MLB 2012 Season

[AntAltMike]

From today's Boston Herald:

Early this morning, the Red Sox and Dodgers concluded a blockbuster deal in which the Red Sox shipped four players -- Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett [stats], Carl Crawford and Nick Punto -- in exchange for a massive relief in salary as well as four minor-leaguers and first baseman James Loney, according to a Red Sox source.The deal will be worth in excess of $275 million to the Red Sox, including luxury tax savings and salaries for the remainder of this season and beyond. Over the next six years, the Dodgers will receive $12 million from the Red Sox, with the payments to begin next year.

I'll bet that the three player, 2012 salary dump was just a hundred thousand or so dollars short of slipping the Red Sox under the 2012 luxury tax threshold, and so that's why Punto got thrown in.

 

[BillD1984]

This will go down in Red Sox lore as the "Nick Punto Trade".

 

[SabresRule]

The Red Sox will develop with young blood and a new look over the next few years ala every other team that takes time to build up to future contender status with a new identity (l.e. The Reds and the Nationals of a few years ago)

 

[AntAltMike]

The Red Sox will develop with young blood and a new look over the next few years ala every other team that takes time to build up to future contender status with a new identity (l.e. The Reds and the Nationals of a few years ago)

Doubtful. The Red Sox can now go out and buy a couple of high-priced free agents without having to worry about the luxury tax for a couple more years.

 

[BillD1984]

Why didn't the Red Sox see if they could've kept Punto, and ask the Dodgers if they would take John Lackey instead?

I'm only half joking.

 

[BillD1984]

It's funny that Hanley Ramirez and Josh Beckett are now teammates.

 

[DodgerKing]

Right, which is roughly 5% of the more than a quarter of a billion the Dodgers are now on the hook for. I don't much about the prospects the Sox are getting in return, but from what I hear they're anywhere from "reasonable" to "good" MLB prospects.

I'm literally still in a state of shock that this deal happened, and I mean that in a good way.

Sands destroys AAA, but couldn't hit his way out of a wet paper bag every time he was called up.

De La Rosa is a young minor leaguer with a power arm and excellent potential, but he has already had Tommy John surgery. He will probably starting for the Sox next year and has the potential to do very well.

DeJesus will be one of those super utility players that every team wants during a pennant race, or he can be an average to above average middle infield guy.

The key prospect is Allen Webster. This dude will probably be a future ACE, but he still has a while before he makes it to the majors.

Here is pic of Punto, Beckett, and Gonzalez on a private plane to LA in a Tweet they sent

 

[DodgerKing]

It's funny that Hanley Ramirez and Josh Beckett are now teammates.

I was just going to post this. Ramirez was the prospect traded by the Sox to get Beckett

 

[KCK_Halo]

This will go down in Red Sox lore as the "Nick Punto Trade".

Bill, I was afraid you might have been down re: this move initially. I'm glad to see you are pleased with it. You guys now have a TON of money freed up for next season and I expect the Sox to make what the Angels did last offseason look like "small change"! And I am so-o-o-o glad that Crawford basically told the Angels to "f off" 2 years ago when he said initially he was coming to Anaheim. He has proven to be a huge disappointment and I expect him to be the same in L.A. even after surgery. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL RED SOX FANS!

 

[DodgerKing]

The thing is, the Dodgers will move up to the upper 1/3 in payroll, but they are still nowhere near the top. They still have plenty of money for the off season. Perhaps a 3rd baseman and another starter?

 

[raoul5788]

They are doing this now because they want to win now and in the future as well. Plus they get the best first baseman in baseball and when Crawford gets healthy, they will have the best outfield in baseball.

Better than Pujols, Cabrera, or Votto? I'm not so sure.

 

[AntAltMike]

The Red Sox can resign Cody Ross, but might like to sign a a free agent outfielder (Josh Hamilton), a skilled catcher if Lavarnway doesn't click this September, a shortstop, and a front line starter (Jake Peavy).

They aren't really desperate at any position. They could alternate Inglesias and .350 hitting Ciriaco at short (can Ciriaco play defense at that position? I haven't really studied him there, but if he keeps hitting, I can tolerate a less-than-gold-glove shortstop), they have Kalish, Nava and .370 hitting Posednick available to play left field, and the starting rotation shapes up to be Lester, Buchholz, Doubront, De La Rosa and then maybe Morales, maybe Lackey or maybe Aceves, since the bullpen goes back to having an established closer in Bailey, set up by Melancon and Bard, and if a better catcher isn't available, then it would be Saltalamacchia and Lavarnway for now. Not that you can't improve on any of that, but it means that the Red Sox will not be forced to give big bucks to the best player available at each of those positions if the best player available isn't that much better.

