The Dodgers/Red Sox Trade

[Alabama Stakes]

getting rid of the cancer always helps. now if we can dump Lester and his buddy Pedroia, we can get back to winning.

[slotdirt]

I get Beckett and Crawford, but Gonzalez? By all accounts, he's been a consummate pro, not to mention actually worth his contract.

How all of these guys made it through waivers to be claimed by the Dodgers, a team with serious ownership issues until the last few months, is beyond me.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

I get Beckett and Crawford, but Gonzalez? By all accounts, he's been a consummate pro, not to mention actually worth his contract.

How all of these guys made it through waivers to be claimed by the Dodgers, a team with serious ownership issues until the last few months, is beyond me.

Who else would claim Beckett? He has been awful this year and has 2 more years at 16 million per. I dont know if Crawford had to go through waivers because he is on DL but you'd have to have hot your head to claim him especially considering he just had TJ surgery and will be out for probably 1/2 the season next year and is owed over $100 million. Crawford is a legs guy and those guys dont age well. Gonzalez has not exactly been lighting it up in Boston though to be fair they were playing him in RF alot earlier in the season. While his numbers are good they arent $21 million a year good($120 million left) and being that the Dodgers were willing to take on those other two pretty toxic contracts this was probably an easy call for Boston.

The implication that this is a bad deal for Boston is crazy. This is an unbelievably good deal for them. Cant believe that LA had to give up 2 good prospects for them. Webster is a really good prospect. Dont know where anyone got the idea that he isnt. De la Rosa is coming off of TJ surgery but he is a still a 3 star guy. The others are potentially marginal ML guys. Boston isnt going anywhere this year and this trade frees up an enormous financial obligation that they surely will be investing somewhere else. I get that LA needed a 1b because Loney pretty much sucks and maybe they can squeeze something out of Beckett (Dodgers stad is a pitchers park) but cant believe they took Crawford. But they are seemingly all in this year which i suppose is what fans want.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Alabama Stakes

now if we can dump Lester and his buddy Pedroia

that isnt gonna happen

[dalakhani]

When I said "low ceiling prospects" the players hadnt been named yet and the word was at the time that they weren't giving up any top prospects. That being said, I don't know anything about the prospects they gave up.

I agree with you on this being a no brainer for the red sox. To me, getting a good prospect out of the deal is gravy. Finding a team that would take that Crawford contract as well as the Beckett contract is ridiculously good fortune for a team that is going young.

good for LA for seizing the moment and going for it now. Gutsy move.

[Alabama Stakes]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

that isnt gonna happen

it's a nice thought though....Lester is a miserable one way hump, Pedroia hits the ball pretty well for a bald man, but would be a great villain to hate, the little puke that he is. he'd look good in pinstripes

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Alabama Stakes

it's a nice thought though....Lester is a miserable one way hump, Pedroia hits the ball pretty well for a bald man, but would be a great villain to hate, the little puke that he is. he'd look good in pinstripes

Lester is a very good young left handed pitcher having a rare off year. He is also signed to a favorable contract. If they wanted to trade him every team in the league would be interested.

Pedroia went to a miserable university but other than that is one of the 2 or 3 best 2nd basemen in baseball and is signed to a very favorable contract. If they wanted to trade him almost every team in baseball would be interested.

And easy on the bald guys...

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Lester is a very good young left handed pitcher having a rare off year. He is also signed to a favorable contract. If they wanted to trade him every team in the league would be interested.

Pedroia went to a miserable university but other than that is one of the 2 or 3 best 2nd basemen in baseball and is signed to a very favorable contract. If they wanted to trade him almost every team in baseball would be interested.

And easy on the bald guys...

Lester is a solid number 2 or 3 pitcher and yes he could pitch on any rotation in the league. The thing is, they made plans for him as a number 1 guy and he simply hasnt been to this point.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Lester is a solid number 2 or 3 pitcher and yes he could pitch on any rotation in the league. The thing is, they made plans for him as a number 1 guy and he simply hasnt been to this point.

Really? 2008-2011 he was one of the best 15 starters in baseball (probably top 10). Being that there are 30 teams that would make him not only a number 1 starter but one of the top number 1 starters. Compare his numbers to Cole Hamels who just got $165 million dollar contract. Lester is having a BAD year, no doubt. His he is allowing way more hits, HR's and BB's than he ever has and is striking out fewer which is a disturbing trend. However a young pitcher with an established track record that suddenly has a bad year is almost always a physical issue that they may or may not reveal.

Your statement is absolutely not correct. He was unquestionably a number 1 starter from the time he became a rotation regular in 2008 and this year he is unquestionably barely a number 5 starter based on his production or lack of it.

[Alabama Stakes]

Cole Hamels....isn't he the guy who beat the **** out of his wife in the middle of faneuil hall ? Lester was the ring leader of the beer and chicken crowd during the game and wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire. pitching in fenway helps him too.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Really? 2008-2011 he was one of the best 15 starters in baseball (probably top 10). Being that there are 30 teams that would make him not only a number 1 starter but one of the top number 1 starters. Compare his numbers to Cole Hamels who just got $165 million dollar contract. Lester is having a BAD year, no doubt. His he is allowing way more hits, HR's and BB's than he ever has and is striking out fewer which is a disturbing trend. However a young pitcher with an established track record that suddenly has a bad year is almost always a physical issue that they may or may not reveal.

Your statement is absolutely not correct. He was unquestionably a number 1 starter from the time he became a rotation regular in 2008 and this year he is unquestionably barely a number 5 starter based on his production or lack of it.

A lot of teams don't have a number one starter and a couple of teams have more than one guy who could qualify. When you play for a perennial playoff team like the red sox, what would qualify as a number one guy is different than what would qualify in kc. Is that fair to say?

Either way, here are a few guys that I think have been better over the last few years:

Sabathia
King Felix
Verlander
Lincecum
Cliff lee
Kershaw
Weaver
Halliday
Matt Cain
Chris carpenter
David price
Wainwright

And there a few more where a serious debate can be made.

I think Lester is a talented pitcher but do you really want that guy out there game 7? Being that there are only 8 playoff teams (10 now) Boston was hoping for him to be with the group above. In my opinion, he hasn't been as good. He gets the stats and he's won games but he hasn't delivered the way they needed him and that is a big reason they have disappointed so much over the last few years.