JUPITER, Fla. • Lefty Corey Littrell, a starter three rungs below the big leagues in Boston’s organization, was driving to the ballpark on July 31, 2014, unaware of how the major happenings above him would soon intersect his life and redirect his career.
Then his phone rang.
He recognized the number, thought about the date, and started doing the math. … Boston’s farm director calling … at the trade deadline …
“Well, there’s kind of only one reason, I would think,” Littrell said. “Then he started telling me, ‘You’ve been traded to …’ It felt like he paused for 30 minutes.