Sox Take Great First Step but Be Careful Not To Fall on Your Face With the Second

As my esteemed colleague wrote about and broke down piece by piece earlier today, here's VfC's own Ryan Norton's breakdown - read it now, the Red Sox and Dodgers pulled off a doozy of a trade at the most unlikely of times. I'm not here to breakdown the deal that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto, and all of their bad contracts (expect you, Punto) to the Dodgers for Chavez Ravine's tenants top 2 pitching prospects, starting 1b, and some mid level prospects. What am I going to write about however is how yes it was a great step forward by the Red Sox after what has been an abysmal calendar year seeing them possess the 3rd WORST record in the AL over that time frame but that the Red Sox need to be careful not to fall flat on their faces this offseason/early next year.

By finding a taker for Josh Beckett's final 2 years, Carl Crawford's next 5 years, and Adrian Gonzalez's remaining 6 years the Red Sox were able to unload approximately $260 million in contracts. It did leave the team with a hole at first base but the ability to rid themselves of Crawford's albatross was well worth the price of losing Gonzalez and add Beckett's departure to the mix and you've got yourself a damn good deal. As for what's coming the Red Sox way it's incredible to me that there are ZERO BAD CONTRACTS coming back at them after unloading 3 megadeals. The only major league player the Red Sox received was the light hitting James Loney who's contract is up after this year anyway. The 2 pitching prospects the Sox managed to haggle from the Dodgers both have top of the rotation upside with Rubby De La Rosa possessing a top fastball and top of the rotation secondary stuff but a questionable ability to harness all his talent and he did have Tommy John Surgery recently but he looks good so far getting an appearance with the Dodgers in the past week. Allen Webster is also a top tier talent with a hard sinker that's been compared favorably to Derek Lowe's - not a bad thing at all.

Now that between myself and Ryan we have beaten this deals components to death it's time to look at what's next for the Red Sox moving forward and so far I don't like some of the ideas I'm hearing floated.

This offseason the Red Sox are going to have a ton of money to play with but by no means do I think that they need to get antsy and repeat history by throwing that money away on players who don't fit the long term plan that GM Ben Cherington has laid out in his mind. With this trade the Red Sox have the ability to look themselves in the mirror and honestly assess the young talent they have in their system currently and determine whether or not they're comfortable where they stand. The number one name I'm hearing Red Sox fans throw around is Josh Hamilton and how they believe the Sox should go after him once he finishes out his current contract with the Texas Rangers.

Now I agree that Hamilton is an absolute force to be reckoned with but there's a reason that the Rangers are allowing him to play out this year at 31 before deciding whether or not to engage in talks in what will be a contract in the 6 to 8 year range at $20+ million annually. Hamilton is a 31 year old in his 6th major league season and in only 1 of those years has he played more than 133 games (156 in 2008 at 27). His history of drug addiction is also a red flag as he had a relapse last offseason and it's not quite known exactly how much damage he did to his body through his persistent drug abuse early in his career and if I'm the Red Sox I don't think that's a risk I'm willing to take especially after taking a similar risk with Carl Crawford just two years earlier. The Red Sox also have a lot of OF options in their minor league system highlighted by Jackie Bradley, Jr., Bryce Brentz, Ryan Kalish, and Che-Hsuan Lin. I'd prefer to give one of those guys the opportunity to seize a starting OF job at Fenway over locking yourself into 6 years of a player who will deliver serious bang for the buck in the first 2 or 3 years but will inevitably fade in his 35-37 year old seasons.

The deficiency I believe the Red Sox truly need to address this offseason is their starting pitching and I don't think that this winters number one free agent Zack Greinke is an option. Greinke is a classic small to mid level market pitcher who doesn't appear to have any intention of playing in any of baseball's pressure cookers and doesn't have the makeup to handle it. Greinke is a stud when he's playing in front of small crowds as evidence by his Cy Young Award for Kansas City in 2009 and his success for the Brewers the previous season and a half. Since being dealt to the LA Angels in July of this year however he's struggled mightily going 2-2 with a 5.22 ERA in 6 starts and allowing 43 hits in 39.2 IP.

