Trades before the deadline?

[mvp 78]

Harold is endearingly stupid. I just want to pat him on the head and give him a cookie for trying.

[SoxSport]

So now it's the Dodgers saying take our best 3 prospects and we'll pay all of Lee's salary.

The Red Sox should have made a deal before the 900 lb gorilla stepped in.

The Red Sox retort: take 4 or our 3-10 prospects and we'll pay most of Lee's salary.

 

My guess: Fox West Cable wins over NESN. Bigger TV market.

[italstallianion]

Is the Dodgers system on par with ours? Is their top 3 prospects the same as ours? If the Dodgers want to gut their franchise and even further f*** themselves they can help themselves.

[Orange Juiced]

This guy Rich Smith is now tweeting the Dodgers have jumped back in on Lee. That's a bad sign. They don't figure to care whether the Phillies pick up any of Lee's salary. The Red Sox could come out of this empty handed. You don't have time to haggle with the Dodgers around.

 

It's totally fine if the Sox come away "empty-handed". I really think they have the horses to stay right in this til the end, and they have plenty of young firepower from within the organization that can help.

[BornToRun]

It's totally fine if the Sox come away "empty-handed". I really think they have the horses to stay right in this til the end, and they have plenty of young firepower from within the organization that can help.

Agreed. We weren't suppose to be this good in 2013 and I'm not willing to deviate from the long term plan in order to maybe push ourselves over the edge this year. I think we have enough to make a run as is. Maybe I'd be more open if we were in a win now mode but when we're in a state of looking forward to the next few years after 2013, I'm not willing to give up a big chunk of our future for Cliff Lee.

[Orange Juiced]

In other potentially momentous news...

 

http://joefrisaro.mlblogs.com/2013/07/30/could-red-sox-sway-marlins-to-move-stanton/

 

"A league source said Boston may be willing to part with whatever it takes in hopes of swaying the Marlins to relocate Stanton to Fenway Park.

 

The Red Sox indeed have a strong system, and it would likely take four or five players alone to secure Stanton’s services.

 

But is there a fit between the clubs?

 

The Red Sox top prospect is shortstop Xander Bogaerts, ranked by MLB.com as the sixth overall prospect in the game.

 

But the Marlins have Adeiny Hechavarria, a shortstop many in the organization feel is the best defender at his position in the National League. What if Bogaerts is able to switch to second base? If so, an Hechavarria-Bogaerts middle infield could be attractive to Miami.

 

Boston’s No. 2 ranked prospect is Jackie Bradley, a left-handed hitting outfielder, who also likely would have to be included in any potential deal.

 

From Miami’s point of view, is there a need for Bradley? If Stanton is dealt, the organization could then go with Christian Yelich in left, Jake Marisnick in center and Marcell Ozuna in right. So where would Bradley fit? Or is he an upgrade over any of the players Miami already has in the outfield. If not, it wouldn’t make sense for the Marlins.

 

Ozuna, however, will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing left thumb surgery. Certainly, outfield depth would be needed.

 

Another position the Marlins would likely want is pitching. The club pretty much seeks a pitcher in return of any trade they make.

 

Pitchers Allen Webster and Henry Owens are Boston’s third and fourth ranked prospects, respectively. Lefty Trey Ball was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

 

Would those five or four of those five get a deal done? Or it could be a combination of three or four top prospects, and a player or two already on Boston’s big league roster?"

 

= = = = =

 

Holy crap. That would be an unbelievable blockbuster - unloading 4-5 of the top 10 prospects to land Stanton? Geez...

[BornToRun]

In other potentially momentous news...

 

http://joefrisaro.mlblogs.com/2013/07/30/could-red-sox-sway-marlins-to-move-stanton/

 

"A league source said Boston may be willing to part with whatever it takes in hopes of swaying the Marlins to relocate Stanton to Fenway Park.

 

The Red Sox indeed have a strong system, and it would likely take four or five players alone to secure Stanton’s services.

 

But is there a fit between the clubs?

 

The Red Sox top prospect is shortstop Xander Bogaerts, ranked by MLB.com as the sixth overall prospect in the game.

 

But the Marlins have Adeiny Hechavarria, a shortstop many in the organization feel is the best defender at his position in the National League. What if Bogaerts is able to switch to second base? If so, an Hechavarria-Bogaerts middle infield could be attractive to Miami.

 

Boston’s No. 2 ranked prospect is Jackie Bradley, a left-handed hitting outfielder, who also likely would have to be included in any potential deal.

 

From Miami’s point of view, is there a need for Bradley? If Stanton is dealt, the organization could then go with Christian Yelich in left, Jake Marisnick in center and Marcell Ozuna in right. So where would Bradley fit? Or is he an upgrade over any of the players Miami already has in the outfield. If not, it wouldn’t make sense for the Marlins.

