- You didn't give up anything. Jed Lowrie is not going to be a starting infielder for the Boston Red Sox unless an injury occurs, and going into 2012 he's blocked by Marco Scutaro and Jose Iglesias at shortstop and Kevin Youkilis at 3rd base. Kyle Weiland also does not figure into your immediate or long-term plans in the rotation, so you gave away a position player that is oft injured and sub-par defensively along with a player that is a 6-7th starter at best for your club for a guy that will immediately help you in the bullpen. Point for Cherrington.
- You dealt from a surplus. When the Red Sox acquired Mike Aviles, that was essentially Lowrie insurance for the year. Aviles is superior to Lowrie defensively and is more durable. They were able to sell high on Lowrie to obtain a bullpen piece that the Red Sox badly needed. They still had Aviles and then shortly after the deal they signed Nick Punto.
- Cost Control. Jed Lowrie will get a slight raise from his 450K salary last year so we'll call it 500K. Weiland is going to be at the league minimum ($414,500) with under a year's service time. Melancon is under team's control through 2016. You've got a power reliever under team control for the next 5 years. Win for the Red Sox.
This trade is actually a win-win for both clubs and all players involved despite me dragging Lowrie and Weiland through the mud. The Astros are looking for a starting shortstop in their rebuilding mode and intend on handing the reigns to Lowrie so he'll get one more shot to carve his career.
I'll admit I liked what I saw from Weiland who didn't actually pitch poorly when he was out there. He looked like a rookie, but his stuff was there, and I think he'll be a good major league pitcher. I'm glad he'll get a shot. Ultimately I think he'll be the better player of the two for the Astros in the deal.
Melancon is a solid arm in the bullpen. I do not however endorse him for the closer role. I would have no problem with him in the 7th inning maybe even the 8th. But the Red Sox need a closer. I would be ok with Ryan Madson on a 1-year deal with one of Boras's "pillow contracts". Also I think something they need to explore is a blockbuster with the Athletics.
The Red Sox not only need to obtain Andrew Bailey, they need to look into Gio Gonzalez in the deal as well.
Right now the Red Sox have 2 established starters, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. Clay Buchholz has never thrown more than 175 innings in any season, and in a relatively small sample size, has been injured in 2 out of the last 3 seasons and missed significant time. You are inserting Daniel Bard into the rotation, which I fully endorse, but anyone that thinks he's going to throw more than 150 innings is fooling yourself. You have two starters out with Tommy John. Breaking it into lamens terms: You need an arm.
A trade for Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey is going to hurt, moreso for Gonzalez because he's a young power lefty but it's worth it. There are going to have to be 2 marquee names in this deal at least.
Will Middlebrooks is going to have to be the centerpiece. It gives the A's their 3rd baseman of the future. The Red Sox have Youkilis for the year and they have to hope he stays healthy. David Wright and he both have club options and buyouts after the year so there are options for 2012 and forward for the Hot Corner in Boston.
Anthony Ranaudo is also going to be in the deal because the A's will need a pitcher to bolster their farm system, and potentially be an impact arm of the future.If they get Gonzalez, Ranaudo would be blocked by the time he's major league ready. So if you're getting a stud pitcher Ranaudo has to go in the deal, and that's fine.
Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish are other players that the A's may want in a deal. I would hope it's Reddick because I think Kalish could be a longterm solution but is he the second coming of Roberto Clemente? No. if he's the player holding up the deal, you grit your teeth and let it go.
Lars Anderson is a player that Billy Beane has been trying to pry away from the Red Sox in past deals and nothing has come to fruition. He has almost no value for the Red Sox with Gonzo at first base for the next 7 years, so he's a throw in.
The trade looks like this:
Will Middlebrooks, Anthony Ranaudo, Anderson, and Reddick/Kalish
for
Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey
If you want good players you have to give up good players in return. This would be a haul for the Athletics but it would set the Red Sox up for years to come with cost controlled players.
Stay Tuned
Norton
Noooooooooort
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