November 30, 2007
So much for Santana
The Boston Red Sox are apparently still in the running - some say frontrunner - in the race to trade for Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana.
Are the Red Sox really interested, or just making sure the price is high?
Either way, somebody is going to over-pay for Santana (both in the trade and in a salary extension). It is another result of the chess match between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
For either team, the trade for Santana means two things - they get a Cy Young pitcher AND their rival does not. It is a two-edged sword.
The reported proposed Red Sox deal for Santana has Boston trading four players: center fielder Coco Crisp, pitcher Jon Lester, infield prospect Jed Lowrie and pitching prospect Michael Bowden.
Yes, the Red Sox would be paying too much, but Boston must figure it could afford to. Trading Crisp is a no-brainer, since the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury.
Lester is tough to part with, but Santana is obviously an upgrade, and Boston still keeps Clay Buchholz ... Lowrie is still developing and may not find room on the Red Sox roster for years ... Bowden is promising, but the Red Sox think Justin Masterson is the better prospect.
If Minnesota wants more (i.e. Ellsbury and/or Buchholz), it would be time for Boston to walk away and give Oakland a call (pitcher Dan Haren makes for a nice Plan B).
Posted at 05:20 AM
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My poor Twins. Once again it's a fire sale for our guys, because we can't afford 'em. And yet another Minnesota player (Papi, KG, Moss - by way of Oakland, Manny Fernandez) would head to Boston.
Sigh.
Posted by
JustinNovember 30, 2007 10:24 AM
Kevin,
I don't think Crisp-Lester, Lowrie and Bowden is too much to give up for a guy who is the best lefty in the world.
Imagine a top of the rotation of Beckett and Santana for the next five years. Wow!
Plus, you have to look at it this way: Crisp doesn not have a position right now (non-starter), Lester is at best the No. 5 starter (so, non-starter) and Lowrie and Bowdon likely won't see time in Boston at all next year.
So to summarize, the Sox would be trading two of the bottom of the roster guys (Lester and Crisp) and two minor league guys) for arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
And, they'd keep him from the Yankees. Pull the triggah!
Posted by
Fort Kent FredNovember 30, 2007 11:08 AM
How is Lester a "bottom of the roster" guy? He was 4-0 and won Game 4 of the 2007 World Series.
He's got a heck of a future. Trading for Crisp, Lester, et. al. for Santana is a no-brainer, but you can bet it won't happen.
Even if the Sox don't get Santana, I'd put Becket, Dice K, Shilling, Lester/Wakefield/Buchholz up against any rotation in baseball.
They'd better find a back up for Varitek before they do anything else. Mirrabeli is gone, so it will have to be someone who can catch the knuckler and who will work every 5th day.
Posted by
BobNovember 30, 2007 06:53 PM
Justin: The Twins released Papi. There was no fire sale. The Twins just gave up on him. Their bad.
Posted by
EmanDecember 2, 2007 10:52 PM
I don't think that the Sox should give up Ellsbury. I'd rather they give up less to get Dan Haren from Oakland, who is younger than Santana and will be significantly cheaper. If they get Santana they'll have to pay him at least twice what Beckett is making. Let the Yankees give up Hughes and Melky Cabrera, plus at least one other top propects for him. I don't make much of their deadline to Minnesota. This is the same team that said they wouldn't negotiate with A-Rod after he opted out of his contract.
Posted by Christopher in Queens
December 3, 2007 06:03 PM
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