Greinke is an exceptional talent but he's not a fit for the Red Sox. He's more of a big fish in a small pond guy and has also been known to be a little quirky and standoffish in the clubhouse, something the Red Sox don't need to deal with now that they've gotten rid of public enemy numero uno in Josh Beckett. Greinke is going to command a deal in the 5 to 6 year range at $20 million a year...a price tag the Red Sox don't need to entertain. If I'm Ben Cherington I'm saying thanks but no thanks I'll spend my cake elsewhere.

Unlike their OF situation the Red Sox don't have great arms in the high minors that would be ready to step in early next year but what they do have is the arsenal to swing a trade for someone along the lines of King Felix if Seattle ever made him available. If I'm Ben Cherington I'm knocking on Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik's door every morning checking the status of Felix - who if dealt this offseason would still be under contract for 2 more years. Another possibility that I've heard floated out there is the Red Sox making a run after Cliff Lee. Now Lee is a pitcher that if I were Cherington I would in fact be comfortable paying $20 million a year because he's lights out and has proven that he can pitch anytime anywhere and be effective. The Phillies showed that their willing to deal him when they tried to get the Dodgers to take him off their hands just a few weeks ago but the Dodgers balked at picking up the remaining 3 yrs/$75 million on Lee's deal. That deal jumps up to 3 yrs/$87.5 million if the 4th year of the deal at $25 million isn't picked up and a $12.5 million buyout is activated. Now I wouldn't be comfortable paying him roughly $29 million a year for 3 years but if I the Phillies can be talked down to eating $9 million a year at the price of a higher prospect I would in fact by willing to make that deal. That would give the Red Sox a top of the rotation that consisted of Lee, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Felx Doubront. Pitching wins championships and the Red Sox as currently constructed don't have the pitching to make that happen. If either of these or any other big name guy can be had I'd be willing to part with the requesite pieces even if that included Jacoby Ellsbury.

Speaking of Ellsbury, since 'The Trade' all the chatter has been that the Red Sox can now use that money to lock him up long term. Not so fast Panama Jack. With Scott Boras as his agent the Red Sox would have a hard time engaging Ellsbury in extension talks (see: Fielder, Prince and Milwaukee) any time before his contract is up after next season and if I'm the Red Sox why would I want to extend him when I'm actually not really sure what kind of player he is. Is he the guy who has only played 3 full seasons out of 5 and had never hit more than 9 HR's in a season while being a speed threat or is he the guy who showed flashes of big time power last year and went yard 32 times? If this year's small sample size (50 games) is any indication he appears to sit more in the 10-15 range than the 25-30 range as far as power numbers are concerned. With a speedster like Ellsbury his value jumps from the $10-$15 million/year range to $20+ million/year when his power tool becomes playable. If that power tool he showed in 2011 is a flash in the pan then why commit to it long term when it doesn't actually exist? The Red Sox already signed a light hitting speedy outfielder to a big time long term deal and how'd that work out for them? Let Ellsbury play out the rest of this year see where he falls on the power/average scale (again is he a .321 hitter like last year or the guy who's previous career high was .301?) for the rest of this year and next year. This offseason if the Red Sox can maximize his value and ship him out of town for a big time starting pitcher I'm pressing the YES button. As I stated earlier the Red Sox upper minors are loaded with OF talent.

Ben Cherington swinging the deal of his life has opened up a lot of doors for the Red Sox moving forward and instilled confidence in Red Sox Nation in their new GM. He has the opportunity to peruse the free agent market without any restrictions and he also has the ability to evaluate his young talent at a time when Red Sox Nation has accepted their team isn't going to make the playoffs and was better off being blown up then left as currently constituted. Go ahead, Ben, the world is your oyster but be careful not to miss the mark and lose all that precious freedom you just earned with one fell swoop.

Let me know your thoughts and whether or not you agree or think that I'm way off and the Sox should go get Hamilton, Greinke, and whoever else they can land.


