BOSTON -- Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp, 29, may be on his way out, going to the Kansas City Royals in a trade for relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez.

A Kansas City radio station reported Wednesday that Crisp had been acquired by the Royals and would earn $5.7 million there next year. Ramirez said he was informed of the trade after 9 a.m. central time.

Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein confirmed the trade just after noon.

Last season, Crisp batted .283 in 118 games with seven homeruns and 41 RBIs.

Crisp, whose full name is Covelli Loyce Crisp, was originally from Los Angeles. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft.

He was traded to Cleveland in 2002 for pitcher Chuck Finley and established a reputation as an excellent fielder and baserunner during his tenure with the Indians.

Crisp came to the Red Sox in 2006 after centerfielder Johnny Damon left to play for the New York Yankees. After a promising start and a $15 million contract extension, Crisp broke his left index finger stealing third base and spent the next 42 games on the disabled list.

Although Crisp was the team's starting center fielder throughout the 2007 season, he was benched mid-series during the ALCS in favor of rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. He remained benched for the 2007 World Series.

Crisp stole 20 or more bases in each of his three seasons with Boston and had a 80.5 percent success rate, second all-time among Red Sox players with at least 75 attempts, the Red Sox said.

During the 2008 season, Crisp was involved in a controversy after trying to steal a base in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. During his next at bat, the pitcher hit him in the thigh and he charged the mound, sparking a bench-clearing brawl. He was ejected from the game and suspended by Major League Baseball for seven games.

Ramirez, 27, who joined the Royals last spring from the Colorado Rockies, was a dependable reliever who went 3-2 in 71 games with a 2.64 ERA. He was originally signed by the Texas Rangers as a non-drafted free agent in 1996.

The Red Sox said Ramirez limited righthanded opponents to a .153 batting average during the 2008 season, lowest in the A.L. and third in the majors among pitchers with at least 50 games.

In 2008, Ramirez was one of just three A.L. relievers with at least 70 strikeouts, 70 appearances and an ERA under 3.00.