Trades before the deadline?

[BornToRun]

I've got no problem with Clay taking his time to get back. I think we have enough talent to keep afloat until he's ready to pitch again.

[a700hitter]

I've got no problem with Clay taking his time to get back. I think we have enough talent to keep afloat until he's ready to pitch again.

I'm not so sure.

[SoxSport]

I see Garza just beat the Yankees, allowing no earned runs for 7+ innings. Garza would have been perfect for the Red Sox, but they were not going to give the package Texas gave for him as a rental. But there is an advantage of a rental: you're not stuck with him if he doesn't pan out. If he pans out, extend him. He's worth it. With Dempster, they are stuck with a back end starter for front of rotation money for 2 years. In that sense, rentals are better. You get to try the merchandise before you spend big bucks on it--at a prospect price, of course.

[a700hitter]

Shocker, what's actually being reported is the opposite of what jung said.

This was also reported:

 

According to Farrell, Andrews told Buchholz that any discomfort he feels is nothing to be alarmed about.

 

"From my understanding of the exam and what Dr. Andrews relayed to [buchholz] is that he's going to feel some, at times, some little stiffness or discomfort just by virtue of getting back in pitching shape," Farrell said. "[Andrews] felt that as [buchholz] ramps back up, he;s going to experience some of those but the root of it is not because of an injury. It's more just reconditioning and getting the throwing arm back in shape.

[SoxSport]

But if the price for that reliever was the 4th best prospect in the system, sometimes you can't blame him for standing pat. Yeah we need a reliever, but at that cost? I think more people would have his head for pulling the trigger on that than for standing pat.

 

They'll have his head if he does nothing and they blow it in August and September.

 

The Orioles got KRod for about the same level prospect as the Sox got Thornton. Fair enough. KRod is a free agent, but the Orioles have the option to sign him. And he isn't the KRod of a few years back.

 

Despite what the ownership said today, I think they are serious about signing more pitching. They just don't want to give up good prospects for rentals. That's clear. Interesting today Middlebrooks was omitted in the list published of "untouchable" prospects. I figure maybe he might be trade bait right now.

[SoxSport]

Middlebrooks for Peavy is currently a trade rumor in tweets and stories by Speier et al. Figured he might be the one to go, with Bogaerts close and Holt, Snyder, Drew and Iggy on the left side. They could expand it to include Craine, who is pitching Thursday.

[lospunchados]

If They trade for Peavy he also has a player option of 15 million for 2015 if he makes it to 400 innings(in 2013-2014). seems a little bit of a long shot but worth noting.

[RedSoxNC84]

I think the Peavy deal gets done. Looks like we'll be saying goodbye to Middlebrooks and probably a pretty good prospect.

[Bellhorn04]

I guess Middlebrooks and a prospect for Peavy and Crain makes as much sense as anything we could do right now.

[BenUKPatsSoxCeltics4Life]

Hello all, I do not post on this board much. I actually just watch mainly. Is Peavy really someone we want? He’s not exactly the pitcher he once was. I know that many said that about Lackey around 2 months ago and now he is pitching well again.

 

I do not get as many press releases in the UK so probably have a very unbalanced level of material but CB appears to be dragging out this injury. How many players play through injections/career ending stuff to get their team the title? This does not even look near that level of effort required. It is quite a shame to see.

[Bellhorn04]

Hello all, I do not post on this board much. I actually just watch mainly. Is Peavy really someone we want? He’s not exactly the pitcher he once was. I know that many said that about Lackey around 2 months ago and now he is pitching well again.

 

I do not get as many press releases in the UK so probably have a very unbalanced level of material but CB appears to be dragging out this injury. How many players play through injections/career ending stuff to get their team the title? This does not even look near that level of effort required. It is quite a shame to see.

 

Welcome. In answer to your question, we had two guys in 2004 who did put their careers on the line to get us to a title-Schilling and Foulke. And God bless them for it. But they were already near the end of their careers. I don't think too many people actually want Buchholz to risk his career this year.

 

It's a debate that will rage on a while. I see that Globe columnist Chad Finn has a column about it with a headline that Buchholz is being smart, not soft.

[mvp 78]

He's not a great pitcher these days, but he's an upgrade over the AAA guys we've been starting in Buchholz's absence. Clay won't be back until September, so they'll need him for at least 7 starts. Maybe coming to a contender helps him pitch a little better?

