The John Lackey Thread

[Gom]

 

Crawford should be fielding caroms of the Monster.

 

You heard it first here.

 

Only when the Yankees take the field in Boston.

[Spudboy]

Guys. I'm actually Peter Gammons. Please don't make fun of my mustache.

 

Who is making fun of your mustache?

 

It's your '70s hair we are laughing at.

[yeszir]

Guys. I'm actually Peter Gammons. Please don't make fun of my mustache.

 

Your new shades more than make up for it.

 

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.fanhouse.com/media/2007/05/peter-gammons-mic-180.jpg

[ORS]

I have no doubt the Yankees will be willing and able to make a big splash next year. But as you said' date=' two big contracts are coming off the books. I think the Sox will be able to at least make a run at a big FA. Long ways to go until then.[/quote']

They are cleared of Lugo's sunk cost then as well, and they will only have a year left of Drew, so they may allow a one year "over budget" scenario to land some elite talent.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I just wanted to weigh in, since I haven't yet.

 

 

All I really have to say is YES! I am happy.

 

That is all.

[Ray10]

Goes through it's a great deal. Now with the signing of Lackey I can't help but think this is going to maybe open up a trade with San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez and then move Youkilis over to third have Gonzo at first.?

[JimEdHOF2009]

The Sox will probably get Gonzo... the Pads are financially strapped and they could land the next Grady Sizemore in Westmoreland... They can also get a Casey Kelly who people are comparing to Kevin Brown and 2 quality prospects like Bowden and Kalish.

[jacksonianmarch]

why would you want to trade them if they are gonna be Grady Sizemore and Kevin Brown. Hyping up your own prospects on this site for trade doesnt help the trade JimEd. Also, the Pads are financially strapped, but Gonzo's contract is cheap over the next 2 seasons. They have two yrs to move him

[Dipre]

why would you want to trade them if they are gonna be Grady Sizemore and Kevin Brown. Hyping up your own prospects on this site for trade doesnt help the trade JimEd. Also' date=' the Pads are financially strapped, but Gonzo's contract is cheap over the next 2 seasons. They have two yrs to move him[/quote']

 

For the moment, discussions between the Red Sox and Padres concerning first baseman Adrian Gonzalez are going nowhere, according to a major league source. And it’s for the obvious reason - compensation. Padres GM Jed Hoyer, certainly familiar with Boston’s inventory, is asking for Clay Buchholz and righthanded pitching prospect Casey Kelly or outfielder Ryan Westmoreland.

 

The Red Sox, at least for the time being, won’t include Kelly or Westmoreland. With former Sox scouting director Jason McLeod now assisting Hoyer, the emphasis will be even more on trying to get Boston’s best prospects.

 

One teammate indicated Gonzalez has made Boston his preferred destination if he should be dealt. But for now, manager Bud Black feels Gonzalez will be a Padre to start the 2010 season. Black said the team and Gonzalez have discussed the constant trade rumors.

 

 

 

Sox,Padres can't agree on Gonzales.

[jacksonianmarch]

hey, you're back

[a700hitter]

Sox' date='Padres can't agree on Gonzales.[/url']

If they can't land Gonzalez, do they go for Cabrera. He is probably a better hitter than Gonzalez, and he is young. I don't see Beltre as a big help with the bat. Anything is better than Kotchman at 1B.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think the sox may be done aside from pursuing Chapman that is

[riverside sluggers]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I didn't think they'd actually do it. Wow.

 

So does this mean a trade of Buchholz is imminent, or does Wakefield exit stage left?

 

I doubt they cut Wakefield after signing him to a 2 year extension. He goes to the bullpen if Buchholz stays

 

Jon Lester

Josh Beckett

John Lackey

Clay Buchholz

Daisuke Matsuzaka

[riverside sluggers]

:papelbon:

 

Maybe we could make a :lackey: if this thing happens.

 

 

http://i36.tinypic.com/sb57p3.jpg

[example1]

If they can't land Gonzalez' date=' do they go for Cabrera. He is probably a better hitter than Gonzalez, and he is young.[/quote']

 

I think they can land Gonzalez if they want to, but I'm not sure it is worth the price if Buchholz is included. Even with Lackey, if they move Buchholz they'd likely be going with Wake/Bowden/Tazawa/Sheets(?) in the #5 spot, and many would see that as an obvious flaw with the team.

 

Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Matsuzaka, Buchholz is a sick top 5. If one of those guys goes down there's probably enough talent to still be a World Series caliber team.

[riverside sluggers]

Red Sox went all the way in 07 with Julian Tavarez as their 5th guy

[example1]

Red Sox went all the way in 07 with Julian Tavarez as their 5th guy

 

That's a good point. It didnt stop many from calling for his replacement though. It's all about run differential and having 5 good SPs rather than 4 makes a difference in terms of the SP's line, and bullpen usage.

[Jasonbay44]

I think they can land Gonzalez if they want to, but I'm not sure it is worth the price if Buchholz is included. Even with Lackey, if they move Buchholz they'd likely be going with Wake/Bowden/Tazawa/Sheets(?) in the #5 spot, and many would see that as an obvious flaw with the team.

