 Red Sox owner Ed Barrow convinced Traynor to join Portsmouth, saying that if the third baseman performed well there, he would join the Red Sox, as the Boston team and Portsmouth had a gentleman's agreement, wherein Portsmouth served as something of a farm team for the Red Sox.However, the Truckers were still an independent team and, despite the informal agreement, were able to do anything they wished with Traynor, including selling him to another team.In September 1920, they sold him to the Pittsburgh Pirates, infuriating Burrow.