[Bellhorn04]

Speaking of injuries to pitchers, Brandon Morrow of the Jays has been on the shelf for a while with a sore forearm and they have finally diagnosed it. He has an 'entrapped radial nerve' and will miss the rest of the season. An entrapped radial nerve-Jeezus.

[mvp 78]

Welcome. In answer to your question, we had two guys in 2004 who did put their careers on the line to get us to a title-Schilling and Foulke. And God bless them for it. But they were already near the end of their careers. I don't think too many people actually want Buchholz to risk his career this year.

 

It's a debate that will rage on a while. I see that Globe columnist Chad Finn has a column about it with a headline that Buchholz is being smart, not soft.

 

No love for Curt Leskanic?

[a700hitter]

Welcome. In answer to your question, we had two guys in 2004 who did put their careers on the line to get us to a title-Schilling and Foulke. And God bless them for it. But they were already near the end of their careers. I don't think too many people actually want Buchholz to risk his career this year.

 

It's a debate that will rage on a while. I see that Globe columnist Chad Finn has a column about it with a headline that Buchholz is being smart, not soft.

It took too long to figure out the he wasn't injured. It is just ridiculous that he will miss more than 2 months of the season with essentially minor aches and pains.

[Palodios]

Why risk a talent like Buchholz on a bridge year? :dunno:

[a700hitter]

I have concerns about Peavy. The guy always seems to be on the shelf. I am not sure that he can stay on the field down the stretch. Hopefully, there are some other options, because we need a pitcher. Also, has there been any more news on Wilson. If he is going to be useful to any team, he has to sign very soon. He'd need a couple of week rehab stint to build some arm strength and command. There are only 60 games left.

[a700hitter]

Why risk a talent like Buchholz on a bridge year? :dunno:

If we win the Division for only the 2nd time in 17 years with home field advantage throughout the off season, can we really call it a "bridge year"?

[SoxFanForsyth]

If we win the Division for only the 2nd time in 17 years with home field advantage throughout the off season, can we really call it a "bridge year"?

 

That's exactly what this season is - a bridge year. Just because Cherrington has been able to put together a very competitive team, that doesn't take away from the overall picture and end goal, which is to build a consistent successful team around homegrown talents like Bogaerts, Bradley, Cecchini, Owens, RDLR, Ranaudo, Barnes, etc. Obviously some of those will fizzle out, but regardless, this is not the team that Cherrington is building toward.

[mvp 78]

Bridge year: gag...

 

What number "bridge year" is this now? I really hate that term.

 

I don't believe this is a team built for a deep playoff run even with Peavy and Crain. Personally, I wouldn't make the trade.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I have concerns about Peavy. The guy always seems to be on the shelf. I am not sure that he can stay on the field down the stretch. Hopefully, there are some other options, because we need a pitcher. Also, has there been any more news on Wilson. If he is going to be useful to any team, he has to sign very soon. He'd need a couple of week rehab stint to build some arm strength and command. There are only 60 games left.

 

I have concerns about Peavy as well, but when he's good he can be a very good pitcher. My problem is that it feels like we're covering a band aid with a band aid, i.e. covering an injured player with another injury prone player. It can go very bad very fast. Fortunately Workman has shown that he can really pitch, at least so far, so he's a good #6/7 man.

 

If the Sox acquire a SP, who the heck do we move when Buchholz comes back? My best guess would be a 6 man rotation or Dempster goes to the pen? He's thrown there before, and you're certainly not going to put Lester, Buch, Peavy, Lackey, or Doubront in the pen. 6 man rotation to save bullets for the PS, but do you want to limit the starts that Buch, Lackey, Doubront, and Peavy gives you?

[VA Sox Fan]

Bridge year: gag...

 

What number "bridge year" is this now? I really hate that term.

 

I don't believe this is a team built for a deep playoff run even with Peavy and Crain. Personally, I wouldn't make the trade.

 

I think he was joking. So many of the negative posters were saying that before the season.

[a700hitter]

^ SFF is as optimistic a poster as we have on TS and he thinks it is a bridge year.

[VA Sox Fan]

^ SFF is as optimistic a poster as we have on TS and he thinks it is a bridge year.

 

That doesn't change the fact of what the negative posters were saying prior to the season.