 

Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Matsuzaka, Buchholz is a sick top 5. If one of those guys goes down there's probably enough talent to still be a World Series caliber team.

While this is true, I believe a middle of the order bat like Gonzalez or Cabrera is much more important then a #5 starter.

[Emmz]

That's a good point. It didnt stop many from calling for his replacement though. It's all about run differential and having 5 good SPs rather than 4 makes a difference in terms of the SP's line' date=' and bullpen usage.[/quote']

 

I think picking up Gonzalez is worth losing a very solid 5 starter, and replacing him with a questionable one. Gonzalez becomes our clean up hitter, which we never really had, and automatically makes our lineup comparable to the Yankees. I think Gonzalez will have an increase in production moving from San Diego (very pitcher friendly) to Fenway (very hitter friendly) so that's all the more reason to pull the trigger on this one imo

[Mr Crunchy]

This signing opens up some oppurtunity for dealing the youngsters for a bat.

Plus Lackey wont be sticking it up our asses in game 1 next October.

The money no longer matters, i dont care about their bottom line.

they have their bean counters and inspite of them having 19 owners to make happy this team is still a money making machine internationally and I've long been priced out of the park so they can spend away, raise prices and put up a f***ing toll booth on Brookline Ave and I could give a f*** less.

Now we need Dice to perform as expected and away we go with the best staff in the game, again.

It doesnt solve our power shortage but perhaps the Cameron signing will instigate a new offensive philosophy that they shouldve undertook the day the paid the Dodgers 7M to take Manny off their hands.

A little more defense,a lot more speed and a grizzled vet who is hard as a rock.

Im impressed Theo pulled this off but if you slap anyone in the face with enuff Benjamins you'll get their attention....

[Dipre]

Are you 12? First of all, you are f***ing psycho if you think the red sox go out and get AGon and Lackey while NY just stands pat not reinforcing the rotation or filling the hole in LF. Psycho.

 

Second, you keep forgetting why your sox were in that predicament in the first place. Beckett fell apart down the stretch, the sox defense was putrid, and the offense went into a hole. Well, Beckett's still there, the defense is worse with Scutaro than with AGon and no better with Vmart taking over for Tek, and you essentially lose Lowell and Bay and replace them with Adrian Gonzalez and Jeremy Hermida, which IMO is a downgrade.

 

Third, you seem to forget just how big of a gap there is between the two. 8 games and it could have been 10-15 if the Yankees didnt ease off the pedal at the end.

 

Going by defensive spot since lineup is too hard to do right now since NY has a lot up in the air

 

C- Posada vs VMart- Posada has had a better OPS for 4 yrs running now

1B- Teixeira vs Gonzalez- Gonzo had a 10 point advantage over Tex in 2009, but Tex blew him away every yr prior to this one

2B- Cano vs Pedroia- Pedroia may have an MVP, but Cano has had a higher OPS 2 of the 3 yrs Pedroia has been in the game

SS- Jeter vs Scutaro- no contest

3B- Rodriguez vs Youkilis- Youkilis has been on par or better with ARod for the past 2 yrs, but ARod did slug more homers even though he missed a month

LF- Cabrera vs Hermida- they both had incredibly similar yrs last yr

CF- Granderson vs Ellsbury- This isnt even close. Grandy had an off yr in a bad ballpark for lefties and he still had a higher OPS and slugged 30 homers. Move him to the homerdome for 81 games and to the yankee lineup and Grandy is the much better offensive player

RF- Drew vs Swisher- Drew is the better hitter, although Swisher isnt too far behind him in OPS

DH- ??? vs Ortiz- OPS under .800 for Ortiz in a yr when he looked defeated and slow. Another yr of father time and this one could hurt. I fully expect either Matsui or Damon to be manning this role for 2010, and I would take both of them over Ortiz offensively.

 

C- advantage Posada

1B- even if you go back only one yr, although I think Tex is a better bet to maintain

2B- even, although Cano was better for 2 of the last 3 yrs

SS- advantage Jeter

3B- Youkilis with the better 2009 by a small margin, ARod now healthy is a winner IMO

LF- Hermida with the slight edge since he has more upside

CF- Granderson by far

RF- Drew wins that one

DH- Matsui or Damon over Ortiz

 

Sorry JimEd, still gotta fill another hole in LF to overtake the boys in pinstripes

 

You keep thinking that "Father time" is going to hit Red Sox players but not Yankee players, you also fail to account for the advantage NYS hands out to some Yankee players, it's intellectually dishonest.

[riverside sluggers]

Jacko are you saying that replacing Lowell with Adrian Gonzalez is a downgrade.. lol youre such a tool

 

Lowell this past season was one of the worst rated 3rd baseman when it came to defense. Youkilis would essentially be replacing him at 3rd, which is an upgrade. Gonzo taking over for Youk at 1st is a wash

[Mr Crunchy]

Its only a matter of time before the bloated and aging Sabbathias knees cave in on him.

