Sox/Dodgers Blockbuster Trade

[Me2SouthBend]

As mentioned in the Johnny Pesky thread, the Red Sox and Dodgers appear to have made a blockbuster trade today. Sox send Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto to the Dodgers for James Loney and 3 minor leaguers. Sox unloaded roughly 240 million in contracts in upcoming years and one of the worst club house cancers they have ever dealt with in Beckett. This is exactly what this team needed to do. Kudos to management for having the sack to do this.

 

[irishff1014]

This is going to set Boston back though. Not getting much back in prospects and 2013 isn't a good free agent year. But they are clearing the books.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I love it if it goes through. Until it is confirmed as done by either or both of the clubs I'll be skeptical. Really hoping it gets finished. If Beckett blocks it, it will be the ultimate act of spite.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I guess this is Bobby Valentine sending his F-U to his team. Wanna bitch, it better be through me.... Dustin Pedroia, you're next.

 

[irishff1014]

According to mlbtraderumors they don't expect any player to have a problem with the trade and the dodgers picking up 260 of the 270.5 million owed.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I guess this is Bobby Valentine sending his F-U to his team. Wanna bitch, it better be through me.... Dustin Pedroia, you're next.

Ha. Bobby V is a lame duck. He is upset about the trade because it ends any prayer he had of keeping his job. I agree that it is the management trying to send a message, but Valentine isn't a part of that. If anyone is "next" it is him and (hopefully) Lucchino. Pedey is fine. He is the last guy who is a problem.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

wow...

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Ha. Bobby V is a lame duck. He is upset about the trade because it ends any prayer he had of keeping his job. I agree that it is the management trying to send a message, but Valentine isn't a part of that. If anyone is "next" it is him and (hopefully) Lucchino. Pedey is fine. He is the last guy who is a problem.

We'll see..... lol The Sox are looking for any type of stability they can get their hands on. I can't see him getting canned yet. I think this has more to do about regaining power than anything else.

 

[Cali_domer]

The Dodgers are on a whole another level when it comes to money. What a change compared to last year.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I'm ticked. Awful trade.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I'm ticked. Awful trade.

????

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

????

What was the point in trading for Adrian Gonzales to get rid of him a year later? He's the teams best hitter. Makes no sense.

 

[irishff1014]

What was the point in trading for Adrian Gonzales to get rid of him a year later? He's the teams best hitter. Makes no sense.

Not mention the prospects they gave up.

 

[BobD]

The Dodgers are trying to become the Skankees of the west coast, but the Giants will squash their hopes!

 

[95NDAlumNM]

Sweet! Last time the dodgers won the world series was 1988. That was a very very good year. Maybe we can have a repeat this year in every way.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Amazing trade.

I do find it interesting how Boston fans have turned on a guy who won them a world series (i.e., Beckett...or, wait...Theo?).

 

[BobD]

Dear Dodgers,

Thank you for being such great hosts earlier this week. Heres a small gift to show our deep appreciiation. See you soon!

Love, The Giants:stickoutt

 

[Rhode Irish]

What was the point in trading for Adrian Gonzales to get rid of him a year later? He's the teams best hitter. Makes no sense.

What they gave up before is a sunk cost. I really like Gonzo, and I actually like Crawford, too. But this team needs to be completely blown up and start from scratch. Gonzo and Crawford are both good players, but they aren't good "values" because of their contracts. Freeing up a quarter billion dollars and freeing yourself from the biggest douche bag in sports in the process is a clear win.

Best trade the franchise has made since they stole Varitek and Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Not mention the prospects they gave up.

Exactly.

 

[95NDAlumNM]

Dear Dodgers,

Thank you for being such great hosts earlier this week. Heres a small gift to show our deep appreciiation. See you soon!

Love, The Giants:stickoutt

This message brought to you by PEDs. Thank you bay area form all the support you have given over the years.

 

[BGIF]

Red Sox, Dodgers close to blockbuster, nine-player deal centered around Gonzalez - CBSSports.com

Of the players coming back to Boston, only Webster is touted with a high ceiling.

 

[KPENN]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think Bobby V was hired so they could blow that team up. I mean there is no way they actually thought he was a good hire. Right, right?

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think Bobby V was hired so they could blow that team up. I mean there is no way they actually thought he was a good hire. Right, right?

