The Boston Red Sox were busy as proverbial beavers on
Wednesday’s trade deadline, shipping five mainstays from their 2013 World
Series-winning squad out of town. With a 48-60 record and last place in the
American League East, it’s little surprise that the team decided to cash in
some of their veteran chips and look towards the future. Here’s a look at how
the various deals break down.
Boston trades
pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to the Oakland Athletics for
outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a 2015 competitive balance draft pick: The southpaw
Lester has done enough in his nine seasons with the Red Sox to earn all-time
great status. Since they couldn’t agree to an extension with the impending free
agent, moving him made the most sense.
In Cespedes, the Red Sox get a strong defensive outfielder
with right-handed pop and a somewhat questionable plate approach that has led
to a poor walk/strikeout ratio during his three major league seasons. He is
signed through 2015, and at just 28 could be a candidate for a long-term deal
to help anchor the middle of the Boston batting order as David Ortiz enters the
final stages of his career.
Since the Red Sox won’t get the compensatory pick if they
had held on to Lester and lost him in free agency, the competitive balance pick
(which will be around the value of a second-round selection) is a nice pick up.
This trade looks like a positive move for Boston. However,
if they were able to somehow sign Lester this offseason, it would make it completely
lopsided. Unfortunately, fans waiting with bated breath for this to happen
probably should exhale. With so many teams about to line up and bid on premium
pitching, the Red Sox would have to pay a king’s ransom, which was apparent
they were loathe to do earlier this season, to retrieve the popular lefty.
Boston trades
pitcher John Lackey, minor league pitcher Corey Littrell and cash
considerations to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Allen Craig and
pitcher Joe Kelly: The 35-year-old Lackey was finally living up to the big
contract he signed with Boston prior to the 2010 season, posting an 11-6 record
with a 3.60 ERA in 2014. Under team control for the league minimum next year
was something that made him even more of a commodity.
Kelly is a young right-hander with a strong slider and
experience with a winning organization, going 17-14 with a 3.25 ERA in parts of
three seasons- pitching in both starting and relief roles. Although he might
stick in the back end of the rotation, his stuff may play up better in the
bullpen. Either way, he is a quality major league arm who should contribute to
Boston for seasons to come.
Craig has endured a miserable 2014, hitting just .237 with seven
home runs and 44 RBIs. However, he is a career .291 hitter, has some pop from
the right-hand side, and has played in two World Series. The 30-year-old
outfielder may face a battle for playing time with Cespedes, Jackie Bradley
Jr., Daniel Nava and Shane Victorino all vying for at-bats in the outfield.
Fortunately, he can also play a little first and DH as needed.
If he isn’t traded, Mike Carp could see himself designated
for assignment to make room for Craig, who essentially replicates his
abilities.
Boston trades
shortstop Stephen Drew to the New York Yankees for infielder Kelly Johnson:
This rare transaction between the bitter rivals seems to be more about opening
up playing time in Boston for youngsters like shortstop Xander Bogaerts and
third baseman Will Middlebrooks than anything else.
Drew hit a listless .176 in 39 games since joining
the Red Sox on a prorated contract in May after a failed excursion to the free
agent market.
The versatile Johnson can play all over the field but at 32
is clearly past his prime. Hitting just .219 with six home runs at the time of
the deal, he will primarily be insurance for the aforementioned younger players
and Brock Holt, who figure to get the lion’s share of the playing time the rest
of the way.
Boston trades
pitcher Andrew Miller to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league pitcher Eduardo
Rodriguez: Since flaming out as a top starting pitching prospect with the
Detroit Tigers and then the Florida Marlins, the lanky left-handed Miller
became a shutdown reliever for the Red Sox. His 2.34 ERA and 14.8
strikeouts-per-nine innings this year made him one of the more appealing arms
on the market. Last-place teams like the Red Sox don’t need lethal lefty
specialist as much as contenders do, so moving him became the smart move.
Rodriguez, a 21-year-old lefty starter is from Venezuela and
has been gaining in notoriety. Most recently, Baseball America named
him the 65th-best prospect in baseball prior to this season. He is
7-10 with a 4.55 ERA in 27 starts at Double-A over the past two seasons.
Although the results haven’t been stellar, he is still young for the league and
has a future that many consider to be very bright in front of him.
Overall, it was undoubtedly tough for fans to see the Red
Sox send a full fifth of their 2013 roster packing. The upside is that when a
team is struggling that much, it becomes more of a long game, and the assets
the team acquired should give them a good boost entering 2015 with thoughts of
getting back to their contending ways. With so many new faces, the remainder of
this season will be a great opportunity to see who steps forwards and asserts
themselves to claim a spot for the future on a team that can only go up from
here.
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