Results tagged ‘ Mark Texeira ’
Why The Sox Need To Sign Texeira (And Deal Lowell)
Dan:
As baseball fans, we all have our heroes. Sure, we have our favorite team at the center of our fandom, but you can’t help but develop a strong attachment for certain players, especially when those players aren’t just great talents who help your team win, but are also really great individuals. Of course, that creates some mixed emotions when those players could potentially leave your team.
Us Red Sox fans have dealt with that spector twice this offseason, with the possibility our captain Jason Varitek could sign elsewhere (which, thankfully, it looks like he won’t). And we’ve also dealt with the idea that fan-favorite Mike Lowell could be shipped out of town should we sign stud free agent Mark Texeira. And among a lot of fans, that has caused a lot of problems.
Anywhere you turn, Sox fans are debating Texeira versus Lowell. Some (like me) hope and pray the Sox land Tex. But on sports radio, baseball forums and blogs, many fans are screaming to keep vice-captain Mike Lowell. Some have said the Sox don’t need Texeira, that their offense should be fine and they’ll contend for a title. Others have argued we could sign Texeira and use Lowell as a reserve. Still others have said we should keep Lowell and deal Youk.
For years, the Sox had an ownership that put too much stock in keeping certain players that they liked rather than building a well-rounded team. The result was 86 years of misery. Today, Sox fans know what it takes to win a championship — a bloodless, cold, emotionless, calculated approach to building the best team. And while that often grates against our well-deserved right as fans to have heroes, we have to keep in mind that our ultimate goal is to win championships . . . lots and lots of championships. With that in mind, the Sox need to sign Texeira . . . and they need to deal Mike Lowell.
As of today, the Sox lineup would look like this:
Ellsbury (?)
Pedroia
Ortiz(?)
Youk
Bay
Drew(?)
Lowell(?)
Lowrie(?)
Varitek(?)
Six of those players have question marks next to their names because they enter next season with lots of questions. We think Ellsbury will improve, but we don’t know. We hope Papi will be back to form, but we don’t know. Drew and Lowell are injury risks, Lowrie is still young, and at this point of his career we don’t know what to expect from Tek. If all goes well, the offense could be great. But there are a lot of questions.
By removing Lowell and replacing him with Texeira — a young, fit, prime-of-his life monster — you are removing one big question mark and giving yourself a powerful core to build around with Tex, Bay, Youk and Pedroia. No one can argue the offensive upgrade Texeira brings with him (I recently saw some stat saying something like he is one of only three players to start the first five years of his career with 30+ homers and 100+ RBIs every year — with Jimmy Foxx and Albert Pujols as the others). Now, with those other question marks, some problems will come up, but not all the question marks will go down (unless you are this year’s Patriots). Bringing in Texeira gives the Sox a much better chance to succeed . . . not to mention give them the long-term advantage of a young talented player (Lowell is nearing the MLB exit).
I’ve made the arguement the Sox could conceivably keep Lowell around through April if the right deal doesn’t present itself. But, eventually, they will need to deal him. With two years left on his contract, he has great value. If they played with him this season and he struggled or was injured again, his value would plummet. And while it might be nice to have him come off bench and fill in, that is not a long term solution as you don’t want a guy like that taking up your reserve infielder roster spot, That spot is better for more versatile players like an Alex Cora or Jed Lowrie. Trading Lowell should bring back something good in return, thereby making the team we love even that much better.
We’ll always appreciate Lowell’s contributions to our team and how he helped bring us a championship in 2007. And by being traded, he will still be making us better. We’ll always be fans on Mike Lowell.
Winter Meetings Quick Hits
Dan:
- The Yankees have reportedly overreacted and got their man. Word is they have an agreement with LB Sabathia for 7 years, $160 million. The Yankees got played. Nobody was going to approach their original $140 million. And all the talk about Sabathia prefering the West Coast and the National League was just posturing; a way to negotiate his pricetag up since nobody was going to outbid the Yankees. Make no mistake: He was going to go with the biggest paycheck. But when he didn’t react to the Yankees $140 mill offer, and started floating reports that he wanted to be a Dodger and maybe something was wrong with the Yankee offer, Cashman and Co. overreacted and upped the price. So now they got their man — a good pitcher who is overweight at a young age and already has a lot of miles on his arm. I like this recipe.
