Crawford a Red Sox for life!

[Julian]

Lets be real.

 

It seems Crawford cannot throw and hence is removed in the 7th inning for defense upgrade.

 

Will need TJ surgery and will be out one season.

 

Has a HUGE contract.

 

Cannot hit.

 

Cannot field.

 

Is getting old. Legs will soon go.

 

Has no heart.

 

Chokes.

 

Is there a single GM in the planet that may consider Crawford for a trade?

 

I think there is no one out there that would take him.

[jung]

Must be vying for the worst signing in the history of baseball. Surely, TJ will occur during the contract period so of the seven year deal he will have eaten one year in total failure (last year), and at least 1.5 years (between what has been and what is coming) in rehab and another half year (this half year) playing poorly and being removed late in games.

 

I truly believe that the Marlins were finally scared off not by the injuries issues but by those combined with actually watching Crawford play. Exhibit A in any argument regarding the shear folly of the baseball CBA will be the $142M we will end up paying Carl Crawford virtually for nothing. He would have done as well hitting the power ball lottery.

[Julian]

Must be vying for the worst signing in the history of baseball. Surely, TJ will occur during the contract period so of the seven year deal he will have eaten one year in total failure (last year), and at least 1.5 years (between what has been and what is coming) in rehab and another half year (this half year) playing poorly and being removed late in games.

 

I truly believe that the Marlins were finally scared off not by the injuries issues but by those combined with actually watching Crawford play. Exhibit A in any argument regarding the shear folly of the baseball CBA will be the $142M we will end up paying Carl Crawford virtually for nothing. He would have done as well hitting the power ball lottery.

 

CC is looking awful and BV will have to play him because he is getting pain 142 million.

 

One has to wonder how the team-mates that make minimum salary relate to CC.

[a700hitter]

Lets be real.

 

It seems Crawford cannot throw and hence is removed in the 7th inning for defense upgrade.

 

Will need TJ surgery and will be out one season.

 

Has a HUGE contract.

 

Cannot hit.

 

Cannot field.

 

Is getting old. Legs will soon go.

 

Has no heart.

 

Chokes.

 

Is there a single GM in the planet that may consider Crawford for a trade?

 

I think there is no one out there that would take him.

^ This is vastly different from the presentation the Red Sox received from Crawford's agent.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

"Will need TJ surgery and will be out one season."

 

If he gets TJ surgery after this season ends he would be back in time for the beginning of next season... He's not a freakin pitcher.

 

 

Calm down

[jung]

Carl Crawford will never come within miles of justifying that contract and the Sox will be left with that albatross around the necks for the entire term.

 

So it will be hard to stay "calm" every time we think what they could be doing with that $142M. They will be lucky to get $70M in player out of the $142M spent.

[Julian]

"Will need TJ surgery and will be out one season."

 

If he gets TJ surgery after this season ends he would be back in time for the beginning of next season... He's not a freakin pitcher.

 

 

Calm down

 

I get it that.

 

But getting CC back so soon after TJ surgery is much more stressful than having CC in rehab.

[Spitball]

Lets be real.

 

It seems Crawford cannot throw and hence is removed in the 7th inning for defense upgrade.

 

Will need TJ surgery and will be out one season.

 

Has a HUGE contract.

 

Cannot hit.

 

Cannot field.

 

Is getting old. Legs will soon go.

 

Has no heart.

 

Chokes.

 

Is there a single GM in the planet that may consider Crawford for a trade?

 

I think there is no one out there that would take him.

 

I don't really see the point nor the need for a thread like this one. What is the point? For most posters, we'd rather some analytical insight based on concrete justifications. This is nothing more than a rant, and he has played only nine games this season. The guy had a .332/.439/.772 slash line for nine seasons.

 

The guy is being overpaid, but that isn't his fault. I blame the organization for that. I root for Crawford to make it. I didn't read any stories about him drinking beer or eating Popeye's fried chicken. I don't think he should be totally vilified at this point.

[iortiz]

Well, CC's contract officially sucks.

[jung]

Can't blame CC for taking the money...why shouldn't he? The Sox were beyond stupid for offering way beyond what the pub at the time was saying anybody was or would offer Crawford. Apparently his elbow issues were already known....people were already warning that he would have trouble in a big market and still the Sox gave him huge money....beyond stupid.

