The Forgotten

Every time there's a big, blockbuster trade in any major sport, it usually involves a few "throw-in" players that never make the headlines. They just get lost in the shuffle and become an afterthought, or a local broadcast station sports trivia question. This is exactly what happened to RHP Craig

Hansen and OF Brandon Moss in 2008, after being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Boston Red Sox in that notorious three-way-deal, in which the Sox swapped Hall of Fame slugger, Manny Ramirez, for another right-handed power bad, Jason Bay.Since that day--August 1, 2008--Moss and Hansen have fallen into the obscurity of playing for the National League's most forgotten team, the

Pittsburgh Pirates. If you were hoping for a rags-to-riches story in which both players ripped it up in Pittsburgh, and brought the Pirates into prominence in the NL, you will be sadly disappointed. Moss played in a combined total of 178 games for the Pirates, between the remainder of '08 and all of the '09 season; Hansen made just 21 appearances for the team in that same time span.

Neither player has ever been able to really get into a groove, and now each of them has landed back in the "Triple A" - playing for the Indianapolis Indians.Moss' career hit a downward spiral ever since making the Red Sox' opening day roster in '08, when he hit a game-tying, solo home run in the ninth inning against former A's closer, Huston Street. The homer was the first of his career, and the first hit by a Red Sox player in a regular season game played outside of North America. Hansen held opponents to a .200 batting average in '08 for the Pirates; however, his problem finding the strike zone led to and abysmal 20 walks in 15.2 innings pitched. Since that disappointing '08 season, Hansen has never again been able to tap into the talent that made him the Red Sox' first-round draft pick in the '05 amateur draft (26th overall).

While the road has been slippery for these two young players, their careers aren't over yet. Each player is only 26 years old and, with that youth, have plenty of room to grow into future all-stars--just like the men they were traded for/with--Jason Bay and Manny Ramirez. Just look at some of the

names of players that didn't really break out until their late twenties: Ryan Howard, 27; Casey Blake, 29; Hideki Okajima, 31;David Ortiz, 27; Kevin Youkilis, 29; Brian Wilson, 27. The list goes on and on. And, let's not forget third baseman, Mike Lowell, who had his first 20+ home run season

in 2000, with the Florida Marlins, at age 26. Lowell is now known for being the 'throw-in' in the '05 off-season trade that sent starter Josh Beckett over to the Red Sox, in exchange for impending Rookie of the Year shortstop, Hanley Ramirez. Lowell's career seemed to be all-but-forgotten, until the Sox needed a defensive replacement at third. In comes Lowell who, in just his second season with the Sox, led them all the way to a World Series win against the surging Colorado Rockies - winning MVP honors.

If Lowell's story is any indication of the future for Moss' and Hansen's careers, then we should be expecting some big things in the near future from each of these talented, youngsters. Like the players I listed before, sometimes it takes a little longer for big leaguers to develop. After all, when you place coal under pressure, you get diamonds.

by Aaron Hilton