Geoff Jablonski

A Franchise Altering Trade

Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto

for

James Loney, Allan Webster, Ivan Dejesus Jr (PTBNL's Rubby De La Rosa, Jerry Sands)

The Dodgers pick up 262.5M in salary

Drink that in. I'll give you a second to toss away the used Kleenex's because I went through six tubs of Jergens and 18 boxes of Puffs while on Twitter Friday night. This is not going to be a short blog post, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

First we should look at what the Sox sent packing.

Josh Beckett (31.5M left on deal)- His time was up in Boston and despite the talent that he still possesses, he is no longer what the Red Sox want as a leader for their pitching staff. His WHIP is the highest of his career, and the attitude which used to accompany a winning mentality has turned into surliness and poor performance. It would not surprise me if Josh Beckett pitched well for LA because he will be pitching to weaker lineups, much larger parks especially in the NL West, and I do believe in the 'change of scenery' mantra.

Carl Crawford (102.25M left on deal)- This was the most surprising part of the deal to me. There is no precedent for any team ever trading for a player while he was on an operating table. He will not be ready for Opening Day next year so for them to take that kind of salary on in a player that has under-performed more than any other player in baseball relative to their contract it is a huge risk. His skill-set was too similar to Jacoby Ellsbury's at the time of his signing and the Red Sox already have one of baseball's best 2 hitter. Everything about his skill-set and game was redundant on the Boston Red Sox. I didn't like the signing at the time, I dislike it more now, and I'm not sure if he can handle it in Hollywood either.

Adrian Gonzalez (127M left on deal)- He was the reason that the Dodgers took on Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett. He is a Top 10 hitter in baseball over the last 6-7 years and will be a force in the middle of LA's lineup. With LA's new front office about to sign a new TV deal and being the largest Mexican-American demographic in the US, obtaining Adrian Gonzalez was a move that worked for business and for baseball. That being said, his laissez-faire attitude, blaming God for everything good or bad, and inability to really take responsibility for his role in anything regarding the Red Sox was surprising; given the type of player everyone thought he was and who he claims he is. As far as baseball is concerned, he's a stud. He knows the NL West very well and will have no problem living up to the contract which relative to his peers (Pujols, Votto, Texiera) is a relative bargain. However, is Adrian Gonzalez worth 56 million dollars per year which is essentially what it's costing the Dodgers while Crawford, Beckett and Gonzalez are all on the same roster.

I will not waste time talking about Nick Punto so let's look at what the Red Sox got in return.

James Loney- He's not you're prototypical slugging first baseman and the last few years have been underwhelming after a promising rookie year. He will be on the team for the rest of the season and I wouldn't be surprised if he's non-tendered after the season and the Red Sox opt for more power at a corner position via free agency.

Allan Webster- He's a 6'3'', 185 lbs right hander who going into the year was the Dodgers number 2 prospect and the 95th best prospect in all of baseball. In 27 games at AA this year for the Dodgers he has worked to 6-8, 3.55 ERA and 117 strikeouts in only 121.2 IP. He has a mid 90's fastball and also a curve, slider and changeup. One of my favorite sites, FanGraphs says that "he would slide into the Red Sox top 15 prospects at number 3 behind Matt Barnes and Xander Bogaerts". This is a player that could potentially be seen in Boston in 2013.

Ivan Dejesus Jr- He is easily the worst player among the lot. He was once a promising player but a horrific broken leg moved him from SS to 2B full-time and his defense has suffered because of it. A classic throw in and if he makes it to the Bigs is someone who will be a utility infielder at most. He was out of options so he made sense as a classic throw in for a trade.

For people that don't know why players are classified as PTBNL or Players to be named Later both Rubby de la Rosa and Jerry Sands are/were on the Dodgers 40-man roster. Because they didn't clear waivers and didn't give the option to all other teams to attempt to claim them they can not be dealt until the end of the season.

Rubby De La Rosa- Rubby de la Rosa is the wild card in this deal. He is coming off Tommy John surgery, but prior to Tommy John surgery he was throwing 100 mph. He appeared in one game for the Dodgers probably to showcase his health and he hit 96 on the gun and will only get stronger. The lack of power arms in the Red Sox system makes him immediately a commodity who's average fastball was 95.2 higher than Justin Verlander's. He has an unpredictable ceiling with the kind of arm he has which could be higher than Webster's, a solid back end of the bullpen reliever or just another arm.