 

Ozuna, however, will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing left thumb surgery. Certainly, outfield depth would be needed.

 

Another position the Marlins would likely want is pitching. The club pretty much seeks a pitcher in return of any trade they make.

 

Pitchers Allen Webster and Henry Owens are Boston’s third and fourth ranked prospects, respectively. Lefty Trey Ball was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

 

Would those five or four of those five get a deal done? Or it could be a combination of three or four top prospects, and a player or two already on Boston’s big league roster?"

 

= = = = =

 

Holy crap. That would be an unbelievable blockbuster - unloading 4-5 of the top 10 prospects to land Stanton? Geez...

Stanton's injury history worries me. I'm not giving up our entire farm for just one guy in the middle of a transition period. I'm sure I'll get called crazy for this but my position right now is to make the top guys off limits and work with what he have in house if nothing is available for a low price.

[mvp 78]

Agreed. We weren't suppose to be this good in 2013 and I'm not willing to deviate from the long term plan in order to maybe push ourselves over the edge this year. I think we have enough to make a run as is. Maybe I'd be more open if we were in a win now mode but when we're in a state of looking forward to the next few years after 2013, I'm not willing to give up a big chunk of our future for Cliff Lee.

 

All of this. Just because the team is doing well, doesn't mean the Sox have to dump their prospects. Ride this wave and enjoy it. Lee is too old and too expensive to demand a huge price tag. The window isn't closing anytime soon.

[italstallianion]

If we needed an OF then I can see going for Stanton, but we don't have an OF need, so we'd be creating a bunch of problems to solve one. I'd be more interested in the untouchable pitchers (Kershaw/Sale/Strasburg) than Stanton/Harper/Trout.

[BornToRun]

All of this. Just because the team is doing well, doesn't mean the Sox have to dump their prospects. Ride this wave and enjoy it. Lee is too old and too expensive to demand a huge price tag. The window isn't closing anytime soon.

Agreed.

 

If I'm BC, I make a low offer and tell Amaro that its the best he's gonna get from us. If he says yes then great. If not, shrug and move on.

[italstallianion]

All of this. Just because the team is doing well, doesn't mean the Sox have to dump their prospects. Ride this wave and enjoy it. Lee is too old and too expensive to demand a huge price tag. The window isn't closing anytime soon.

 

I will say a playoff team without winning the title is worse than not making the playoffs imo, so I do think we need to be mindful about trying to fix any holes and put together a legit title contender.

 

BUT...it's foolish to unnecessarily deplete the future in order to do so. (Especially considering how random/lucky/flukey the playoffs are) I'm all for Lee, but hell no to trading half of our top 10 for Stanton.

[mvp 78]

Yup, it's far easier to find a bat in FA than a legit SP.

[BornToRun]

If we needed an OF then I can see going for Stanton, but we don't have an OF need, so we'd be creating a bunch of problems to solve one. I'd be more interested in the untouchable pitchers (Kershaw/Sale/Strasburg) than Stanton/Harper/Trout.

 

I think there's one player in baseball I would go full on farm system clean out for. That's mike trout and that's never going to happen.

 

Maybe Kershaw although big money to pitchers worries me.

[Orange Juiced]

All of this. Just because the team is doing well, doesn't mean the Sox have to dump their prospects. Ride this wave and enjoy it. Lee is too old and too expensive to demand a huge price tag. The window isn't closing anytime soon.

 

The issue is that the Sox have too many good prospects - even if they all pan out (they won't), they can't all play for the big-league club. Just too many of them. So they're going to have to move some of them if they all turn out to be as good as advertised. And if some of them aren't as good as advertised, then those guys are guys you'd want to move now anyway.

 

The trick is guessing right on which ones to move. I agree with you in principle, but trading the right prospects to improve now is a huge part of the value of having good prospects.

[mvp 78]

To me, Lee is just too expensive ($ and prospects) and getting up there in years. Just look at how quickly Halladay nose dived.

[BornToRun]

The issue is that the Sox have too many good prospects - even if they all pan out (they won't), they can't all play for the big-league club. Just too many of them. So they're going to have to move some of them if they all turn out to be as good as advertised. And if some of them aren't as good as advertised, then those guys are guys you'd want to move now anyway.

 

The trick is guessing right on which ones to move. I agree with you in principle, but trading the right prospects to improve now is a huge part of the value of having good prospects.

I get that and it's not that I'm willing to trade guys if it makes us better, I'm just not willing to give up 3-4 top ten guys to do so which is what it's looking like it'll take.

 

And on your point about not knowing who will pan out, I agree with you that prospects are always a crap shoot but it seems, at least to me, that the sox have had pretty good luck with the top minor leaguers in our system turning into productive major leaguers. I'm talking about the big names only but looking back, I'd say our top Minor league talent has turned out better than the guys on other teams.