[NativeBostonian]

I don't know what happen to CC. He was something when he was on the Tampa Bay Rays. Maybe it is playing infront of fans, idk. But, whatever it is, he needs to fix it.

[Spitball]

I don't know what happen to CC. He was something when he was on the Tampa Bay Rays. Maybe it is playing infront of fans' date=' idk. But, [b']whatever it is, he needs to fix it[/b].

 

You have to realize that he knows this. You know he is not satisfied with his performance so far.

 

In Yastrzemski's autobiography, he talked about not taking his family to Fenway Park at a point in his career because of the fan comments and reactions. Do we really feel the players respond positively to negativity?:dunno:

[redsoxbeatz]

Actually, CC's contract is ridiculously good. I mean, this guy is earning HUGE money and is useless. That's incredible. I wish someone paid me 140 whatever million over 7 years for being broken.

 

Incredible contract. Red Sox FO is what sucks huge.

 

7 years from now we will focus on a new Red Sox team.

[jung]

The Crawford contract gets so much attention because it is the very symbol of drunken sailor management and wretched excess on a grand scale. It is unfortunate that CC seems like the type of guy that is less likely to ever succeed under these circumstances regardless of the fact that Sox fans cut him an enormous break last year all the way up until other pieces of the team started to fall apart and we all grew tired of CC and his complete fail. But until then, there was barely a peep out of anybody....we wanted him to succeed so badly.

 

I also remember when the deal went down, the utter and complete shock from the entire Red Sox community of reporters and fans. it was like....what....we got who....did not even think we were in the running....and we signed him for what!!!!! Some of us were overjoyed.....others saw it as a very problematic move from the very start and even wondered allowed that the very shock of it was suggestive of a organization at odds with itself way before JH ever uttered a word in public.

 

That deal broke the mold in so many ways. That is the kind of money reserved for guys that are going to dump the ball over the wall on a regular basis...whatever Carl Crawford is or was, he was not that.

[User Name]

Could be worse. We could have John Lackey as a Red Sox for life....

[a700hitter]

The Crawford contract gets so much attention because it is the very symbol of drunken sailor management and wretched excess on a grand scale. It is unfortunate that CC seems like the type of guy that is less likely to ever succeed under these circumstances regardless of the fact that Sox fans cut him an enormous break last year all the way up until other pieces of the team started to fall apart and we all grew tired of CC and his complete fail. But until then, there was barely a peep out of anybody....we wanted him to succeed so badly.

 

I also remember when the deal went down, the utter and complete shock from the entire Red Sox community of reporters and fans. it was like....what....we got who....did not even think we were in the running....and we signed him for what!!!!! Some of us were overjoyed.....others saw it as a very problematic move from the very start and even wondered allowed that the very shock of it was suggestive of a organization at odds with itself way before JH ever uttered a word in public.

 

That deal broke the mold in so many ways. That is the kind of money reserved for guys that are going to dump the ball over the wall on a regular basis...whatever Carl Crawford is or was, he was not that.

I was excited to get him, but they apparently overpaid by $26 million over the next closest offer. That was just foolhardy and that is why his contract is the albatross that it is. No one would give him that money except a drunken sailor when he was healthy and producing. It is not the first time that Theo grossly overpaid. No other team was close to his $52 billion bid for DIce K. I think he outbid every other team by $14 million. That is astoundingly bad judgment. In the early 1990's my company submitted a sealed bid for another company. We won the bid at $200,100,000. The next closest bid was $200,000,000. That is how it should be done.

[a700hitter]

You have to realize that he knows this. You know he is not satisfied with his performance so far.

 

In Yastrzemski's autobiography, he talked about not taking his family to Fenway Park at a point in his career because of the fan comments and reactions. Do we really feel the players respond positively to negativity?:dunno:

But he went out and played every day and busted his tail whether he was injured or not. He had pride in his performance and respect for his team mates. Carl Crawford gets paid a big check. He should be busting his ass. I see a player that just doesn't give a damn.

[SoxSport]

Crawford had a couple of good games when he came back--batting 2nd. Stole 3 bases his first game.

Then he slacked off, got moved to 7 against LHP , and has maybe one SB since?

 

This is the same kind of treatment Tito gave him, and I don't know what to think of it. V said he's removing him late to take some pressure off his arm. I don't know. Makes me wonder if V is calling the shots here. Could be the trainers or the FO. With the Sox, you don't know.I suspect Lucchino is the gatekeeper. He decides who decides.