Jerry Sands- Sands is a player that definitely has some power, but his numbers though extremely impressive are misleading. This year he has hit .303 with 24 HRs and 103 RBI in AAA. Looking at those you'd think you just signed a Triple Crown candidate but he plays in a league that is full of small ballparks that have players launching balls out left and right. For those thinking that Fenway park is a hitter's park as well, you're right but on average Fenway Park is a +8 for run differential and the fields that Sands has been frequenting are a +30. That is not to diminish what he has done but the numbers need to be taken into consideration. He could be in the mix for an outfield spot in 2013.

Now that you've seen what the Red Sox have given up and are getting in return what do I think of this trade?

This trade does not help them win right now, but it sets them up for the future. This is a franchise altering trade that has, in its wake, given Ben Cherington the keys to the Cadillac.

The new found financial flexibility has erased the remnants of Theo Epstein's mistakes (aside from Lackey) and has also expunged Larry Lucchino and his over-riding voice on the personnel front. This is Ben Cherington's team, and with this deal, he gets to build it how he wants it. And to be quite clear, he's the only person I trust that's already employed on Yawkey Way, that I would want putting my team together.

He is a former college baseball player, from a small town in New Hampshire, that despite all the corporate double-speak knows exactly what direction the Red Sox were headed. He is a Red Sox fan at heart. He is living the dream that most baseball loving/playing boys wet dream about when you live in the Northeast. Cherington made it a point to chastise his former boss (Theo) and the current owners when referencing "discipline" and that is exactly what the Red Sox need. He is the man for the job, now let's let the man work.

There are a few other issues to look at that is part of the fallout of this trade:

Bobby Valentine- Look, I do not think he's had a good season and I didn't think it was a good hire. I've said that time and time again. I also based that opinion on the roster as it was constituted at the time of his hire. With a roster with far less egomaniacs, that is the kind of environment that Bobby V has found his success. I think that this move has unfortunately assured Valentine of at the very least playing out his guaranteed 2-year deal. But at least you are putting Valentine in the best place for him to succeed with a roster full of people that want to prove that they aren't a bunch of for lack of a better word, assholes.

David Ortiz- With all the money that came off the books most people thought, "it's time to give Ortiz the 2-year deal he's been coveting." If Ben Cherington is true at his word (and remember the word is discipline) he will not give Ortiz two years just because the funds are there. The market for DH's is not what it once was and he has made more than double what the next closest full-time DH makes. The Red Sox should offer him one year at 8-10 million dollars. If other team's get into the bidding than you can entertain the thought of a two-year deal. But remember this, Ortiz will be a 38-year-old player that is coming off an Achilles injury that has kept him out for what will amount to be the final two months of the season. They need to start doing business more judiciously and Ortiz is not immune to it.

Jacoby Ellsbury- He is the most difficult case because he has been wildly inconsistent. Ridding themselves of Carl Crawford has opened the door to sign him long term which was effectively shut with him on the roster but you need to tread carefully before signing him. With Jackie Bradley on the cusp of his Major League career, you need to seriously look into dealing him before you sign him long term. If you can package him with other players for a stud starting pitcher you have no choice but to do it. If he is willing to sign a deal like the ones signed by Pedroia, Lester or Buchholz than you explore the extension, but given his agent and Ellsbury potential it is unlikely to see the hometown discount, but not out of the realm of possibility (Think Jered Weaver). If he doesn't, you let him walk and collect the draft picks.

I'm going to wait to get into more off season talk until the hot stove starts up but the best thing that came from this trade that it feels like Boston has their team back. The in-mates are no longer running the asylum and it feels like quietly John Henry has taken Larry Luchhino out back and beat him with a switch. All the while given Ben Cherington the authority to run the baseball team. The image of Ben Cherington sitting in front of the Red Sox logo, answering questions; giving thoughtful, honest and transparent answers makes me giddy with excitement that someone that knows what they are doing is running the organization. The future is no longer dim for the local nine but buzzing with hope and promise.