 

Guys like Ells, Lester, Buch, Pap, and Pedey all making very notable big league contributions as well as WMB, Iggy, Masterson, Rizzo, Reddick, and others to a lesser extent.

 

I could be way off base here but it seems like we've been pretty good judges of young talent as an organization and I like our chances of Xander, JBJ, Garin, and the like turning into solid contributors for the Red Sox in the future.

[italstallianion]

To me, Lee is just too expensive ($ and prospects) and getting up there in years. Just look at how quickly Halladay nose dived.

 

I think "too expensive" will be defined if a final deal is reached. Right now Phillies price is too expensive, but I think if they go down a bit we can talk. Outside of a reliever Lee is the only piece I'd want to add by the deadline. Definitely a better return on investment than Peavy/Norris/Garza even if he is overpaid. We don't need much other than another good reliever. I'd be disappointed if we came away with nothing considering how the other buying teams appear to be making moves.

[italstallianion]

At least we have less than 24 hours remaining until the dust settles.

[SoxSport]

Looks like the Dodgers are just waiting for the Phillies best offer for Lee. Then they will jump in and buy Lee for whatever it takes. The question becomes do the Phillies want to send Lee to the AL, and do the Red Sox have prospects they covet and are willing to absorb enough of the money.

[SoxSport]

More than one source now says Young will accept a trade only to Texas. That's a relief. I think they were barking up the wrong tree with that guy, experience or no. Middlebrooks is good enough for LHP at this point and a better defender. Or Bogaerts. Play the kids if you're not going to trade them.

[jung]

Lee quickly got very expensive. Spending mostly money and a few prospects for Lee would have been fine but now the Phillies appear to want all the top prospects. Have not been thrilled about the idea of going for a starter anyway. But if Lee could have been done without committing crazy prospects, it would have been worth exploring.

 

The whole deadline thing is going nuts now anyway. Was on the road today and listening to the radio, call after call into sports talk radio calling for the Sox to be sellers at the deadline...totally nuts...can't believe people think we should be sellers.

[User Name]

I'd love Stanton but that package we'd be sending their way is far too much for us to get rid of. Stanton still isn't a guaranteed star for years to come if you ask me, and even if just 2 of those 4-5 prospects we'd be sending their way pan out, it wouldn't be worth it. Asking just 2 of our top 4/5 prospects to pan out isn't asking much.

[Bellhorn04]

Lee quickly got very expensive. Spending mostly money and a few prospects for Lee would have been fine but now the Phillies appear to want all the top prospects. Have not been thrilled about the idea of going for a starter anyway. But if Lee could have been done without committing crazy prospects, it would have been worth exploring.

 

The whole deadline thing is going nuts now anyway. Was on the road today and listening to the radio, call after call into sports talk radio calling for the Sox to be sellers at the deadline...totally nuts...can't believe people think we should be sellers.

 

Sellers? That really takes it for idiocy.

[Bellhorn04]

I'd love Stanton but that package we'd be sending their way is far too much for us to get rid of. Stanton still isn't a guaranteed star for years to come if you ask me, and even if just 2 of those 4-5 prospects we'd be sending their way pan out, it wouldn't be worth it. Asking just 2 of our top 4/5 prospects to pan out isn't asking much.

 

The very thought of trading 4-5 of our best prospects makes me cringe. You're almost certain to regret that one forever.

[User Name]

That speaks volumes to the overall sense of general negativity embedded in the Red Sox fanbase.

[jung]

Sellers? That really takes it for idiocy.

 

I don't even think these folks have thought through who they would sell and for what! Just crazy!!!

[MNSoxChief102]

Seems Young isn't only focused on Texas as a destination... he could still be in play for the Sox

 

[MNSoxChief102]

Possibly two deals working with Phillies... one with Lee AND Young, and the other just involving Lee. Have to think a deal with both would be astronomical in talent headed south to Philadelphia. Not sure if I'd be up for that...

 

https://twitter.com/ALLsportsINTEL/status/362332538536071170

[italstallianion]

Honestly I feel like taking Young would be a favor to the Phillies and would lessen the prospect/money package going back, whereas Philly is probably trying to sell us on including Young to raise the prospect/money package going back.

[MNSoxChief102]

Honestly I feel like taking Young would be a favor to the Phillies and would lessen the prospect/money package going back, whereas Philly is probably trying to sell us on including Young to raise the prospect/money package going back.

 

I agree with you on the favor part. Young would be helpful, but his inclusion in a Lee deal wouldn't make me want to give up any additional talent. Lee alone will take some serious prospects away from our farm and I'm not completely sold on that idea just yet.