[SemperFi Sox]

I can't see Crawford being a Red Sox for life. I think we dump him in the offseason, someone will take him if we eat a huge part of his salary which needs to be done. This will hopefully leave us with a chance to resign Ellsbury. Either way, I expect this to be the last season of both Crawford and Ellsbury in the OF.

[redsoxrules]

Well' date=' CC's contract officially sucks.[/quote']

 

It sucked from day one

[redsoxrules]

Crawford had a couple of good games when he came back--batting 2nd. Stole 3 bases his first game.

Then he slacked off, got moved to 7 against LHP , and has maybe one SB since?

 

This is the same kind of treatment Tito gave him, and I don't know what to think of it. V said he's removing him late to take some pressure off his arm. I don't know. Makes me wonder if V is calling the shots here. Could be the trainers or the FO. With the Sox, you don't know.I suspect Lucchino is the gatekeeper. He decides who decides.

 

He's moved to 7th because he sucks at the moment .

Anybody coaching this team would be stupid NOT to bat him at the bottom of the order while he's hitting like this

[Julian]

I don't really see the point nor the need for a thread like this one. What is the point? For most posters, we'd rather some analytical insight based on concrete justifications. This is nothing more than a rant, and he has played only nine games this season. The guy had a .332/.439/.772 slash line for nine seasons.

 

The guy is being overpaid, but that isn't his fault. I blame the organization for that. I root for Crawford to make it. I didn't read any stories about him drinking beer or eating Popeye's fried chicken. I don't think he should be totally vilified at this point.

 

Is this Ben Sherrington? That is exactly what he said this AM in WEEI.

 

CC cannot hit lefties. Never did!

[jung]

Crawford seems to be able to reach the low outside pitch a bit better this year with his new stance but he does not seem to see it better than he did last year.

 

This is I think a real test of what ownership wants to do at this point. In reality it looks like the only way to really dig out of the hole they are in will be to east a substantial amount of the Crawford salary but that does not help them with Ells because eating Crawford salary takes funds away that they would need to sign Ells. That amounts to an enormous double gamble. If you eat salary to get Crawford off the team, then pay Ells what he will cost, you have Ells injury potential hanging over your head and are still paying on Crawford.

 

As unsettling as it seems, I am inclined to think the Sox will try to move Crawford if they can find a way to do it without absorbing to much of his salary as their commitment is so long in term. Baring that I think they will let Ells play out his current contract and just let him go if it comes to that. If I had to bet I would bet that Crawford remains a Red Sox player and eventually Ells is just gone off the team. I know that is not the option anybody is interested in but I think it unlikely that anybody will take enough of the Crawford contract to give the Sox a way out and I do not see any chance of them paying Ells and Crawford at the same time. How can we even think at this point in terms of the Sox being a serious player in the Ells sweepstakes when we know full well that his agent is going to demand the last pound of flesh from any team bidding for his services.

 

Of course Crawford could be a little bit more accommodating and play a bit better having spent such a long period in rehab. As soon as the pitchers started going back to the low and outside slider from the LH pitcher or change or cut fastball out there from the RH pitcher, Crawford started struggling again as he did last year.

[Spitball]

But he went out and played every day and busted his tail whether he was injured or not. He had pride in his performance and respect for his team mates.

 

Interesting...but I know you know better. Sure, Yaz eventually came around, but that was the very rap on him until 1967. He was benched on occassions for not hustling. Respect from his teammates? Billy Monbouquette once physically threatened a young Carl Yastrzemski, who he thought wasn't hustling.

 

Carl Crawford gets paid a big check. He should be busting his ass. I see a player that just doesn't give a damn.

 

I find this ironic, also. Yastrzemski was never really booed consistently at Fenway Park until after Tom Yawkey made him the highest paid player in baseball in the late 1960s. He got the money and the fans booed because they felt he wasn't "trying hard enough" to be the Superman of 1967.

 

Basically, it comes down to we don't know what was or is in a player's heart and mind, neither Yaz nor Crawford. I'm willing to cut Crawford some slack for now. Boston can be a hard town to play in.

[example1]

Why do the Red Sox constantly do this to themselves? They won't get their money back for Crawford, and they probably won't get anything even partially close to a reasonable return if they trade him. That's a given. That's a given whether he starts hitting with an .850 OPS or a .650 OPS.