[VA Sox Fan]

Bridge year: gag...

 

What number "bridge year" is this now? I really hate that term.

 

I don't believe this is a team built for a deep playoff run even with Peavy and Crain. Personally, I wouldn't make the trade.

 

 

Nick Cafardo begs to differ:

 

Ask Nick: What will Red Sox do at trade deadline?

Boston.com Staff July 25, 2013 08:00 AM

 

There's a lot of discussion over what the Red Sox should do at the trading deadline. For me it’s simple – stick to the White Sox.

Try to work out a package for starter Jake Peavy and reliever Jesse Crain, solving both a rotation issue and a bullpen problem.

 

Obviously, you have to see if Crain is healthy. He could start pitching again as soon as this weekend and the Red Sox will have scouts watching both pitchers. Peavy is ideal because he’s got that bulldog mentality and can handle postseason.

The biggest positive is that both pitchers have worked with Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves, who speaks highly of both of them. Matt Thornton has already come over from the White Sox per Nieves’s recommendation. For a pitcher to be able to have familiarity with a pitching coach when you change teams, I think is huge.

 

Yes, you have to give up someone you don’t want to lose to make a deal like this happen, but you have to do it. This is Boston’s chance to win the AL East and really, to win it all. You don’t have this chance very often so when it’s there and you have the chips in your farm system to obtain veteran talent, I think you need to go for it.

 

This isn’t the time to hold back. The one advantage Boston has over Tampa Bay is the resources to make something big happen, to acquire players that can make an impact. If you have that advantage and don’t use it because of being afraid to trade prospects, that could backfire.

[SoxSport]

They thought this was going to be a "bridge" year, but baseball can sometimes be unpredictable. They are a surprise team--maybe overachieving. But so did the Orioles last year, and it turned out they are really pretty good. No fluke there. So maybe the Red Sox are pretty good.

 

My guess is they have changed their thinking somewhat about this year, and are more inclined to fill holes because they are in the thick of it. At some point, the Rays figure to cool off, so you know they aren't going to create much distance.

 

One thing that bites them is having a SS type hitter playing 3B. As long as Iggy was hitting .400 it didn't matter that Drew continues to suck as a hitter at SS, but now that Iggy is coming back to earth (as any hitter does in this situation), the problem is showing up. They need more lumber at 3B, where hitting is more important than defense.

When Drew got hurt again, they moved Iggy to SS, and got some hitting from Snyder and Holt at 3B. But they both made important errors in games.

 

With the talk now of using Middlebrooks as a trade chip, you wonder if it wasn't better to bring him up when Drew got hurt, and tolerate his weak OBP. He isn't much worse hitting than what Drew has been. And better defensively than the replacements. Even Iggy has shown a weakness in fielding bunts, which SSs don't often do.

Edited July 25, 2013 by SoxSport

[Standing Room]

Red Sox team President and CEO Larry Lucchino was on WEEI earlier on Thursday morning to discuss a few matters for his team. One note that came up with Cuban international free agent Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, the most highly sought after pitcher on the international market at this time. According to Lucchino, the Sox are looking at Gonzalez "pretty hard."

 

Read More: Red Sox trade rumors: Sox reportedly discussing Will Middlebrooks for Jake Peavy trade

That's because Gonzalez projects as a starter in the majors, and only costs one thing: money. Lucchino states that an acquisition that only costs money -- no prospects, no draft picks -- is an ideal one. Considering the Red Sox could sign Gonzalez to a deal and stick him in Triple-A, then push him to the rotation in the majors after a few weeks if some of the scouting reports are to be believed, Lucchino is more than hinting that this might be the preferable route to making a trade for someone else's starter who wouldn't have the team control of an international free agent, nor the money-only price tag.

 

Interesting comments from Lucchino. By that same logic, I imagine we'd be interested in Brian Wilson.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I think the Peavy deal gets done. Looks like we'll be saying goodbye to Middlebrooks and probably a pretty good prospect.

 

Webster? Barnes? I personally don't like the trade. Hope they don't go through with this. Renting out an injury prone pitcher doesn't sound very appealing to me.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Interesting comments from Lucchino. By that same logic, I imagine we'd be interested in Brian Wilson.

 

Wilson really fell off the map, forgot all about him.

[User Name]

That's because he had TJ, but initial reports are overwhelmingly positive on him.