White Sox trade Jesse Crain to Tampa Bay

White Sox fans will no longer be graced by the strains of Metallica's "Poor Twisted Me" when Jesse Crain enters the game.

The right-handed reliever was traded Monday to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later.

I think this is a terrific move by the Rays. Crain is a reliable, steady veteran who has proven he can handle high-leverage situations. He's in the midst of a career-best season (2-3 with a 0.74 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 38 appearances), and even at age 32, he's still missing plenty of bats (46 Ks in 36.2 IP).

Unfortunately for the Sox, Crain got injured at the worst possible time. He hasn't pitched since June 29 and is currently on the disabled list with a shoulder strain. Crain is expected to return soon, but it's hard to get fair value when you're trading a guy who is on the DL. And the Sox really had no choice but to move Crain. They are woefully out of the race. Crain's contract is up at the end of the season, and he won't be back next year. There was really no point in keeping him. The right choice is to move him along to a contender and get what you can. That's what the Sox did, but they likely won't be acquiring a top prospect in the deal.

This trade is a complex one. It needed approval from the commissioner's office before it could be finalized. The level of player the Sox receive will be based upon Crain's performance in Tampa Bay.

A lot of times in these types of situations, the two clubs involved in the trade will draw up an "A list" of players, as well as a "B list." Each list is made up of Tampa Bay players who could be potentially sent to the Sox as "the player to be named later." As you might expect, players on the "A list" are better than players on the "B list."

If Crain meets certain performance objectives -- such as a certain number of appearances or a certain number of innings pitched -- the Sox will get to select a player off the "A list" to complete the deal. If Crain gets hurt again or otherwise fails to meet the predetermined objectives, the Sox would be relegated to selecting a lesser player off the "B list" as compensation for the trade.

In short, we likely won't know what the Sox are getting for Crain until after the season is over. The best-case scenario for all parties is Crain going to Tampa Bay and pitching up to his capabilities. If he does that, he will help the Rays win in the tight AL East race, and the Sox will be able to acquire a player to help replenish their organizational depth.