Trades before the deadline?

[Bellhorn04]

I sort of hate to bring this up again, but what if the Phillies were mainly interested in unloading Papelbon's contract and willing to take a mid-tier prospect only.

[VA Sox Fan]

I sort of hate to bring this up again, but what if the Phillies were mainly interested in unloading Papelbon's contract and willing to take a mid-tier prospect only.

 

I may have to put you on IGNORE for this post....

[Bellhorn04]

I think we need a good reliever from somewhere. Our bullpen is on thin ice right now.

[Palodios]

I sort of hate to bring this up again, but what if the Phillies were mainly interested in unloading Papelbon's contract and willing to take a mid-tier prospect only.

 

Unfortunately, that won't be the case. If the Phillies would take Drake Britton for him, it would probably be worth it. But if it takes Webster, that'll be a rough trade.

[italstallianion]

I feel like the last few pages are highlighting the difference between "regular season" trades and trades with the focus on the postseason. I'd love to make trades to increase our chances this year, but we have the potential to do a lot with our farm team and I don't want to mortgage that unless it gives us a huge favorite status to win the WS.

 

I wouldn't trade Bogaerts in any deal unless the Phillies gave us Lee, Papelbon, and Young AND threw in a fair amount to hedge their contracts. I think we got lucky that Beckett/Lowell helped us win 2007 but in hindsight I'm not sure how we would have handled if we kept Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.

[Spitball]

Papelbon would be great to have for the remainder of the season, but it won't work that way. Unfortunately he is signed through 2015 to a horrible contract, is aging, and is showing signs of decline. I hope the new Red Sox regime stays away from this kind of acquisition.

[jung]

I wish the Sox had already tried Aceves back in his role as versatile relief pitcher, capable of pitching multiple innings. If the Sox could use somebody every third game or every other game to fit into the 5th-6th or 6th-7th inning role it shoves all the other pen guys back up against the ninth inning and maybe then Farrell's propensity to use them one inning per stint or less at a time works out.

 

As it is now, if you have to bring relief in the 6th inning maybe twice per week using guys for one inning or less, you are gonna' go 4-5 relievers deep pretty regularly. Then there are the games when you are using at least 3 relievers to cover innings 7-9. If they had a guy (Maybe Ace) that can take that 5th-6th or 6th-7th inning burden off the rest of the pen, they would be in much better shape to handle innings 7-9. Now, Miller turns an ankle and they are basically f***ed. I think Taz would have been a better choice where the Sox brought Ueh in the Angels game Saturday night but in truth Taz could have had problems as well since Taz is about as overused as Ueh.

 

If they are not going to try Ace there, then maybe somebody the Sox bring in that can pitch multiple innings in relief makes the most sense if another legit closer type guy is just too hard to find or too expensive to get.

[jacksonianmarch]

Guys, the idea that you aren't favorites right now is pretty interesting. You have the best record in the AL, so it isn't like your schlepping into the final WC slot here. You lineup is tops in runs scored and OPS. Your starters are 7th in the majors in ERA. The biggest drawback is the fact that your pen has the 23rd best ERA in the majors, and every team below them is pretty much out of contention. The sox have the 3rd worst save percentage and the 6th most blown saves. So your starters are getting it done. Your hitters are killing it. Your pen is giving it away. And now with Miller possibly out for the yr, you are losing one of your more effective relievers. I know a lot of you guys are on the "save for the future" bandwagon, but you have a legit shot at winning a title and without giving up something, you aren't going to get anything. Acquiring a guy like Papelbon would make your team WS favorites. Without a reliable back end arm, though, your candidacy for the WS will not be taken seriously

[mvp 78]

That settles it, I definitely don't want to trade for a reliever now.

 

Going all in for 2013 could ruin this franchise for years. It's not worth it.

[Standing Room]

Guys, the idea that you aren't favorites right now is pretty interesting. You have the best record in the AL, so it isn't like your schlepping into the final WC slot here. You lineup is tops in runs scored and OPS. Your starters are 7th in the majors in ERA. The biggest drawback is the fact that your pen has the 23rd best ERA in the majors, and every team below them is pretty much out of contention. The sox have the 3rd worst save percentage and the 6th most blown saves. So your starters are getting it done. Your hitters are killing it. Your pen is giving it away. And now with Miller possibly out for the yr, you are losing one of your more effective relievers. I know a lot of you guys are on the "save for the future" bandwagon, but you have a legit shot at winning a title and without giving up something, you aren't going to get anything. Acquiring a guy like Papelbon would make your team WS favorites. Without a reliable back end arm, though, your candidacy for the WS will not be taken seriously

 

The other day you said you still weren't convinced the Sox were for real and today they have a legitimate shot at a World Series? What changed?