6'7 350 and 1250 huge innings in 5 years isnt going to last, physically speaking it simply cant happen.

then what?..Andy Petitte again and again?? You best hope that either Joba or Phil Hughes assumes a pivotal role in that rotation and soon because father time gets everyone eventually and Sabbathia is just the kind of guy thats going to disappear into the good night when that load of blubber finally takes its toll.

[Dipre]

1B- Teixeira vs Gonzalez- Gonzo had a 10 point advantage over Tex in 2009, but Tex blew him away every yr prior to this one

 

Gonzales is younger than Tex, and has seen year-to-year improvement while playing in the hellhole at Petco, and if you use OPS+ (which accounts for park factors), Gonzales' 166 OPS+ blows Tex's 149 out of the water.

[BSN07]

I have mixed feelings about the deal.

 

One I believe Lackey is a injury risk. He's had arm issues the last couple seasons and couldn't break 92MPH vs the Yankees. Which isn't a big deal, but he is supposedly a power pitcher.

 

2, I think this may lead to a Buchholz trade. Which I'm very much against. If they keep Buchholz and go with the 5 man rotation of Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz I think it would be better the trading him off for Adrian and creating a whole in the rotation.

 

3, if they trade Buchholz they have a hole in the rotation to fill. That may not sound big now, but if Beckett leaves next off season the Sox will be left with Lester, Lackey, Dice-K, not exactly great, but not horrible.

 

Beckett is going to want a similar deal or more IMO. I would have rathered they gave the money to him, but if they are willing to extend him too then I could really get on board for this deal. But if Lackey is coming into replace Beckett/Buchholz, I'm not sold.

 

But like I have always said, I'll support however they throw out there.

[Dipre]

I have mixed feelings about the deal.

 

One I believe Lackey is a injury risk. He's had arm issues the last couple seasons and couldn't break 92MPH vs the Yankees. Which isn't a big deal, but he is supposedly a power pitcher.

 

I agree with you on this.

 

2, I think this may lead to a Buchholz trade. Which I'm very much against. If they keep Buchholz and go with the 5 man rotation of Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K, Buchholz I think it would be better the trading him off for Adrian and creating a whole in the rotation.

 

Bucholz would be the number 5 pitcher, Gonzalez would be the number 4 hitter, and with more than 50 million coming off the books next year, retaining Beckett and V-Mart should not be an issue.

 

3, if they trade Buchholz they have a hole in the rotation to fill. That may not sound big now, but if Beckett leaves next off season the Sox will be left with Lester, Lackey, Dice-K, not exactly great, but not horrible.

 

Beckett is going to want a similar deal or more IMO. I would have rathered they gave the money to him, but if they are willing to extend him too then I could really get on board for this deal. But if Lackey is coming into replace Beckett/Buchholz, I'm not sold.

 

As stated above, the Sox have the money to retain Beckett, and they will, meanwhile, trading Buch for Gonzales and adding a league average number five arguably makes the Sox the best team in the Major Leagues.

 

Bucholz is good, but not elite, and the Sox have the possibility of signing Chapman, think about the short and long term benefits of securing an in-his-prime, elite-level first baseman.

[BSN07]

I have mixed feelings about the deal.

 

 

 

I agree with you on this.

 

 

 

Bucholz would be the number 5 pitcher, Gonzalez would be the number 4 hitter, and with more than 50 million coming off the books next year, retaining Beckett and V-Mart should not be an issue.

 

 

 

As stated above, the Sox have the money to retain Beckett, and they will, meanwhile, trading Buch for Gonzales and adding a league average number five arguably makes the Sox the best team in the Major Leagues.

 

Bucholz is good, but not elite, and the Sox have the possibility of signing Chapman, think about the short and long term benefits of securing an in-his-prime, elite-level first baseman.

 

Ok I didn't think of all the $ coming off the books next year. So I guess the players I was concerned about can be retained.

[a700hitter]

Bucholz would be the number 5 pitcher' date=' Gonzalez would be the number 4 hitter, and with more than 50 million coming off the books next year, retaining Beckett and V-Mart should not be an issue.[/quote']Gonzalez for the #4 or 5 starter is not even a question. If that was the deal, they'd be scheduling a press conference already. The problem is the other pieces that SD wants. At this point, Theo would more readily part with Buchholz than the others, because with the addition of Lackey, he doesn't need Buchholz. The other guys will be ready when slots open up in a couple of years.

[riverside sluggers]

Ill be content if they traded Clay, and filled the 5 hole with Wakefield and sign a high risk/high reward pitcher

 

1. Ellsbury cf/lf

2. Pedroia 2b

3. Victor Martinez c

4. Adrian Gonzalez 1b

5. Kevin Youkilis 3b

6. David Ortiz dh

7. Mike Cameron lf/cf

8. JD Drew rf

9. Marco Scutaro ss

[riverside sluggers]

I have mixed feelings about the deal.

 

Ok I didn't think of all the $ coming off the books next year. So I guess the players I was concerned about can be retained.

 

Ken Rosenthal did add in his article about Lackey, that the Sox are working on extension talks with Beckett

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10523180/Source:-Lackey-has-BoSox-physical;-deal-close?