sk7326

Don't grade Rodriguez too harshly. Rough season in AA, but he's also 21 there - young for the level, there is some work to do, but he was the best prospect dealt today by anybody. That the Sox got him for a short reliever is easily the best deal anybody made today. Overall, Cherington noted the team wanted major league help from these deals explicitly - so that is an ownership level decision, and so the moves have to have that in the context.

Lowrie trade was worse. Trading an actual starter for a middle reliever is height of foolishness. The Lackey deal is not a great return, but the Melancon deal was much worse. I gave the team a C+. They landed the best prospect that got dealt the entire day - and found solutions to their corner outfield problems. They clearly have not punted on 2015 - nor should they - and they did improve their team in spots where they had little organizational depth. At the same time - it feels like Lester and Lackey should have netted more, the latter in particular. At the same time, when you see how little the Rays got for David Price, it is possible that such a deal might not have been there. It is interesting that all 3 of the big deals for starters today, the team ended up taking back major league bodies instead of prospect bulk. Drew trade was a nothingburger. They want to give X reps at SS, and they had a chance to save money. When you put the white flag up, who cares what team you are helping, especially since the players dealt in the division were both rentals.

That is all reported hearsay - not coming from him. It would be typical that management leaked that though. He was terrible in 2011, but his elbow was barely hanging off his arm. I think he earned a lot of his teammates admiration for battling. He is a warrior. Deal is odd - think he'd have gotten a bigger return.

Victorino can barely stay healthy enough to play RF. These moves mean there is a 2 month window to see what the kids have. Bradley's splits have been encouraging and clearly elite level defense in CF. At least these moves force the org to have some patience and play the kids instead of always trying to appease the WEEI callers.

Only one part of the "great future" left - that is the saving grace here. All the components of the "great future" are still here.

I think the idea was that they HAVE a young controllable core, but they needed to fill in gaps. Their return does improve horrible positions for 2015. I agree, I wish they got more prospects out of this - at the same time when you see how little Tampa got for David Price, it is possible the market was not as hot as it seemed. They do have a lot of money available and a ton of prospect inventory - so the path to getting better, and the assets to do so, are there. The depth of rotation caliber starters in the organization is staggering. What the org was missing was some pop, so they fixed that here a little bit. After having some time to calm down, I see the approach here. Key for the final 2 months is to see whether the kids are going to be alright - I suspect they will. As I noted, the problem with the Sox this season was dithering and a lack of commitment to the kids who they decided were good enough to play. Wasted valuable PAs for no good reason - soaking them up with useless reclaimation projects. There is a lot of work to do for 2015, but definitely a way to get there.

It is the theory that makes sense. Once you figure the blue chippers are not available, door #2 is how can we get better for next year? They have a lot to do with the rotation, but they solved their near term corner outfield disaster zone. The pitching is wait and see - they do have the prospect inventory to make a move on that front.

David Price to the Tigers, Nick Franklin and Drew Smyly to the Rays, Austin Jackson to the MAriners

I think of it as "Stephen Drew for cash" in the form of a guy making $7M less a year.

If you are selling, who cares if it is in the division or not. Saves some money - Kelly Johnson could easily be bought out.

Kelly Johnson coming back. Pure salary dump.

Good move - get Bogaerts back to SS, ride it out. Not sure who is coming back - not sure how much I care.

One theory that makes it all fit: Ownership gave Cherington a mandate to maximize the potential of the 2015 team, that the team was selling in 2014, but intend to contend next season. The two deals with Lester and Lackey have clear positive 2015 impact (especially if Craig's issues can be solved with an offseason of rest). The prospect inventory is still there to do a lot - they did not need to add more to that. I am not sure if that was the "right" course - but it makes sense in that context. In particular, if Lester is amenable to returning - this makes more sense than that. I don't like either trade - but if this is the endgame, it fits better.

Top 100 prospect in both BA and KLaw. He is struggling this year ... but as a 20 year old in AA. That is important to appreciate. Young for his level, stuff is raw but apparently very projectable. For a short reliever, this is pretty good.

Watching ESPN's roundup and Keith Law and Manny Acta talking about it. What has been interesting is that Boston's trades have been made specifically with improving the 2015 club in mind. They are clearly loading up for next season - and not worrying about the prospect inventory (which is considerable already). I am not sure I agree with the strategy but it makes sense, particularly if they do re-sign Lester (I put odds at less than 50-50, but not insane).

Can only evaluate the deal when it is made (what do you do with imperfect info and the evaluations at the time). Lowell was the price tag for a projected star (in addition to the prospects). There is no such star here. Not even a question mark with electric upside a la Carlos Martinez.

Mike Lowell was an anvil the Red Sox had to take on to land a 25 YEAR OLD FORMER WORLD SERIES MVP!!! Regardless of whether Beckett lived up to his promise, he was a premium asset in 2006. As a big market team, you use your ability to take a garbage contract (which Lowell was at the time), so you can get the premium asset. There is no premium asset here. Just a lot of hope.

Lackey was a #2 starter being paid in styrafoam packing peanuts next season. That was a large asset. The Sox traded their top 2 starters for no long term value. I don't think these are Cherington deals - a fantasy league would have protested this deal.

I suspect these aren't "Ben" trades.

Allen Craig, Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly and Allen Craig for Lackey

Also note the mechanism by which Cespedes goes free after 2015. His contract forbids the team from offering him salary arbitration - they essentially agree to cut him, thus no compensatory pick attachment. You have to think this was done with the intent of signing him longer but they did not buy a ton of control here.

In some ways he is a more attractive commodity - that extra year of control for peanuts.

It is the fascinating question - it has been good enough to pile up the runs so far. There was not a great impact bat left, so they went the other way.

The move also does block Betts - who picked up where he left off with his Pawtucket feats of strength. On the other hand, in Boston he'd be subjected to management who has been incredibly weak kneed about their internal prospect evaluations.