[jacksonianmarch]

I still am not completely convinced they are THIS good, as in a 100 win team. But they are still a playoff contender with one glaring weakness. Fix that weakness and they really wont have too many holes. When you have a team that is leading the AL in wins at the ASB and your team truly has one huge hole, then you have to plug it. It's different with us, since we have so many f***ing holes and the old plugs are supposedly on their way back. But with the sox, your back end of the pen has been horrendous. Fix that and you could win it all

[Station 13]

The other day you said you still weren't convinced the Sox were for real and today they have a legitimate shot at a World Series? What changed?

 

Mood swing.

[Station 13]

I still am not completely convinced they are THIS good, as in a 100 win team. But they are still a playoff contender with one glaring weakness. Fix that weakness and they really wont have too many holes. When you have a team that is leading the AL in wins at the ASB and your team truly has one huge hole, then you have to plug it. It's different with us, since we have so many f***ing holes and the old plugs are supposedly on their way back. But with the sox, your back end of the pen has been horrendous. Fix that and you could win it all

 

Yes we need another arm or two in the BP. Bailey is in the stage of getting his s*** together. Internally, they have guys in the system such as RDLR or Workman that is worth converting to help the team by early August.

[Standing Room]

Mood swing.

 

He must have taken his morning meds.

[Standing Room]

Yes we need another arm or two in the BP. Bailey is in the stage of getting his s*** together. Internally, they have guys in the system such as RDLR or Workman that is worth converting to help the team by early August.

 

It would be nice to add a set up man. I'm not too worried about the back end of the bullpen, because Uehara, Tazawa and Breslow are about as solid as it gets. They aren't David Robertson or Mariano Rivera, but they also aren't the reason we're losing games. It would be nice to add someone to get the ball to them.

[Spitball]

The Red Sox could improve their bullpen greatly by simply adding some quality depth rather than an expensive big name.

 

Oliver Perez in Seattle has reinvented himself as a decent lefty reliever. Steve Cishek in Miami has been very effective recently. The Brewers' John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez are both available. Acquiring a Craig Breslow type or two and bringing up a Rubby De La Rosa youngster would be the logical way to improve the bullpen depth...and keeping the future intact.

 

I have a feeling that the Sox are close to getting Matt Thornton but fear he is not the pitcher he used to be.

[jung]

I agree completely with regard to the pen. Most specifically IMO the Sox need a guy that can go more than one inning that can take over control of two innings either 5th and 6th or 6th and 7th to get the ball to the back end of the rotation. Is Ace that guy? He has been that guy before. He is back now and I was hoping that was how they would work him in. If not, they need somebody that Farrell is willing to hand the ball to that can take the middle innings, two at a time. That is about the only way he is going to be able to make his propensity to use everybody else for one inning or less, work for him. Farrell simply burns through too many arms in too short a time period eventually leaving himself where he found himself on Saturday night in Anaheim.

[mvp 78]

Farrell simply burns through too many arms in too short a time period eventually leaving himself where he found himself on Saturday night in Anaheim.

According to every gamethread, Taz and Uehara haven't been used enough.

[Dojji]

I agree completely with regard to the pen. Most specifically IMO the Sox need a guy that can go more than one inning that can take over control of two innings either 5th and 6th or 6th and 7th to get the ball to the back end of the rotation. Is Ace that guy? He has been that guy before

 

I don't think anyone can be that guy for very long. Every time a team thinks they've found that vaunted reliable high leverage 2 inning reliever, he's not the same the next year. There's a reason that usage patterns look like they do these days, and contrary to popular dogma among internet baseball nerds, it's not all because major league managers are miserable hidebound uncreative doodyheads.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I want to see RDLR and Drake Britton throwing in the bullpen. Drake until Miller comes back. RDLR through the remainder of the year.

[Dojji]

No to Drake Britton. He's completely underwhelmed me throughout his minor league run. Nothing about him wows me, so he's probably going to have to earn promotion the hard way. We're far enough down on our LHRP depth chart that going after Britton just to have another lefty is probably not the smartest way to handle things.