Actually, they do need one more big "bopper" to replace Ortiz, or they can insult him with another one year deal.

 

[DodgerKing]

Better than Pujols, Cabrera, or Votto? I'm not so sure.

Career wise, no one is better than Pujols. But currently, Pujols is towards the end of his career and Gonzalez is now better.

Cabrera is no longer a 1st baseman. He now plays 3rd.

Votto had one of the best seasons 2 years ago. If he puts up the same numbers for another 5 years as he has done during his last 5 years, then there is no doubt Votto will be considered the best. He is younger and has much more playing years left.

So yes, I would say Gonzalez is THE best first baseman currently playing

 

[KCK_Halo]

True. I LIKE Adrian but he is showing signs of decline. Votto gets my vote for best 1B in MLB. Again, I like the idea that So Cal baseball teams are now cash cows. This will be fun to see how things pan out over the next few years.

 

[DodgerKing]

Once Gordon and Crawford come back, look at next years lineup. This will have to be the best lineup in baseball

1. Gordon SS
2. Crawford LF
3. Kemp CF
4. Gonzalez 1B
5. Ramirez 3B
6. Ethier RF
7. AJ Ellis C
8. Mark Ellis 2B

The first 3 guys in the lineup can steal 40+ bases (Gordon is a 100 SB potential guy and Grawford can steel 80+)
The 2 through 7 batters can all hit 20+ HRs (Ellis will more than likely only hit about 10 to 15 though) with 3-6 hitting 30+ to 40+ HRs

 

[DodgerKing]

True. I LIKE Adrian but he is showing signs of decline. Votto gets my vote for best 1B in MLB. Again, I like the idea that So Cal baseball teams are now cash cows. This will be fun to see how things pan out over the next few years.

Decline? He had one of his best years last year. He had the most hits in his career last year. The only season with 200+ hits. He had the second most RBIs in a season last year. He had his highest average last year and only the second time he hit over .300.

This year he is having one of his best 2nd half's. Considering the toxic environment and Gonzalez being moved between RF, 1B, and DH, he is still batting .300 (currently the 3rd highest average in his career), will still hit 20+ HRs, and still drive in 100+ runs.

Also, his power numbers will be down in Boston because he hits a lot of opposite field line drive HRs which are just double or singles of the wall in Boston. And RF is a long way to hit a HR.

I will not argue against Votto potentially being the best first baseman in baseball. I just need him to show more years like he had 2 years ago. Votto has put up better numbers during the same 5 year period. He does hit for a better average career wise. But, he also plays in a much more hitter friendly park with a lot more protection than SD and a park much more suited for him than Fenway was for Gonzalez. Either way Votto and Gonzalez are definitely the two best in the NL.

 

[BillD1984]

Bill, I was afraid you might have been down re: this move initially. I'm glad to see you are pleased with it. You guys now have a TON of money freed up for next season and I expect the Sox to make what the Angels did last offseason look like "small change"! And I am so-o-o-o glad that Crawford basically told the Angels to "f off" 2 years ago when he said initially he was coming to Anaheim. He has proven to be a huge disappointment and I expect him to be the same in L.A. even after surgery. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL RED SOX FANS!

I forgot about Crawford and the Angels. You must be very happy that didn't happen.

As far as this move goes, I'm only disappointed to see A-Gon leave, but I realize that's the sacrifice the Sox had to make to get this done. Even at that, I'm not totally sold that the A-Gon/Red Sox partnership would have been a positive one five years from now, and that definitely tempers my disappointment. And my disappointment goes away entirely when the albatross of Crawford's contract-and to a slightly lesser extent Beckett's- goes poof (sans a $12 million kick back). Then you throw in a few prospects, and it's like WHERE DO I SIGN!

 

[DodgerKing]

Even tonight's and this years lineup is pretty damn good.

1. Victorino LF
2. M. Ellis 2B
3. Kemp CF
4. Gonzalez 1B
5. Ramirez SS
6. Ethier RF
7. Cruz 3B
8. AJ Ellis C

Their former cleanup hitter is now batting 6th. Good mix of left right alternating batters

 

[AntAltMike]

... Pujols is towards the end of his career...

Not according to his contract.

 

[AntAltMike]

Do the Dodgers have an established starting five, or might they be tempted to give Beckett a start? At this time of year, it is not uncommon for a team to have to play a double header to make up an earlier rain-out and when they do, they often need to use a sixth starter.