- The Yankees might want to use some restraint with how they approach the rest of the offseason. They paid a huge price to go get Sabathia. Given that, it would seem absurd that they could also sign Burnett, Lowe and Manny Ramirez (and maybe even be players for Texeira). However, they do have more money than God, and right now they do seem to be governed more by emotional panic than cool reasoning. They have a healthy financial advantage over the rest of the league. But if they do spend an abscene amount of money to scoop a lot of these free agents (especially while other teams are being squeezed by the economy), it could lead to a clamoring for a luxurary tax with more teeth, or even a salary cap. The Yanks should be careful not to pull a Plaxico Burress and shoot themselves in the leg.
- With the Yanks apparently about to sign Derek Lowe, it looks likely that AJ Burnett could be heading to Atlanta. Should that happen, the Yanks rotation looks like it could be Sabathia, Wang (not an ace, but a good Number Two), and Lowe. They’ll likely have Pettitte back to serve as the Number Four, and then a number of question marks in their young arms. But at least those young arms have the time to work their way into the rotation instead of carry it, like Cashman expected them to do last season. I’d still give the edge in starting rotation to the Red Sox and Devil Rays (last year’s young studs plus David Price), but the Yankees would certainly be back in the mix.
- With Sabathia out of the picture, things are going to start getting very interesting. I expect there’ll be a lot of movement on Texeira in the coming days, with him likely joining the Red Sox by next week at this time. There’s a lot of questions, though. With K-Rod gone, can the Angels really afford to lose Texeira, and could they possibly be willing to go so far as to outspend the Red Sox? (I can’t see it.) If the Angels do lose Texeira, they have to go after Manny Ramirez. I would expect Manny to wait on Texeira, but there is already talk of the Dodgers and Yankees possibly working on him. If the Angels lose out on both Tex and Manny, what alternatives do they have? They suddenly become very vulnerable in the AL West. And with Sabathia off the board, how likely is it and how soon might it happen that the Sox look to snag an arm, Brad Penny perhaps?
- With his catching options dwindling all around him, do you think Jason Varitek might regret rejecting arbitration?
- If the Sox do snag Texeira, don’t be surprised if they keep Lowell around for awhile, and perhaps even to start the season. Once they sign Tex, there will likely be an opinion by most teams that the Sox will be over a barrel and desperate to get rid of Lowell, so other teams will try to lowball the Sox with their offers. But Theo and Co. are ever mindful of the value of players. And if fair value isn’t offered in the offseason, they’ll likely keep Lowell around through Spring Training, and will likely even be willing to keep him around throughout April. Nobody’s better at working guys into a lineup than Terry Francona. And there’s no better team player than Mike Lowell. A willingness to keep him around through April will show teams they need to come up with a real offer. There’s also the potential that another team’s third baseman will be injured in the spring or April and suddenly have a desperate need for Mike Lowell. And then the Sox can cash in.
It’s Good To Be Rich
Dan:
So far, the Red Sox have taken a slow and steady approach to this offseason, and as a result they could end up reaping big rewards.
Three days into the Winter Meetings, and this long, slow Hot Stove season is only just beginning to simmer. Partially because some teams have overspent in recent years, and partially because some are wary of and feeling the effects from the struggling economy, many teams just don’t have the money to spend this offseason. And the free agent market seems to be stalling because of it. Witness K-Rod’s recent contract for just 3 years at $37 million.
Meanwhile, teams that overreacted out of the gate could end up way overspending for players. Given the market, there’s a great chance the Yankees could maybe have landed Sabathia for less than they have so far offered — at least that is if it is just about the money. They could have started out trimming a few years and few million off their initial offer, seen what the market looked like, and then upped it if need be. Instead, they have offered a bigger contract than maybe they needed to. Down in Atlanta, the Braves reacted to the potential overreaction of the Yankees on AJ Burnett, offering the oft-injured 32-year-old a four-year contract for big money. And over in Los Angeles, the 2-year contract in the mid-40-million range the Dodgers originally offered Manny hasn’t been put back on the table, even as the two sides begin talking again. Could it be the Dodgers realize they aren’t in a bidding war with anyone over Ramirez?
As all this is going on, some teams are even starting to shed payroll. The Astros are looking to dump Miguel Tejada’s salary. More are bound to start coming.