I almost threw up when he was hired.

 

[autry_denson]

This is honestly too good to be true. I'm really trying not to get my hopes up, b/c if this does not go through I'll be devastated. 7 and 8 year deals for veterans is the model of the past, simply doesn't work anymore when it's harder to stay on PEDs for extended periods of time. This would transform the entire organization - we lose one good player and free up almost 60 million in salary for the next two years and then 40 million for the three after that, and get two legitimate prospects in return. And we turn a new page, which is more important than anything else. If this goes through and Valentine gets canned, I will be ecstatic.

Check out the blog post below for full salary implications - just staggering:
Full Count » How deal would change Red Sox payroll

 

[autry_denson]

It's done! Unbelievable - I would love this deal even if no prospects were involved, just an absolutely stunning trade for the Sox. Transforms them from an old, overpaid unlikeable team with no chemistry and no flexibility to a young, financially flexible team overnight.

MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

 

[gkIrish]

I think this is a terrible deal for the Sox. Here are my reasons.

1) Adrian Gonzalez is phenomenal. He may be having a "down" year with only 86 r.b.i.s and a .300 average, but he is consistently a top-7 1b in the MLB. His defense is also great.

2) I don't see any Free Agents on the 2013 market that can replace his value to the team. Josh Hamilton is the only "superstar" free agent but the odds that Texas doesn't match or exceed any offer to him are minimal. Plus the Yankees and other teams will be bidding too.

3) Crawford didn't magically lose all his talent when he left the Rays. I was scared shitless when the Sox signed him. Sure he has become injured a lot and maybe he can't handle the big city pressure well. But giving up on him already is a mistake IMO. He has too much natural talent to get rid of in a salary dump.

4) James Loney is god-awful

5) The prospects the Sox are getting back aren't that great. De La Rosa is coming off Tommy John. Who knows what he can do. The other guy is the number 2 prospect for the Dodgers but the Dodgers have one of the worst farms in baseball. Sox are getting back too little talent.

6) This idea that the contracts they are dumping have low "value" isn't all that accurate. Consider that salaries in the MLB are trending towards more years and more money per year (see Fielder and Pujols), Gonzo's contract had great value because he made less than comparable guys (i.e. Fielder) and if the Sox replace him with a comparable F.A., it will cost them more money.

7) The Sox are paying part of the salaries from what I understand.

8) Red Sox fans are not going to settle for a rebuilding season. Especially not 2-3 rebuilding seasons. I just don't see how in the short-term or long-term the talent lost in this deal will be replaced.

9) Who's going to drink beer in the clubhouse during games now?

 

[irishog77]

What they gave up before is a sunk cost. I really like Gonzo, and I actually like Crawford, too. But this team needs to be completely blown up and start from scratch. Gonzo and Crawford are both good players, but they aren't good "values" because of their contracts. Freeing up a quarter billion dollars and freeing yourself from the biggest douche bag in sports in the process is a clear win.

Best trade the franchise has made since they stole Varitek and Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb.

To RI (or any Red Sox fan):

What's the scoop with Beckett? I know the talk from last year about the locker room and drinking and what not, but why do y'all hate him so much now/still? I know he's having a bad year, but I'm not up to speed on the behind the scenes rumblings.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Its not just based on his performance. He had a kid and now his attitude is basically "f*ck baseball," as if he's the first big leaguer with a kid. In addition to his giving up last year when one bad start in August knocked him out of the Cy Young race, he came to spring training this year fat and out of shape, skips his turn in the rotation once every 3/4 times through with nagging injuries (and once this year begged out of a start with a sore lat muscle, then went golfing the next day). He is supposedly the "leader" of the pitching staff and the fans view him as having corrupted Lester and Buchholz. And it couldn't be more obvious that he doesn't care about any of it when he does talk to the media.

In general, I think the sports media sucks and Boston's is especially bad. They have tried to destroy Carl Crawford just because they didn't like the signing at the time. They treat a lot of guys unfairly, IMO, but in Beckett's case I really do think it's him and not them.

 

[irishog77]

Thanks, RI.

 

[BeauBenken]

Honestly thought it said "Sex/Dodgers Blockbuster Trade".

It had me more intrigued than the actual title.