 

Fully agree on de la Rosa. The only reason not to call him up at some point is if you want to make sure he gets his innings preparatory to being stretched out to start next year.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing what Brandon Workman could do out of the pen. He's been a little more consistent all the way along and I like the scouting reports about his stuff in terms of bullpen work. Apparently he has a really solid fastball-cutter combination. Soxprospects had him pegged as an RP in the majors -- but then they did the same for Justin Masterson and he's leading the league in CG's right now. Still, if relief help is what we need, Workman's old enough and far enough down on the prospect depth chart that a callup to the bullpen wouldn't hurt anything if the team thinks the kid can do the job.

Edited July 8, 2013 by Dojji

[SoxFanForsyth]

No to Drake Britton. He's completely underwhelmed me throughout his minor league run. Nothing about him wows me, so he's probably going to have to earn promotion the hard way.

 

Fully agree on de la Rosa. The only reason not to call him up at some point is if you want to make sure he gets his innings preparatory to being stretched out to start next year.

 

Well, Britton has been death to lefties, but hes been beat up by RHH. Righties have a .773 OPS against Britton, and lefties are hitting .187/.243/.308. He would certainly come in as a LOOGY, and I think his stuff could play well out of the pen. His biggest issue is with walks, and that's something that gets smothered out of the pen. Just look at Andrew Miller. Britton would probably be 95-97 out of the pen from the left side.

[Station 13]

(In recent weeks, the Red Sox have had some internal discussions about converting Brandon Workman and Anthony Renaudo to relief in an effort to bolster the major league bullpen.)

 

http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/henry-money-wont-be-issue-trade-deadline

[SoxFanForsyth]

http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/henry-money-wont-be-issue-trade-deadline

 

Please no on Ranaudo. He's got a chance to be a very good starter, and he's having the best season of his career. Don't change anything with him.

 

He was actually just named today as the #39 prospect by BA in their mid-season top 50. Sox have 4 total in there (Bogaerts #4, Bradley #21, Ranaudo #37, Cecchini #41).

 

I can't remember the last time the Sox had 4 in the top 41.

[Dojji]

With Workman that makes some sense, since I doubt he breaks into our rotation.

 

Kinda surprising about Ranaudo though.

[BSN07]

Workman I would say ok. But Ranaudo switching to the BP and then most likely going back to the rotation next season worries me.

 

Cecchini may very well be the most attractive prospect trade chip that's available in the right deal. I wouldn't think he has "untouchable" status right?

[Dojji]

I wouldn't say untouchable, no. What I would say though is that with both of our corner infield positions in play over the next multiple seasons it would take a nice deal for me to want to move a promising corner IF right now.

 

I wouldn't trade Cecchini before I traded Bogaerts, but honestly, it's a close thing.

Edited July 8, 2013 by Dojji

[dupree]

I wouldn't say untouchable, no. What I would say though is that with both of our corner infield positions in play over the next multiple seasons it would take a nice deal for me to want to move a promising corner IF right now.

 

I wouldn't trade Cecchini before I traded Bogaerts, but honestly, it's a close thing.

 

Wow... trading the #4 before the #41 prospect... wow that is all

[SoxFanForsyth]

I wouldn't say untouchable, no. What I would say though is that with both of our corner infield positions in play over the next multiple seasons it would take a nice deal for me to want to move a promising corner IF right now.

 

I wouldn't trade Cecchini before I traded Bogaerts, but honestly, it's a close thing.

 

This is just silly.

[dupree]

I wouldnt trade Bogaerts unless its for an Ace or a slugger like Stanton. But i dont think he moves.

 

I think the Red Sox go after a guy like Bud Norris or Matt Garza for the Rotation. And i hate to say it i think Iggy would be the trade chip to land either of those guys. I know im gonna catch heat for that but it just makes sense.

 

Bogaerts is the SS of the future and Middlebrooks is gonna be at 3rd. And a trade for a long time 1st Baseman with a big bat in the offseason or a resign of Napoli if his bat gets power back in it.

 

A bullpen arm is gonna happen. One atleast and maybe a call up to give some of the young kids a try.

 

I like where the Sox are at this year and i hope they can keep it going. Maybe a couple of moves away and staying healthy and a little luck can bring us a World Series .