And then you have the Red Sox. They have taken their time to assess the market and haven’t overreacted and overbid on anyone. They have set their sights on Texeira, and can now go after him with a contract that reflects his value in this market. It’ll be huge; but maybe they can save $10 or $15 million over the life of an eight-year contract. That’s better than just throwing money you don’t have to at a player (CC and $140 mill). Meanwhile, they have money to spend, thanks to a passionate fanbase and good planning through integrating talented young players into their roster. Maybe they do end up benefiting from a down market to steal a talented arm or two like a Brad Penny, or even an AJ Burnett (which I still don’t see). And maybe they cash in on some of these players on teams looking to shed payroll.
Right now, the Red Sox are holding all the cards.
Furcal & Peavy
Dan:
While we wait for the Winter Meetings and the big push to sign Mark Texeira, here are a few thoughts:
- According to the Boston Globe, there are whispers that the Red Sox might be in the mix to sign shortstop Rafael Furcal. But this is a move I’d be hesitant to make. Furcal is in the mold of an AJ Burnett or JD Drew — a oft-injured player who has never quite lived up to his physical talent. He has all the tools to be an elite shortstop, but his body is either too fragile, or he has a shortage of guts. Whatever the reason, Furcal will likely command too much money and too many years to take on that kind of injury risk. Maybe if it was a one-year deal, two max, anticipating that when Furcal goes down you’ll have Jed Lowrie to fill in and take his time to develop into a big-leaguer. But I expect Furcal will command at least three years, probably four, not to mention an annual contract north of $12 million and require the Sox to give up a draft pick (and they’ll already be giving up one should they sign Texeira). Furcal isn’t worth it.
- I still say don’t be surprised if the Red Sox sneak in to make a major push for Jake Peavy. The Padres seem to be having a problem finding the right fit for him, and as of now it looks like deals with the Braves and Cubs have fallen through. The Sox want to acquire a starting pitcher this offseason. And they have the young pitching to deal for one of the game’s proven elite arms. Peavy is an infinitely better pitcher than Derek Lowe or AJ Burnett (I’d even take him over Sabathia), and acquiring him via trade means the Sox won’t lose a draft pick (although they’ll have to give up some good, young arms; but that’s what you do with unproven talent). And while the Sox currently aren’t on the list of teams Peavy would accept a trade to . . . well, money talks.
Hot Stove Talk: November 24
Dan:
- The Red Sox have reportedly become involved in the LB Sabathia sweepstakes. But let’s face it: this is a very thinly-veiled attempt to drive the price up for the Yanks. During the Johan Santana saga last winter, that would have involved a trade with the Twins instead of a free agent signing, which gave the Sox an advantage over the Yanks — they could present a better package to the Twinkies. In the Sabathia chase, being a free agent means this is strictly about money, and, given how much the Yanks want him, its a chase the Sox can’t win. Not that they’d want to. Let someone else pay the steep price and long-term years of a risky contract for LB.
- Good news out of southern California. A reporter for an Orange County newspaper was speculating that the Texeira would be signing with the Red Sox in the next few weeks. His reasoning was if he was going to re-sign with the Angels, he probably would have done so by now.
- After my last post, people raised some good points about the importance of keeping Mike Lowell and having AJ Burnett as a fourth starter. However, I’m sticking by my guns. Even if he’s a fourth starter, there’s no point in paying Burnett big money if he only pitches half a season. And, unfortunately, he has a long history of that. Plus, roughly 5 years and $80 million is a steep price to pay for a Number 4 pitcher, especially one without a track record of durability and success. That money would be better spent elsewhere . . . even for trying to get a guy like Jake Peavy, someone who could be a Top 2 pitcher on your staff. Burnett just has much too much risk at such a high pricetag. Regarding Mike Lowell, he is certainly a favorite of all Red Sox fans and has done nothing but excel in his time with the Red Sox. However, the great thing about the current Sox regime is they tend to make decisions based on logic rather than emotion. And, if you want to consistently win championships, that means making emotionally tough decisions. Nobody wants to see Mike Lowell go. But it will make for a better team. Lowell’s best days are behind him, and injuries are certainly going to become more common while his production will certainly decline. His value is at an all-time high right now. Getting Texeira keeps the Sox as good (and maybe even better) defensively, while giving them a more productive lineup. And while Lowell has been a clubhouse leader, word the Sox like Texeira’s personal makeup. On top of that, Lowell should be able to fetch a good return in the trade market. It’ll be sad to see him go, but championship champagne certainly eases the sadness.