Stay Tuned

Norton

The McClure Backlash and Future of Bobby Valentine

Let's recap, shall we? On the same day that the Red Sox decided they were shutting down Carl Crawford for the remainder of the season with Tommy John surgery, they fired their pitching coach, Bob McClure. Wait, what? The strange timing of this has me questioning why now, and is there more to this story?

For starters, I'll say that this was absolutely the right move given the under-performance of just about everyone in the starting rotation. Ben Cherington is right when he says that "it is a performance based job," and if you don't perform you don't keep your job, it's that simple. However, this move should have been done in June, not August. (This is why I don't think this was strictly performance-related, but given the slop that the pitchers have been tossing up to the dish all year, his methods clearly were ineffective and a firing was warranted.)

It is said that the baseball season can be broken up into 3 parts April and May to evaluate, June and July to add or subtract to the roster, and August and September to see if the moves you've made were good enough to play in October. Throughout the first two months of the season, the Red Sox had the worst starting staff in baseball and clearly whatever McClure was (or wasn't) doing was not conducive to winning or productive pitching. He should have gotten the axe then, which leads me to speculate further about the timing of this firing.

This is particularly appalling to me only because they have now committed to Assistant Pitching Coach Randy Niemann. (Quick Sidenote: Do you know how many other teams at the beginning of 2012 had an assistant pitching coach? That would be none, but I digress.) Usually committing to someone new after a just firing would not bother me, but the fact that they are promoting Niemann, whom is Bobby Valentine's "right-hand man", is striking me as an evaluation that could lead to letting Bobby Valentine stick around for another year.

Bobby Valentine was put into a no-win situation when he took this job. He had to take over for the most successful manager in Red Sox history, he wass thrust into a strange dictatorship (Larry Lucchino, emphasis on the dic), and a GM that did not want him to be hired. With that being said he has had too many missteps this year in my eyes to be the manager.

These missteps include but are not limited to:

• Not knowing whether opposing starting pitchers are left-right handed
• Not being transparent with injuries
• Calling out players before having enough time to cognitively evaluate (Think Kevin Youkilis)
• Blatantly lying when asked about the Middlebrooks "Nice Inning, Will" situation. (He told a story about himself making three errors in one inning on a seat cushion giveaway night at Dodger Stadium and tried to relate to his player. It turns out that he never made 3 errors in one game in his Major League career, nor did the Dodgers have a "seat cushion giveaway" night during his tenure in LA.)
• Letting Mark Melancon pitch in any game with a lead is almost a fire-able offense as said lead undoubtedly turns into a deficit.
• The kowtowing to players such as Josh Beckett after being critical (and rightly so) while being an analyst on ESPN in reference to the rate of play that he pitches at.

Let's be clear, he has done some positive while he's been here despite his divisive personality. By driving a wedge in his relationship with Youkilis ultimately leading to his departure, we have seen the rise of Will Middlebrooks as a legitimate Major League 3rd baseman and cornerstone of the franchise. His keen sense of evaluating talent did put Franklin Morales in the rotation where he has been electric at times and has excelled when most of the starting staff has floundered. Pedro Ciriaco may have also been given the chance he needed in order to be a starting SS for a big league club whom Valentine liked from the beginning of Spring Training.

I sincerely hope that the Niemann promotion is not a signal that they are committing to Bobby for 2013 and beyond, because I think that would be another mistake to throw on top of the roster full of underperforming players and anarchy in the front office.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Pre-Emptive Pussification of America

There are two schools of thought that have to be taken into account when assessing the Carl Crawford and Stephen Strasburg preemptive measures to capitalize on the value(s) of the certain players.

The forward thinking aspect:
Mike Rizzo (Nationals) and Ben Cherington (Red Sox) have the (un)fortunate job of trying to prognosticate for a baseball team. Not only do they have to try and forecast how good a player will be over the duration of a contract they have to try and maximize the values of the exorbitant contracts that are already in place.

