Bosox trade with Jays to get manager John Farrell

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox are hoping that two big trades will help them get back to the playoffs after missing them three years in a row.

The first was a genuine blockbuster that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and Josh Beckett to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August and freed more than $250 million in future salaries.

The second was the deal that brought John Farrell back to Fenway Park Sunday.

The Red Sox hired Farrell to be their new manager after pursuing him for more than a year, agreeing to trade infielder Mike Aviles to the Blue Jays to pry their former pitching coach out of the manager's chair in Toronto.

"I'm extremely excited to be returning to the Red Sox and to Boston," Farrell, who received a three-year deal, said in a statement released by the Red Sox. "I love this organization. It's a great franchise in a special city and region, with great fans, and we want nothing more than to reward their faith in us."

Farrell went 154-170 with two fourth-place finishes as Toronto's manager the past two seasons. He had one year remaining on his contract with the Blue Jays. That allowed them to demand compensation from Boston, which fired Bobby Valentine after one season.

It's the second time the Red Sox have pursued Farrell for their managerial job. They closed the deal this time by working out a rare but not unprecedented trade for an active manager. Boston will give up Aviles, who hit .250 with 13 homers and 60 RBIs in 2012, and get righthander David Carpenter in return.

It is the seventh time in major-league history that a team has traded for a manager while he was under contract to another, the Red Sox said. Last year, Miami got Ozzie Guillen from the White Sox in a deal that also included three players.

The pitching coach in Boston for four years, Farrell was the heir apparent to Terry Francona before going to Toronto when it seemed as if Francona would be sticking around long term.

"John Farrell brings a unique blend of managerial experience, leadership and presence, pitching expertise, front-office experience, and an established track record with many members of our uniformed staff and members of our front office," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said in the statement. "He will hit the ground running."