"If Ubaldo Jimenez performs as well on the mound as he did in his first news conference as an Indian, the Tribe has nothing to worry about.

Jimenez arrived at the team's hotel from Denver on Tuesday night, and the first person he encountered was Lou Marson, whom he didn't know until that moment. Same thing when he got to Fenway Park on Wednesday. He was greeted by another stranger, Justin Masterson.

"The last two days have been difficult," Jimenez said. "Besides saying goodbye to my teammates, I had to pack all my things and ship them to Cleveland. Then I came here. The guys have really been friendly. It's like I've been here for two years or so."

Manager Manny Acta wasn't surprised that Jimenez made a solid impression during his media session.

"I think he is one of those guys who the Latin players will gravitate toward," he said. "He is an A-1 individual. I've known him for a few years, and he is not an ordinary guy."

Sunday's trade for Jimenez rocked the Northeast Ohio fan base, because General Manager Chris Antonetti gave the Colorado Rockies the franchise's top two pitching prospects: Drew Pomeranz and Alex White. The reasons were simple: Antonetti was acquiring what he believes to be a true staff ace and will have control of Jimenez through 2013."