 

Yet they still allow this idea that they absolutely hate Crawford and everything that he stands for to persist out there. Rumors that they discussed moving him for Hanley. Or for Reyes. Some FO personnel saying that they want to get out from his contract in the worst way.

 

It just seems untactful and plays the worst possible hand. They could be out there actively supporting Crawford, saying they have faith in his ability to bounce back. Or they could be quiet.

 

If it seems like Crawford doesn't give a damn, perhaps that's because the Sox don't seem to have the common sense or decency to not talk s*** about him or allow s*** to be talked about him at every turn.

[User Name]

A lot of the smack is usually media-generated though. You can put a lot of s*** out there while hiding under the umbrella of "anonymous sources" and "people close to negotiations/team/etc".

[kapsis21]

A lot of the smack is usually media-generated though. You can put a lot of s*** out there while hiding under the umbrella of "anonymous sources" and "people close to negotiations/team/etc".

 

to an extent i agree, last year Posada was handled badly by the Yankee FO, so was the Jeter contract but since then they have been tight lip with everything.

instead redsox FO/media has been pathetic since last year with the beer scandals and this year with Golfgate and having them trade Crawford..

it has been the worst like i said of any team media is covering and its always negative stuff coming out.. and it hasnt stopped.

[jung]

I don't know if the "does not try hard enough" description fits CC that much. He may in fact try to hard...be to keyed up. I really don't like CC's game that much and never did. His defense is not that great...awards not withstanding. Carl has to get on base in order to make his game work. He does not hit for power. His RBI totals are good but not great. He must get on base and bother the hell out of the opponent with his ability to steal and must make his general speed relevant going from 1st to 3rd on hits, making it home as well on occasion.

 

If Carl does not get on base he really is not able to make his game work at all and getting on base has been a problem for Carl of late. It may be to late for Carl to make major changes to his game but I would like to see a guy that wants to bat so high up in the order walk much more than Carl walks. His Slugging numbers are not great so a walk is as good as a single and once on 1st he can start to do his thing. But if you look at Carl's career numbers, how on earth that translates to a $20M ballplayer even if you got the Tampa numbers out of him is a mystery to me. Either the Sox needed to cut the term of the contract offer for CC down to something like 5 which might have made a good deal of sense for a guy that makes money with his legs or they had to cut into the per year salary and for seven years, I don't think I could have convinced myself to get past $13M per year. maybe a little more. I figured him to be something like a $90M player for a seven year contract. Maybe a $100M player. That probably would not have gotten it done but I would have been fine with that. What about CC's game was so attractive to the Sox FO that they were wiling to go balls to the walls for him. How does his game work so well for a team playing 81 games in Fenway Park that you are willing to go way beyond max money to secure the player?

 

Where was there any understanding of what spending the money that way would mean to the rest of your effort? How much more freedom would the Sox have right now if that contract was not slung around their necks? Another $21M per year to play with...could be two really good ballplayers....could be a really good pitcher and decent ballplayer.....could be the superstar hurler that you want to lead your rotation for the next 4-5 years if you want to go down that road.

[a700hitter]

Why do the Red Sox constantly do this to themselves? They won't get their money back for Crawford, and they probably won't get anything even partially close to a reasonable return if they trade him. That's a given. That's a given whether he starts hitting with an .850 OPS or a .650 OPS.

 

Yet they still allow this idea that they absolutely hate Crawford and everything that he stands for to persist out there. Rumors that they discussed moving him for Hanley. Or for Reyes. Some FO personnel saying that they want to get out from his contract in the worst way.

 

It just seems untactful and plays the worst possible hand. They could be out there actively supporting Crawford, saying they have faith in his ability to bounce back. Or they could be quiet.

 

If it seems like Crawford doesn't give a damn, perhaps that's because the Sox don't seem to have the common sense or decency to not talk s*** about him or allow s*** to be talked about him at every turn.

I agree with almost everything in your post, but I have one question about something you mention. When you said "hate Crawford and everything that he stands for", what do you and/or the Red Sox think he "stands for"?

[User Name]

If Carl does not get on base he really is not able to make his game work at all and getting on base has been a problem for Carl of late

 

It has always been a problem. He's never been a high-OBP type guy, although he'd shown some improvement. A lot of people thought Fenway would also make his BA/OBP numbers take a hit since he can't hit the ball the other way with authority anyway.

 

These are the factors that make the signing so puzzling.