- This has nothing to do with baseball, but it is damn funny — Santa’s elves dubbed over by dialogue from the movie Full Metal Jacket. WARNING: The video features “adult” language, so don’t watch it someplace where you could get fired or scar a child’s psyche:
Hot Stove Ready To Boil
Dan:
One week before Thanksgiving, and the hot stove is ready to cook. You can expect a flurry of offers, rumors and speculation up until Turkey Day; then a flurry of signings the week after.
WHAT I LIKE SO FAR
The Coco deal: Scoring Ramon Ramirez – a 27-year-old strikeout reliever with a sub-3.00 ERA in the American League last year – is about as much as you could expect to get for Crisp. Thankfully, Coco performed great the last two months of the season to up his trade value. If you’re not a big fan of this deal, you should be. Don’t look at the last two months of the season and think it is a sign of things to come for Coco. He played in Boston three years, and we’ve seen the player he is: A guy who is an excellent outfielder but most of the time is excruciatingly frustrating at the plate with the exception of brief flukes (August & September). Crisp will be an excellent addition to a team like the Royals, and he could very likely find himself contributing on a team that surprises people next year. Meanwhile, you can never stockpile enough relief pitching, and hopefully Ramirez can be a solid contributor out of the pen in ’09.
Texeira Rumors: Although I still don’t count the Yankees out completely from the Mark Texeira race, I’m glad to read that most people seem to think them acquiring Nick Swisher signals they aren’t in it. But I’ll believe that once Texeira is in a Red Sox uniform. I’m happy that the Sox are considered the front-runners alongside the Angels in this race, and sound like they are positioning themselves for an aggressive run at the hitter with the most upside in this free agent class. Acquiring Texeira would give them one mighty lineup next season.
Catcher Rumors: Regardless of whether they bring back Jason Varitek, the Sox need to get themselves their catcher of the future. And it sounds like even if they do bring back Tek, the Sox are determined to get one of the young catchers from the Rangers, possibly even offensively-gifted Jason Saltalamacchia. This bodes well.
Lugo To Tigers: There’s a rumor that the Tigers might be interested in acquiring Julio Lugo and sending the Sox either Nate Robertson or Dontrelle Willis. I’d trade Lugo for a bag of balls, as I don’t think he has any trade value, so I’d love to see them get a pitcher. My one concern here is Dontrelle Willis’ contract, which I haven’t looked up. If I remember right, the Tigers signed him to a rich, long-term contract. If that’s the case, I might be scared. Maybe they take on each others’ bad contracts. And while Willis has been undependable and was downright terrible last year, his age and stuff means he still has a lot of potential upside. But at what price?
Yankees Are Still Rich But Stupid: The Yankees are poised to offer an oil tanker full of money and long-term years to C.C. (or LB) Sabathia this winter. Sabathia is a great pitcher, and he **dominated in Milwaukee this season (**=facing National League hitters). But he can be beat (see 2007 ALCS), and he can’t singlehandedly take a team to October. Plus, that kind of long-term contract for a pitcher — especially one with the girth of Sabathia — is a huge risk (Where Are They Now: Bartolo Colon). Tack on the fact that they also plan to payout big cash to get A.J. Burnett — a guy whose entire career has been marked by underachieving, injury-plagued seasons — and Derek Lowe — who last time he was seen in the American League was a headcase sporting an ERA north of 5.00 — and the Yankees could be putting themselves in a bad position for years to come. Sure, they are rich beyond belief, but even the Yankees aren’t immune from suffering the effects of numerous bad contracts. And, let’s face it, this is the same management team that thought they could win last year with three unproven rookies in Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain, and who brought in broken-down pitchers in Kevin Brown, Jared Wright and Randy Johnson.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
Sox In On Burnett: As I already stated, I am not a big fan of A.J. Burnett. But I know Sox owner John Henry is. So it is with a lot of concern that I’ve read the Sox are genuinely interested in Burnett. Hopefully they are just upping the price for the Yankees. If that’s the case, you can refile this in the above section. But if it isn’t, consider me even more worried about this than I was about the Sox chasing JD Drew. And you saw how that worked out . . . . . Oh, wait. Never mind.
Jake Peavy: There’s a few things I don’t like here. First, as I stated when rumors first surfaced that the Padres were dangling Peavy, I said the Sox should try to make this deal. Peavy has proven himself to be one of the game’s elite pitchers. His stuff, his track record, and his age make him a prime target to be among the game’s best for the next several years. And he doesn’t have the, ahem, “baggage” that Sabathia has. The Sox should be willing to move one of their top pitching prospects, as prospects are unproven and often don’t work out. And you always — ALWAYS — deal a prospect for an elite proven player. So I am concerned that the Sox are not involved in the Peavy bidding. Peavy can veto the trade, and right now doesn’t list the Sox as a candidate of his, but that could always be made to change, especially by the Red Sox. The other thing I really, really don’t like about this is I am now hearing the Yankees may be getting in on Peavy. Sabathia, Burnett and Lowe don’t scare me; the Yankees getting Peavy does.