With this predicament the Nationals have chosen to shut down Stephen Strasburg at 160 innings (albeit to preserve his long-term health/value to the franchise) despite leading the NL East and are destined for a playoff appearance, their first since becoming the Nationals re-branded the Expos franchise. In a slice from the same bread, the Red Sox have decided to shut down Carl Crawford so as to get ready for the beginning to 2013 because clearly 2012 is over for the Boys from Beantown.

If I'm the GM of these teams, this only seems to be the correct decision in one of these cases. You are taking player safety/health into account first and foremost and probably bolstering the long-term health of your club into consideration, which is admirable. However, given the circumstances I'm not positive how you can sell the Strasburg decision as a baseball mind to the rest of the team not to mention a fan base. This decision should have been based on overall health of the player involved and the standings at the time of the eclipsing of the innings limit.

With regards to Crawford, from a GM standpoint, it's the correct way to go. The Red Sox are facing an uphill battle that they will not win, and will not see October baseball this year. Therefore the correct decision is to have Crawford get the surgery. The one misstep is that they knew about this elbow issue as far back as April and tried to rehab him until now. Now there is a chance that he isn't ready for Opening Day 2013 where this is a 6-9 month recovery process for position players. Why was this not taken care of when it first came out instead of having the cat & mouse media game between Crawford, Valentine and Cherington?

The Ballplayer aspect:
If I'm a player on the Nationals I'm going absolutely bat-shit insane if they shut down Strasburg for the year at 160 innings. Most of the players on that team have never experienced the playoffs, and given the parity of the Major Leagues you never know if they will have that chance again. The Nationals have very capable number two and three starters in Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmerman but Strasburg is the epitome of what wins in the post season, Power Pitching.

If Stephen Strasburg is indeed fully healthy he would gain more respect in my book if he went to ownership/Rizzo and said, "Do not limit my innings, I'm healthy, I want to win a World Series."

I wonder how Scott Boras feels about this. On the one hand, he is the second most electric pitcher in baseball, and you should want to limit him one year out of surgery. But in the heat of a pennant race is where you can make buco bucks as far as cementing a legacy. And if what Rizzo says is true he won't be tested on the biggest of stages, at least not this year. My guess would be that Boras could care less about overall record rather than individual performance because he doesn't get more money when his players make the postseason.

In the case of Carl Crawford I think that this is the biggest example of the Pussification of America. As a player, your job is to play, unless you physically can not. This has had little or limited impact on his hitting ability so yes his arm will hurt after every game but he needs to keep his bat, legs and ass in the lineup. I am under no circumstances saying that his elbow does not hurt, I am however saying that if you are able to play, you play. If it means that instead of constantly overthrowing the SS you hit your cut-off man for the first time in 2 seasons than so be it.

I understand that his elbow has discomfort, but the whole notion of preemptive surgery is the biggest crock of garbage I've ever seen. That is like saying that you rolled your ankle once and now you need to put a brand new ankle there just because it hurts from time to time. If this were twitter I would say "#pussbag".

I understand that baseball is a business, but let's be honest here. He has a guaranteed 142 million dollar contract, does there really need to be that much more negotiating throughout his career? He has his money already bankrolled right in front of him, and if I were in the same situation I'd owe it to my teammates first and my fans second to go out there until I physically can not. Call me a hardass if you want, but one of the reasons that people enjoy all-time players like Dustin Pedroia and Derek Jeter is because they play through it. It's mind over matter and the numbers don't mean a thing. And when the numbers don't matter, at the end of the day, that's usually when there tends to be consistency in your stats at the end of your year/career.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Throw in the Towel and the Answer to Boston's Struggles

It's alright, I deserve it. There is no discernible reason for my sabbatical from Views from the Couch so if you need to give me whiplash from a verbal assault, kick me in the shin or anything in between I'm clearly fair game. I may have been on hiatus from the blog, but I was repping the VFC on NESN, and having Jenny Dell blow up my spot on Twitter.

