his only big league start, Parker threw 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Dodgers in September.

He has a fastball that reaches 95-96 mph, a good changeup and an overhand curve that he has yet to completely regain the feel for after surgery.

“It’s not out of the question he could pitch well in spring training and start the year in the rotation,” Forst said.

Cowgill, 25, has played in just 36 major league games, but Forst said Cowgill will get every chance to win the center field job. That’s no surprise given the lack of depth and experience in the A’s outfield.

One scout interviewed for this story gave Cowgill high marks for his grittiness but said he doesn’t possess one dominant “tool” that stands out.

The Oakland Athletics kicked off their latest roster makeover Friday by trading pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Oakland received pitchers Jarrod Parker and Ryan Cook and outfielder Collin Cowgill, three prospects who could play significant roles in 2012.

Cahill’s name surfaced Wednesday as a trade possibility. Until then, it was fellow starter Gio Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey who were most heavily rumored to be leaving Oakland. Both remain strong candidates to be dealt, with the Rangers interested in Gonzalez.

“It’s never easy to trade a guy who was a focal point of your team for three years,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said of Cahill. “But we understand every so often you need to shuffle the deck.”

Cahill broke into the A’s rotation in 2009, a 21-year-old who appeared part of the foundation upon which the team would build. He went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 2010 and was an All-Star. In April, he signed a five-year, $30.5 million contract extension with club options for 2016 and 2017.

That affordable, long-term contract was attractive to the reigning NL West-champion Diamondbacks, who will add Cahill to a rotation that includes Daniel Hudson, Josh Collmenter and Ian Kennedy.

“We think we’ve got four young starters who are as good as anybody in the N.L. West,” Arizona GM Kevin Towers said.

The A’s are looking to stockpile prospects — cost-controllable and with little big league service time — who can develop together as the team hopes to build a new ballpark in San Jose.

Cahill took news of the trade hard. He said he was happy with Oakland and looked forward to being reunited with pitching coach Curt Young, who returned to the A’s after one season with Boston.

“Maybe another piece or two and we would have had that core thing and been good for a long time,” Cahill said. “You kept thinking in the future, and then, all of a sudden, it passed you up, and now you’re on a new team.”

In Parker, 23, the A’s get a right-hander rated as Arizona’s No. 4 prospect by Baseball America. He was their top prospect before missing the entire 2010 season because of elbow surgery.

He went 11-8 with a 3.79 ERA last season for Double-A Mobile.