Yanks Get Swisher
Dan:
As a Red Sox fan and someone who has had the misfortune of having Nick Swisher on my fantasy baseball team the last two seasons, I was happy to see the Yankees trade for Swisher this week. It’s a move that has left me kind of scratching my head.
First, Swisher is an enigma. He’s a guy who can absolutely light the league on fire for two-week stretches, getting homers in bunches and looking like the second-coming of Carl Yastremski. But most of the year he’s just what he is: a .219 hitter who makes Dave Kingman look like Wade Boggs. Sure, he’s only 28 years old, and could still turn out to be a late-blooming Jim Thome. Or, just as likely, he could be playing independent league ball in three years. He’s not the kind of guy I’d want to depend on to boost my lineup. But, then again, I’ve never thought of Brian Cashman as a guy I’d want piecing together my baseball team.
At least the Yankees didn’t give up anything, unless I’m missing the boat on some of those prospects. Which makes me wonder why the White Sox did this deal at all. If Chicago was a playoff team last year, and they thought so highly of Swisher as to go after him just a year ago, how can they be so confident they’ll be competitive next year without him? And why did they sour on him so fast? And being that as it is, why did the Yankees feel the need to get him? I just don’t get it.
I like the fact that most pundits now say that this move means the Yankees won’t go after Mark Texeira. I still don’t believe it, but I like hearing them say it. Texeira is a world above Mr. .219, and I’d love to see him in a Red Sox uniform next season. And word is the Yankees are banking on targeting CC Sabathia (aka LB Sabathia) this offseason, and wouldn’t sign both him and Texeira anyway; a scenario that reminds me a lot of Winter 2000 when the Yanks signed Mike Mussina while the Sox got Manny Ramirez. Bats are much more dependable than arms. And since that signing, the Sox have won two championships, while the Yankees . . . well, they won a lot back in the 20th Century. But I still won’t believe the Yanks won’t chase Texeira until I see it. With the money they have coming off the books, and the cashfall they expect from their new stadium, they can certainly afford to sign Sabathia, have Swisher play outfield and sign Texeira for first base.
But I don’t want to think about that. So I’ll just keep listening to the experts say the Yanks won’t chase Texeira . . . the Yanks won’t chase Texeira . . . the Yanks won’t chase Texeira . . .
Whatever Happened To The World Series?
Dan:
Have they played the World Series yet?
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on winning an utterly forgettable World Series. I think the television ratings for the series was an average of 17 people, one of whom was my brother who goes from 6 to 12 everytime somebody, somewhere, mentions Chase Utley’s name. His fantasy-baseball-spawned man-crush on Utley is so disturbing, I’m thinking of reporting him to the authorities.
At least the Devil Rays didn’t win it all. And it is kind of fitting that they lost the series to the most insignificant franchise in sports history. That isn’t sour grapes talking; the history of the Phillies backs me up on this. There’s the obvious 10,000 losses and counting to point to. There’s also their contribution — or lack there of — to baseball. I remember walking the timeline in the Baseball Hall of Fame once, and suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a mention of the Phillies in the 1950s. I said, “Whoa, where’d they come from?” Turns out they’d been around since the start of the century. They just hadn’t done anything or had any player worth a mention til then. And they wouldn’t again until 1980. It’s one thing to go 80 years without a championship. It’s a whole other exercise in insignificance to go that long without even making a ripple in the baseball world. To be fair, though, the Phillies for the most part have at least been worth keeping an eye on for the bulk of the last three decades.
Of course, this all explains clearly why nobody watched this Series. Imagine the LA Clippers against the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Finals, or the Houston Texans taking on the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. (Actually, insert any Atlanta franchise in discussions about fans not paying attention to a series.) Thankfully, this series only went five games. And it’s the only series I can ever remember not watching more than three innings of.