There is good reason however for my re-entrance into the big leagues of blogging. When Will Middlebrooks had his wrist broken that was the metaphorical straw that broke the camel's back. The Red Sox are done. It's time to focus on 2013. That means there needs to be some changes on the team and questions that need to be answered:

Kelly Shoppach needs to be moved so that Lavarnway can have a spot on the team when if/when Ortiz comes back. (Quick Aside: When Ortiz got injured the first thing that came out of the Red Sox medical staff was 'maybe a week' we're now approaching two months. Couple that with the handling of Jacoby Ellsbury, Andrew Bailey's ridiculous rehab time and the conundrum of Carl Crawford, what kind of inept medical staff is in Boston?)

Why is Mike Aviles still on this team? The Red Sox are going no where fast and someone like the San Francisco Giants could use Aviles for their playoff push. Also, by either making Ciriaco your starting SS or calling up Iglesias for the rest of the season you give the fans a reason to come watch. (Another Aside: I realize that Ciriaco has been very solid but I would implore all of you to take him with a grain of salt. there's a reason that he's 26 and played for three organizations in the MLB. He's still a flash in the pan but I'd rather have him or Iglesias starting and deal Aviles).

Josh Beckett has to go. I've been pining for him to be traded since the end of last season and they dropped the ball. I can't remember the last time a player got booed off the mound in back to back starts at Fenway. Beckett right now is a shell of himself. At the beginning of last season he went on record saying, "Baseball isn't as important to me as it once was." I understand that priorities change when you become a parent, but that doesn't mean that I want that kind of player anchoring my pitching staff. It doesn't matter how much money you eat get this slug off the team.

While many things have contributed to the fall from grace of the Boston Red Sox I'd like to bring attention one thing. The atrocious display of defensive in-ability of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He is one of the main reasons that this staff is not as good as it could/should be. I'm not trying to make excuses for the likes of Josh Beckett because his lack of physical preparation and dearth of perception in the Boston market is his own doing. But let's look at how "Salty" stacks up against his competition in the AL:

The first column is on average, over 135 games (the average number of games catchers play per year) how many runs he saves while he's on the field. He statistically gives up 8 runs over the course of a season, the worst in all of baseball. The next closest is Carlos Santana whom is coming back from a leg injury last season and is probably going to be a full-time first baseman soon. A player like Derek Norris is saving the upstart A's 12 runs per year with his play. While it may be too much to ask for an Elite catcher, would it be too much to one that at least doesn't give up any runs over the course of a season?

The second column is pretty self-explanatory but I'd like it to be known that the 18% of runners thrown out is the worst in the American League. Not only is it the worst in the American League it is also the worst in baseball among starting catchers. Furthermore, he is ranked 66 out of 80 with most of the rest of the 14 behind him being back up catchers or guys that split time.

Catcher ERA is a relatively new stat that combines all the pitchers they work with and gives them an ERA as well. His was the third highest, and is behind a 2nd year catcher (Perez) and Ryan Doumit whom has one of the worst staffs in baseball. This stat obviously is a little bloated because of the tremendously down years of Beckett and Lester however the Red Sox bullpen has by and large exceeded expectations. The inflated ERA would lead me to believe that pitch selection/"game-calling" is not one of his strengths. And before you say it, Yes, it's ultimately up to the pitcher but if the hurler has no confidence in the backstop it's not going to work.

Much like the Catcher ERA stat he has also given up the 3rd most runs while on the field. Once again this is aided by the horrific seasons by Beckett, Lester and Bard, but still giving up 5 runs a game when you're on the field is not a good recipe for success at the big league level.

Offensively the career high in home runs are great but the strike outs will also be a career high and if you look at his "clutch" stats they are pretty abysmal.

By all accounts he's a good teammate and solid person, but the Red Sox not only need a revamp in the rotation but they need to hand the reigns over to Lavarnway, because Saltalamacchia is not cutting the mustard.