But now its on to the exciting Hot Stove season. I’m liking what I hear about the Sox chasing Texeira. In my previous post I said I hoped they would go after him, but wasn’t sure that they would. Obviously, Theo looks to see what my baseball genius mind has going on. I’m also liking that they are talking about going after Saltalmacchia for a catcher. They should do this regardless of whether they bring back Varitek or not, as they need to begin grooming his successor even if they have Tek for another two years. I can’t believe anyone will pay Tek the numbers Scott Boras is throwing out. But you never know. There’s a lot of stupid people in baseball with a lot of stupid money. (See: Angels sign Gary Matthews Jr. and see Yankees sign Jorge Posada to big money, mult-year deal . . . stuuuupid.)
Moving Forward
Dan:
Let’s face it: The Sox were banged up, and the Devil Rays were the better team. They’re probably going to win the World Series. Just freakin’ wonderful. I’m not in a good place right now. Let’s stop talking about it.
Anyway . . . . . on a positive note, once we get past this bothersome World Series, we get to embark on one of the most exciting times of the year — the Hot Stove Season. It’s the kind of thing blogging was invented for. So, let’s just get beyond this thing we’re not talking about and move forward. Let’s see what Boston’s current weaknesses are and what we can hope to expect from this Hot Stove Season.
The Problems
Papi’s Wrist – There’s no offseason solution to this. All we can do is hope and pray that Papi’s wrist is better by next season and he becomes the hitting terror he once was. But the cold hard truth here is wrist injuries are scary things for hitters. There was once a future-Hall-of-Famer named Nomar Garciaparra who won a batting title with the highest average for a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio. Then Nomar was hit by a pitch and messed up his wrist. Goodbye Hall of Fame title; Hello title of Mr. Mia Hamm.
Jacoby Ellsbury – This is another one of those wait-and-see situations. Luckily, Ellsbury’s offensive struggles this year stemmed from his youth instead of any injury. We know he can play. And we know young players do struggle at times. Eventually, Ellsbury will be fine.
Jason Varitek – Whether the Sox resign him or he leaves in free agency, the team needs to find his replacement now (actually, I believe I said last year at this time the time was last offseason). Even if he stays, his best days are far behind him. And his performance is only going to get worse in the coming years. He is a great catcher, but the he-calls-a-great-game thing only works if he’s hitting +.240 . . . not .220.
Mike Lowell – I will likely catch some serious hate here. I love Mike Lowell as much as anybody. And, sure, everybody gets injured and he’ll probably come back at 100 percent next season and have a great year. But all the more reason to trade him. Lowell has had a great run in Boston, but he’s not a guy you can bank on year in and year out; over his whole career he has had his up’s and down’s. Fact is, he’s not getting any younger, and you can expect more common injuries and declining production the next few seasons. The good thing is Lowell has trade value. He has put up great numbers the past few years, he has two years remaining on his contract, and his salary is manageable. And Theo has long coveted the idea of a power-hitting first-baseman. Which leads us to . . .
The Solutions
Sign Mark Texeira – Texeira is a young, switch-hitting, power-hitting first baseman who could be a huge addition to a questionable Sox offense. Of course, in this situation you deal away Lowell. Sure it hurts, but imagine a lineup with Pedroia, Ortiz, Texeira, Youk, Bay and Drew as your 2-7 hitters. October 2009, here we come. The only question is how insane the Yankees will go this year. They have money coming off the books too, and a Wall-Streetesque situation of the rich getting richer with huge dollars coming in next season from their new ballpark, they could put up insane money to sign every free agent they want. Let’s hope they exercise some sanity.
Trade for Saltalamacchia – The Rangers have too many good, young catchers and need to deal. The Red Sox have the need for a catcher and the goods to offer. Salty has been one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent years. And although he has struggled somewhat at the big-league level, he is still extremely young, and those struggles might just have brought his value down enough to secure a deal. By the same token, thankfully Coco Crisp’s performance in the second-half and October may have upped his value where teams may be interested in grabbing him and a prospect.
Trade for Peavy — Yeah, I know. We have a boatload of starting pitching. We have Lester, Beckett, Matsuzaka . . . and then a lot of questions. Schilling won’t be back. Wakefield is too much of a wildcard to depend on at this point. And you can never . . . NEVER . . . depend on unproven youngsters to fill out your rotation (ask the Yanks how Hughes, Kennedy and Joba carried them this year). This offseason, let the Yankees throw boatloads of cash at C.C., D-Lowe and Burnett. I’ll take dealing some of our young arms to the Padres for Peavy. If you hate dealing prospects, remember you never know how they’ll turn out. Wasn’t Casey Fossum going to be the next Tom Glavine?
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