Stay Tuned

Norton

The 'Dwightmare' Fallout

Hello all! I've missed you dearly. It took the conclusion of 'The Dwightmare' to bring me out of my blogging coma, and I solemnly swear to you that I am back and fully rejuvenated. Oh and yes, you read that correctly it is ALL OVER (pending league approval). This may come as a shot below the belt to most of Celtics Nation, but Dwight Howard is headed to Hollywood. Four teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers have agreed in principle to a trade that will look as follows:

Lakers receive: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark

76ers receive: C Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson
Nuggets receive: G/F Andre Iguodala
Magic receive: PF Al Harrington, SG Aaron Afflalo, SG Mo Harkless, PF/C Nikola Vucevic and three protected first round draft picks

Winners: Lakers, Nuggets and Sixers

Lakers - The Lakers get the NBA's best center in Dwight Howard who hasn't even entered the prime of his career yet to add another link to the chain of franchise changing big men the organization has garnered over the years. Starting in the early years with George Mikan, moving on to Wilt Chamberlain, then Kareem Abdul Jabbar followed later by Shaquille O'Neal and now Mr. Howard. 

Dwight will bring his expert defensive prowess (three time defensive player of the year), along with a bevy of jaw dropping dunks and still improving post moves to the Lakers front court. He'll be paired with finesse Spaniard and fellow seven footer Pau Gasol down low which will form one of the best big man duos in the league for years to come. 

Not to mention that two-time MVP and multiple time all-star point guard Steve Nash has been added to this team as well. The Lakers have put together one of the most impressive off seasons in recent memory and granted he re-signs with them after this season, will surely be one of the top three teams in the NBA for the next few years. They also still have that Kobe Bryant guy.

Lakers Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Steve Nash
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Metta World Peace
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Dwight Howard

Nuggets - The Nuggets acquire well rounded all-star swingman Andre Iguodala in the deal. He replaces Aaron Afflalo and will bring elite defensive and athletic ability, unique slashing and scoring and unselfish leadership that the youthful but promising Nuggets need. Adding Iggy will give them a very well balanced and extremely athletic team that can score and defend anywhere on the floor. It's a tough crowd out west but this trade improves them greatly and in my opinion makes them one of the top five teams in the Western Conference.

Nuggets Projected  Starting Lineup:

PG: Ty Lawson
SG: Andre Iguodala
SF: Wilson Chandler
PF: Kenneth Faried
C: JaVale McGee

Sixers - They add talented center Andrew Bynum to their front court who is a huge replacement over Spencer Hawes at the position. They also receive veteran sharp shooter Jason Richardson in the deal who will provide veteran leadership and scoring depth at the guard position. Bynum is regarded by most as the second best center in the NBA, so this is no small acquisition for the franchise, as he will be something they can build around for years to come. He'll provide a desperately needed scoring threat in the post, along with superb defense and rebounding. The Sixers already were one of the best up and coming young teams in the league and this trade further cements that fact.

Sixers Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Evan Turner/Nick Young/Jason Richardson
SF: Thaddeus Young
PF: Elton Brand
C: Andrew Bynum

Losers: Orlando Magic

In July, the Orlando Magic rejected the Brooklyn Nets more than generous offer of top five center Brook Lopez, power forward and reality television maven Kris Humphries (who has an attractive expiring $9.6 mil contract), second year scoring threat Marshon Brooks and four unprotected first round picks for Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark. More than enough compensation to build a solid future around, no? This would have given the Magic a very promising foundation to build upon for the next five-ten years. Needless to say, they rejected the offer.

Fast forward to last night, in which the hapless Magic agreed, for reasons unknown (maybe they hate their franchise and fans), to a deal that nets them aging and declining, shoot-first, undersized veteran power forward Al Harrington, sixth man Aaron Afflalo, rookie Mo Harkless, second year big man Nikola Vucevic and THREE PROTECTED first round picks. For those of you who don't know much about the NBA, the first package offered by the Nets was 244x better than the package they agreed to last night. The agreed upon deal leaves Orlando with a mash-up of cast off players, a couple young players with potential and three first rounders that have security clauses attached to them.

Magic Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: JJ Redick
SF: Hedo Turkoglu
PF: Andrew Nicholson
C: Glen Davis

The professional basketball future in Disney World looks grim. If I'm a Magic fan I would be looking to take my allegiance elsewhere because they are just a horribly run franchise. The Dwight Howard situation has been one of the most poorly handled disputes in NBA history by both parties involved and I for one, and I think I speak for many when I say this, am genuinely glad its over.

I'm back in the saddle again folks.

Stay classy.

-ZHawk